Tag: Tel Aviv University

Migratory birds in times of war.

Israel, a stopover for over 500 million migratory birds heading to warmer lands, has been at war on multiple fronts for a year. As these birds migrate south, they face not only the usual dangers but also added risks from fighter jets, missiles, and UAVs along their northern arrival routes and southern destinations.

Prof. Yossi Leshem from the School of Zoology at the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences has studied birds, especially migratory ones, for over 50 years. He began tracking their flight paths in Israel 40 years ago using a glider, observing their spring migration from Egypt to Lebanon and autumn route southward. This work allowed him to map their arrival times, flight altitudes, and the effects of weather on their behavior.

Flying with the Birds (Photo: Eyal Bartov).

In the 1980s, he pioneered radar use in Israel to study bird migration, working with the Israeli Air Force to reduce mid-air collisions between military aircraft and birds. We asked him how the current conflict impacts migratory birds and whether solutions exist to protect both human and avian lives.

Can Radar Distinguish Between Birds and Aircraft?

“A radar is an electronic device that sends out electromagnetic waves. If there’s something in the air, the waves bounce back, indicating distance and azimuth. The larger the bird, the stronger the radar signal. Large birds like raptors, pelicans, storks, or cranes are at greater risk, posing the most significant danger to Air Force planes”, explains Prof. Leshem.

Doing everything to prevent an air collision with them. Pelicans in tight formation during their autumn migration (Photo: Aharon Shimshon).

“Today, it’s understood that larger birds generally fly over land to use thermals (warm air rising from the ground). Based on their speed, we can often identify flocks of birds. We can track migratory birds on radar up to 80-90 kilometers away”, says Prof. Leshem. However, since the war began and UAVs from Lebanon started appearing, distinguishing birds from hostile aircraft has become more challenging.

“During autumn, migration comes through Europe, Turkey, Lebanon, and down through Israel—the same route used by missiles and UAVs. They come from the same direction, height, and azimuth”. According to Prof. Leshem, this has led to four main challenges: additional pressure on air defense and the air force, which must quickly decide if there is a true threat or if cranes are merely passing by; stress for civilians prompted by alert systems when stork flocks fly overhead; harm to wildlife entering Israeli airspace; and substantial financial costs of interception missiles and air force resources”. Nonetheless, Prof. Leshem reveals that efforts are underway to develop a system that can differentiate between birds and UAVs, which will save countless bird lives.

Protecting Israel’s Residents, Endangering Its Birds: The Iron Dome System.

How is the War Affecting Local Birds?

It’s not just migratory birds suffering from the consequences of war. Prof. Leshem leads a project in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Society for the Protection of Nature, using barn owls and kestrels for natural rodent control in agricultural areas to reduce pesticide use. There are about 5,000 nesting boxes nationwide, supported by hundreds of farmers who receive professional assistance. The project now includes ten Middle Eastern countries and has recently welcomed Georgia, Ukraine, and Germany, fostering cross-border cooperation.

Prof. Leshem explains that barn owls typically lay between 5 to 12 eggs annually, depending on food availability. “However, the war has significantly reduced nesting and egg-laying in conflict zones in the north and south, where burned fields have impacted rodent populations. Fewer chicks this year will lead to a smaller barn owl population next year, resulting in long-term effects”.

A Death Trap for Rodents – A Cut in Food Supply for Birds of Prey: Burned Fields in the Gaza Border Area.

Will the Impact on Birds Affect the Entire Ecological Balance?

“Absolutely, the impact on birds is affecting the entire ecological balance in several ways. From small songbirds to larger migratory birds like storks, each species plays a crucial role in the ecosystem. For example, the black-headed bunting migrates from this region to Africa in the fall, crossing the Sahara Desert, and depends on the insects in our fields and surroundings to build up enough fat reserves for the journey. If these fields aren’t providing enough food, the bunting may seek other locations, leading to an increase in insects in our agricultural areas, which can harm local crops”.

“Additionally, storks, which arrive here in large numbers and help control rodent populations by preying on voles in flooded fields, are essential for maintaining this balance. If these storks don’t arrive, farmers may face increased rodent populations, which can damage crops. So, if birds don’t receive the ecological support they need here, the local balance will likely shift significantly, bringing widespread environmental consequences for agriculture, species diversity, and our overall environmental health”, he explains.

On its way to Africa, stopping to refuel in Israel: the Black-headed Bunting.

Will Migration Patterns Shift Due to War?

“Migration has been occurring for hundreds of thousands of years, and it won’t change quickly,” assures Professor Leshem. “However, it could impact survival chances. In a typical winter, about 50,000 cranes spend the season in the Hula Valley, but last year only 15,000 arrived. Some birds, like storks, birds of prey, and pelicans, stop here for just a night or two to ‘refuel’ before continuing their journey. If they can’t land in their usual spots due to burned fields or are scared off by gunfire, they may need to find other locations. This search could decrease their chances of successfully reaching their destination, affecting the larger migration cycle”.

Perhaps there will still be beautiful days ahead. Thousands of cranes in the Hula Lake (Photo: Shiraz Pashinsky).

