Dina Recanati
1928-2021
Dina Recanati was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, where she joined the Zionist movement and became an active member of the Haganah. Her devotion to Israel led her to immigrate with her late husband Raphael Recanati, who served as an emissary during Aliyah Bet.
In her early years, Dina studied in Egypt and England, later specializing in painting and sculpture in the United States. Her work has been exhibited in the United States, France, England, and Israel. In Israel, her artwork has been exhibited at the Israel Museum, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, and in public spaces such as Beit Ariella in Tel Aviv, Ben Gurion Airport, and more.
Over the years, Dina Recanati made remarkable contributions to life in Israel through her philanthropic endeavors, which reflect her commitment to education, the arts, and medical research. She instilled the family tradition of giving to her sons, Oudi and Michael Recanati, who joined her in establishing the Raphael Recanati International School at Reichman University, in memory of her husband and their father. She focused her energy on young people and their education, with the goal of opening the doors of higher education in Israel to Jewish youth from around the world, and expressed a deep commitment to the development of the international school.
Dina Recanati had a deep connection to Reichman University, and for her continued support and contributions, she was awarded the title of Honorary Fellow of the university on the tenth anniversary of its founding.
When the Recanati family decided to establish a medical school at Reichman University through the Dina and Raphael Recanati Foundation, headed by her son, Reichman University Chancellor Oudi Recanati, Dina championed the initiative to address the severe shortage of doctors in Israel — a shortage that is constantly increasing — and the need to train them within the country.
On the third anniversary of Dina Recanati’s passing, and following joint consultation between the foundation and the university leadership, the decision was taken to honor Dina’s memory by naming the medical school after her.
The increasing shortage of doctors is placing the field of medicine in Israel in real danger and demands a quick response. To help provide a solution to this shortage and immediately increase the number of medical students in Israel, Reichman University joined forces with Israel’s top medical institutions: Rabin Medical Center, Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, Sheba Medical Center, the Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital, Clalit Health Services, and Maccabi Healthcare Services, to establish a medical school that will serve as a model for teaching medicine in a professional, innovative, interdisciplinary, and compassionate manner.
*The Council for Higher Education has approved the opening of the program. The awarding of the degree is subject to its final approval.