Memorial Garden for Sandy Breslauer Dedicated at BGU
Memorial Garden for Sandy Breslauer Dedicated at BGU
June 1, 2011
Negev Development & Community Programs, Press Releases
The Sandy Breslauer Garden was dedicated on Monday at the Marcus Family Campus of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev as part of the University’s 41st Annual Board of Governors Meeting.
The garden, named for a long-time supporter and humanitarian who passed away last year, was dedicated in the presence of her husband Stephen (Steve) Breslauer of Houston, Texas and friends.
University President Prof. Rivka Carmi welcomed the guests, noting that the garden was located in the “Soref-Breslauer Estate” next to the existing Breslauer Family Garden and adjacent to the Samuel Soref School of Mechanical Engineering Buildings.
“Sandy was a very special woman who combined her love for people with a special gift to make them feel good,” Carmi said, noting that everyone who met Sandy loved her and her love of life.
“The majestic cypress trees will grow tall and elegant, just like Sandy, raising the spirit of those around her.”
Steve, clearly moved by the dedication, added, “When Sandy and I first visited BGU almost two decades ago, it was love at first sight… not with the buildings as most of them were not here. She fell in love with the students and with the spirit of the University. Her greatest joy was visiting with the students on campus and off, hearing their dreams and aspirations.
“Though Sandy is now gone, her spirit lives on through this garden, bringing beauty, serenity and joy to all who pass this way,” he said, before unveiling the plaque.
Immediately following the ceremony, family and friends visited Sandy’s Activity Center, currently under construction in the Dalet neighborhood of Beer-Sheva.
The Center is part of the University’s Open Apartments project, where students live in the city’s poorest neighborhoods to reach out to the local community, under the auspices of the Community Action Unit (CAU). In exchange for housing, students volunteer in the neighborhoods, running a variety of activities for community members.
The Open Apartments program was a great passion of Sandy’s. The Greater Texas Region of American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev paid tribute to her life at their recent annual community gala, raising funds for the Center.
“Sandy loved the Open Apartments project and would show up determined to make the children smile,” recounted CAU Director Vered Sarousi Katz.
“It was amazing to watch her work, using her magic and personality to charm the kids,” she continued, adding that Sandy and Steve embody the very spirit of the Open Apartments. “It is hard to say who was having a better time – Sandy or the kids!”
In addition to the extraordinarily generous philanthropic activities Sandy undertook with Steve, she gave freely of her own personal time to help a child in need – often by dressing up as a clown and visiting hospitals in Houston and Israel.
Not content with just cheering up sick kids, the Breslauers, led by Sandy’s open heart, opened the doors of their own home to a succession of foster children, setting them on a path to a happy and successful life.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
For all press inquiries, please contact:
James Fattal, J Cubed Communications
516.289.1496
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