Kristoffer Brugada is now in his second year of the international MFA in Documentary Cinema at Tel Aviv University. Currently working on his final project, a documentary on gay conversion therapy in the Philippines, Brugada reflects on his time in the program and the valuable lessons he’s gained.

Choosing TAU

In 2022, Brugada was searching for a master’s program that would help him grow as a filmmaker. “I applied to several universities, but Tel Aviv University’s program stood out. When I compared the curriculum, it felt more comprehensive in terms of what they teach and the topics discussed in class,” he says. A scholarship from TAU was another deciding factor in his choice.

MFA class

The diversity of the class and the collaborative nature of the program were also a strong draw. “Our class was a mix of ages and backgrounds, from filmmakers to urban planners. We had heated discussions, especially in the ethics class, but we learned so much from each other. 

“Documentary filmmaking may be a solitary job, but making a film is a collaborative effort, and I loved that we supported each other.”

In addition, Brugada appreciates the progressive outlook of Tel Aviv University.

Refining Technique and Debating Ethics

As a filmmaker with 20 years of experience in TV production and independent documentaries, Brugada wasn’t new to the world of film. Yet, the program’s hands-on directing courses taught by top Israeli practitioners allowed him to experiment with new techniques and refine his craft. “I’ve done documentaries before, but the program pushed me to further develop my style. The directing courses gave me the freedom to experiment and find my voice,” he says. 

Throughout the program, Brugada did several creative assignments that allowed him to apply what he was learning. These projects involved shooting, editing, and directing his own films. One of his notable assignments was a documentary on the Filipino community in Tel Aviv. 

“I introduced my classmates to my culture through the Filipino workers here in Israel.” 

His project on the annual beauty pageants for caregivers, a beloved tradition from the Philippines that has made its way to Israel, was a hit with his classmates. “They found it fascinating how these caregivers, despite their hard work, still found joy in community events.”

Brugada’s short on beauty pageants in Israel 

The university provided equipment, including Sony FS5 cameras and editing suites, but Kristoffer brought his own gear, which allowed him to film more flexibly. 

“The equipment at the university is great. As a teacher back in the Philippines, I really appreciated the quality of the resources available at TAU.” 

As for the theoretical courses, the one on ethics in documentary filming stood out the most. The course focused on the responsibilities filmmakers have when dealing with real people: “We have to assess what we can show and how it impacts both the audience and the subjects. I really loved those discussions,” he recalls. The program’s emphasis on ethical considerations helped him navigate sensitive topics, like the subject of his final film, with care and respect.

On top of that, getting to know more about the Israeli cinema landscape and learning about new theories of documentary filmmaking was something Brugada liked a lot.

Bringing the Vision to Life

During the second year, students work on their final project, a documentary film that they create individually or in teams. Brugada’s project, Going Straight, tackles a sensitive topic of gay conversion therapy in the Philippines.

“I wanted the film to be a venue for discussion about extreme fundamentalism and giving grace, love, and understanding instead of judgment.”

During Pride March shoot in Tel Aviv

The topic has been on his mind since 2017, but it was at TAU that he found the support and resources to bring the project to life. 

“The university’s Blavatnik Fund gave me financial support to finish the film.”

TAU professors, including Ran Tal and Netalie Braun, provided guidance on how to shape the narrative and decide which scenes to include. “We had to present sample scenes to the final film committee, who then gave us advice on which direction to take. Their feedback was crucial in helping me refine the story,” he says.

Brugada (right) with fellow students during Cinematography class

Now in post-production stage, Brugada plans to submit Going Straight to international festivals, with hopes of premiering it at a top-tier event. 

“I want to show it to the world. It’s a story that needs to be told, and I’m grateful to TAU for giving me the support to tell it.”

Filmmaking, Teaching, and New Career Milestones

Brugada’s journey as a filmmaker doesn’t stop at the completion of his final project. In fact, he’s already sharing his knowledge and experience with the next generation of filmmakers. 

“I’ve been teaching documentary production, screenwriting, and television production for a while now.”

After finishing his MFA, he hopes to continue teaching, potentially at the master’s level, and is even considering pursuing a PhD.

In addition, Brugada has also been invited to serve on the jury at the prestigious Japan Prize, a festival focused on educational media. “It’s a great opportunity to engage with filmmakers from around the world and see the incredible work being done in the field of educational film and television,” he says.

With his film nearing completion, his teaching responsibilities growing, and exciting opportunities like the Japan Prize ahead, Kristoffer’s career as a filmmaker and educator shows no signs of slowing down. 

“I have other films that I shelved before that I would want to go back to and work on.” 

Brugada remains dedicated to his craft and passionate about the stories he tells, grateful for the experiences and support he’s found at Tel Aviv University.

TAU commemorates the victims and fallen of October 7th.

TAU marked one year since the October 7 tragedy and the Iron Swords War.

TAU international graduate thrust into the heart of national drama while working on Israeli TV.

