Yoram Ben-Porath was born in 1937 in Ramat Gan. He studied economics and Middle Eastern Studies for his bachelor’s degree and economics for his master’s at the Hebrew University, followed by a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University. Upon receiving his doctorate in 1967 he joined the Economics Department at the Hebrew University. From 1979 to 1984 he served as Director of the Falk Institute for Economic Research in Israel. Ben-Porath held the positions of Rector of the Hebrew University from 1987 to 1990 and of President from 1990 to 1992. He was a Fellow of the Econometric Society and President of the Israel Economic Association.

His primary research interests included theoretical and empirical aspects of labor economics, with an emphasis on the production of human capital and its relationships with development and economic growth; economic demography and family economics; political economy; familial and interpersonal aspects of economic interactions.

On October 18, 1992, Yoram Ben-Porath, his wife Yael Cohen-Ben-Porath, and their son Yahli were killed in a terrible car accident in the Arava region. Following this tragic death, The Falk Institute, together with the Hebrew University and the Samuel Rothberg Fund, established the Yoram Ben-Porath Fund which organizes an annual lecture in his memory and other academic activities in fields close to his interests. In addition, the Hebrew University established the President Distinguished Scholar Award in Memory of Yoram Ben-Porath. It is awarded annually to a single young faculty member with outstanding scholarly achievements.