Bar-Ilan students are on the front line. Here’s how the university has their backs

Eitan is on the Gaza border. "I hope we are on our way to victory," he tells the camera. "I send my love and thank you for all of your support."

Tali is a reservist in the Air Force. She says, "I am proud to be part of the team fighting this war, to wear my uniform and represent my country. Together, we will win."

These are a just a few examples of the videos from Bar-Ilan students defending Israel on the frontlines found on the Bar-Ilan University YouTube channel. While these students are fighting for their country, Bar-Ilan University is fighting to ensure they can return to university and achieve the same academic success as before the war, explained university president Prof. Arie Zaban.

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The academic school year was supposed to open after the Simchat Torah holiday on which the Hamas massacre occurred. Israel called up more than 350,000 reservists to help fight Hamas in Gaza and protect Israel against Hezbollah in the North. Approximately 35,000 of them are university students. These students lost income and time.

In addition, soldiers left their wives and husbands at home, and many were forced to reduce work to care for children independently. The country's economy, in general, has been slammed, with the Bank of Israel predicting reduced GDP growth due to the war. 

Most Bar-Ilan students work during the year to help offset tuition and pay their rent. However, the school year is now slated to start December 31. The breaks between semesters have been reduced, meaning the academic workload is expected to be more significant, and many will not succeed at doing both. 

"Under this complicated condition, we are trying to help them," Zaban said. "We want to provide them the support they need so they do not drop out of university for financial reasons. It would be a real shame for promising students - Israel's future - to kill their dreams and their contribution to the country because of the war."

'It is a lifesaving issue'

The university is working on multiple fronts to support students' return to university. The most crucial part is arranging scholarships for students who fought in this war. The goal is to raise the money as soon as possible so the students can receive the message that they do not have to worry.

"We want them to be able to concentrate on what they are doing now: win the war against Hamas," Zaban said. "We want them to know they can focus on their current mission, and we will take care of their future.

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"It is a lifesaving issue."

The same applies to the families of reservists and to students from southern Israel who likely lost their homes and are displaced.

Moreover, the university is working on multiple fronts to ensure that when students return, they can manage the altered school year and curriculum. Zaban said he has nine teams of faculty members working on nine different fronts, each supposed to make the situation more accessible for the university's students. 

No one will be left behind

Bar-Ilan is finding solutions for students with all types of challenges: Reservists and active duty soldiers; families of reservists and soldiers - especially those that have children; new immigrants (olim); students from the South and the North.

“No one will be left behind,” the president said.

Prof. Dror Fixler, vice dean of the Faculty of Engineering, told The Jerusalem Post that the university is looking at every issue that could arise from the micro to the macro, depending on the student and the program. He is a reservist himself and has been working alongside student reservists on the frontline. As such, he said he understood the value of the university providing a large package of additional leniency for students who have been in reserve duty for a long period of time. 

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Fixler said accommodations could include alternate assessments, providing several new orientation programs to help students acclimate or offering tutorials to students who might need them. “In our faculty, for example, we are building personalized study plans for reserve soldiers based on the period of time they serve in the army.”

"We need funds to provide all of these programs and scholarships for our students," Zaban admitted. 

“We have a well organized work plan, we are prepared for any scenario and we are confident it will help see our students to success."

Zaban added: "October 7 is a major scar on our nation, and it will take us a long time to recover. But I look at what is happening, how people are reacting and the spirit of the people of Israel, and I know that we will win.”

“At Bar-Ilan, we have  professional and dedicated staff that are prepared to start the academic year and we will make it happen in the best way possible."