Dheekshi Arvind, a graduate of Tel Aviv University’s MA in Security and Diplomacy program, began working as an associate producer at i24, an Israeli English-language TV channel, in September 2023, right after completing her degree. She initially took the job “to be politics-adjacent and cover news and politics in Israel and the Middle East,” as she put it, not knowing that just a month later, she would be covering one of the most significant events in recent Israeli history: the outbreak of war in October 2023.

“I was off work that morning, and I clearly remember hearing a loud boom. I thought it was just construction outside my apartment,” she recalls.

“Then my roommate banged on my door, telling me to get out because of the sirens. I couldn’t piece it together—it was so early in the morning.”

Upon realizing that Tel Aviv was under rocket attack, Arvind rushed to work. “We had a group chat at i24 where we got news before it’s broadcast. Suddenly, I was seeing updates about rockets from Gaza hitting Tel Aviv. I got a notification from the group chat: ‘We need you to come in now because we need to cover this.’”

Dheekshi Arvind at the TAU graduation ceremony in 2023

At first, Arvind was hesitant, questioning whether it was safe to go to work. “I remember asking people if they were staying at the job or leaving,” she says. “But my producer told me, ‘We’re journalists. We have to tell people to stay at home, but we come in for work. This is our job—covering the news is what we do.’”

And cover it they did. “That shift was a frenzy. Everyone was doing everything. Social media was blowing up, and we had so much content to post and share with the world.”

Personal and Professional Challenges

Covering the war proved to be not just a professional challenge but also a deeply personal one. Some of the October 7 victims were younger than Arvind and some of her friends were actually at the NOVA festival and had just left that morning to go somewhere else before Hamas came in. 

Arvind admits that it was difficult to process the raw footage and the information that came into the newsroom. “Seeing the footage that doesn’t make it to TV and knowing what’s actually happening on the ground—it’s hard to detach and just look at it from a research perspective.”

“There were so many times where I would sit with my producer—I just couldn’t handle or digest what was happening or my reaction to what I was seeing.”

The experience highlighted the complexity of the conflict she had studied during her degree at TAU and the challenge of conveying its nuances to a global audience, much of which viewed the situation through a polarized lens. What frustrated her most was the delayed international response. “People had access to the information, but no one said anything. It wasn’t until Israel retaliated that people started posting on Twitter and social media.”

She also felt disheartened by the oversimplified narratives that dominated discussions. In response, she wrote a blog post challenging the reductionist views she encountered. “People assumed I was taking a political side, but all I was trying to do was present a more nuanced perspective. Hamas is a terrorist organization, and I wanted to make that clear while also urging people to see the broader context.”

A Commitment Through Chaos

Working six to seven days a week, often from early morning until late at night, Arvind found the pace exhausting. But despite the pressure, she remained committed.

Arvind worked at i24 for nearly a year before returning to California, where she had previously completed her BA in political science at UCLA. As Israel’s only English-language news channel, i24 played a crucial role during the conflict. With many producers called up to serve in the Israeli army, the remaining team faced mounting demands.

 

“I knew I had to stay. We needed all hands on deck,” Arvind recalls. “People who had worked there for years were suddenly gone.”

“I’d made a commitment to myself, to the team and the channel, and I wanted to see it through.”

Her experience working with a diverse team of colleagues, including Palestinians, added another layer of complexity. “I worked with Palestinians when the war broke out, and it was fascinating to see that the common denominator wasn’t ethnicity or religion—it was people’s experiences and perspectives. The narrative isn’t as black and white as people make it out to be.”

“I don’t know how I got through it, but I did. And looking back, I’m glad I did.”

Congratulations to 11 TAU Researchers on the Prestigious ERC Starting Grant 2024.

The European Research Council (ERC) announced the winners of the ERC Starting Grant for 2024. Among the winners are eleven researchers from Tel Aviv University from various research fields. The grant is aimed at promising early-career scientists, enabling them to achieve their research goals, work independently, promote cooperation and take initial steps in the commercialization of technology.

Prof. Dan Peer, TAU Vice President for Research and Development and Head of the Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine: “We at Tel Aviv University take pride in our researchers being at the forefront of the international science community, contributing to the development and promotion of research and development of applied and commercialized technologies in a variety of different research fields.

“I am excited to see so many of our researchers on the list of winners this year, as well as the wide range of research fields. It is wonderful to see the recognition our researchers are receiving” – Prof. Peer.

The winners of the ERC Starting Grant from Tel Aviv University:

Prof. Yasmine Meroz, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, and Center for the Physics and Chemistry of Living Systems

Photo Credit: Naomi Meroz.

Prof. Yasmine Meroz is a physicist whose research focuses on the physical processes underlying plant computation and behavior, enabling them to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Plants do not have a brain or a nervous system, yet they know how to grow strategically according to changing stimuli from the environment, such as light. The research for which Prof. Meroz received the grant elucidates the physical mechanisms enabling plants to perform complex computations in a distributed manner, from the microscopic level to the organismal level, and unravels how they use these computational abilities to navigate an unknown and unstructured environment that changes over time.

Dr. Nadav Cohen, Blavatnik School of Computer Science

Photo Credit: Aric Hoek.

