16/06/2026
Our HUJI Alumni of the Month series highlights the incredible achievements of our international alumni community. This month, we're proud to feature Michel Gordon, FRM, a Hebrew University alumnus who has spent more than two decades documenting Jewish communities across the Islamic world through travel, photography, and independent research.
Financial risk manager by day and Middle East historian by night, HUJI alumnus Michel Gordon leads a busy life. Since graduating with an MA in Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies from the Rothberg International School, his proudest accomplishment is the publication of his third book, Life and Legacy: A Window into Jewish Heritage Across the Middle East, which explores the history and culture of Jewish Life Across the Islamic World.
For more than two decades, Michel has documented Jewish communities throughout the Islamic world through travel, photography, and independent research, preserving stories that are often overlooked in contemporary discussions of the Middle East.
Beyond his professional career, Michel teaches courses on the Middle East, Jewish communities in Islamic civilizations, and the modern history of Israel, engaging students and broader audiences interested in Jewish history and the Middle East.
Michel remembers the atmosphere on HUJI鈥檚 Mount Scopus campus with deep fondness. Surrounded by trees, the Botanical Garden, and the unique sounds of Jerusalem, from the rustling wind to the evening call to prayer, he found the campus to be a place of both tranquility and inspiration.
His advice to future students is simple: "Seek understanding before judgment. The most interesting stories are often found where different worlds meet."
Connect with Michel on LinkedIn to learn more about his work preserving Jewish heritage across the Middle East: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michel-gordon-frm-4b521814/