“Believe Without Knowing”

In a ceremony in the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Technion community gathered to commemorate the terror attack and the war that ensued.

Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan at the ceremony

The memorial prayer for the victims was read by Professor Emeritus Joseph Itzkovitz-Eldor from the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine. Prof. Itzkovitz-Eldor lost his grandson, Staff Sergeant Adi Eldor, a soldier in the Maglan Unit who fell in Khan Yunis in February.

Prof. Emeritus Joseph Itzkovitz-Eldor

During the event, Tamir Steinman, a news reporter from Channel 12’s southern bureau, gave a lecture titled “The Boy with His Finger in the Dike.” Steinman is a recipient of the Outstanding Journalist Award and the Hero of the South Medal.

Tamir Steinman, Channel 12 Southern Bureau reporter at the ceremony

Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan commemorated the students and alumni who fell and were murdered during the events of October 7 and the subsequent war, including Captain (res.) Amit Chayut from the Henry and Marilyn Taub Faculty of Computer Science, and Captain (res.) Alon Safrai from the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, who recently fell in battles in southern Lebanon. He said, “The memorial day for the October 7 massacre and the Iron Swords War encompasses a full chronological year — a year of bloodshed and profound grief, a year of mourning, of death, the memory of those no longer with us, the memory of personal and national trauma that this generation has never experienced before.

“But this tumultuous year will also carry the memory of a new spirit, a powerful spirit that filled hearts and was evident in the field, a spirit of a remarkable young generation. Israeli society rallied its full energy and abilities for defense and assistance on all fronts — on the battlefield, in extraordinary aid initiatives to affected communities, and with inspiring ingenuity in places where the state was absent. The mobilization of the Technion community across all its branches was, and still is, a tremendous source of pride for all of us. We are proud of our thousands of reservists — students, administrative and academic staff, and many others who took upon themselves a civilian ‘call to arms’ and helped those among us whose lives were disrupted, those evacuated from their homes, farmers, soldiers, and other communities. Once again, we proved what we always knew: the mission of the Technion community, its resilience, and its commitment to its members and society as a whole.”

The audience at the event

News reporter Tamir Steinman shared his experiences from October 7. On that day, Steinman went on air as soon as the attack began, bringing the voices from the border communities and expressing the feeling of abandonment that the residents of Be’eri, Kfar Aza, Nir Oz, Sderot, Ofakim, and other communities felt that day. He described how he acted as a bridge between the residents, the security forces, and the media, reading the pleas of terrified residents live on air. At the beginning of his lecture, he said, “I am proud to be here today, especially here at the Technion, which symbolizes excellence and striving to reach the highest possible level. It is a place of excellence, where one can not only aspire to reach space but where values and being human are taught. I look at the beautiful faces of the students and alumni — the faces of this beautiful and unique nation — and it gives me hope and optimism. We must all unite and do everything we can to make things better.”

The Technion student band performed the song “Believe” by Idan Raichel at the ceremony.