Dr. Nadav Cohen focuses in his research on mathematical theories for Neural networks (NNs). NNs are delivering groundbreaking performance in various machine learning frameworks: from the basic framework of supervised learning to the powerful and challenging framework of control (also known as reinforcement learning). The success of NNs has led to immense interest in developing mathematical theories behind them. Recent years witnessed breakthrough results in the theory of NNs for supervised learning. On the other hand, from a theoretical perspective, much less is known about NNs in the powerful framework of control. Consequently, implementation of NNs in control is predominantly heuristic (much more than in supervised learning), and this hinders their use in control application domains where safety, robustness and reliability are critical, for example manufacturing, healthcare and aerospace. The overarching goal of the research is to develop a mathematical theory of NNs for control, providing explanations to mysterious empirical phenomena, as well as breakthrough practical techniques that promote safety, robustness and reliability.

Dr. Tomer Shenar, School of Physics & Astronomy

Photo Credit: Tel Aviv University.

Today, it is known that massive stars in the Milky Way galaxy – those that collapse into black holes and neutron stars at the end of their lives – tend to live their lives in pairs, which affects their development in a dramatic way. Dr. Shenar’s research aims to check for the first time whether this fact is also true in the ancient and distant universe, which is now at the forefront of space exploration. Although the early universe is too distant to observe its massive stars, it is possible to analyze massive stars in neighboring galaxies whose conditions resemble those of the early universe. In his research, for which he received the grant, Dr. Shenar proposes to test this by using some of the largest and most sophisticated telescopes on Earth and in space.

Dr. Lior Medina, School of Mechanical Engineering at the Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering

Photo Credit: Tel Aviv University.

Dr. Lior Medina’s research focuses on developing a new class of smart structures, called micro-meta-structures. With the entrance of AI and the Internet-of-Things, sensory input in integrated systems is expected to increase, thus increasing the load on CPUs. As such, systems will be required to become efficient in terms of size and energy, as well as becoming autonomous. The new microstructures are expected to achieve that, while taking micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) based sensors to their next evolutionary step, granting them new abilities such as multistability, non-volatility, and reconfigurability. These new features will not only foster further miniaturization and simplify design processes but also unlock new possibilities in sensor technology. Indeed, a recent breakthrough has shown that meta-structures can achieve multiple stable states, paving the way for a new class of mechanical sensors with new capabilities such as mechanical-based built-in computation and in-memory programming. However, that discovery was just the beginning, since multistability has the potential to create a cornucopia of new MEMS applications, from multivalued non-volatile mechanical memories to multivalued sensors with integrated logical gates. These advancements promise to revolutionize the field, enabling mechanical sensors to perform computations independently with reduced reliance on traditional CPUs, thereby supporting distributed and parallel edge computing, reversible computing, and beyond.

Dr. Aldema Sas-Chen, Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research

Photo Credit: Shauli Lendner.

Dr. Aldema Sas-Chen’s research focuses on the regulation of gene expression by RNA-based mechanisms in health and disease. A major aspect of her work addresses the profiling and functional characterization of ribosomes, which are responsible for all protein production in cells. In her current research, for which she received the grant, Dr. Sas-Chen investigates the involvement of ribosomes in the regulation of cancer progression. Her research will focus on mapping the natural heterogeneity in ribosomal composition during cancer progression and will uncover unique ribosomal patterns that contribute to metastasis formation. The research will answer cardinal questions regarding general functions of the ribosome and will provide clinical insights into its involvement in disease progression.

Dr. Roy Barkan, Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences

Photo Credit: Tel Aviv University.

Dr. Roy Barkan is a physical oceanographer specializing in geophysical turbulence. His winning grant will focus on the oceanic mixed layer, which is the near-surface layer of the ocean that comes in direct and continuous contact with the atmosphere. Consequently, the physics of the mixed layer determines the exchange of heat and carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the deep sea. To date, the underlying physical processes that determine the oceanic mixed-layer depth and the exchange rate of properties at its base remain poorly constrained, posing one of the greatest uncertainties in climate models. The research will include detailed numerical modeling and field measurements of the various physical processes that govern mixed-layer dynamics, to develop new theories that can improve the representation of the mixed-layer processes in climate models and therefore improve climate projections.\

Dr. Ayala Lampel, Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research

Photo Credit: Tel Aviv University.

Dr. Ayala Lampel, a biotechnologist, focuses on the regulation of catalytic processes within engineered microenvironments constructed through the phase separation of biomolecules. The primary research question her project addresses is how the chemical composition, physical, and material properties of these compartments affect reaction rate, conversion, and reactivity. The project is expected to lead to new green chemistry technologies, including innovative tools for regulating organic reactions and enabling cell-free drug synthesis in aqueous environments, free from organic solvents. The long-term vision is to develop micro-factories for targeted drug synthesis within living tissues.

Dr. Arseny Finkelstein, School of Medical and Health Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience

Photo Credit: Nina Travitsky.

