Prof. Ben-Sasson is the thirteenth president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Before assuming the role in 2009, Ben-Sasson served as a Member of the Knesset and was Chairman of its Constitution, Law and Justice Committee. Ben-Sasson holds a PhD in Jewish History at the Hebrew University, and a post-doctorate from University of Cambridge. He later served as University Rector and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Humanities. Prof. Ben-Sasson is a scholar in the Department of the History of the Jewish People in the Faculty of Humanities. A historian of the heritage of oriental Jewry, he has written some forty books and scholarly articles on a range of subjects. He has been a visiting lecturer at leading institutions in the United States, In addition to the history of medieval Jewry in Muslim lands, he specializes in the study of Maimonides, social and intellectual history, Geonic responsa and texts, and Saadya Gaon’s works and leadership. Prof. Ben-Sasson’s honors include an honorary doctoral degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary, the Yitzhak Ben-Zvi Prize for Jewish History, and the Feher Prize for the Study of Jewish Heritage.