Rubinovitz, Jacob

Jacob Rubinovitz (1947–2018)

Rubinovitz, a distinguished scholar and a cherished member of the Technion community, was born in Łódź, Poland, on September 6, 1947. In 1957, he immigrated to Israel as part of Aliyat Gomulka, the wave of Jewish emigration from Poland following the Polish October of 1956. He graduated from the Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management at the Technion, laying the foundation for a remarkable career.

From 1969 to 1973, he honed his expertise as a senior systems analyst at Mamram and Control Data (Israel). He then led the industrial software team at Israel Aerospace Industries from 1973 to 1983, where his innovative software, “Mass,” was successfully implemented in countries worldwide for the maintenance of power plants, notably at Escom in South Africa.

In 1987, following the completion of his doctoral studies at Pennsylvania State University, Professor Rubinovitz served as a visiting professor at the Department of Industrial Engineering there. This marked the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration between the Technion and Penn State University, fostered by the 1995 cooperation agreement generously supported by Harold and Inge Marcus.

Returning to the Technion in 1988, Professor Rubinovitz established and directed the Laboratory of Robotics and CIM, making significant contributions to the field. Dr. Hussein Naseraldin, his teaching assistant and now a lecturer at the ORT Braude College of Engineering, played a vital role in his academic pursuits. Together, they pioneered active learning methodologies in production and management education, reflecting Professor Rubinovitz’s commitment to innovative teaching approaches.

From 2003 to 2004, he broadened his academic horizons by teaching industrial engineering at Tel Aviv University. Sadly, illness forced him into early retirement from the Technion in 2005.

Professor Rubinovitz will be deeply missed by his colleagues, students, and the entire Technion community. His dedication to research, teaching, and innovation leaves a lasting legacy that will continue to inspire future generations of engineers and scholars.