Dr. Arseny Finkelstein is a neuroscientist who focuses his research on memory formation. How are memories formed? A central hypothesis in neuroscience posits that changes in the patterns of connections between neurons enable the brain to learn from experience and create new memories. To test this hypothesis, he will employ innovative optical methods that allow us to ‘read’ changes in connectivity and neural activity over time in the learning brain – at unprecedented scales, involving tens of thousands of individual neurons. He will also test fundamental constraints of memory formation by creating artificial memories via the direct ‘writing’ of new information into the brain. This research is expected to address long-standing questions about the physical basis of information storage in the brain and uncover the essential building blocks of learning and memory.

Dr. Roee Levy, Eitan Berglas School of Economics

Photo Credit: Tel Aviv University.

Dr. Roee Levy is an economist who studies the impact of social media, news consumption, and political outcomes such as polarization and the rise of populism. In the research for which he received the grant, Dr. Levy studies the slant of news (its political leading). Previous studies have measured the slant of news outlets (for example, the New York Times site versus Fox News). However, nowadays consumers no longer get all their content from one or two outlets but are exposed to many articles from various sources through social media. Dr. Levy and his research partners will fine-tune a large language model to estimate the slant of millions of articles and use this data to estimate the extent to which people are exposed to and consume like-minded news. The research will examine whether people reside in online echo chambers and what influences those echo chambers: the consumers’ choice to avoid content they disagree with, social media algorithms, or the tendency of outlets to produce more biased content.

Dr. Shani Danieli, School of Physics & Astronomy

Photo Credit: Chen Zirinski.

Dr. Shany Danieli is an astrophysicist specializing in observational cosmology and astrophysics. She studies galaxies to gain insights into various physical phenomena in the universe. As part of the ERC grant-funded project, Dr. Danieli will focus on faint and low-mass galaxies, which are nearly impossible to detect using traditional telescopes and methods. These galaxies are particularly important for studying dark matter – a mysterious substance that makes up over 80% of the matter in the universe, but whose nature and properties remain unknown. Dr. Danieli will use advanced telescopes on Earth and in space to discover and study faint galaxies beyond the Milky Way. This study has the potential to provide answers to important questions such as: How common are low-mass galaxies beyond the Milky Way? What are their compositions and the physical processes responsible for their formation and evolution? And what is the relationship between dark matter and visible matter in galaxies? Answers to these questions could shed light on the nature of dark matter, its impact on galaxy formation, and the evolution of the universe.

Dr. Dominik Maximilian Juraschek, School of Physics & Astronomy

Photo Credit: Oren Sarig.

Dr. Dominik Maximilian Juraschek is a physics and astronomy researcher. He studies hidden states of matter that can be induced in quantum materials through light-induced dynamical and in particular vibrational (phononic) processes. His current research focuses on chiral phononics: An electric current flowing through a conducting coil produces a magnetic field, an effect that is at the heart of electromagnetic induction. Similarly, the circular vibrational motion of atoms in a solid also called a chiral phonon, can produce microscopic currents that act as atomistic electromagnetic coils and produce effective magnetic fields. The ERC Starting Grant project CHIRALPHONONICS investigates how this mechanism can be utilized to control the functional properties of materials, to develop ultrafast switches for magnetic and topological properties that may form the basis of a new generation of electronics.

TAU graduate fosters unity in Tel Aviv through culinary creativity

Aliya Fastman, the founder and owner of Citrus&Salt cooking studio in Tel Aviv, is a California native who has made a significant impact on the city’s culinary landscape. A graduate of Tel Aviv University’s International MA in Conflict Resolution and Mediation, Fastman now calls Tel Aviv home, where she combines her love for cooking with her dedication to building connections between people through the shared experience of food.

In our interview, Aliya Fastman shares her journey and insights on how cuisine can serve as a powerful medium for promoting understanding and unity.

From Conflict Resolution to Culinary Diplomacy

I first came to Israel for a year abroad. After finishing school, I came back for the army, left again, then came back for my master’s degree. I’ve been here ever since.

I finished my master’s degree in Conflict Resolution and Mediation at TAU in 2016, and I thought I wanted to go into traditional diplomacy, but instead, I found myself, like many, needing to have a job. So I went into public relations in the high-tech sector, where I worked for several years. I really liked it, and it was a good learning experience. 

But on nights and weekends, I started building a business called Citrus and Salt, which was originally intended to teach Israeli cooking and other local cuisines to tourists. It started out of my home, and then I got a bigger home, so I had more students. Now we’re actually on to our second brick-and-mortar studio. 

At our current studio, we offer both cooking classes and different cultural events.

With fewer tourists now, we have started offering cuisines that locals are interested in. I am passionate about traveling to places like Thailand, India, and Italy to learn from chefs there, getting to know their culture through their kitchen and bringing those cuisines and flavors back to Israel. 

In addition, we have an initiative that I hope to grow, which is cultural nights for cross-cultural awareness through food. Our first Indian night was sold out with a waiting list – it was with a family of Olim from Mumbai who shared their story. I’d love to replicate this with Ethiopian culture, Arab-Israeli culture, and more. 

Connecting People Through Food

In a way, although I didn’t realize it in the beginning, what we do is very much diplomacy through food. Essentially, as we learned in our degree, whenever you gather people together in a shared activity, it helps them get to know each other and helps create good relations. There’s almost no activity that’s better for that than cooking. 

