The 1940s were a critical period for the survival and development of the Hebrew University. It was a time marked by security challenges on the one hand, yet also scientific growth and active involvement in the intellectual and national life of the Jewish Yishuv. World War II greatly affected the university: students and faculty were recruited into the British Army, and many volunteered to serve in Jewish units. The university contributed to the war effort. For example, methods were developed to treat infectious diseases, which was crucial for soldiers in the Middle Eastern front. In the late 1940s access to the Mount Scopus campus became increasingly dangerous due to Arab attacks culminating in the Hadassah convoy massacre on April 13, 1948. A convoy bringing medical and military supplies and personnel to Hadassah Hospital and the Hebrew University was ambushed in Sheik Jarrah. Seventy-eight people were murdered. In the aftermath of Israel’s War of Independence in 1948-1949, Mount Scopus became an isolated Jewish enclave surrounded by Jordan controlled territory. The university was forced to relocate to temporary buildings throughout Jerusalem, particularly in the Rehavia neighborhood. The university’s library, books, laboratories, and collections were locked on Mount Scopus, and access to them was blocked.