American Friends of University of Haifa

10/09/2026

💙 When war shakes a child's world, the connection between parents and children can be a powerful source of strength.

Through Home Within the Heart, an initiative developed by University of Haifa researchers Prof. Yael Mayer and Dr. Yael Enav, families across Israel are finding new ways to navigate the emotional challenges of war together.

Using guided play, storytelling and shared activities, the program helps parents and children express emotions, strengthen their relationships and build resilience during difficult times.

And families are seeing the benefits. Participating parents have reported stronger bonds with their children and greater confidence in their parenting abilities.

Now, the initiative is expanding its reach, with plans to support 400 additional families through 66 programs, alongside training for 160 education support staff.

An inspiring example of how research and expertise from the University of Haifa are making a meaningful difference in the lives of Israeli families.

👉 Swipe through to learn more about Home Within the Heart.

🔗 https://www.homewithintheheart.com/

10/07/2026

Three years later, we remember not only the enormity of what was lost on October 7, but the individual lives behind the numbers.

Across the University of Haifa community, we carry the memories of students, alumni, family members and friends whose lives were forever changed that day. Today, we share the stories of three members of our community, three people whose lives, hopes and futures must never be forgotten.

▪️ Major Benji Tarkinsky was completing his master’s degree in Political Science at the University of Haifa and preparing to marry his fiancée, Rotem. On October 7, he put on his uniform and headed south, where he fought to save lives at Kibbutz Be’eri. He was 32.

▪️ Ilan Eliyahu Moshe-Yaakov was a University of Haifa graduate, a devoted mentor and a beloved family member. He was murdered at the Nova music festival alongside his cousin, Jenny. He was 29.

▪️ Inbar Hayman was a visual communications student at the University of Haifa’s School of Design and a gifted graffiti artist known as PINK. She went to the Nova festival as a volunteer, where she was abducted during the attack and later murdered in captivity. She was 27.

We cannot restore the futures that were stolen. But we can refuse to let time turn the people we lost into numbers, or their names into something we read once a year and then move past.

Today, we remember Benji, Ilan and Inbar, and all those whose lives were taken on October 7 and in the war that followed.

May their memories forever be a blessing. 🕯️

10/06/2026

As Israel prepares to mark three years since October 7, the University of Haifa community remembers those who were murdered and those who fell in the war that followed.

At a memorial ceremony on campus, University President Prof. