Tag: Tel Aviv University

Israel-Indian academic ties boosted by visit of Indian Minister of External Affairs

Written by AUFTAU on 27 October 2021. Posted in Newsroom, Press release.

(Left to right): President of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, Minister of External Affairs of India ,
Dr S. Jaishankar, and President of Tel Aviv University, Prof. Ariel Porat.

All photos by Shlomi Amsalem, Courtesy of Tel Aviv University

Meeting of Israeli university presidents and senior leadership with Dr S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India.

Tel Aviv University hosted a meeting of Israeli university presidents with Dr S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India. The Minister met with university presidents and senior leadership from Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Technion, Ben Gurion University, Haifa University and Bar Ilan University to discuss opportunities for expanding and deepening academic ties between the two countries. The Minister also met with a group of Indian students studying in Israel to hear about their experiences and suggestions for how to expand student mobility.

The Minister noted that universities play a significant role in strengthening bilateral relations and whilst there has been increased cooperation in the higher education field in recent years, there is much potential to boost ties in many fields, including technology and innovation. Currently there are around 1,000 Indian students studying in Israel, around half of them post-doctoral students. The Minister said that India is “committed to finding new ways to expand our relationship”, and “the challenge before us is how to scale it up and shift it to the next gear”.

Professor Ariel Porat, President of Tel Aviv University, noted the significance of the Minister’s visit in the context of the upcoming 30^th anniversary of diplomatic relations and growing ties between the two countries. Professor Porat stressed that “TAU sees India as a strategic priority and we see great potential in expanding our partnerships with leading academic institutions and industry in India”. Professor Daniel Chamovitz, President of Ben Gurion University said “The strong academic collaboration between India and Israel is built on common values which facilitates the personal interactions”. The Israeli university leaders called for the establishment of more bilateral mechanisms to support joint research and student mobility.

Roohi Chaudry, PhD student in the field of cancer biophysics at TAU, reflecting on her experiences studying in Israel said “studying at TAU and Israel has helped me to gain insight into so many diverse cultures and take a giant leap out of my comfort zone to unravel endless opportunities. The well-equipped research labs with world class infrastructure and the most advanced innovative learning techniques assisted in reinforcing my desire to take up research as my line of work”. She applauded the Minister’s visit and called for the “more student exchanges in the future which will prove to be a testimony in strengthening Indo-Israel relations”.

Meeting of Indian students studying in Israel with Dr S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India.

“In Wars, there are Winners and Losers. In Peace, Everyone Wins”

Written by AUFTAU on 20 October 2021. Posted in Newsroom.

Hundreds of students and faculty members gathered to show their respect to late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, 26 years after his assassination. The speakers at the event were Prof. Eyal Zisser, Vice Rector of Tel Aviv University; Prof. Simha Goldin, Historian and Head of the History Teaching Profession Committee and father of Hadar Goldin (Lieutenant in the Givati Brigade of the IDF who was killed during the military Operation Protective Edge in 2014, his body still held in Gaza by Hamas terrorists) and Lior Hazan, Chairwoman of Tel Aviv University’s Student Union.

“Violence is not an order. It is a choice”

Prof. Eyal Zisser called on the TAU community to take on the task of changing the discourse in Israel and to displace the growing culture of violence. “Rabin wanted to forge a path for peace,” said the professor, adding that Rabin “experienced something which many of those involved in state security had experienced. Those who had experienced wars, fought fiercely and made significant sacrifices acknowledged the futility of wars and their destructive impact on every good part of the social, political and human fabric. In his remarks, which he repeated in many of his speeches, Rabin noted that in wars there are winners and losers. In peace, everyone wins.“

Professor Zisser added that Rabin’s assassination was a painful and traumatic event for Israelis, that still resonates today. “We still haven’t stifled the fire of fanaticism and hatred. We have allowed intolerance and brutality to fill the gap [which has worsened since Rabin’s assassination]. Thus, the longing for Yitzhak Rabin is overshadowed by concern for the society he left behind,” said Prof. Zisser.