Our business has brought together people from many countries, including Germany, Uruguay, Hong Kong, the United States, and South Africa. They cook together and share their stories.

Regarding Israel, which is my passion, our studio provides a safe and calm space for people who are visiting Israel and who have heard a lot about it, to ask me questions about the culture, the conflicts, the food, and everything in between. 

I don’t think any questions, if they’re coming from a good place, are unpleasant. People want to be informed and understand more. This has allowed me to be a bit of an advocate for Israel through the kitchen. 

Showcasing Israeli and Diaspora Cuisines

Our classic Israeli menu has falafel, hummus, perfectly puffy handmade pita, shakshuka, and smoked eggplant with tahini, and Israeli salad. It’s vegetarian-friendly and accommodating to a range of dietary needs. 

We also offer Moroccan, Iraqi, and Yemenite dishes to introduce our visitors to diaspora cuisines.

Personally, I love North African Moroccan cuisine, like tagine and couscous. The way the spices simmer together is unlike anything I experienced in the United States.

During my year at TAU, I traveled to Morocco with friends from the program for a couple of weeks and we were able to dive more into the culture there.

Citizen’s Kitchen: Bringing Comfort to Soldiers and Families

From October 9, we opened a war kitchen out of our cooking studio, and have made over 65,000 meals since then, feeding soldiers, families of hostages, displaced people, and families of reservists. It’s very much a community initiative where people from around the world and local Israelis came together to cook. 

We rely on donations from international volunteers and donors to fund Citizen’s Kitchen, and we also have a GoFundMe.

The initiative emerged during rocket fire, at a time of great trauma, so we started also offering some therapy and different Shabbat community events to help create a foundation for people, while also doing a public service.

As locals go back to work, we’re inviting groups from Europe and the United States to volunteer. We’re pushing forward with both the volunteer and the regular studio activities in tandem.

We’ve gotten a lot of praise for our food, with soldiers saying it’s the best food they’ve had. We believe that if we’re doing this, the food should be tasty and of good quality.

Our ethos is comfort through food.

In the beginning, we made a lot of schnitzel. Our chefs really put together a fabulous recipe with the chicken marinated in coconut milk and spices overnight.

Now we’ve been making a lot of sandwiches because we’ve been sending them to the North and in armored vehicles to soldiers in Gaza. We try to do really nice ones, such as freshly baked ciabatta rolls with teriyaki chicken and a crisp cabbage salad.

For families, we make dishes like stuffed onions and grape leaves, roast chicken, egg noodles with grilled vegetables and sesame seeds, fresh watermelon, baked food, and Israeli salad. Sometimes, we also send smoked eggplant with tahini, different cabbage salads, or meatballs in fresh tomato sauce.

More important than even the food is the fact that we’re here as an international community of Jews and allies, supporting the soldiers on the frontline and the survivors, saying that it’s not over. 

Although a lot of kitchens have had to close, and we’re not at the same capacity we were, cooking just twice a week now, each meal counts and each partnership counts. We’re still cooking because they’re still fighting.

We’re also sending letters to soldiers from our international volunteers just to emphasize that we support them: “We have your back. You’re not alone in this.”

Looking Back on Studying at TAU

My degree taught me to communicate with different cultures, which is vital for my work even though it’s not formal diplomacy. 

I loved the advanced mediation course—diving into it and doing the simulations really helped me. 

It’s proved invaluable with some problematic situations and in dealing with students and volunteers of different cultural backgrounds. 

Every culture has its particularities, and I need to be able to bring all students together around the table. For example, Americans love little spoons to taste what they’re making, while Israelis use their hands.

Being aware of cultural differences is almost more important than how the food tastes because that leaves people feeling understood and having a nice experience. 

I also found it absolutely wonderful to be able to study from people who were instrumental in making history. Professor Daniel Reisner, for example, was involved in creating some of the laws and deals and offered us a refreshing perspective on them.

I’m a true believer in the fact that everything you do is a building block, whether it’s my waitressing after the army, or my job in PR.

This applies to my formal education as well—I didn’t know it would lead me here, but it’s definitely something that I needed, and I’m glad I did it.

I still have great friends from the course who stayed in Israel and we always speak about how it has helped us.

Connecting Education, Israel, and Global Advocacy

From my personal experience, I loved the education and the experience at TAU. It has been valuable for me and other alumni that I’ve spoken to.

I think that it’s very special to come and study in Israel and to be able to maintain connections here. 

First and foremost, Jews need to be in a safe place. I think coming to strengthen the state here is very important. I also find great inspiration in Eylon Levy’s citizen spokesperson initiative to find people who are able to speak to Western audiences. Even if it doesn’t help the person you’re talking to, it might help the people on the sidelines. 

The more well-educated, articulate, and well-informed internationals are in getting our message out there, to their communities, the better.

It does make a difference, and I believe there is hope for people who don’t necessarily have antisemitic beliefs, but simply follow the crowd. 

