Foto Friday – Ben Gurion’s University

October 15, 2010 - 9:05 PM by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: coexistence, education, Foto Friday, General, Israeliness, Medical Breakthroughs, Picture of the Week, Technology 

The first semester of Israel’s 2010-2011 academic year opened this past week. There were little to no threats of a faculty or student strike for once — that pleasure was left to the Union of Local Authorities of Israel — and 293,000 students began studying on time at Israel’s 66 institutions of higher learning.

Of these, 228,740 young persons entered into or continued their first degree studies. More significantly, of this number, 88,500 are studying at colleges (35 academic and 23 teacher training colleges); this is the first time that this number exceeds registration at the seven universities where 75,200 students are registered for Bachelor’s degrees.

Ben Gurion University of the Negev stands out with more than 19,000 students, including 4,650 new ones. The number of students enrolled for a first degree rose, particularly in humanities and exact sciences; this may be due to new study tracks that allow for interdisciplinary studies — not an unusual notion for North Americans but a new concept here. Here’s a glimpse into the little university that has become the number one choice for undergraduates both Jewish and Arab from all over the country due in part to its research and development capabilities…

It’s ultramodern campus, shining like a beacon in the desert…

Its medical school, affiliated with Columbia University and Soroka Medical Center, which provides medical care to all populations throughout the region…

Encouragement of innovation…

And fulfillment of David Ben Gurion’s vision of the Negev as a testbed for science and R&D.

More photos by Dani Machlis can be found at BGU – The Year in Pictures. Information about the University is available on its website. And check out the BGU YouTube channel to see more amazing R&D, like these wall climbing robots developed at the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

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Victims donating to victims

January 23, 2009 - 10:26 AM by · 3 Comments
Filed under: A New Reality, coexistence, Israeliness, Life, Politics, War 

Hadas BalasThroughout the recent Gaza war and its ongoing aftermath, Israelis and Palestinians have been trying to paint themselves as “the real victims” and the other side as “the real perpetrators.” But if we’re all victims, then how can we possibly take responsibility for war spearheaded by our leaders? And if we’re all perpetrators, then why would we care?

The fact is, Operation Cast Lead has meant horrible levels of destruction for the infrastructure and people of the Gaza Strip, destruction which could have been avoided if Hamas hadn’t hidden behind the human shield of one of the most densely populated areas in the world. And as we’ve seen on ISRAELITY before, just because Israelis support our government’s recent war against a terrorist regime that’s been shooting rockets at us for years doesn’t mean that we’re numb to the damage done.

Two grassroots activists are trying to organize Israeli sympathy into material support for Gazan families whose lives and homes were recently under severe fire by the region’s military superpower. 27-year-old peacenik Lee Ziv and Sapir Academic College 25-year-old student Hadas Balas (pictured, doubling as a not-so-shabby singer-songwriter) decided to collect clothing, bedding, nourishment and other essentials from donors to bring them in to Gaza.

Ziv spoke with the Jerusalem Post this week:

“There is no connection to politics,” said Ziv. “We don’t represent a side, we just see an immediate need for blankets for people who have nothing to cover them at night and milk for infants who have nothing to eat.”

Since a short radio interview on Sunday morning, Ziv said her phone had been ringing off the hook. “Within two minutes of the interview, I had 40 voice messages. The response has been overwhelming. Schools have called asking how they can help. A father called who had three sons serving in the IDF in Gaza. A woman called who had a mortar fall on her house.”

The duo thought they’d be bringing one or two truckloads of supplies in today, but thanks to the viral snowball of their email campaign, media interest like the radio interview last week, and the bandwagoning on their efforts by some key human rights organizations, the donations have been so numerous that they’re spearheading a fleet of 10 full trucks.

According to coverage in Haaretz, the duo has accomplished this feat thanks to key help from organizations like Hashomer Hatzair in Jerusalem, Beit Hachesed in Haifa and Kibbutz Kfar Aza, the Qassam-battered community which has offered up its warehouses as a depot for the donations.

More information on donating to the operation can be found here.

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