The Technion at its Best

Right after the outbreak of the war, a “Give Help, Get Help” was established at the Technion to assist the Technion community and their families, the residents of Israel’s border towns, and the IDF soldiers. Dozens of initiatives now operate under this framework, in addition to a broad range of activities by ASAT volunteers. Here is a sampling of their activities:

Hosting on campus: Dozens of internally displaced people, families and individuals, are staying on campus. On their first Shabat dinner here, Technion President Uri Sivan was there to welcome them.

Taking care of Technion’s children: With schools closed, the Human Resources Department and the workers’ unions opened a daycare on campus for pre-school and primary school-aged children. The daycare was active until schools in Haifa reopened.

Also in Rambam: Students from the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine volunteered at the daycare center for workers’ children in Rambam Health Care Campus.

Everything you need: The Technion’s second-hand shop provides evacuees with everything they need, free of charge.

On the Home Front: Students from the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering helped clear out bomb shelters in Nesher, as part of the “Shelter City” initiative. Students from the Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, led by the faculty dean, cleared shelters in Haifa.

Challah Engineering: Members of the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering rolled up their sleeves, quite literally, and set to baking 300 challahs (so far) for reserve servicemen.

Shabat shalom: Technion staff members baked challahs for the displaced families staying on campus.

Music helps: The Department of Public Affairs organized a musical meeting to offer the families staying on campus a relaxing afternoon.

Part of the blood drive: Students Sivan Schwartz and Nohar Marcus organized a large group of students to assist at blood donation points.

Shave and haircut: Yara Tzachen, the hairdresser at the ASAT hair salon, went out into the field to offer soldiers free haircuts.

Education goes on: Technion Youth Program Centre organized activities for children evacuated from southern border villages, who are now staying at the Dan Panorama hotel in Haifa.

Giving: Students from the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine organized a donation collection center for soldiers and for families from the Gaza Envelope.

Painting hope: children from the Na’amat preschool made large paintings, hung around the campus.

Nurseries needed: Faculty members from the Biotechnology and Food Engineering Faculty helped establish a nursery in Eilat for toddlers evacuated from the Gaza Envelope villages.

Fun Panorama: Technion volunteers organized activities for the displaced children staying at Dan Panorama hotel in Haifa.

Computing a way forward: computers were donated to displaced children.

Packed joy: Technion volunteers made packages of toys, books (donated by the central library), crafting materials, stationery, and more, for displaced families.

Just dance: Amnon Vilinger from the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Sapir, a SAP instructor, gave displaced families a dance lesson.

Bringing in the harvest: as the farming sector lacks working hands, hundreds of volunteers, students, faculty and staff, go out to help farmers bring in the harvest and prepare for new planting.

Packaged with love: many items have been donated, packed and sent to displaced families through ASAT’s donation center.

A room with a view: Technion workers helped clean and order rooms in the Lev Chash Association’s Home for Cancer Patients, to house now the families of the wounded.

Visiting the wounded: gift packages were prepared and given out in the Haifa hospitals.

One heart: various equipment has been collected and sent to soldiers, with the help of “One Heart” organization.

New classroom: thanks to a donation of 30 desks and 60 chairs from the School of Practical Engineering, a classroom was built for the displaced children housed in Dan Panorama hotel.

Comfort food: in the first days of the war, the businesses of the Student Union Building’s food gallery sent packaged meals to  the assembly areas in the north and the south.

Laundry’s on us: ASAT provided displaced families staying on campus with cards for free use of all the washing and drying machines in campus dormitories.

Not a dull moment: ASAT organized afternoon activities for displaced children in the Student Union’s building.

Squeaky clean: “Give Help / Get Help” volunteers are doing the laundry for displaced families staying in hotels.

Staying with the children: “Give Help / Get Help” volunteers are also babysitting for reservists’ families.

For our soldiers at the front: a large group of academic reserves at the Technion volunteered to pack field rations, make bulletproof vests, and more.

For the soldiers: Human Resources Department sent gift packages to Technion students, faculty and staff called up for reserve service.

A big thank you to all of you! Your commitment is heartwarming. If we forgot an initiative, please email us and we’ll add it.