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All in the family

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust recently pledged a foundational grant to fund a new community center on campus

People behind the science

Date: September 11, 2024
Rendering of the Helmsley Community Center (Plesner Architects)

Rendering of the Helmsley Community Center (Plesner Architects)

The latest gift from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust is for the construction of a modern, central space for childcare and community programming that will considerably improve the work-life balance of Weizmann scientists, students, and staff.

The Helmsley Community Center will consolidate the Institute’s existing childcare, preschool, and afterschool programs—currently spread across multiple sites on campus—making drop-off and pick-up more convenient and fostering more interaction between parents and families. 

“The Helmsley Community Center should make Weizmann an even more attractive place to study and work for those with young families. By enabling centralized access to excellent, reliable, on-campus childcare, Weizmann parents will have the peace of mind to focus on their academic and administrative work without unnecessary distractions,” says Sandor Frankel, a Helmsley Trustee. 

This vibrant facility will be open to all members of the Weizmann community, providing a welcoming environment for educational, cultural, and wellness activities for all ages.

A member of Weizmann’s President’s Circle, the Helmsley Trust has awarded grants to support Weizman’s Quantum Nano-Physics Initiative, its Quantum Materials Devices Fabrication Lab, and research related to Crohn’s disease, stem cell therapies, and renewable energy. Helmsley’s transformational grant for the new Community Center continues its legacy of impactful philanthropy, supporting science in Israel, and improving campus life at the Institute.