BGU & YOU | NOVEMBER 2023

Tuesday 11:30 – In Moshav Gilat, not far from Ofakim and Sderot, where terrorists roamed the streets 18 days ago. I am there to comfort Aliza, the legendary administrator of the Middle East Department. Her brother and his son were fishing!!! It turns out that one of the other fishermen survived, though badly wounded, and he told the family how they managed to enter a “migunit” – mobile safe rooms which dot the area around the Gaza strip – on the beach, but the terrorist murderers threw in a hand grenade. Aliza’s nephew dived on top of it, a feat of bravery of the highest order, but both he and his father were killed by the explosion. The family only learned of this when the other fisherman regained consciousness some days later. It took another week to identify the bodies. Tuesday 12:45 – Back at the university and we make public the decision about not starting the academic year before the military reserves start being released back to Civvy Street. We put a possible date (December 3rd), but it is totally arbitrary. We also announce that the academic year will have two full semesters even if this means teaching throughout the summer. All the universities want our students serving in the army to know that we are there for them and that they should concentrate on their missions knowing that they will not be missing studies. It is the only thing we can do. With some 30% of students, faculty, and staff in the military, with hundreds of families of our students and staff uprooted from their homes and not knowing when they will be able to return, with the war still going on, there can be no business as usual. Thursday, Oct 26 Day 20 of the war and the uncertainty of where all this is going is paralyzing. So, I take a walk around the campus to talk to people and see how they are coping. It is inspiring to meet people and hear what they have to say, and I discover just how much the events of the past few weeks have impacted on our campus. One person’s cousin was a policeman who was killed at the Nova nature party. He had a pistol with him, but it was useless against the dozens of well-armed murderers. Others have children who have been called up or are doing their army service and are either on the border with Gaza or up north. Some students I talk to are on their way to the labs to try and catch up with research. They have been volunteering, but feel the need to try and get back to some sort of routine. I meet faculty who are concerned about how their international colleagues are reacting and responding to the massacre. I am surprised to come across a unit where everyone is at work – they decided that being together and concentrating on what they need to do is better than sitting at home, so they come, work, laugh, talk, and cry. Did I say inspiring?

was so focused after having been in survival mode for so long, that when they exited the safe room, the first thing he saw was that the terrorists had taken his student card which had a chip to get into the student village at BGU where he lives. Guido, with incredible presence of mind given the situation, called the University Security to tell them about this and ask them to change the codes. I am blown away (sorry for the Americanism) by this story! Sunday, Oct. 22 Sunday 19:00 - Back home and about to start a Zoom meeting and the sirens go off. We have had two days of respite so I can’t really complain. But then it strikes me again – in what place in the civilized world would rockets being fired indiscriminately at civilians be acceptable. Yet, the world seems to think that here it is acceptable, or maybe, we have accepted that it is a “normal” part of our lives… Tuesday, Oct. 24 Tuesday 07:34 – Day 18 of this nightmare has started. Please tell me that this is all just a bad, very bad, dream! My phone pings – whatsApp message – Nir Forti’s body has been identified, the funeral will be tomorrow. Nir has been missing since October 7th, his family have been on a roller-coaster since then, now it is over. Nir was murdered along with his girlfriend. Now I know where I will be at 11 am tomorrow. Tuesday 09:49 – I speak with Tova Forti, Nir’s mum. A distinguished Bible scholar at BGU, retired the year before last. I wish I knew what to say; what can one say? I say what I can and listen.

The water tower at Kibbutz Be'eri, decorated with a message of defiance: "This is our home". November 2, 2023

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STRONG AND UNITED WE WILL PREVAIL