Tel Aviv University Inaugurates the Gray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences

The $125 million gift from the Gray Foundation is set to transform the University’s medical education and research

Tel Aviv University made history today with the naming of its new Gray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Gray School of Medicine, and Gray School of Medical Sciences. The generous donation from the Gray Foundation – the largest ever to TAU – will significantly expand capacity at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, improve access for students and elevate the quality of education, training and research.

At the festive ceremony held on campus in the presence of President of Israel Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog, Gray Foundation co-founders Jon and Mindy Gray said: “We know that there has always been so much promise in this Promised Land, despite – or maybe because of – its greatest challenges. We could think of no better place to start planting a few seeds of promise than the amazing medical faculty here at Tel Aviv University.”

A TAU alumnus himself, together with his wife, Michal, President Herzog said to the Grays that at this “critical point in Israel’s 77-year-old history …  you chose to reach out and have our backs. What a profound statement of solidarity and optimism.”

TAU President Prof. Ariel Porat told the audience: “The Gray donation is a vote of confidence in Tel Aviv University, in Israeli academia, in Israeli science–in fact, in the State of Israel and its future.”

Read Prof. Ariel Porat’s letter of gratitude to the Gray Family >

Also participating in the ceremony were Mrs. Dafna Meitar-Nechmad, Chairwoman of the TAU Board of Governors; Prof. Mark Shtaif, TAU Rector; Prof. Karen B. Avraham, Dean of the Gray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences; other TAU academic leaders and TAU Governors and friends.

Presenting the TAU certificate of appreciation to Jon and Mindy Gray. (Photo credit: Yuval Yosef)

A quantum leap in education and research

The Grays’ transformative gift, the third largest to any Israeli academic institution, includes funding for: 

–    A new 600-bed dormitory, with preference given to underprivileged students
–    New advanced teaching and research facilities
–    Modernization of the Schools of Medicine and Dentistry
–    Scholarships for underrepresented groups 
–    Support for faculty recruitment and retention
–    BRCA research and collaboration
–    Creation of a memorial for the victims of October 7th 

Prof. Ariel Porat: “The Gray family’s generous gift will enable us to make a true ‘quantum leap’  in both medical education and research. In honor of this gift, the Faculty will be named the Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. I believe and hope this gift will inspire many others to follow their example.”

Mindy and Jon Gray: “We’ve been searching for a way to make a meaningful impact in Israel since the tragic events of October 7th. We can think of no better way to accelerate healing than by supporting an institution that touches the lives of so many. This gift will expand Tel Aviv University’s capacity to educate new healthcare professionals, including underrepresented students, and create state-of-the-art research facilities, building on our longtime support for medical research and access to higher education.”

The signing ceremony. (Photo credit: Yuval Yosef)

Dean Karen Avraham: “Thanks to the remarkable support of Mindy and Jon Gray and the Gray Foundation, we will take our medical training and research complex to a new level of excellence, enabling Tel Aviv University to train future clinicians and researchers to lead Israeli healthcare and global science. We will foster the next generation of medical innovators in rapidly evolving fields – from diagnostics and personalized treatment to healthcare delivery and biomedical research.”

Addressing Israel’s acute doctor shortage

Recent reports show that the number of doctors and medical school graduates in Israel is well below the average for OECD nations. The country faces additional pressure from looming retirements, with 25% of current doctors over the age of 67 and nearly half over 55. Israel’s Ministry of Health has prioritized increasing enrollment in medical schools, with a strategic plan to reach 2,000 new incoming students per year by 2030. 

This gift allows TAU – the largest training institution for doctors in Israel – to increase the number of new medical students by approximately 25%. In addition to doctors, TAU will also aim to increase the number of students in the overall Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences by approximately 20%, training thousands of nurses, therapists, dentists, and other healthcare professionals.

TAU plays a central role in Israel’s healthcare system through its partnership with 18 hospitals and alumni working across most hospitals in the country.

Access to medical education

To dramatically improve access for students, the Grays’ gift will help create a new 600-bed dormitory and additional scholarship opportunities. This will include targeted support and recruiting efforts for underrepresented groups at TAU who have faced challenges with housing costs and access. In particular, TAU will aim to double the number of Arab Israeli students at the School of Medicine.

Further expanding the pool of medical students, while elevating the quality of training for all in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, will ultimately improve care for communities across Israel.

Boosting innovation and discoveries

This gift will enable a comprehensive renovation of existing medical and health sciences facilities, along with the creation of new world-class research laboratories. It also provides for strategic investment to attract and retain leading biomedical scientists from around the world. 

One area of focus will be TAU’s work in BRCA-related cancers, which disproportionately impact the Ashkenazi Jewish community, nearly one-third of the Israeli population. 

(photo credit: Yuval Yosef)

Gray Foundation’s support 

The Gray Foundation has a dual mission of accelerating research, awareness, and treatment for individuals and families who have inherited BRCA mutations, as well as expanding access to education, healthcare, and opportunity for low-income youth in New York City. 

In 2012, the Grays created the Basser Center at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center, the first center in the world exclusively focused on BRCA cancers. The Foundation has also supported programs focused on careers in medicine at CUNY School of Medicine, Montefiore Einstein, Mount Sinai, Memorial Sloan Kettering, among others.

In 2024, the Foundation helped launch a holocaust education program for students at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, and the Grays have been long-time supporters of UJA and other Jewish organizations.