BGU & YOU | NOVEMBER 2023

Friday 09:50 – We have just left the David Hotel by the Dead Sea. Sitting shiva there is Dr. Rivka Manor, the head of Prof. Amir Sagi’s lab. Her mother was murdered in Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the places where the death toll is beyond all comprehension. It turns out that the whole family are connected, in one way or another, to BGU. They either studied there or will be studying there. Rivka’s nephew is supposed to be starting electrical engineering this academic year – he is presumed to be amongst those kidnapped in Gaza or dead and not yet identified, and his brother was also murdered. Unbearable pain, yet the family are united, strong, dignified, and already talking about how they will return to the Kibbutz. Unimaginable strength of conviction and love of the land they farmed. I take leave feeling that I am the one who has been comforted. Friday 12:30 – Guido moved to Israel with his parents and sister four years ago from Argentina. They settled in Kibbutz Ein haShlosha which was founded by Argentinian Olim. He is a 2nd year student of politics & government and European studies. All four were in their safe room for 8 hours with little water, no food and almost no external communication, as terrorists ransacked their house and tried to break in. Rescue eventually arrived and Guido told me how his mind from the Rector's wartime

diary Prof. Chaim Hames visited the scene of the Nova nature party and Kibbutz Be'eri with a delegation of university rectors on November 2, 2023.

BGU Rector Prof. Chaim Hames has been posting daily diary-like entries online since the October 7th attacks. The following excerpts provide an up close and personal picture of the University at war and its impact

on the BGU community. To read more, look for Chaim on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/hjhames/).

Friday, Oct. 20 Friday morning 8:00 – Coffee in the kitchen and preparing my schedule for the day. I am going to drive to Eilat, via the Dead Sea, to comfort mourners from the university community and, hopefully, give support to members of our community from the communities along the Gaza Strip border who are being put up in Eilat hotels.

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