TAU students and faculty members honor late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on the Memorial Day services held on campus (Photo: Michael Plotno, Tel Aviv University’s Student Union)

“Violence challenges social values and moral norms, and threatens to undermine the foundations of the state. Violence is not an order. It is a choice. Let us not put up with it. It is important to listen to minority opinions with utmost attention, and take into account the hardships, fears and the inhibitions experienced by the individual as well as by the many.”

“We, the TAU community and its alumni, have a responsibility to decisively change our daily, social and public discourse.” He called for another discourse that brings back “moral boundaries, based on the principle that someone who holds different opinions is not thereby a traitor. 26 years after the murder it is right to return boldly and emphasize that there must be no tolerance and understanding when it comes to manifestations of racism, violence and fanaticism. We must take a strong stance in the face of fanaticism, which has intensified in recent years, so that democracy is not destroyed.”

Filling the Void that Was Created

Prof. Goldin spoke about Rabin’s courageous path, noting that the former prime minister was not afraid to pioneer change. The professor asked this generation of students to assume responsibility and establish a new, honorable and courageous leadership.

“A generation has passed, and we’ve learned nothing. I expect you to fill the void that was created and save this wonderful country from itself,” said Prof. Goldin, urging the participants at the event to behave like Rabin. Instead of looking for culprits, they should take responsibility.

Prof. Simha Goldin (Photo: Michael Plotno, Tel Aviv University’s Student Union)

This Week: TAU Board of Governors Meeting 2021

Written by AUFTAU on 11 October 2021. Posted in Newsroom.

Festive event to be hosted on campus and broadcast around the world.

The annual TAU Board of Governors Meeting will be taking place between October 13-17. For the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic, the festive event will be taking place both in-person and online. The following is a selection of highlights from the program, with a focus on the impact of TAU’s big ideas on the success of the State of Israel and beyond.

Honorary Degrees

Honorary Doctorates for Recipients in Israel will be awarded to: Mr. Haim Be’er (novelist); Adv. Hanina Brandes (Founding Partner, Naschitz Brandes Amir); Prof. Shafrira (Shafi) Goldwasser (Electrical Engineer and Computer Scientist, MIT; Mathematician, Weizmann Institute of Science); and Ms. Hanna Zohar (Founder, Kav La’Oved).

Honorary Fellowships in Israel will be awarded to: Mr. Joseph Bar Natan (Businessman and Philanthropist) and Gesher Theater, Israel.

The ceremony will be broadast live on TAU’s Facebook page on October 17 at 8 p.m. The public is invited to attend virtually.

Climate Change and Space Research

MK Tamar Zandberg, Israel’s Minister of Environmental Protection and a TAU alumna, will address this year’s Academic Symposium, titled “Between Climate Change, Space Research and Life under Extreme Conditions.”

The guest speaker will be Dr. Jessica Meir, NASA astronaut and one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020. Her talk will focus on her recent mission to space, space research and life under extreme environments as well as on NASA’s work related to climate change. The Symposium will be chaired by Prof. Mark Shtaif, Rector of the University and moderated by Prof. Colin Price, Head, Environmental Studies Department, Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences.

Dr. Jessica Meir, NASA astronaut

First Woman to Chair TAU’s Board

After serving for three years as Co-Chair of the TAU Global Campaign, triple alumna and long-time benefactor of TAU Dafna Meitar-Nechmad will replace Prof. Jacob A. Frenkel, who will be completing two four-year terms as Chair of the Board of Governors. She will be the first woman to Chair the Board of Governors.

Meitar-Nechmad thanked the Search Committee for recommending her appointment: “As a woman, a social investor and an alumna of TAU, it will be a great honor and privilege for me to head its Board of Governors. The past decade has seen substantial development at TAU, in research, education and contribution to the community, and I am certain that together we can keep up this momentum, expand the sources of funding, and open TAU’s gates to new target populations from both Israel and abroad.”

Also during the meeting, TAU will welcome 35 new governors from around the world.

