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Actor, director and comedian Billy Crystal has made a donation to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The money will help support ongoing activities at the Billy Crystal Peace Through the Performing Arts project, which the actor established in 1999.

The gift will be used to create and present workshops, programs and theatrical performances at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem that bring Jews and Arabs together as a means to promote tolerance and improved cultural and social understanding, according to a release issued by the organization.

It is not clear how large the gift is, but an employee at the organization said it was “substantial.”

A longstanding supporter of the Hebrew University with a strong commitment to Israel, Crystal is a recipient of American Friends of Hebrew University’s National Scopus Award, the highest humanitarian honor the organization confers. — jta