Nehardea Magazine

Journal of the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center
No.14, Autumn 2003

IN MEMORIAM

Prof. Tikva Lecker-Darvish

Prof. Tikva Lecker (Darvish) passed away prematurely ten months ago.

As it is engraved on her tombstone, she was a remarkable, noble, modest and generous soul, a much admired lecturer and a superb researcher. We all miss her a great deal. Above all, Tikva was characterized by her ability to give unconditionally, with no questions asked. She gave the best she had-her broad smile, keen sense of humour and overflowing kindness: until this was not enough, and finally she gave of herself.

Tikva was a prolific and multi-faceted researcher: she published two books, and about 50 papers in prestigious international journals. She lectured in two universities: Bar-Ilan University, the mucleus of her academic activity, and Tel-Aviv University. In addition, she was invited to serve in a variety of administrative academic positions, most notably adviser to the President on special issues, as well as many public roles a good many of them on a voluntary basis, including the economic adviser to the Consumer Protection Authority, Member of the Restrictive Trade Court (by personal appointment of Ministers Dan Meridor and David Libai), and Member of the Advisory Committee on Insurance (by personal appointment to Minister Baige-Shohat).

Tikva needed neither titles nor authority for people to approach her with their problems and they always found the right address. She had a sharp perception of those really needing help and worked relentlessly on their behalf. Tikva was a fighter, she fought in order that others would have an easier time than what she and her family had suffered, particularly those who shared her Iraqi roots. Proud of her roots, she served on the committees of many Iraqi community organizations. She would not tolerate hypocrisy and discrimination and fought against injustice to others. She would not compromise on anything less than a just solution and was prepared to sacrifice her time and energy towards this end.

She began her academic career researching the role of the Jewish minority in the Iraqi economy. This was the first study carried out on a Jewish minority within a Muslim, and not a Christian, majority. Owing to their high academic level of economic analysis, her research became universally important and was published in leading international and economic journals. She was awarded many prizes and grants, earning an international reputation as a researcher on minorities. This also led her to work on the economics of immigration in general, and of illegal immigration in particular. In the latter, she used game theory and rent-seeking concepts to develop a theoretical model to examine strategies for reducing this phenomenon, which has recently markedly grown in Israel as well as worldwide.

At the same time, Tikva also carried out research in applied micro-economics. Among other topics in this area, she analyzed the costs and benefits of long-term capital-intensive projects in terms of the decision-making process in several different funding options. In one project, she applied this model to empirical data to determine whether it would be worthwhile setting up a nuclear power station in Israel.

At the time of her death, she was involved in several research projects in various stages of completion.

Not only did she present papers on a variety of subjects at many international meetings, she also organized conferences on minorities and immigration in Israel and various other countries.

She passed on her wide knowledge to her students in a clear and interesting manner. Her great patience, lively sense of humour and deep understanding of the material made her lectures a truly rewarding experience.

Despite her many activities, she was a most devoted wife and daughter, and dedicated many hours to her large family, who surrounded her with endless warmth and affection.

I first got to know Tikva as my instructor in an accounting course, after which our paths continually converged. We did research together. She was my confidante and always stood by me in times of trouble. A true friend, I sorely miss her. May her memory be blessed.

Prof. Nava Kahana

Department of Economics

Bar-Ilan University

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IN MEMORIAM
Prof. Tikva Lecker-Darvish
Prof. Tikva Lecker (Darvish) passed away prematurely ten months ago. As it is engraved on her tombstone, she was a remarkable, noble, modest and generous soul, a much admired lecturer and a superb researcher. We all miss her a great deal. Above all, Tikva was characterized by her ability to give unconditionally, with no questions asked. She gave the best she had-her broad smile, keen sense of humour and overflowing kindness: until this was not enough, and finally she gave of herself. Tikva was a prolific and multi-faceted researcher: she published two books, and about 50 papers in prestigious international journals. She lectured in two universities: Bar-Ilan University, the mucleus of her academic activity, and Tel-Aviv University. In addition, she was invited to serve in a variety of administrative academic positions, most notably adviser to the President on special issues, as well as many public roles a good many of them on a voluntary basis, including the economic adviser to the Consumer Protection Authority, Member of the Restrictive Trade Court (by personal appointment of Ministers Dan Meridor and David Libai), and Member of the Advisory Committee on Insurance (by personal appointment to Minister Baige-Shohat). Tikva needed neither titles nor authority for people to approach her with their problems and they always found the right address. She had a sharp perception of those really needing help and worked relentlessly on their behalf. Tikva was a fighter, she fought in order that others would have an easier time than what she and her family had suffered, particularly those who shared her Iraqi roots. Proud of her roots, she served on the committees of many Iraqi community organizations. She would not tolerate hypocrisy and discrimination and fought against injustice to others. She would not compromise on anything less than a just solution and was prepared to sacrifice her time and energy towards this end. She began her academic career researching the role of the Jewish minority in the Iraqi economy. This was the first study carried out on a Jewish minority within a Muslim, and not a Christian, majority. Owing to their high academic level of economic analysis, her research became universally important and was published in leading international and economic journals. She was awarded many prizes and grants, earning an international reputation as a researcher on minorities. This also led her to work on the economics of immigration in general, and of illegal immigration in particular. In the latter, she used game theory and rent-seeking concepts to develop a theoretical model to examine strategies for reducing this phenomenon, which has recently markedly grown in Israel as well as worldwide. At the same time, Tikva also carried out research in applied micro-economics. Among other topics in this area, she analyzed the costs and benefits of long-term capital-intensive projects in terms of the decision-making process in several different funding options. In one project, she applied this model to empirical data to determine whether it would be worthwhile setting up a nuclear power station in Israel. At the time of her death, she was involved in several research projects in various stages of completion. Not only did she present papers on a variety of subjects at many international meetings, she also organized conferences on minorities and immigration in Israel and various other countries. She passed on her wide knowledge to her students in a clear and interesting manner. Her great patience, lively sense of humour and deep understanding of the material made her lectures a truly rewarding experience. Despite her many activities, she was a most devoted wife and daughter, and dedicated many hours to her large family, who surrounded her with endless warmth and affection. I first got to know Tikva as my instructor in an accounting course, after which our paths continually converged. We did research together. She was my confidante and always stood by me in times of trouble. A true friend, I sorely miss her. May her memory be blessed. Prof. Nava Kahana Department of Economics Bar-Ilan University
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