Dafna Meitar-Nechmad is the incoming Chair of the Board of Governors (Photo: Moshe Bedarshi)

Kadar Family Award for Outstanding Research

The Kadar Family Award for Outstanding Research at Tel Aviv University celebrates pioneering scientists and scholars who have reached the highest levels of excellence in both research and teaching. For the past six years, the Award has been granted annually to four TAU researchers, two senior and two junior faculty members, from across the entire spectrum of faculties and disciplines on the TAU campus. This year’s recipients are: Prof. Emilia Fridman from the School of Electrical Engineering, Fleischman Faculty of Engineering; Prof. Dalit Rom-Shiloni from the Department of Biblical Studies, Entin Faculty of Humanities; Prof. Yossi Yovel from the School of Zoology; Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and Prof. Domenico Agostini from the Department of General History, Entin Faculty of Humanities.

Launch of New Dan David Prize

At a time when documented facts and evidence-based conclusions are increasingly contested, understanding our history is more important than ever. That’s why, to mark the Dan David Prize’s 20th anniversary, the Prize has been redesigned to celebrate scholars and practitioners whose work illuminates the human past, bringing a historical lens to current debates and our thinking about the future (nominations are still open for the largest history prize in the world, The Dan David Prize 2022). The relaunch of the Dan David Prize will be celebrated with a keynote lecture by Prof. David Nirenberg from the University of Chicago on “How the Long History of Race and Religion Helps Us Think about the Present and Future.”

Dan David Prize – Looking Back, Looking Forward

For regular BOG updates and photos, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, hashtag #TAUbog21.

Featured image: From the Honorary Degrees Conferment Ceremony, BOG 2019 (Photo: Noam Wind)

Be My Guest

Written by AUFTAU on 19 September 2021. Posted in Newsroom.

What famous personalities would TAU researchers invite to their sukkah?

Welcoming guests is a prominent part of celebrating the week-long Jewish holiday of Sukkot. Family, friends, and neighbors are often invited into the sukkah (a hut which evokes the temporary dwellings the Israelites inhabited on their way out of Egypt) to share food and drink and to spend time together. We asked four TAU researchers who they would have invited, if they could pick one person, from past or present time, to visit their sukkah. Why him or her? What question would they have asked? What would they have said?

Dr. Arik Rudnitzky would have invited Former Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin

Dr. Rudnitzky is Project Manager of Tel Aviv University’s Konrad Adenauer Program for Jewish-Arab Cooperation, at The Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies.

“I would have invited Yitzhak Rabin. To me, he was a father figure in the broad and collective sense of the word. A model of the “Sabra”, a hero, and a humble one at that. When he died, I felt as though I’d lost an elderly family member. Besides, Rabin would visit soldiers and people and would behave just like regular people. He’d speak with me as equals and not like a politician.”

“I’d ask him how different today’s Israeli is from his vision. I’d love to hear the assessment of today’s reality from a person who made history. I’d also throw in a random question, like ‘How are you?’, just to listen to the way he speaks again. The way he spoke was direct and personal.”

Dr. Nechumi Yaffe would have invited Sarah Schenirer, a Polish-Jewish schoolteacher who became a pioneer of Jewish education for girls

Dr. Yaffe is Faculty Member of the School of Social and Policy Studies and Researcher focusing on the Ultra-Orthodox at the Israel Democracy Institute.

“I would’ve loved to host the late Sarah Schenirer. She was the founder of the Beit Yaakov network, a girls’ school in Poland that expanded to include the network of ultra-Orthodox girls’ schools around the world. She was a rare and very brave social entrepreneur. She thought differently from everyone around her, fought the establishment and initiated a very pioneering movement. This was long before ‘feminism’ became a recognized term. She first established sacred studies for girls and combined them with high-level secular studies in the Beit Yaakov network.”

“I’d ask her where she got the courage from, and why she did not complete her mission by forcing the rabbis to introduce secular studies in the boys’ yeshivas. The world could have been more complete and enriched.”

Judi Lax would have invited Ephraim Kishon, a Hungarian-born Israeli author, dramatist, screenwriter, and Oscar-nominated film director. He was one of the most widely read contemporary satirists in the world

Ms. Lax is a doctoral student in The Department of Environmental Studies

“I would’ve loved the chance to sit down with the late Ephraim Kishon in my sukkah. Apart from the fact that we’re both Hungarians, already as a child I enjoyed his brilliant and sarcastic sense of humor. I’d have asked him how he feels about everything that’s happening around us –the epidemic; how so many people had to take unpaid vacations and some have chosen not to return to work; about prisoners who escape from prison, only to discover that the conditions on the outside are worse – all these peculiar things that are going on lately. I am sure that he would have shared an amusing point of view, one that he’d articulate in a fluent language no longer heard.”

