Jacob D. Bekenstein *72

Body

Jacob Bekenstein, the Michael Polak Professor of Theoretical Physics emeritus at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem who revolutionized the study of black holes, died, unexpectedly, of a heart attack, Aug. 16, 2015. He was 68.

Bekenstein graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (now the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering) in 1969. In 1972, he earned a Ph.D. in physics from Princeton under the eminent John A. Wheeler, who popularized the term “black hole.” Bekenstein’s doctoral dissertation contained his groundbreaking work on black-hole entropy.

In 1974, Bekenstein joined the Ben-Gurion  University in Israel, becoming a full professor in 1978 and chair of the astrophysics department in 1983. In 1990, he became a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and head of the theoretical physics department three years later.

Bekenstein’s work on black holes, entropy, and thermodynamics initiated the field of black hole thermodynamics, which became the foundation for the science of quantum gravity. Among his many honors, he received the Wolf Prize in 2012 and the American Physical Society’s Einstein Prize in 2015, both of which are often precursors of the Nobel Prize.

He is survived by his wife, Bilha; three children; and six grandchildren.

 

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.

0 Responses

Join the conversation

Plain text

Full name and Princeton affiliation (if applicable) are required for all published comments. For more information, view our commenting policy. Responses are limited to 500 words for online and 250 words for print consideration.

Paw in print

Image
PAW's July/August 2025 issue cover, featuring a photo of people dressed in orange and black, marching in the P-rade, and the headline: Reunions, Back in Orange & Black.
The Latest Issue

July 2025

On the cover: Wilton Virgo ’00 and his classmates celebrate during the P-rade.