Dear Friends,

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many of our lives and has ushered in many new and unexpected challenges. The University of Haifa is doing its utmost to ensure continuity for our students during this semester. Nearly all of our courses are now offered on-line, and we have created a strong communication network to keep our university community informed and connected. We recently held the University’s 48th Board of Governors Meeting via live stream for the first time ever and it was successfully attended by over 150 board members from all corners of the world. The University is ‘alive and kicking’ with new and varied activities. We hope you enjoy the latest news, as well as a brief glance into some of the University’s latest initiatives to enhance and improve everyday life and well-being.

May you and your families have a meaningful Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day). To the loved ones we have lost, you are forever in our hearts and minds. Your service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.  All my best for a joyous Yom Ha'atzmaut celebration.

 
Prof. Ron Robin
President

“When Tzvika fell in battle, the family decided that we needed to preserve his memory in a way that reflected his character and beliefs,” recalls Elhanan Abta, PhD candidate in the Department of Hebrew Language. 
Continue reading - President's Report 2020

The University of Haifa community mourns the loss of Sir Maurice Hatter (1929-2020), businessman and philanthropist. “Maurice was a dear friend and longstanding supporter of the University, whose generosity touched the lives of so many members of our University, community,” noted Ron Robin.  Sir Maurice was the founder and former chairman of IMO Precision Controls, served terms as President of both World ORT and ORT UK, and together with his wife Lay Irene was an active governor on the University’s Board of Governors, holding leading positions at the University of Haifa UK association for several decades. In 1991, the University of Haifa awarded him the Carmel Award of Merit and in 1996 an Honorary Doctorate in recognition of his continuous involvement in education and welfare initiatives in Israel and abroad, and in appreciation of his generous support of marine science research at the University’s Leon Recanati Center for Maritime Studies and the Hatter Department of Marine Technologies in the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences. The Hatters' generosity enriched student life tremendously through the Hatter Student building and the Hatter Pedestrian Bridge, and funded student scholarships, in particular to students serving in the IDF reserves. May his memory be forever blessed.

The COVID-19 Pandemic: What lies ahead? The lecture by Prof. Manfred Green – offering important insights  surrounding COVID-19, the widespread impact the disease is having, and the future outlook for controlling the outbreak – may be viewed online here. Prof. Green is one of Israel’s leading authorities on Public Health. He serves as the Director of the International Master's Program in Public Health in the Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences.

The University of Haifa launches Solidarity Funds for staff impacted by the Coronavirus. Within the first week of its creation the Staff Solidarity Fund, spearheaded by the chairs of the academic and administrative staff organizations and the President of the University, raised more than two hundred thousand shekels.

The Student Solidarity Fund was established to help thousands of our students from dropping out over severe economic hardships due to loss of employment or family income. Students may receive grants of up to $3,000, in accordance with financial criteria set by our Office of the Dean of Students. We are thankful to alumni and friends who have already reached out to assist our students in weathering this crisis. Your support is important to ensure that no student is forced to drop out of university. Contributions may be made through the following link.

(Far left) Painting by Holocaust survivor who resides in Haifa, Ms. Mania Herman (center), inspired by the flower bouquet she received on Shabbat as part of the volunteer activities launched by UofH students. The flowers were donated by the Kfar Haim Nursery. (Far right) Student volunteers.

Students from the Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing “grow” a team of volunteers, providing emergency assistance to the elderly, into an army of over 1,000. Tamar Nagler, a third-year nursing student at the University of Haifa and a social activist, together with third-year student Liat Epstein from the Department of Occupational Therapy Department launched a grassroots initiative to provide assistance to senior citizens in Haifa and surrounding region. The community outreach project has grown into a large-scale operation involving over a thousand volunteers. According to Nagler, the project draws inspiration from the ‘Activist Old Age’ course, led by Dr. Maayan Agmon of the Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing. The project is operating in cooperation with the Dean of Students Office and the Welfare Department of the Haifa Municipality. Stay tuned for additional inspiring projects and activities initiated by students in the Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences in upcoming issues of At a Glance.

The Israeli Ministry of Science selects 18 COVID-19 research proposals by UofH scientists for partial funding. A total of 84 grants were awarded to Israeli research universities of which roughly 15% of them were awarded to scientists from the University of Haifa. This figure is even more impressive considering that more than half of the grants were directed towards medical research. The research topics range from education, health and wellness and the socio-economic impact of a global pandemic on our society to management and preparedness of the crisis. Kol hakavod to all of our researchers.