Dr. Jonatan Ostrometzky would have invited Neil Armstrong, American astronaut and aeronautical engineer, and the first person to walk on the Moon

Dr. Ostrometzky is Faculty Member of Digital Sciences for High-Tech, of The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering.

“I’d invite Neil Armstrong, the commander of the famous Apollo 11 mission in which humans first landed on the moon in the summer of 1969. Landing on the moon symbolizes the almost infinite abilities that can be achieved by a combination of motivation, desire and perseverance – with scientific research and technological development. I’d ask him how he arrived at his famous sentence “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Prof. Isaac Ben-Israel Receives the IEEE Leadership Award

Written by AUFTAU on 14 August 2021. Posted in Newsroom.

See You at Naftali

Written by AUFTAU on 22 July 2021. Posted in Magazine, Newsroom.

Prof. Itai Sened explains how TAU students will tackle global warming from what will become the greenest building on campus.

The Naftali building, which houses the Gershon H. Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences and was built in the 1960s, is one of the most iconic buildings on campus. And now, Prof. Itai Sened the Dean of the Faculty is planning to turn the building into a green island, attracting students from all faculties.

Imagine walls covered with photovoltaic cells (solar cells that convert solar energy to produce electricity), an open research lab on a roof top, and a green wall in the garden… The physical makeover of the building is only the tip of the iceberg: “This is the infrastructure of the program, and will serve as a focal point for research and development on the topic of climate change for the entire university, quietly contributing ideas and environmental solutions touching on all faculties,” says Prof. Sened.

A Lab that is not a Lab

What will it look like? The walls of the Matanel Garden on the ground floor are already covered with tropical vegetation that gives a sense of freedom and nature. In the garden, it will be possible to hold academic meetings on any subject, and there will be indoors work spaces with screens on the walls, displaying data on how much alternative energy the university produces on all roofs at any given moment. There will be a facility for landless agriculture, where the products will be monitored and tested by research teams. It will also provide raw materials for the cafeteria, which will make a comeback. The cafeteria will be operated by youth at risk, closely accompanied by students of social work and psychology.

The green wall and the agricultural garden will be irrigated with water extracted from the Tel Aviv air, which has been proven suitable for drinking, operated from the roof. An extension of the project, on the roof of the nearby Social Sciences Library, will include gray water purification laboratories, wind energy facilities and more. Solar panels will also cover the southern wall of the building.

The real focal point, however, is the lab. The ‘Laboratory without a laboratory’, as Prof. Sened calls it, will be run by Prof. Hadas Mamane, head of the Environmental Engineering Program at The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, and Dr. Vered Blass from The Department of Environmental Studies, who specializes in circular economy. And where will it be? “The laboratory is located in the minds of students and researchers,” explains Prof. Sened. “The spaces must be open; we cannot continue working with closed laboratories. We are building a unique program here that will take on anything that can be changed. Our goal is to train future leaders to deal with climate and water crises, to create a sustainable future.”

The future Naftali building, complete with vertical gardens, biodomes, solar panels, a shaded lab area, grey water tank and algae ponds.

Flow of Thought

The students in the novel program entailing a “lab-less lab” are master students, Israeli and international. “With us, they learn how to do special things in the most remote places in the world, but they need freedom. It’s a new era. These are young people who grew up in a world without limits. There is no Faculty of Engineering, no Faculty of Law. There are young people who hang out, they are here and there and they keep returning, ” Prof. Sened shares his reasons for setting up the special venture.

