A scientific colloquium was held in Tel Aviv in memory of the distinguished physicist Mark Azbel

A scientific colloquium dedicated to the memory of the outstanding physicist, Professor Mark Azbel (1932–2020), took place at the Raymond and Beverly Sackler School of Physics and Astronomy at Tel Aviv University. Dr. Haim Ben Yakov, Director General of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), attended the conference.

The colloquium, titled “Mark Azbel: The Man and the Physicist. A Personal Tribute,” brought together faculty, researchers, and students to honor one of the most prominent theorists of the 20th century. His scientific career and personal path formed an integral part of the history of Jewish science and Israeli academia.

Distinguished representatives of the School of Physics and Astronomy from various countries delivered welcoming addresses to the participants. Professor Zakhar Maizelis from the Ilya Lifshitz Department of Theoretical Physics at Kharkiv University spoke about the scientific and intellectual legacy of Mark Azbel. The keynote speaker was Professor Yuval Gefen, holder of the Isabelle and Samuel Friedman Chair of Theoretical Physics at the Weizmann Institute of Science. In his address, he shared personal recollections of his long-standing scientific collaboration with Mark Azbel, emphasizing the complexity, depth, and multidimensional nature of his personality and scientific thinking, as well as the impact of their joint work on his own recent research.

The colloquium featured the presentation of a special award for outstanding scientific achievements dedicated to the memory of Professor Mark Azbel. The award was presented to doctoral student Zhanyu Ma, whose research received high acclaim from the scientific community.

Mark Azbel holds a prominent position not only in global physics but also in the history of the Jewish intellectual resistance movement in the USSR. A distinguished theorist, co-creator of the Azbel-Hofstadter model, and author of fundamental works in metal physics, superconductivity, and disordered systems, he was simultaneously an active participant in the Soviet Jewish refusenik scientists' movement, an organizer of scientific seminars and samizdat publications, and a consistent advocate for repatriation to Israel. Following his emigration in 1977, he continued his prolific scientific and teaching career at Tel Aviv University, contributing significantly to the advancement of Israeli science.

As EAJC Director General Dr. Haim Ben Yakov noted in a commentary published on the website of Israel's Channel 9, the memory of Mark Azbel extends far beyond academic biography:

“The memory of Mark Azbel represents not only the legacy of a great physicist but also of an individual for whom science was inextricably linked with the value of freedom. His life and work remind us that genuine scientific creativity is inconceivable without inner independence, without the courage to think autonomously and to defend the right to intellectual freedom. Today, as questions of freedom and truth acquire renewed significance, Azbel's example resonates with particular urgency and inspiration.” Preserving the memory of figures such as Mark Azbel constitutes an important part of the educational efforts within the modern Jewish world, including the Jewish Heroes project, which is dedicated to the lives of outstanding representatives of the Jewish people whose scientific, cultural, and civic achievements became part of the shared history of the 20th century.

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress will continue its support for scientific, educational, and cultural initiatives in the history of Israel, Jewish communities, and the legacy of prominent scholars, viewing these endeavors as a key component of its mission.

Read the feature on the prominent scientist and Jewish public figure Mark Azbel on the Jewish Heroes website: https://www.jewishheroes.live/heroes/azbel