June 15, 2023 – The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) presented an Honorary Fellowship to prominent entrepreneur and Jewish leader Annette Pakula on June 12th during the 86th Board of Governors Meeting in Jerusalem, Israel.  

After years of experience in worldwide jewelry as well as watch product development and manufacturing, Ms. Pakula redirected her skills and co-founded Defense, LLC, a woman- and veteran-owned business that develops defense technology for the U.S. Military and allied combat forces.  

A member of the Hebrew University’s Board of Governors, Ms. Pakula also serves on the Executive Committee and National Board of American Friends of the Hebrew University (AFHU).  

Ms. Pakula recently provided funding for significant equipment in the new HU Center for Computational Medicine. She also carries on her family tradition of charitable engagement and social responsibility through her work with nonprofit organizations that focus on women and children, medical research, healthcare, and education.  

HU President Prof. Asher Cohen presented the Fellowship, “In sincere appreciation for her longstanding friendship and loyalty to the Hebrew University; with gratitude for her commitment to the mission of AFHU in acknowledgment of her magnanimous support of the Center for Computational Medicine; and in recognition of her generous commitment to fostering student success through a perpetual scholarship endowment.”  

“I am grateful to receive this honor in the name of my beloved parents Dr. Lawrence & Sheila Pakula who fostered the belief that education was the means to developing one’s greatest abilities and ensured that one’s entrepreneurial spirit blossomed to its fullest potential,” said Ms. Pakula. “Hebrew University embodies these beliefs and has the extraordinary ability to unlock a world of wonderment, enabling all who cross its threshold to move mountains, exceed their dreams, and achieve goals greater than ever imagined.”