“Here you will see graduates of selected academic units who travel to the most remote villages in the world, together with someone from the Faculty of Life Sciences, someone from the School of Computer Science, students from the Faculty of Social Sciences – from Economics, Public Policy, Psychology and Anthropology. They go to those villages because that is what they enjoy doing and exploring. They will not sit here and write a doctorate for five years – that would be torture for them, as it does not suit them anymore. However, if we put them in this new type of lab, they will get a doctorate after they do much more. That is the guiding principle. “

An Entire Generation Looking for Purpose

Prof. Sened explains that while the whole thing may give off an “engineering and life sciences” vibe, most of the projects that are undertaken there are actually related to the social sciences. “One of our most talented doctoral students is about to start working at the State Comptroller’s Office as a real estate expert. Individuals like her wish to succeed and to change the legislation on all aspects of renewable energy. “

He explains that it is important for their students to know, right from the start, where they will be able to integrate when they complete their degree. “In these projects, they often integrate in the process. A student who goes to Kenya to purify water, install solar panels, or to study a worm that is making its name known in corn crops – may be noticed and ‘snatched” – and will already be on his way to another project. That’s how it works.”

“The infrastructure of what we are building here is 20% of the matter, and it is what is visible to the eye. However, the most interesting part is the remaining 80%, the minds involved. And they are not limited by space (…) We needed something visible, and so we built the green Naftali. Now they will finally be visible, ” concludes Prof. Sened.

Students hanging out in the Naftali garden surrounded by its green walls

TAU Medical Student to Swim for Israel at Summer Olympics

Written by AUFTAU on 16 July 2021. Posted in Magazine, Newsroom.

Andi Murez enhances her athletic performance at the Sylvan Adams Sports Institute.

“Most people tell me I’m crazy to be a professional swimmer and medical student, but I couldn’t give either up, so I tried to do both, not knowing whether I would succeed at either,” says Andrea “Andi” Murez during a break between training sessions at the University’s Sylvan Adams Sports Institute and the neighboring Sports Center. “I’m proud that I’ve given it a shot and prevailed.”

A Balancing Act

In 2017, California native Murez enrolled at TAU in the Sackler School of Medicine New York State/American Program. She has since completed her first two years in the MD Program that offers English courses for students from North America.

This will be 29-year-old Murez’s second Olympics; she previously represented Israel in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. With the Games in sight, the Israeli national record-holder in the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle has taken a temporary break from her studies to focus on her Olympic aspirations. Following Tokyo, she will return to medical training and begin two years of clinical rotations at TAU-affiliated hospitals.

Training at TAU

Murez’s grueling routine in the final stretch to Tokyo consists of regular sessions at TAU facilities, including performance analyses at the Sylvan Adams Sports Institute, alongside teammates from Israel’s Olympic delegation and its national swim team.

Established in 2018, the Institute focuses on improving athletic capabilities in endurance sports: swimming, running, cycling, and triathlon. The Institute houses a state-of-the-art flume (counter-current) pool that helps swimmers improve their craft by testing factors such as limb function, movement symmetry and muscle fatigue.

Murez trains at the flume pool at TAU’s Sylvan Adams Sports Center (Photo: Moshe Bedarshi)

“Having Andi and other members of the Olympic team at the Institute is a realization of the Sylvan Adams Sports Institute’s mission, which is to enhance the abilities of Israel’s top athletes and nurture Olympic-level champions,” says the Institute’s Director, Prof. Chaim Pick of TAU’s Department of Anatomy & Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine.

“In a sport where every hundredth of a second matters, training sessions such as those performed at the Sylvan Adams Sports Institute—which could not have been done elsewhere in Israel—are vital for high-level swimmers such as Andi to evaluate and fine-tune their technique,” he adds.

WATCH: Murez trains at the flume pool at TAU’s Sylvan Adams Sports Center

For her part, Murez appreciates the variety of performance building options available at TAU. “Some people perform better in the flume pool, some in the open pool,” she says. “It’s great to have both for a holistic approach.”

Diving into Israel

In addition to her Olympic aims, Murez hopes to inspire other women along with potential olim to realize their dreams in Israel, particularly when it comes to athletics and higher education.

“Growing up, I never thought I’d swim for Israel—but it’s been great,“ says Murez.

