The Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Foundation announced a $26 million grant to the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot to help rebuild laboratories and replace equipment damaged in Iran’s June missile strike on the campus, the foundation said. The attack caused extensive damage across the institute and forced dozens of laboratories offline, according to public reports and officials.
The grant, made from the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel MSF fund, will support the restoration of research spaces, the purchase of essential instruments, and the restart of projects in fields the institute described as critical to Israel and to global science. Damage from the strike was widely reported to be severe, with estimates in recent weeks ranging into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
“Mandel Foundation acts out of a Zionist commitment to support leading institutions of the Jewish people and the State of Israel,” said Prof. Jehuda Reinharz, president of the Mandel Foundation. “The destruction at Weizmann is a blow to science on a global scale. Our longstanding partnership compels us to stand with its researchers so they can continue their vital work for humanity.”
Prof. Alon Chen, president of the Weizmann Institute, thanked the foundation for “its generosity and enduring commitment” and said the contribution would help the institute “rebuild damaged facilities, strengthen research infrastructure, and ensure Israel remains at the forefront of global science.”
The foundation said it has contributed roughly NIS 3 billion in Israel to date. During the past year of war, it committed NIS 210 million to emergency efforts, including NIS 55 million for new housing in Gaza-envelope communities, NIS 100 million for agricultural renewal in the South, small-business support, aid for reservist students and Ayalim student villages, computers for remote learning, trauma care, and community recovery programs. It also announced NIS 55 million for the renewal of Jerusalem’s Gazelle Valley urban nature site.
The Weizmann Institute, one of Israel’s premier research centers, suffered significant damage when Iranian missiles struck on June 15, 2025. International coverage described multiple laboratory buildings hit or disabled and years of research lost, though there were no casualties.