A Paris gala for Pasteur-Weizmann
(L-R) Alain Grossman, David Weizmann, Prof. Daniel Zajfman
The Pasteur-Weizmann Council held its annual gala dinner at the Wagram Hall in Paris on November 15, celebrating more than 40 years of active scientific collaboration between the Pasteur Institute and the Weizmann Institute of Science. The funds raised at the gala will provide essential support for scientific inquiry in the fields of immunotherapy, cancer, nanoscience, neuroscience, and more.
Following a tribute to the late Simone Veil, who initiated this remarkable collaboration, the Chairman of the Pasteur-Weizmann Council Maurice Lévy spoke. Lévy, who is also Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Publicis Groupe, the world’s third largest advertising and communications group, recalled the objectives, missions, and ongoing developments of this special cooperation.
French actor and singer Lambert Wilson masterfully interpreted the repertoire of Italian-French actor and singer Yves Montand. Following that, Prof. Daniel Zajfman, President of the Weizmann Institute, and Christian Vigouroux, President of the Pasteur Institute, discussed the value of the ongoing collaboration between their two research institutions.
The dinner brought together prestigious figures from the world of science, including Nobel Prize winner Prof. Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, and Pasteur Institute Scientific Director Prof. Olivier Schwartz, and the world of politics, including Jean-François Copé and Pierre Aidenbaum. Also in attendance were representatives from the business sector, including Isabelle Kocher, CEO of Engie; Edmond Cohen, President of De Fursac; Jean Todt, President of the International Automobile Federation; Pierre Elmalek, President of Maison de la Literie; along with media and cinema personalities including journalist Ruth Elkrief, filmmaker Alexandre Arcady, writer Eliette Abécassis, and choreographer Kamel Ouali.
Sidney Toledano, the Chairman and CEO of LVMH Fashion Group, was accompanied by his wife Katia. He remains the iconic “patron de la mode” and the main sponsor of the Pasteur-Weizmann Council.