Dear John,
I am terribly sorry and appologize for not replying immediately to your
request for a reference letter on Yaron Katzir. In no way does my tardiness
reflect on y opinion of the candidate. Passover vacation, then an
unpleasant accident and slight woundidng got me out of normal routine for a
while. I hope it is not too late.
In recent years, almost annually has the Geology group within the
Institute of Earth Sciences been blessed with extraordinary, bright and
capable Ph.D graduates, who go abroad to the best of places and come back
after their post-doc with their colors flying high. Yaron Katzir is one of
the best in this extremely good group. I have known him for about ten
years now, when he started his undergraduate studies in Jerusalem. From day
one Yaron was at the very top of his class. He made a point of acquiring a
solid education not just in geology but non-less in the basic Sciences at
large. He did very well in all his endeavors.
For his Masters and Ph.D Yaron joined the "Aegean Group" in the Institute,
working with Profs. Garfunkel, Matthews and Dr. Avigad on the structure and
evolution of the Aegean mountain chain. Both his theses were an outstanding
success, both leading to publications in major journals.
Yaron took several of my classes in Geochemistry, and participated in a
field trip I led. In all of them he was at the top of his class - without
question No. 1. I have also met Yaron from the other aspect of our
relationships: he was my T. A. in the "Introduction to Geology for
non-Science Majors". A tough course which tests not only the teacher's
ability to popularize his science without compromising its truth, but also
demands a great degree of dedication and response to students problems. In
all these Yaron excels. In addition to those, principally "intellectual"
traits, Yaron is a very special human being: honest to the extreme, loved
by all who meet him, fellow student and teachers alike. In many ways Yaron
reminds one of the role- models which was placed before us a generation ago
- deeply devoted to Society (Yaron choose to live in kibbutz Nir Eliahu),
utterly unselfish.
Yaron is now seeking a post-doctorate position. I have no doubts at all
that he will do extremely well in this stage as well. When he completes
this stage I would very much like to see him amongst our future faculty.
Obviously this will depend on several factors: the availability of
positions, his success at his post-doc, the field he will chose to
specialize in. It is in this respect that I have some doubts on the wisdom
(from Yaron's point of view) of choosing a project that stresses too much
stable isotopes. This is not a direction our Institute will want to
strengthen in coming years. As things appear now I consider Yaron Katzir
definitely a viable candidate for a position in our Institute. I strongly
recommend him for the Research Associate position you are seeking to fill
Please feel free to approach me on any further detail in this matter.
Sincerely Yours
Yehoshua Kolodny
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Yehoshua Kolodny, Dept of Geology,
The Hebrew University .Jerusalem. ISRAEL 91904
PHONES: off:(972) 2-6584685; dept.:2-6584686; home 2-5636879;
FAX:(972-2) 5662581
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