During the first 30 years of its existence, the Technion had no separate science departments. When the institution first opened its doors in 1924, the initial study programs were in Civil Engineering and Architecture. However, a basic education in physics was considered important and was included in the curriculum of the Technion right from the outset. Interestingly enough, the stormy debate whether the courses should be taught in Hebrew or German bypassed the basic sciences, and Mathematics and Physics courses were taught only in Hebrew. The serious looking man in the photograph, Prof. Aharon Tcherniavsky, was given the sole responsibility for teaching Physics to all Technion students. Tcherniavsky (1887-1966), was a lecturer in the University of Geneva before coming to Palestine. He divided his time between the Reali school and the Technion. Both schools were located close to each other in the Hadar Carmel quarter of Haifa.
Towards the end of the 1990's, further development of the Faculty became a serious problem due to a shortage of lab and office space. Each new faculty member triggered a lengthy game of musical chairs. Fortunately, almost 50 years after donating the money for the first building, Eric Lidow led the effort to establish the new Lidow Complex, inaugurated in 2004. At the age of 92, Eric Lidow attented the inauguration ceremony with his family. The picture shows the family at the main entrance to The Lidow Complex, the current home of the Faculty of Physics.
The latest addition to the Faculty is the Lewiner Institute of Theoretical Physics, established in 2006. The Institute is our window to the world at large. The Institute sponsors Distinguished Lecture Series by leading scientists and supports workshops in all fields of Physics. It offers graduate students their first glimpse of the international scene, and introduces visiting scientists to research done at the Faculty. The activities of the Institute will no doubt continue to help the development of the Faculty as an internationally recognized research center.
The Faculty of Physics today maintains a vigorous research program in all the major fields of Physics, including Astrophysics, High Energy Physics, Condensed Matter Physics and Biophysics. As in the days of Tcherniavsky, the Faculty of Physics continues to be responsible for teaching physics to all Technion students. While the 3 year BSc Physics program remains the cornerstone of the undergraduate studies in Physics, during the last decade the Faculty realized the growing importance of interdisciplinary studies. Taking advantage of being part of the top Engineering School in Israel, several joint programs with Engineering Faculties were initiated. Today, more that 50% of our undergraduates study for double degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering, Physics and Materials Engineering, Physics and Mathematics and Physics and Computer Science. These programs are among the most lucrative in Israel, attracting some of the best students in the country. All included, about 600 students are enrolled in the undergraduate program, and 150 more are in the M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs. Our graduates can be found throughout all the ranks of academia and industry in Israel.
