By A.M. Goldstein

HAIFA. July 9—Immediately after the Chuppah (wedding canopy ceremony) in Toronto, Canadian businessman, Dr. Michael Dan, had an unusual but pleasant surprise for the woman he had just married.  A $2 million wedding gift.  But this gift would be far reaching, and so its announcement was all the more poignant.

The money would set up an endowment fund bearing the new bride, Amira's, name and used to award fellowships to outstanding, needy doctoral students in the humanities at the University of Haifa.

"This fund," the groom told his delighted wife and wedding guests, "will generate a real change in the lives of brilliant doctoral students who are in need of aid.  It will enable them to fulfill a dream and devote themselves to research in philosophy, history, languages, literature, and art.  These young researchers will contribute to science, to teaching, and will advance these areas in the academic world."

The surprised bride could especially appreciate the gesture.  She is a doctoral student in philosophy at York University , Toronto . 

Close to tears, Amira said in response, "This is the most beautiful, most meaningful gift that I have received." Adding that she knew from her own experience what it was to be needy, she promised to be personally involved in choosing the doctoral candidates who would receive the yearly fellowship.

Peter Biro, Canadian lawyer, a Governor of the University of Haifa , and President of the Canadian Friends of Haifa University, was instrumental in facilitating the establishment of the Amira Dan Doctoral Fund and in orchestrating some of the logistics of the extraordinary wedding gift.  Michael Dan was excited at the idea, but wanted it to be kept secret until the ceremony.  The only other people, besides Biro, to know about it were Prof. Aaron Ben-Ze'ev, the president of the University of Haifa , and Prof. Ada Spitzer , the University's vice president.  The surprise was complete.

At the wedding reception in Toronto , Ben-Ze'ev and Spitzer gave Amira Dan a hand-printed parchment scroll that had been quietly prepared in Haifa . The scroll, the Haifa visitors said, testifies to the "extraordinary, poignant, original, generous gift that gives prominence to the uniqueness of the University of Haifa .  It honors a donor whose munificence will make a difference in the lives of bright, needy young scholars."

 A.M. Goldstein is the English language editor for the University of Haifa's Department of External Affairs.