Brandeis' 75th Anniversary
January 17, 2023
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
Welcome back to campus. I hope that you were able to enjoy a peaceful break, and are ready to begin your studies, research, teaching, and work anew.
We endured a very difficult end to our previous semester, and it will take time to heal. I still feel the deep, abiding sadness that many of you share. My thoughts remain with the family of Vanessa Mark, and with all of those injured in the shuttle accident and their loved ones. But I am also optimistic about the year to come, because I’ve seen how we have come together in support of each other during the days and weeks that have followed this tragedy. I am impressed, and moved, by how much you care about your fellow Brandeisians.
In 2023, Brandeis begins to celebrate its 75th anniversary. It is remarkable to reflect on just how far this university has come, in such a short time. Since its charter in 1948, when a group of visionaries from the American Jewish community came together to establish a new kind of university, one that welcomed talented students and faculty from all backgrounds and belief systems, Brandeis has grown exponentially in its scope and mission. As we commemorate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. this week, I am mindful of how we have evolved into an even more diverse and inclusive university in the years since he came to campus and lectured on justice, nonviolence, and racism. Brandeis recognizes and honors various affinities and heritages, and celebrates leaders and activists that have championed social justice for people who have been historically marginalized and underrepresented.
Always committed to a diversity of ideas and to bettering the world, Brandeis has also become a top tier, internationally-renowned research university. Our researchers, scholars, and students are conducting leading-edge studies, making discoveries, creating inventions, and solving problems that are improving, and have the potential to improve, so many lives.
This year, we will celebrate the impact that Brandeis has had on our communities, our people, and our world. Our 75th anniversary year will kick off officially on July 1, 2023, and it will continue through Commencement 2024. I am excited for how we will come together over the course of this year, focusing activities around four guiding themes – innovation in education, repairing the world, founding Jewish values, and community (inspired by the “This is Our House” orientation program).
I encourage you to mark Friday, October 13 through Sunday, October 15, 2023 on your calendars, which is when the university’s main celebration will take place. Throughout this weekend, we will convene the entire Brandeis community - faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni, and friends. I’m looking forward to an engaging weekend, with events that connect us through our shared love for Brandeis, and our commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and its transmission across generations.
There is still some time until the festivities begin, but July will come quickly. If you’re planning an event, or would like to propose one, please visit the 75th anniversary information webpage for details on how to do so. The deadline to submit initial proposals for fall semester events is March 30.
I’m hopeful that the upcoming year will allow us to acknowledge the remarkable community that we are, and to celebrate this truth with one another.
Sincerely,
Ron Liebowitz