*$3800 will fund a full Uniform to University Student Scholarship for an academic year.
*$2300 will fund intensive, personalised academic tutoring for a single student for the year.
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Yonathan
Age: 27
Rank: Captain
Military role: Tank platoon commander in Gaza
Studies: BSc in Chemistry and Materials Science
Calling: Researcher
“You are too busy focusing on the mission and your team to even miss home – you don’t have that luxury.”
Even before Yonatan was called up for reserve duty on Oct. 7, he rushed to join his unit in southern Israel. Yonatan was wounded in combat and is now recuperating at home in Tel Aviv. He is looking forward to resuming his TAU studies.
“My goal is to become an R&D scientist in energy applications,” he says.
Carmel
Age: 26
Rank: Captain
Military role: National Aid Battalion, Homefront Command
Studies: BA Theater Arts
Calling: Actress
When Carmel got called up, she immediately headed to her base where she has served for three months straight assisting citizens affected by the war. “These are tough times for us,” Carmel says, “and we try to help as much as we can.”
She’s looking forward to returning to studies and says that, with a little scholarship help, she will be able to pursue her dream of becoming an actress and “making people smile.”
Avraham
Age: 31
Rank: Major
Military role: Company commander, Infantry
Studies: BSc Electrical Engineering
Calling: Inventor
“We’ve been fighting for three months straight but I’m willing to pay this price.”
Avraham studies electrical engineering as part of TAU’s Trailblazers Program, a specially tailored framework for students coming out of the Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) educational system who wish to earn a university degree. His classmate in his BSc studies, Itzhak, also in Trailblazers, was his second-in-command in the combat in Gaza – “his being there with me gave me strength,” says Avraham.
Originally from Tivon, Avraham parted from the Haredi community at age 23, in the middle of his military service as an officer. He says that engineering fascinates him, and that he dreams of inventing something that will improve people’s lives.
Gil
Age: 32
Rank: Sergeant First Class
Military role: Combat soldier in Yahalom–Special Operations Engineering Unit
Studies: MD + PhD
Calling: Doctor & cancer researcher
At the start of the war, Gil was urgently drafted to Gaza where he served with his unit for 40 days. They searched for, scanned and destroyed tunnels, bombed suspicious sites, dismantled explosives, and gathered intelligence – all under missile attacks and enemy gunfire.
“More happened in three days of war than my entire three-and-a-half years of regular IDF service,” Gil says.
Gil recounts that during missions, he thought about his family, his friends, his academic and medical pursuits and everything that he was defending. He believes Israel is strong and resilient, and looks forward to serving his country in another way – as a physician-scientist.
Omer
Age: 26
Rank: Sergeant Major
Military role: Technology and Maintenance Corp
Studies: BA Management & Economics
Calling: Entrepreneur
“When we were called to duty, it was very clear to me I needed to drop everything and show up.”
Omer was on vacation in Eilat when Iron Swords broke out. He immediately left the beach behind to join his unit in the IDF reserve forces.
Omer hopes to become an entrepreneur and make his mark on the Startup Nation.
“It was a very uniting experience,” he says. “Although there has been so much sadness, we only have one country and I feel privileged to be part of defending it.”
Yarin
Age: 25
Rank: Captain
Military role: Combat Engineering Frontline Unit HR Manager
Studies: BSc Industrial Engineering
Calling: Engineer