At first glance, it seems strange: On Monday, Hebrew University awarded an honorary doctorate to American historian Prof. Gerda Lerner. For the university, there is something almost embarrassing in awarding an honorary doctorate to Lerner, that is, choosing her for this honor sheds unflattering light on the university and especially its history department.
It is not that she is not a deserving recipient, on the contrary. Lerner, a professor emerita at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, has already received 16 honorary doctorates from universities all over the world.