Photos courtesy of Aliya Fastman and Citrus&Salt

In classrooms, labs and cafeterias, Jews and Arabs confront the reality of a post-October 7 world

When the first academic term after October 7 was about to begin at Tel Aviv University (TAU), Prof. Neta Ziv, TAU’s vice president of equity, diversity and community, wasn’t sure exactly what to expect, however she knew it would be complicated. For instance, there was the lab in the School of Medicine made up of three Arab doctorates, with family members in Gaza, and five Jewish researchers, including one whose best friend was killed at the Nova Music Festival massacre and another who had family members held hostage. Furthermore, there were the many, many classrooms across campus where Jewish and Arab students studied together and were expected to continue learning in the same space.

TAU and Israeli universities had a task no other academic institution had ever had to confront to the same degree: trying to ensure coexistence, safety and wellbeing among Jews and Arabs on campus amid a tragic and violent crisis that has personally affected so many.

Preparing for the Return to Campus

Campuses across Israel are some of the most diverse spaces in Israel and where most Arab- and Jewish-Israeli citizens first really get to know one another; approximately 20 percent of students on Israeli campuses are Arab, consistent with the percentage of Arabs in Israel’s population. (While some Arabs in Israel identify as Palestinian, others do not, which is why the more general term tends to be used when referring to non-Jewish Middle Eastern Israelis.)

Regarding the return to campus on December 31, 2023, Ziv and others at TAU determined that they really needed a plan both for classrooms and public spaces that prioritized safe coexistence.

“The first thing we did was we set up a task force of Arab and Jewish faculty, as well as representatives from the Dean of Students, and we looked around and we tried to identify all the places where issues could arise.”—Prof. Neta Ziv, TAU’s VP of Equity, Diversity and Community

The University immediately hired social psychologists and organizational consultants to be on hand to assist faculties with any conflict that might arise, and more than 800 faculty members were given training on how to handle tensions in class. TAU President Prof. Ariel Porat met with all of the University’s Arab student organizations and political Jewish organizations to solicit their help in promoting coexistence on campus.

Arab-Israeli journalist Yoseph Haddad speaks at a 2024 TAU Board of Governors panel.

Ziv’s team met with all Arab faculty members as well as staff at the dormitories to reassure and offer support. For the beginning of the return to campus, many faculty members were recruited to welcome all students to campus and make them feel more comfortable returning.

“We did a lot of different things to make sure that the school year would start peacefully.”—Prof. Neta Ziv

A Faculty-Specific Approach

Ziv’s team also doubled down on their support for faculty management, empowering each faculty to do what made the most sense for their students. For example, Ziv recently attended a meeting with TAU’s School of Psychological Sciences, where they discussed how to decrease barriers for Arab students interested in clinical psychology. “We’re thinking of ways to enhance the successes of these students because we know that there are very few psychologists right now serving the Arab community in Israel,” she says. 

For the Faculty of Social Sciences, which houses the School of Psychological Sciences, another main concern since October 7 has been adapting course content so that it is both relevant and sensitive to Jewish and Arab students in today’s context. 

Students attend one of their first classes after the semester started on December 31, 2023

“If you teach in the social sciences … you speak immediately about students’ own lives and their lives have been changing tremendously and rapidly in the last year. So how do you maintain the high academic level, but at the same time be sensitive to their feelings about what’s going on?” asks Prof. Amal Jamal, vice dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and head of the Walter Lebach Institute for the Study of Jewish-Arab Coexistence.

“This combination is not easy and cannot be taken for granted, and this is what we are trying to accomplish.”— Prof. Amal Jamal, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences

Other schools and faculties are focused on alternative approaches. In the Coller School of Management, where about a third of accounting students and a quarter of management students are Arab, a pilot project will resume next academic year requiring Arabs and Jewish students to work together on group projects. “That’s the big question we have now, is how do we get back to the activities we had before October 7,” says Prof. Dotan Persitz, an inclusion advisor for Arab students in the Coller School.

Beginning the Dialogue Process 

While many at the faculty level are actively finding ways to support students and bolster coexistence, there are others who are focused on confronting division by offering Jewish and Arab students a framework for coming together to hold space for the difficult truths. 

The Dugri course at TAU is one example—the term “dugri” is known in both Arabic and Hebrew and means talking bluntly and without reserve to confront the hard truths and trauma of the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. The intensive TAU course, which takes place over three all-day sessions and involves 20 Arab and Jewish students from across TAU faculties, is offered by Youssef Masharawi, an Arab professor from the Department of Physical Therapy, and Uriel Abulof, a Jewish professor from the Department of Political Science. 

“This is dealing, hardcore, with the issues between Arabs and Jews by discussing the truth honestly, but with a lot of respect,”—Prof. Masharawi

The Dugri class, led by Masharawi and Abulof, in session. 

Another program, MiddleMeets, was conceived during a student-led TAU hackathon called The Day After. Initially, MiddleMeets was intended to bring international students and Israeli students together in conversation; however, program organizers quickly realized that dialogue was first needed at home.

The program brings together approximately 35 students from across Israeli universities. First-year TAU student Maysan Madi, who is Palestinian, is one of the participants. “It made me feel much less helpless,” she says.

“There’s something so comforting and so unique about expressing your pain to the so-called other side and that has been MiddleMeets for me.”

