Philadelphia attorney and philanthropist Murray H. Shusterman (pictured above) will provide $1 million in urgently needed funding to enhance campus safety at BGU against the back drop of round the clock rocket attacks.
The new Murray H. Shusterman Gate will protect security staff, students and visitors entering BGU’s main entrance and provide necessary shelter at the security checkpoint. Operation Protective Edge coincides with the third and to-date longest period that the University has had to close its campus and cancel academic activities due to rockets from Gaza.
“BGU and much of Israel are coping despite the threat of rocket attacks, and I am very fortunate to be able to help out quickly at this crucial time,” Shusterman noted. “The new security entrance will protect cars and pedestrians and will enhance the architectural beauty of the BGU campus.”
Currently, security personnel (who are BGU students) and entering visitors are forced to use a cement sewer pipe for shelter at the entrance when a siren sounds. The Murray H. Shusterman Gate and security structure will encompass 6,400 square feet, featuring an updated security detection and alert system allowing security personnel to operate with due caution and react to warnings from Home Front Command quickly and effectively.
It will have two covered and barrier-equipped lanes for the inspection and movement of vehicular traffic. The Gate will also have an air-conditioned, modern lobby/entrance hall and an attractive passageway for pedestrians.
Above: A rendering of the future Murray H. Shusterman Gate
“We couldn’t be more grateful for this generous contribution from Murray, who as a visionary leader within the AABGU community recognized the critical importance of further enhancing safety at the University,” said Doron Krakow, executive vice president of BGU’s American Associates. “Already acknowledged as one of the safest places in Beer-Sheva, this addition will provide a critically needed addition to our security infrastructure.”
A longtime member of the University’s board of governors, as well as AABGU’s national board, Shusterman has served as AABGU Philadelphia chapter chair and is currently Mid-Atlantic Region associate chair. Along with his late wife, Judith, he established a Career Development Chair in Microbiology, a wing of the medical school library and a cancer research wing in support of the Faculty of Health Sciences. He is a member of the Living Legacy and Ben-Gurion Societies.
“We put out the alert and Murray once again answered the call,” says BGU President Prof. Rivka Carmi. “The University and the State of Israel owe a significant debt of gratitude to Murray for his support, especially in these difficult times.”