Andi Murez is making waves in the pool and the classroom (Photo: Moshe Bedarshi)

The 17-time Maccabiah Games medalist credits formative experiences at the so-called “Jewish Olympics” for connecting her to Israel. Murez decided to make aliya following the 2013 Maccabiah, where a local counterpart drove home the exciting potential of living and swimming in Israel.

After undergraduate studies at Stanford University, she accepted a spot on the Israeli National Swimming Team and made aliya in 2014. Murez encourages others to follow similar paths. “It was a very welcoming experience,” she enthuses.” I love it here.”

She views swimming and medicine not as disparate endeavors, but as parallel tracks with many similarities. “The medical path is a long and rigorous journey, which takes patience and delayed gratification—two things I have experienced as a swimmer. When I was stressed in the classroom, I had swimming to fall back on,” she says. “When I’m stressed by swimming, I can focus on school to help me feel better.”

“The TAU faulty supported my passion for swimming and allowed me to take two years off of school to train for the Tokyo Olympics,” she notes. “I feel very fortunate that I found a great medical program to continue my studies.” Murez also nods to her classmates for their support. “In our program, I often studied in groups with classmates. If I fell behind on the material because of trainings, they would help me catch up,” she recounts. “They even came to a few swim meets to cheer me on!”

Following the 2021 Olympics, Murez plans to stay in Israel and pursue her professional swimming career alongside working as a physician. We wish Andi good luck and will continue to root for her in all her endeavors!

Murez will swim for Israel at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan (Photo: Moshe Bedarshi)

Featured image: TAU medical student and Olympic contender Andi Murez poolside at the University’s Sports Center (Photo: Moshe Bedarshi)

Digital Learning: TAU 1st in Israel According to International Ranking

Written by AUFTAU on 12 July 2021. Posted in Newsroom.

Tel Aviv University ranked first in Israel and among the leading international institutions for higher education in the 2021 rankings.

While American and European universities dominate the Emerging ratings, the group notes “the outstanding performance of Israel, notably disrupting the tables with institutions present in all digital categories”.

The aim of the ratings is to help ‘”shine a light on the global institutions who are championing digital education studies worldwide”, looking to identify higher education institutions with a strong focus on digital expertise and that are teaching transferable digital skills across the curriculum.

TAU secured the 22nd place out of 150 on the list of the world’s “Best Universities for Digital Learning 2021”. The Technion the second Israeli higher education institution to feature, as number 31. The Hebrew University follows, on 42nd place. Ben-Gurion University is number 60 and Bar-Ilan University number 81.

In addition to the overall ranking, the institutions were also ranked for:

Their digital entrepreneurship programs: Tel Aviv University was ranked 6thin the world, and first in Israel. Technion is number 25, The Hebrew University number 18, Ben Gurion University number 26 and Bar Ilan is not listed among the top 30.
Best data science degrees: TAU is listed as number 10, following The Hebrew University on 7th place. The Technion is listed as number 27 on the list (Bar Ilan University and Ben Gurion University are not listed among the top 30).
Best universities for online professional training and executive programs: Tel Aviv University is number 4, followed by The Technion on 20nd place, Ben-Gurion University on 21st place, Hebrew University on 22nd and Bar-Ilan on 27th place.
Best universitites for digital transformation: TAU is number 11, and is the only Israeli university to be listed among the top 30.

Methodology

According to the website, “This study is based on the data and results obtained from a vote of 3,400 digital professionals in nine countries (US, UK, Germany, Spain, France, China, India, Sweden and Japan), such as IT corporate executives, start-up executives, and young professionals who recently started their digital career. This is combined with a premium specific database providing precise information on higher education received by the 10,000 most active and influential executives of the world’s leading digital companies. Each institution is scored across six metrics covering the full scope of digital education (computer degrees, data science and AI degrees, digital training formats, digital entrepreneurship programs, online professional training and executive programs, and institutions with the most innovative learning formats) to determine its position in the ranking.”

Celebrating 20 Years of Gender Studies

Written by AUFTAU on 17 June 2021. Posted in Newsroom.

