TAU’s Response to the October 7th Crisis – A View From The Inside

Thursday, January 11, 2023 • 5 PM Israel Time| 10 AM EST

Ido Aharoni, TAU graduate, member of the Board of Governors, lecturer, writer, and veteran diplomat, hosts Amos Elad, TAU Vice President for Development and Alumni Affairs, along with TAU students Aviv Kurnas, a student at the Faculty of Social Science, and Shir Shahar, an M.Sc student at the Faculty of Medicine, in a wide-ranging discussion about their experiences on October 7 when the war broke out, their IDF reserve service, and how Tel Aviv University is caring for its student body during this difficult time.

Twenty-four-year-old Aviv, who works in public diplomacy promoting Israel, had landed in New York the previous day, on October 6. He returned to Israel three weeks later to serve in the Air Force. Shir, 28, lost a friend who was murdered at the Nova music festival in Re’im. A medical researcher, she has been researching the work of IDF ground forces in her army reserve duty.

More than 5,000 TAU students are currently serving in the IDF, and on the morning of October 7, the university opened a call center offering mental health services online. TAU recruited psychologists and therapists to deal with the disaster and, on January 1, opened a post-trauma treatment center at the university that has begun treating patients. Elad adds that the school also provides scholarships to Tel Aviv University students serving in the IDF reserves.

During this challenging time, when antisemitism on campuses worldwide is rising, Aharoni asks Kurnas and Shahar the message they would like to say to Jewish college students. Says Shir, “Tel Aviv is the best city in the world. Come here to study – it’s a great opportunity!” Aviv echoes her words and says, “It’s an amazing place to study, in a safe, beautiful city, with amazing people on campus.”