Nehemia Levtzion

Nehemia Levtzion (; November 24, 1935 — August 15, 2003) was an Israeli scholar of African history, Near East, Islamic, and African studies, and the President of the Open University of Israel from 1987 to 1992. He was also the Executive Director of the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute from 1994 to 1997.

Early and personal life Levtzion was born in the moshav of Be'er Tuvia. His wife Tirtza was a teacher and deputy head of Jerusalem's Gymnasia Rehavia high school in Jerusalem. They lived for a time in Ghana, where he studied the spread of Islam in Africa;

Career Levtzion was a scholar of African history, Near East, Islamic, and African studies, and especially Islam in Africa. He taught at (starting in 1965) and was Professor of History and Asian and African Studies and the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities (1978-1981) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Director of the Ben-Zvi Institute for the Study of Jewish Communities in the East (1982-1987), the President of the Open University of Israel (1987-1992), the Executive Director of the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute (1994-1997), and the Chairman of the Council for Higher Education in Israel’s Planning and Budgeting Committee (1997-2003).

Selected publications