Tel Aviv University this week alongside the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) are marking 20 years of partnership and the co-founding of the first-ever gender studies program in the Middle East. Established in 2001, the NCJW Women and Gender Studies Program at The Shirley and Leslie Porter School of Cultural Studies, at the Entin Faculty of Humanities was the first – and remains the only – B.A. degree program on gender studies in Israel. The Program has since expanded to offer M.A. and Ph.D. tracks. To date, it boasts approximately 600 alumni.

Changing Society, Changing Lives

In light of its two-decade anniversary, the Program’s head Prof. Daphna Hacker, from the Buchmann Faculty of Law, explains: “It’s a degree but it’s not only about intellectual theories, it’s about our own lives – our private most intimate relations, our political choices, our engagement in social activism. Once you’re exposed to feminist theories and gender studies, most likely your perspective will change not only on society, but on your own life.” Addressing the 20-year milestone, TAU President Prof. Ariel Porat lauded the Program and its founders, thanking NCJW for the endowment that made the Program possible. Additionally, he hailed the Program for its role in producing agents for social change, including graduates who have become educators, journalists, scholars, entrepreneurs and social activists. “We can see the important impact of the Program not just on its graduates and teachers, but also on the wider Tel Aviv University community,” he said in recorded remarks. “We’re seeing more women professors in the top management, as vice presidents, deans and heads of schools – and also a greater representation of women scientists and students in STEM fields.” Prof. Hacker sees the Program’s classrooms as microcosms of the type of pluralistic setting needed to further swing the pendulum toward gender equity in Israel. “Gender studies teach us how to open our eyes to reality,” she says. “Feminism, since it was established, has been about the connection between academic knowledge and activism for social change.”

A conference hosted by the NCJW Women and Gender Studies Program (Photo: Tanya Gurov) The Program’s influence is evident in its impact on the lives of its students. For instance, it has provided Ph.D. researcher and lecturer Estee Rieder-Indursky an inroad to academia she wouldn’t have thought possible 20 years ago. As a Haredi social activist, Rider-Indursky is making strides giving voice to women previously unheard from in academic research. In 2020, she won the Dan David Prize for Doctoral Students for her research on discourses of Haredi women who study the Talmud. Going forward, Hacker’s hopes to broaden awareness of the gender studies Program to draw new students and future social leaders. This includes adding to its ranks more men, LGBTQ students, students with disabilities, ultra-Orthodox women, and Arab Israeli students. “Everyone should be included in the conversation and the research. Since we are shaping our research through our experiences and personal backgrounds, it’s crucial we have diversity among our students and faculty,” Hacker stresses.

Extending Academic Knowledge Beyond Campus

In addition to the gender studies Program at TAU, the partnership between the University and NCJW has borne additional projects. Now hosting its 2^nd cohort, “Connecting for Impact: Strengthening the Feminist Ecosystem in Israel” is one of the partnership’s most recent achievements extending academic knowledge beyond the walls of traditional university campus settings. Hacker hails the University’s partnership with NCJW – the oldest Jewish women’s volunteer organization in the U.S. – as a fruitful collaboration that facilitates valuable knowledge sharing between scholars, lobbyists, activist and community leaders from both the U.S. and Israel. An online event Thursday (June 17) celebrating the 20-year anniversary of the NCJW Women and Gender Studies Program at TAU will feature a panel of leaders exploring the state of gender equity in Israel. Along with NCJW President Dana Gershon and Prof. Hacker, guest speakers include Israeli Cabinet Minister Merav Michaeli, Director of Arab Community program at Yad Hanadiv Foundation Dr. Safa Abu-Rabia, and Ridur-Indursky. Former NCJW president, Florida State Senator Nan Rich, will moderate the event. To register for the panel, please visit here. Featured image: NCJW Women and Gender Studies Program at TAU (Photo: Jonathan Mizrahi)

Diamonds in the Rough

Written by AUFTAU on 3 June 2021. Posted in Magazine, Newsroom.

Maximizing the potential of TAU students on the autism spectrum.

