During War, University Welcomes Record Numbers in Students

As I walked through our campus this week, my heart swelled with pride as we welcomed over 800 international first-year students to Reichman University. Even as our nation continues to grapple with the aftermath of October 7 and ongoing military operations, these students chose to begin their academic journey with us – a powerful display of resilience and hope.

While addressing our first-year students, who hail from over 90 different countries, I was deeply moved. To see such a vast majority of our incoming class with us during this challenging period speaks volumes about their commitment to Israel’s future. Their parents truly deserve a medal of honor for their courage and trust in us.

This academic year’s start comes at a particularly poignant moment for both our country and our university. We have lost over 2,000 civilians and soldiers since October 7, including 14 precious students and alumni from our own Reichman University community – a devastating blow to both the Jewish people and our democratic State of Israel.

This week, as I reflected on our Torah portion from Genesis, I found hope in the biblical commandment to “be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth” (“Pru urvu umalu et ha’aretz”). We shall indeed replenish the Jewish people and the Land of Israel after this war. We are overcoming Hamastan, Hizbolastan and Iran. I firmly believe this country is the place in which to invest right now.

The week’s haftarah from Isaiah particularly resonated with me, speaking of bringing “prisoners out of a dungeon, those who sit in darkness out of prison” (“Lifkoach eynayim ivrot, lehotzee meemasger asir meebeyt keleh yoshvey hoshech”). As we continue our efforts to secure the release of our hostages held in Gaza, these words carry special weight. We must get all of our hostages released as soon as possible from the dark dungeon tunnels of Hamas, where they are languishing – those who managed to stay alive at the hands of these barbaric terrorists.

Looking at our strong enrollment numbers, I see more than just statistics. I see a robust vote of confidence in Israel’s academic institutions and our role in securing the nation’s future. Despite – or perhaps because of – our current challenges, these students and their families have chosen to be part of our story. Together, we will continue to build, to learn, and to strengthen the future of Israel.