Two months since the outbreak of the war, Bar-Ilan University administrators, faculty, and staff planted a new flower garden located in the center of campus, called the Garden of the Returning Hostages. "We are cultivating this garden as a symbol of our hope for the swift and safe return of the hostages in Gaza. The 137 flowers we are planting today, one for each hostage, will bloom until they return,” said Bar-Ilan University President Prof. Arie Zaban. Chrysanthemums and yellow snapdragons, which bloom year-round, were planted in the Garden of the Returning Hostages.

Since the horrifying atrocity of October 7th, there has been a distressing surge in anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment on numerous campuses across the United States, including some of its most esteemed universities. Instead of offering empathy and support to Israeli and Jewish students in the wake of the brutal massacre of Jewish communities in their homeland, campuses have witnessed protests advocating for the annihilation of the State of Israel ("from the river to the sea") and endorsing terrorist activities against Israeli citizens ("intifada").

The Forum of Deans of Medical Faculties in Israel has developed a framework for integrating students who study medicine abroad, but are now serving in the IDF reserves during the Iron Swords war, and are unable to resume their studies, into medical faculties in Israel. This initiative acknowledges their contributions and aims to mitigate academic disruptions.

Eyal is an MA student in Bar-Ilan University’s Department of Political Studies, majoring in Military and Security at Bar-Ilan University. He served as a combat soldier in his compulsory military service, and currently serves as a Tank Commander in the army reserves.

The soldiers in the Military Rabbinate are no strangers to tough, intricate work seeped with emotional challenges. However, the task they were assigned on October 7th was beyond anyone's comprehension. They received dozens, then hundreds, and ultimately thousands of bodies, some in an extremely difficult condition. They were tasked with the responsibility of handling the bodies, supporting their identification, and assisting grieving families in the process of burial and finding solace.