“To me it seems absurd: a third of the undergraduate students are in the reserves and dozens are dead,” says Pablo, a Ph.D. student in History at Tel Aviv University, when asked if he agrees with the return to studies at universities. The tension that the question illustrates is permanently in the air, in the attempts to “continue” with the routine that was halted on October 7th, and in changes that Israeli society is going through that affect many areas of daily life. Pablo cannot return to his apartment in Ramat Aviv (a suburb of Tel Aviv), where he has lived since he began his studies at the end of 2021. The Hamas massacre two months ago occurred while he was presenting his research at a conference in Germany. He will stay there until classes resume, although he is not sure when that will be.
Until a few weeks ago, the commencement of studies had been re-scheduled for December 24. Two weeks ago, in a statement issued to students at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem by Professor and Dean Guy Harpaz and Professor and Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Lilach Sagiv, the indication was that the university would open “at the end of December”, but there was no mention of an exact date. According to reports, the Hebrew University is preparing the start of classes and providing all possible information “with the aim of reducing uncertainty.”
What is known so far
“At the beginning of the war, the last thing on my mind was ‘what is going to happen to the university?’” recalls Melina, a 24-year-old student. As the days went by and the new routine developed, she explains, “I realized that we were not going to be able to study soon, although I considered [the official delay] a good decision, for those who cannot study today and who are defending us all.” Melina is pursuing her undergraduate degree in Political Science and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at the University of Haifa. While she understands the situation, she would be happy to start the semester as soon as possible. “I think about that every day,” she says. For Victoria, who studies Linguistics and Latin American Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the abrupt change that the war caused in her daily life made her feel “lost and upset,” she says. “As someone who enjoys studying, I felt like a huge part of my routine was being taken away from me. Suddenly I had a lot of free time and almost nothing to do with it.”
She also agrees that the decision was understandable, because “no-one was in an appropriate mental state to study.”
In addition to the logistical issues that universities deal with every year, they also have to respond to the specific demands caused by the current crisis, including inequality between students who performing reserve duty and those who are not; political tensions between students and among the teaching staff; and requests for psychological counseling and financial assistance. All of this reflects some of the complex and challenging ramifications of war on the national level. An official letter to the students from the administration of the Hebrew University states that the 2023-2024 school year will include two semesters, each with 11 weeks of classes. Assistance from tutors and mental health professionals will be provided on an individual basis and there will be some leniency in the payment of tuition and dormitory rental on campus. The exam period will also be postponed and made more flexible for all students – and the reservists in particular. Lectures will be frontal (although they will be recorded to be viewed later by reserve soldiers) and the study material, as well as practical work, will be adapted to the duration of the semester. In addition to providing subsidized therapeutic support, the university explained that it is preparing actions, together with the Diversity Unit, to alleviate “political-emotional tensions that may arise between students due to the war, in particular, and the tensions in Israeli society in general".
Questions about the future
"Education deals with the future, while in war we deal with the present," wrote Professor Yoram Harpaz, an expert in education, in an article in the Israeli digital newspaper YNet at the end of October. For Pablo, the big question among international students is how to adapt to a scenario so different from that of their countries of origin. "Israelis are able to respond better than I to these situations, and I understand that many want to go back to school and continue their studies. The question is how, and to what extent," he explains. Victoria also mentions this tangible difference between ‘olim’ (immigrants) and ‘tzabarim’ (native Israelis): "I see my classmates looking very worried, with more difficulties in combining studying with other responsibilities. I, having come here only 8 years ago, feel less stressed since my whole family is abroad and the only person I have to take care of is myself,” she explains.
Melina got together with her teachers and classmates, who obviously have more information and a better understanding of the conflict, to give talks to other students and explain what is happening. That got them to work on something concrete that benefits the community. “I think this war united us all as a collective,” she reflects. Regarding the role of the institution, she says that programs have been created to encourage students to volunteer in exchange for scholarships and study credits. For Pablo, this has no relevance so long as he cannot return to Israel: “I had to ask for financial support for accommodation, because in the meantime I continue to pay rent on campus,” he explains. Melina, for her part, felt supported despite not being able to attend classes. “I received calls, emails and letters from professors and deans, offering us their support and encouragement during these difficult times,” she says. But she does not believe that the start of classes should happen “as soon as possible,” as the statement anticipates, unless the university ensures the rights of the soldiers. “I would not feel comfortable in my privileged position as a former soldier with reservation exemption, starting to study when there are many who will not be able to.”
Whether classes are postponed for a month or for two, Israel's universities, and their teaching staff, continue working. The institution’s ongoing operations reflect persistence in our aspirations to educate, in not agreeing with terrorism and violence, and in preventing these negative forces from damaging our ability to share knowledge. It is within university spaces that an indispensable battle is fought to continue living together, dialoguing, learning and building the future.