Risk Communication and Infectious Diseases in an Age of Digital Media, a book authored by Prof. Anat Gesser-Edelsburg and Dr. Yaffa Shir-Raz of the School of Public Health, was selected to be included in the prestigious Taylor & Francis Group's COVID-19: Novel Coronavirus research archive set-up in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A chapter from the book entitled “The Public Sphere and Health Communication in the Context of Emergent Infectious Diseases” is available for free reading here. The Taylor & Francis Group is one of the world's leading publishers of academic books and scholarly journals.

University of Haifa scientist initiates ‘rescue operation’ that enabled hundreds of Israelis to return from abroad in the early weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak. When Italian authorities shut down international flights in the third week of March, Dr. Nirit Ofir of The Ezri Center for Iran & Persian Gulf worked with the Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Embassy in Italy to obtain special permission from Italian authorities for special flights carrying Israeli citizens back to Israel. Flights heading to Tel Aviv left from Rome and Milan on March 23rd. Most of the Israelis on the flights were university students. More on this story in the Jerusalem Post.

University of Haifa Law Clinic students in Greece. Photo: Courtesy

Students participating in the Legal Clinics for Social Change provide legal aid to Syrian refugees in Greece. Three Arab speaking students from the Faculty of Law travelled to the Greek island of Chios to assist dozens of asylum seekers. The clinic's research and interviews focusing on the cultural and medical needs of refugees represent a continuation of its efforts to offer legal aid and translation services. Nasrin, a third-year law student, noted, “I am Druze. We serve in the Israeli army and we don’t have a connection with Arab society in Israel or our Arab neighbors. At first, I didn’t want the refugees we were helping to know I was a Druze, but they recognized it from my accent. Their reaction was lovely, and it surprised me. It made me look at them in a different light.” Read more about their experiences in the Jerusalem Post and The Jewish Press.

*From the outbreak of the COVID-19 outbreak in Israel, students from the Law Clinic of Social Change set-up a free hotline for inquiries on debts and payments, banks and other social and financial issues surfaced by the coronavirus pandemic.

Students from the University of Haifa's Innovation Hub for Holocaust Education and Commemoration pose with plaques describing their individual projects.

UofH launches the Weiss-Livnat Holocaust Innovation Hub for Holocaust Education and Commemoration. The innovation hub hopes to offer a novel take on teaching the Holocaust to the next generation. Students in the new one-year program are encouraged to develop an entrepreneurial approach to developing and implementing personal projects that honor Holocaust survivors and victims, and work with mentors and professionals to turn their vision into a reality. The initiative has received wide media coverage in Israel and abroad. Read more in the Jerusalem Post, Jewish News Syndicate and Calcalist Tech.

In honor of Yom HaShoah – Holocaust Remembrance Day – The American Society for the University of Haifa brought together a special panel of faculty and alumnae from the Weiss-Livnat International Program in Holocaust Studies and a member of the newly launched Weiss-Livnat Innovation Hub for Holocaust Education and Commemoration to discuss the importance of education, preservation, and relevance of Holocaust memory. The webinar THE FUTURE OF HOLOCAUST MEMORY may be viewed here.

The American Society for the University of Haifa, The Israeli Friends Association, The Charney Forum for New Diplomacy and other University bodies have been holding webinars and free classes to help colleagues, friends and supporters keep abreast of important insights and issues during the COVID-19 crisis. The following are a number of Webinars that are available for viewing.

·THE STATE OF ISRAEL'S UNIVERSITIES FOLLOWING COVID-19 WITH PRESIDENT RON ROBIN: view it here
You may also enjoy reading “Strengthening Israel’s North: A mission to stand the test of COVID-19” by Prof. Ron Robin and Karen L. Berman 

·MINDING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH:THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF COVID-19 with Dr. Eli Somer, an expert in the psychological effects of stress from the School of Social Work in the Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences: view it here

·UNDERSTANDING OUR ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR IN THE AGE OF COVID-19 with Prof. Doron Kliger, Chair of the Economics Department: view it here

The Charney Forum for New Diplomacy went virtual, after holding an exclusive webinar for members of The Peoplehood Coalition. The event, conducted together with the Reut Institute, was attended by more than 50 members of the Coalition, who serve as a united front to strengthen Israel’s connection to world Jewry and support Jewish people and communities around the world. Speakers included Charney Forum CEO, Noa Meir, and Director of Programming, Maya Fintz. Arik Segal, the Founder of Conntix, led a fascinating workshop on how to use technology and innovation in the promotion of collaboration. It was a productive gathering, with active participation and discussion of best practices during this challenging time.

You may also be interested in reading a recent article published in the esteemed US News and World Report by Ambassador Ido Aharoni, Chairman of the Charney Forum for New Diplomacy, on the need for global collaboration, massive financial resources and flexible economies in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. View it here.