The Technion Honors Our Student Volunteers

Earlier this year, the Technion held a special event dedicated to student volunteer initiatives related to the current situation in Israel. The event was organized by the Technion’s Social Hub, part of the Dean of Students Office. It was led by Dean of Students, Prof. Ayelet Fishman as part of the “Wednesday Afternoon” event series at the Technion.

The winning students, from left to right: Valerie Kovalenok, Dvir Simani, Yedidya Ben Yair, Avia Ben-Ari, Sivan Schwartz.

“The horrific massacre on October 7 and the ongoing war present our society and the Technion community with many challenges and difficulties,” said Prof. Fishman. “It is precisely in these moments of crisis that the resilience and strength of the Technion community have been revealed, as many have mobilized for war efforts in various ways. Many students have been involved in volunteer work in agriculture, education, the Technion operations center, and other initiatives. We at the Technion value not only academic excellence, but also social involvement and community contribution. I am proud of all the students who engaged in volunteer activities and congratulate the award winners.”

Joining the winning students at the event were Senior Vice President of the Technion Prof. Oded Rabinovitch, Social Hub Director Ronit Piso, and Prof. Merav Aharon-Gutman who serves as the academic chair of the hub.

“People out there always need us, and the incubator’s goal is to create a bridge and help students and administrative and academic staff cross it and contribute to society as much as we can,” said Prof. Aharon-Gutman.

From left to right: Social Hub Director Ronit Piso, Dean of Students Prof. Ayelet Fishman, award winners Valerie Kovalenok, Dvir Simani, Yedidya Ben Yair, Avia Ben-Ari, and Sivan Schwartz, Senior Vice President of the Technion Prof. Oded Rabinovitch.

Ronit Piso, director of the Social Hub, said, “Usually, when talking about activism, there is a ‘bell curve’: at one end, the few who lead and inspire, at the other end, the few who do nothing, and in the middle, the majority – ‘finger activists’ and salon talkers. Since the beginning of the war, we have seen a different picture: a huge majority acting, cooking, transporting, and assisting in large numbers. Out of hundreds of students who volunteered during this period, we selected five students, each of whom conceived and led a unique initiative where such an initiative did not previously exist.”

At the event, certificates and a cash prize of 2,000 NIS were awarded to each of the winners:

Valerie Kovalenok, a student in the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, joined the “One Heart” association’s assistance project for evacuees following October 7. During the activity, she identified the need for workspaces for the evacuated populations to maintain their livelihoods. Valerie established shared offices for the evacuee communities in collaboration with various high-tech companies. The communities of Kibbutz Erez and Kibbutz Orim received mobile offices.

Yedidya Ben Yair, a student in the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, took care of families of stateless asylum seekers in Israel who arrived at the Hanaton Educational Center without any possessions. Yedidya provided them with various forms of assistance, from basic necessities such as clothing, to bureaucratic help with enrolling in educational frameworks.

Dvir Simani, a student in the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, established a system for organizing funerals: from creating a volunteer database and logistical organization to accompanying families and digging graves. He operated the nationwide, around-the-clock system throughout the war period until the start of the semester.

Sivan Schwartz, a doctoral student in the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, organized a response for evacuated children on the autism spectrum, including medical, emotional, and logistical support. The volunteer organization she established continues to support these children.

Avia Ben-Ari, a doctoral student in the Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, assisted in the restoration of the Zikim printing house and in generating donations for the headquarters of the hostages and missing persons. She created prints for shirts and posters produced at the printing house for its economic stabilization, and all project profits from product sales were donated to the headquarters of the hostages and missing persons.