Dr. Sharon Nazarian, Senior Vice President for International Affairs of the Anti-Defamation League, President of the Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation, and former Vice-Chair of the American Society of the University of Haifa.
Credit: Sharon Amit

On Israel's 73rd Memorial Day (Yom Hazikaron), we remember Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror. The Maariv (Hebrew) newspaper recently paid tribute to academic scholarships dedicated in memory of fallen IDF soldiers and highlighted the Y & S Nazarian Family Foundation Scholarship Program at the University. The generous Nazarian Scholarship program provides academic scholarships to 119 UofH students who serve in the IDF – in memory of the 119 soldiers who lost their lives during the Second Lebanon War. Dr. Sharon Nazarian noted: “This memorial fund combines two issues very dear to my parents: IDF soldiers and higher education. I couldn't think of a better way to remember these soldiers.” The Nazarians are prominent figures in the Los Angeles Jewish community and are longstanding friends of the University.  Their generosity supported the construction of a new wing of the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Library and student life on campus.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy financial toll on university students. University of Haifa students share their stories of pandemic-related hardships and express their gratitude for scholarships that helped them cope. The video was produced by the Israeli Friends of the University of Haifa.

(l-r) Ora Etrog Stibbe, Prof. Alice Shalvi, Prof. Shulamit Almog (Presidential Advisor for Gender Equity), and Shira Ben-Or (VP and CEO of the International Friends of the University of Haifa) during a meeting preparatory to the event.

University of Haifa is bestowing its highest honor on two exceptional Israeli female figures, Prof. Alice Shalvi and Ora Etrog Stibbe, who have worked tirelessly to promote the advancement of human rights, social justice and gender equality. Prof. Alice Shalvi is an internationally renowned pioneer of the Israeli feminist movement and revered professor of English. Ora Etrog Stibbe is a trained psychotherapist and a social entrepreneur supporting disadvantaged populations in Israel and developing countries. Find out more about their exceptional contributions here

A fascinating conversation on equality, social advocacy and advancing academic excellence with Prof. Shalvi and Ms. Stibbe will follow the academic ceremony conferring the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Honoris Causa. 

   IDF Aerial Defense Division Brig. Gen. Ran (Ranko) Kochav was appointed as the IDF’s next spokesperson. Kochav holds an MA from the Air Command and Staff College in Montgomery, Alabama, and another MA in political science from the University of Haifa. Read more in the Times of Israel The University of Haifa is the academic home of Israel’s three Military Colleges – for further reading. | Credit: IDF

  Prof. Fuad Fares (Human Biology Department) was featured as one of six Druze leaders changing Israel for the better, according to ISRAEL21c. Prof. Fares founded the molecular genetics lab at Carmel Medical Center and has headed it for 24 years.

  Prof. Rear Admiral (Ret.) Shaul Chorev, Head of the Maritime Policy & Strategy Research Center and The Ezri Center for Iran & Persian Gulf Studies, talks about increasing tensions between Israel and Iran, nuclear deal talks and ongoing attacks at sea in Bloomberg.

   A recent Times of Israel article highlights Dr. Talya Greene’s (School of Public Health) UK study findings pointing to high risks of PTSD among health and social care workers during the first COVID-19 lockdown.

   In this New York Times article, wildlife expert Prof. Dan Malkinson (Department of Geography and Environmental Studies) discusses the rising numbers of wild boars on the streets of Haifa and the social impact of their presence in the city.

  Prof. Orr Dunkelman (Department of Computer Science) says chips embedded in passports and government ID cards could be used for vaccine certifications in Bloomberg.

The Asia Society Hong Kong recently hosted an informative webinar with Prof. Manfred Green (School of Public Health) entitled “COVID-19 Pandemic Rapid Deployment of the Vaccine in Israel”. Prof. Green showed the most recent “effectiveness data” on the COVID-19 vaccine in Israel and answered questions about different types of vaccines that are now available in Asia. The webinar was moderated by the Asia Society Trustee, Mr. Vernon Moore. WATCH A RECORDING

Tune in today at 15:00 (Israel time) to a webinar hosted by the Asian Society with Prof. Guy Bar-Oz (Department of Archaeology) and the French Speaking Catholic Community in Hong Kong entitled “New Frontiers in Bioarcheology”. Prof. Bar-Oz will discuss his research excavating ancient food remains as part of the Negev Byzantine Archaeology Research Program. Further information here.