KIRYAT SHMONA, Israel, October 14, 2026 — Tel-Hai University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee (THU), announced today that The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has awarded a $3 million grant to support the construction of the University’s new multidisciplinary laboratory building on its Roadburg Campus. The grant is the latest milestone in a longstanding collaboration between Helmsley and Tel-Hai University to help strengthen scientific research, innovation, and opportunity in northern Israel.
The grant was awarded at a pivotal moment in the University’s development. Earlier this year, Tel-Hai was officially recognized as a university. Today, the institution is expanding its research capacity, recruiting leading scientists from Israel and abroad, and building the infrastructure needed to support the next generation of scientific discovery.
The new laboratory building is a 3,500-square-meter (37,700-square-foot) three-story facility designed to provide a state-of-the-art environment for multidisciplinary research and innovation in biotechnology, agriculture, food systems, engineering, nutrition, and environmental sciences. It will house advanced laboratories, shared research facilities, graduate student workspaces, and approximately 20 research groups, creating a vibrant ecosystem for collaboration and scientific excellence.
Supporting research that addresses pressing global challenges
Beyond the physical infrastructure, the facility will enable Tel-Hai University to expand advanced research programs, attract and retain outstanding scientists, and accelerate innovation in fields critical to the future of the Galilee, Israel, and beyond. The building is expected to support research that addresses pressing global challenges in food security, sustainability, human health, environmental resilience, and biotechnology.
The new facility will stand alongside the Helmsley Science Building for Health, Environment and Biotechnology, established through a previous $5.3 million grant from Helmsley. Since its completion, the Helmsley Science Building has become a thriving research hub, demonstrating the transformative impact of strategic investments in scientific infrastructure and talent development in the Galilee.
The new laboratory building represents another important step in Tel-Hai University’s vision to establish the Galilee as a center of academic excellence, scientific innovation, and economic growth. By providing the infrastructure needed for cutting-edge research and education, the project will help translate scientific knowledge into practical solutions that benefit humanity.
Including the new funding, Helmsley’s investments in Tel-Hai University total more than $18 million, the equivalent of roughly NIS 72 million at the time the grants were made.
“Research universities can be powerful engines of innovation, opportunity, and regional growth,” said Prof. Eliezer Shalev, M.D., President of Tel-Hai University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee. “As Israel’s newest university, our mission extends beyond educating students and conducting research. We are helping shape the future of northern Israel through knowledge, innovation, and human capital. Helmsley’s continued support is helping create the infrastructure that enables world-class science to flourish in the Galilee, attracting exceptional researchers, advancing breakthrough discoveries, and generating long-term impact for our region and the country as a whole.”
“Helmsley is deeply committed to supporting basic scientific research in Israel, and we are pleased to help Tel-Hai expand its research capacity and strengthen scientific leadership in northern Israel as it embarks on its next chapter as a university,” said Sandor Frankel, a Trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust. “Investing in scientific infrastructure creates opportunities for researchers and students to develop solutions to complex challenges and contribute to the long-term prosperity and resilience of the Galilee and Israel.”
Helmsley aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since 2010, Helmsley has committed more than $800 million in grants for Israel to expand the nation’s world-class healthcare services, strengthen contributions to scientific, technological, and medical research, and promote a global understanding of Israel and its people.
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About Tel-Hai University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee
Tel-Hai University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee is a rapidly growing research university addressing challenges in food security, sustainable agriculture, engineering, artificial intelligence (AI), and more. Through interdisciplinary applied research, academic excellence in a host of disciplines – including humanities, social sciences, and education – as well as close collaboration with industry and communities, Tel-Hai University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee is tackling some of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century, while positioning the Galilee as a global hub for innovation.
