A joint philanthropic gift to American University’s Center for Israel Studies will elevate the center’s groundbreaking work in the field of modern Israel studies and build bridges between nations, religions and cultures. Amy Meltzer and AU Board of Trustees member Alan Meltzer, CAS/BA ’21, and AU friends Jaime and Andrew Schwartzberg have made generous gifts as part of the university’s $500 million Change Can’t Wait campaign. In recognition of the donors, the center will be named the Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies.  

“The incredible support and collaboration of the Meltzer and Schwartzberg families not only ensures that the Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies will continue to thrive, but it also demonstrates the crucial role the center plays as a preeminent place for groundbreaking learning and scholarship about modern Israel,” said AU President Sylvia Burwell. “As we embark on the next 25 years, the center will continue its work to build bridges, break down barriers, and create the conditions for change and tolerance.” 

Inaugurated in 1998 by Israel’s prime minister and future president Shimon Peres, the center was the first of its kind in the United States dedicated to studying the modern state of Israel. The center’s scholarship focuses on modern Israel’s history, society and culture, multiethnic democracy, and complex geopolitical challenges. It is a preeminent place for groundbreaking scholarship and exploration of these important topics and a home for engagement with Israel’s culture and people.

“Twenty-five years after AU established the first Center for Israel Studies in the United States, we begin a new chapter with a new name,” said Distinguished Professor Michael Brenner, who serves as the center’s director and as American University’s Seymour and Lillian Abensohn Chair in Israel Studies. “The generous gifts of the Meltzer and Schwartzberg families will enable us to add new classes, to increase the financial support for our students, and to build academic bridges between Americans and Israelis, Israel and the Arab world, and a divided Israeli society.”

The Meltzers’ gift follows their previous support to the center, including establishing the Alan L. Meltzer and Amy Meltzer Fellowship and a joint gift with the David and June Trone Family Foundation to endow the center’s annual conference. The Schwartzbergs, longtime friends of the Meltzers, were inspired to join this commitment in recognition of the center as a national leader committed to welcoming a diversity of thought and fighting antisemitism. The gift has been made as the center celebrates 25 years as one of the nation’s premier educational centers for Israel Studies and for preparing students to serve the global community and wage peace.  

Alan Meltzer said, “Through taking classes, attending events, and working with the outstanding faculty and staff, I’ve seen firsthand the important work of the Center for Israel Studies to fight antisemitism, to build bridges, and promote inclusivity. The center takes a multidisciplinary approach to a complex history, culture, and geopolitical challenges. We’re proud to support the center’s impactful work.”