Giving a presentation in front of a class can be daunting for any university student. For someone with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it can be terrifying. Routine study tasks like this can make higher education an unattainable dream for most people with ASD, which reduces the ability to connect with people. To help, TAU established Yahalom (“Diamond”), a comprehensive program that supports high-functioning ASD students from the moment they enroll at TAU through to graduation. “Today we know that ASD does not necessarily affect a person’s academic abilities,” says Alberto Meschiany, Head of the Psychological Services Unit at the Dean of Students Office, which runs the Yahalom program. “We support ASD students in whatever they need help with—primarily enhancing their interpersonal communication skills and ability to independently navigate the complexities of campus life.” Yahalom was launched in October 2017 with 10 students. Today it has 46—an almost fivefold increase in three years. “Ultimately, we aim to substantially boost these students’ independence and self-confidence, ensure they complete their degree, and broaden the range of options open to them once they enter the employment market,” explains Meschiany.

Mentors: Heart of the program

Yahalom is run by a dedicated coordinator who gets to know each of the ASD students and also recruits and trains volunteer TAU students as mentors. The goal is to ensure that the mentors know what to expect and how to communicate with ASD people, reduce their anxiety, help with their dealings vis-à-vis the staff and lecturers, accompany them to classes, and meet whatever other day-to-day needs may arise during the academic year. Demand among students wishing to be mentors is high, says Meschiany. “Right now, we can only give the mentors token scholarships, but we would love to give them larger ones. This is our biggest funding need,” he adds. Mentors help in myriad ways. For example, Yahalom heard about an ASD student who had been unnecessarily buying expensive textbooks for almost two years because he didn’t know how to make photocopies at the library and was too embarrassed to ask for help. He was immediately assigned a mentor who now helps him with these types of issues. Many ASD students have asked their mentors for advice on how to tell their classmates about their condition and the difficulties they face.

Personal ties reduce stress

Efrat Gilboa, a third-year student of Psychology and Law at TAU, mentors two ASD students. “I’ve always enjoyed volunteering and helping others, and used to work with special needs children. I thought that Yahalom could be an amazing opportunity for me not only to help autistic people integrate into the University, but to try to see the world through their eyes,” she says. “As a Yahalom mentor, my main job is to help the students cope with their study load, better manage their time, and help them flourish,” she explains. “But now we have a real friendship. My students can—and do—contact me whenever they feel like it, whether it’s to ask me a question or show me something interesting that they saw on their way to the campus.” “It’s a real privilege and fantastic experience to be able to mentor these students. They are among some of the best people I’ve had the opportunity to meet,” says Gilboa. “Since I began mentoring them half a year ago, I can see that my students are now less stressed and anxious and are better at managing their time.”

An interdisciplinary approach

Along with providing opportunities for ASD students, TAU is pursuing autism research from diverse perspectives. “Together with other neurodevelopmental disorders, autism needs to be addressed by academics from multiple areas—neuroscientists, geneticists, psychologists, cell biologists, speech therapists and social workers—alongside practicing pediatricians, neurologists and psychiatrists,” says Prof. Karen Avraham, Vice Dean at TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine. “This is why TAU, with its inherently interdisciplinary research culture and strong ties with hospitals, is ideally positioned to bring about influential discoveries in the field—and why it has made autism research a strategic priority.” One such researcher is cognitive neuropsychologist Prof. Lilach Shalev of the Jaime and Joan Constantiner School of Education who heads the Attention Lab, affiliated with the Sagol School of Neuroscience. She develops novel training programs aimed at improving academic performance of learners from kindergarten to university students, and assesses their outcomes using neuropsychological, eye-tracking, brain-imaging and psychological measures. Her main work centers on the Computerized Progressive Attention Training Program (CPAT) that she pioneered for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 2007; it is now implemented in several countries. Several years ago, Prof. Shalev expanded her research focus to include autism. “Our system was shown to work with great results among autistic people, also for their behavioral and communication difficulties, and we were very surprised,” she explains. These findings might also be relevant for university students on the autistic spectrum. Read about how TAU alumna, Noga Keinan, promotes the integration of ASD students in higher education. Meschiany concludes: “The tailored support we offer Yahalom participants helps to level the playing field relative to their peers. These are very intelligent students with a high capacity to learn. Our job is to help them overcome their social difficulties and fulfill their potential.” By Ruti Ziv Featured image: Efrat Gilboa mentors two ASD students