(l-r) President Ron Robin, Mr. Isaac Dabah and his brother Mr. Haim Dabah, Chairman of Box Equities, at the hooding ceremony.

Over 150 guests, including the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, attended a festive ceremony honoring Mr. Isaac Dabah, CEO Delta Galil Industries Ltd. A leading businessman and philanthropist, Mr. Dabah was recognized for his extraordinary talents and unique business acumen that has fostered an organizational culture promoting a spirit of integrity and coexistence, and for his partnership with the University of Haifa in advancing underserved populations.

A highlight of the ceremony was a heartwarming thank you speech delivered by physical therapy student Eden Mekonen on behalf of Delta Galil scholars. The Delta Galil Program for the Academic Advancement of Undergraduate Students of Ethiopian descent launched in 2013, has supported 92 graduates and is currently supporting 150 students. Operating under the auspices of the Dean of Students, the Program provides financial support, as well as a series of leadership and empowerment workshops and classes.

The academic ceremony was followed by a fascinating conversation between Mr. Dabah and Ms. Dana Weiss, Chief Political Analyst & Anchor of the Saturday News, Channel 12 News. When asked about his "secret sauce" Mr. Dabah noted, "Innovation brings numbers; without people who are excited to drive forward new ideas and products, you cannot achieve (business) growth." 

In October, Sumaya Al-Mahiri will be making history by becoming the first UAE citizen to study in Israel. Somaya has enrolled in the nursing program at the Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing. President Ron Robin noted that this is an important step in building a warm relationship between our two countries. "We look forward to welcoming Somaya to Haifa. When I was involved in establishing NYU Abu Dhabi more than a decade ago, I hoped students from the Emirates would one day choose to study in Israel. In the years to come, I believe that we will see more students coming to Israel to pursue a quality education combined with a unique learning experience."

(Left) Excavated cave in the Judean Desert where the remains of ancient maned rat were found (dating back 42,000-120,000 years ago). | Credit: Yuli Schwartz
(Right) Skull of an ancient manned rat. | Credit: Dr. Ignacio Lazagabaster

Based on new data extracted from DNA samples of ancient rodents, a team of Israeli and international researchers led by Dr. Ignacio A. Lazagabaster (Department of Maritime Civilizations and Natural History Museum, Berlin) suggest that an ancient climatic corridor between Africa and the Levant was once used to travel between the two continents. Because this species of rodents were able to migrate through what is now the Judean Desert "it is likely that also humans, who migrated from Africa to the Levant at the same time were aided by the same ecological corridor," noted the researchers. The multidisciplinary scientific team, from UofH, Tel Aviv University, Montpellier University, France, Hebrew University, the Geological Survey of Israel and the Israel Antiquities Authority, published their findings in PNAS. 

MORE ON THIS STORY IN TIMES OF ISRAEL
AND THE JERUSALEM POST

Following another COVID spike, Israel greenlighted the administration of a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Prof. Manfred Green, Director of the MPH in Global Health Leadership & Administration and member of the Ministry of Health’s Vaccination Advisory Committee and Pandemic Response Team, explains that while he is not against it as a concept, he believes governments must have a clear policy, considered by a panel of experts, as is done with every other vaccine. "Giving a third dose in an ad hoc fashion will not only cause chaos, but can interrupt the progress we have made in what has been a generally orderly and effective vaccine rollout." Read more in Times of Israel and Israel21c.

The Legal Feminism Clinic interviewed over 40 women who survived sexual trauma and found that reporting sexual assaults to law enforcement can be an extremely difficult and demeaning experience. According to the study, nearly half of those who went to the police to file complaints about sexual offences were asked questions that were irrelevant to their case, such as detailed questions about their sexual history. "Too often, we see the police fail to collect evidence, ask questions in a sensitive manner and lack the adequate training needed to deal with someone who survived sexual trauma," noted Adv. Vardit Avidan who heads the Faculty of Law's Legal Feminism Clinic. "As a result, women tend to leave a police station feeling even more defeated than before.” More on this story in the Jerusalem Post.

Base of an ancient gate from the Bronze Age built on dry land, indicating a lower sea level in this period. | Credit: Aryeh Pesso

An international marine archaeology project has found evidence suggesting that rising sea levels in Israel during the Hellenistic period may have contributed to the decline of some cities in the region. Findings by the Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies and UC San Diego point to a dramatic rise of between 2-2.5 meters over a 200 year period some 2,000 years ago. According to Prof. Assaf Yasur-Landau, (Head, Recanati Institute of Marine Studies) a similar rise in sea levels today would cause much of the coastline to disappear, lead to recurring flooding in coastal cities like Tel Aviv, and severely impact critical infrastructure such as drainage, harbors and coastal aquifers. The study was recently published in PLOS ONE. More on this story in the Jerusalem Post. 

(l-r) Dr. Maya Calé-Benzoor, chief physical therapist for the Israeli Olympic team and Hanna Victorivna Knyazyeva-Minenko,  Israeli triple jumper and long jumper. 

Dr. Maya Calé-Benzoor (Department of Physical Therapy) is the chief physical therapist for the Israeli Olympic team. An Israeli former Olympic runner and long jumper herself, she set the Israeli indoor long jump record. Dr. Calé-Benzoor also serves as the Director of Sports Injury Rehabilitation at Wingate Institute.
Follow her journey in Tokyo with other representatives from the Department of Physical Therapy on the University of Haifa’s Instagram page. 

Congratulations to Prof. Itzhak (Itche) Golombek (Department of Fine Arts) on being awarded the 2021 Dizengoff Prize for Plastic Arts, awarded annually by the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality. Prof. Golombek is a Polish born sculptor who has been teaching at University of Haifa for over two decades. The Judges Committee noted that his original and bold works explore questions about the meaning of duplication, series, and repetition within the context of manual labor.

Applicodrama, an early-stage start-up developed within the framework of the University's center for innovation and entrepreneurship (Haifa Innovation Labs (HIL)), was recently awarded the highest prize (NIS 80,000) in a prestigious competition held by the Council for Higher Education. Founded by Aviv Kushner, a recent graduate of the School of Creative Art Therapies, Applicodrama is a psychodrama-based digital platform for mental health first response. According to Prof. Ofer Arazy, Head of HIL, "Growing interest in our programs focusing on social and environmental entrepreneurship signals a need to significantly expand HIL's enrollment and activities."

Congratulations to Prof. (Emeritus) Giora Hon (Department of Philosophy) on his recent election to the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. Giora Hon is a professor of history and philosophy of science, and has published widely on the concept of experimental error. Founded in 1990, the European Academy of Sciences and Arts boasts 2,000 members, leading scientists, artists, and practitioners of governance, elected for their outstanding achievements in science, arts, and governance.