For the initial meeting of MiddleMeets, the Arab and Jewish groups of students met separately with a Hebrew-speaking or Arabic-speaking facilitator to discuss expectations and fears. During other meetings, shared conversation revolved around a particular theme like rights on the land, shame and guilt, and sympathy and empathy.

Regarding one meeting held at TAU, the academic advisor for the program, Prof. Elitzur Bar-Asher Siegal, recalls a particularly tense encounter between a student recently stationed in Gaza and an Arab-speaking student who asked the Jewish student if he had killed anyone. 

“When you actually hear someone coming back from the war, talking with someone who blames him for genocide, and they have a sincere conversation and each one gets for a second, for a moment, that the other side is not just pure evil … I think that this is an experience that I wish everyone had for a moment,”—Prof. Elitzur Bar-Asher Siegal   

The MiddleMeets initiative also led to representatives, including Madi and Bar-Asher Siegal, being invited in June to speak at the Vatican and meet the Pope. “We told him to pray for the war to end and for the hostages and for the children killed in Gaza, and we gave him the shirt of MiddleMeets and he read it in English and said thank you. He was very sweet,” says Madi.

Bar-Asher Siegal and Madi (both standing, left-hand side) offering the Pope a MiddleMeets shirt.

Madi has decided to continue with the MiddleMeets project, which is entering its second phase as organizers fundraise and work to bring together a diverse Israeli delegation with American and European students:

“I hope we get many more Palestinian and Jewish students involved, as well as international students—with what has been going on, they need to hear more from the people that live here.”—Maysan Madi

The War Isn’t Over Yet 

While Ziv credits the work of the dialogue groups as well as the faculties in supporting students, she is still cautious, reflecting that the war in Gaza continues. 

“Tel Aviv University is an open, democratic campus, and we are really fighting to ensure that even during periods of real tension between groups, especially now during the war, we maintain an opportunity for our students to express their views,” says Ziv. “It’s a continuing challenge, and I think it’s important to put that on the table.” 

At the same time, hope persists that facilitating dialogue at TAU will have an effect and even reverberate more widely in Israeli society: “Universities are very sensitive and unique zones for Jewish and Arab relations,” says Jamal.

“Getting students to take an active role in facilitating these relationships not only helps them feel better during their studies, but they also then become messengers of better relations in their own communities.”—Prof. Amal Jamal

Tel Aviv University hosts three international delegations

Program helps students to take charge of the digital healthcare revolution

With artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital technologies revolutionizing nearly all aspects of health care, Tel Aviv University (TAU) is launching the MSc in Digital Health – a new master’s program anchored in a multinational network, which aims to equip those in healthcare with the tools they need to thrive in this new reality. 

“The healthcare sector is currently undergoing a digital revolution. As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, there is a growing need for professionals to bridge the gap between healthcare and technology,” says Dr. Tal Soffer, codirector of the new program.

“This program is designed to meet that need, prepare students for the future of healthcare, and open up a variety of new career opportunities in areas that are currently in high demand.”—Dr. Soffer

Embedded in a European Network  

Soffer, who directs digital pedagogy for TAU, is running the new MSc program with her colleague Prof. Noam Shomron, a global expert in gene expression and translating data for clinical settings. In addition to support from Soffer and Shomron, students will have access to a much wider international network, given the program is embedded in an EU Digital Europe collaboration that includes six universities, eight research centers and industry partners from Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxemburg, Portugal and Slovenia.

“Collaboration with diverse academic and industry partners enhances the learning experience by providing students with access to a wide range of expertise, cutting-edge technologies and real-world applications.”—Prof. Shomron

Through his own work, Shomron has become a global leader on digital applications within a clinical setting.

“This international network also opens doors for collaborative research projects, internships and job opportunities, ensuring that graduates are well prepared to contribute to the global healthcare landscape.” 

How the Program Works 

The two-year MSc in Digital Health, which is taught in English, is organized according to two tracks: one is focused on helping healthcare professionals to build digital competencies, while the second helps data experts to become leaders in areas like MedTech and BioTech.

The coursework and approach of the program is multidisciplinary, allowing students to gain a broader understanding of how to approach the digital transformation taking place in healthcare. 

“The most important takeaway for students will be a comprehensive understanding of how to integrate and apply digital technologies in healthcare settings.”—Prof. Shomron

“This includes practical skills in AI, robotics, cyber- and quantum-computing and data science.” Soffer adds that students “will also learn to think critically about the ethical, legal and social implications of these technologies, ensuring that they can advocate for responsible and patient-centered use of digital health solutions.”

The Benefits of Studying Digital Health at TAU

The program also takes advantage of its strategic location in one of the digital health innovation capitals of the world: Tel Aviv.

“TAU is located in the heart of Israel’s tech industry, providing students with direct exposure to cutting-edge innovations and opportunities to engage with leading tech companies.”—Prof. Soffer.

“This unique ecosystem fosters creativity, entrepreneurship and practical learning experiences that are hard to find elsewhere.” 

Interested in learning more about the new MSc in Digital Health, including application requirements?

Visit our program page to learn more and apply.

The application deadline for the new program is September 1, 2024.