Bar-Ilan University is a public research university located in Ramat Gan, in the Tel Aviv District of Israel. It was conceived in 1950 during a meeting of the American Mizrahi organization in Atlanta, United States, and officially established in 1955 by Professor Pinkhos Churgin, an American Orthodox rabbi and educator who served as its first president until 1957. The university was founded with a mission to integrate Jewish studies with secular academic disciplines, reflecting its Jewish-American roots and commitment to Orthodox Jewish values alongside modern scholarship, and it has a significant Orthodox Jewish student body. It has grown significantly since its inception, becoming Israel's second-largest academic institution by enrollment, serving approximately 20,000 students and employing around 1,350 faculty members across a wide range of fields including Jewish studies, sciences, social sciences, humanities, law, engineering, and business administration, and is known for its strong programs in these areas and its emphasis on interdisciplinary studies. The campus in central Israel spans a flourishing environment that supports interdisciplinary research and education. Notable achievements include advancements in science and human endeavors that have impacted Israel's landscape, with special projects like the publication of responsa texts using specialized computer applications. The university also operates the Bar-Ilan Research & Development Company to commercialize research outcomes for private sector applications, and its press has published over 350 works and 20 periodicals by the mid-1990s. Bar-Ilan maintains institutional affiliations with influential figures such as Efraim Inbar and is recognized for fostering innovation, with alumni founding numerous companies tracked for funding and investment trends. It has received an honorary Doctorate of Philosophy and the Guardian of Zion award from the I. Rennert Center. The university continues to emphasize its unique blend of religious and secular learning, contributing to Israel's academic and cultural fabric.