Atran Foundation Professorship in IBD Research

Founded in 1945, by Efroim “Frank” Atran, the ATRAN FOUNDATION has been engaging in “tzedakah”, a Hebrew word meaning both charity and justice, for over seven decades, providing yearly grants to both worthy and charitable organizations that are aligned with our founding principles.  From the outset, the Foundation has been deeply involved in Jewish matters and in labor movements but at the same time also greatly concerned for those in pain, regardless of race, religion or politics.  In 1950, Frank donated $1 million to build the still-standing Atran Laboratory at Mount Sinai Hospital which has done extraordinary work and, soon after in 1952, the Atran Foundation became one of the founding members of the newly created Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.  Since then the Foundation has been a stalwart of support for hundreds of organizations and institutions including YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, the Worker’s Circle, the Forward publication, the Jewish Labor Committee, the UNCF among many others.  Frank Atran’s vision was to also create a named legacy through various programs and Chairs of higher learning such as the Atran Chair of Yiddish Studies at Columbia University created in 1956, and the both long-supported but newly endowed Chairs at Brandeis and Albert Einstein Universities.  The recent endowment to Johns Hopkins and the Gastroenterology Department just solidifies the long and fruitful relationship we have had over the past two decades and we look forward to the amazing discoveries to come.  The Atran Foundation is extremely blessed to continue to play a major role in the realm of American Jewish Philanthropies and support such dedicated and diverse organizations in achieving their mission.