Dear Friends,
Thanks to your help, Sapir raised over $2,000,000!
Sapir College’s 270 local staff along and over 1,000 students who live in the Gaza envelope and Sderot have been evacuated. They are in temporary accommodation throughout Israel. Thanks to you and other supporters, the College has successfully raised for its Trauma Treatment & Basic Needs Fund, over $2,000,000. This includes a very significant donation from the Jewish Federations of North America. To date, the fund has distributed basic needs grants and food coupons to students and staff evacuees from the Gaza envelope; and they receive funding for trauma treatments. Sapir is creating an internal platform for resiliency and trauma treatments and referrals.
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IDF vehicles on campus (Photo Liron Bilder)
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| On October 7, injured civilians took refuge on the campus. Terrorists cut the fences and shot at the guard booths, gates and buildings. Close to 1,000 of our students have been called up for active duty and are now serving in uniform in and around Gaza. The IDF has used Sapir’s facilities to house soldiers and to park armored vehicles.
Soldier on Campus
(Photo Matan Naim)
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| Opening the Academic Year
To date, our campus, Sderot and the Gaza Envelope, remain closed down. As such, Sapir will open, online for the first semester, on December 24, 2023, along with Israel’s other public colleges and universities. The various academic departments will meet on a regular basis for in-person classes and departmental activities. Currently over 4,000 students are registered in the College’s academic programs, including our students who have been drafted to Miluim/reserve duty.
Today, on December 7, 2023, we received great news just in time for Hanukah! Before we launch the first semester, the Council for Higher Education (MaLaG) has announced that they will be granting all of our Sapir students a full tuition scholarship, for this academic year. We are grateful to the government and its recognition of Sapir College’s vital role in rejuvenating the region.
Sapir College's Main Gate
(Photo Matan Naim)
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Expanding Student Housing in SderotIt will take some time for the region to get back on its feet, and return to the situation pre-war; as well as expand its population, economy and cultural life. Sapir is a dynamic partner of the Israeli government’s Minhelet Tekuma (Revival Authority). Before the war, many of our students were active local residents, part of the growing population in the Western Negev, contributing to its success and economy. Now, they no longer have their homes, jobs or funds to support themselves. Working with the Minhelet Tekuma and the city of Sderot, Sapir has created a plan for the return of students to the city, in expanded student housing, student villages and private rentals. Participating students will have to pay about $320 (₪1,200) in rent each month and cover their own living expenses.
Incentive Stipend Campaign
To kick start local rejuvenation, Sapir College is turning to its friends and partners to create an Incentive Stipend for these pioneering students. In return, they will commit to live in Sderot and volunteer in regional revitalization projects over a 12-month period. Students who will live, study, work, volunteer and participate in local day-to-day activities, will contribute significantly to the rejuvenation of Sderot and the region.
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| Sapir’s Student Services Building
(Photo Shani Shoshan)
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To support this important revitalization project of the Gaza Envelope region |
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Wishing you all, a joyous and light filled Hanukkah,
Thank you for your friendship,
Nir Kedar, President
Sapir College
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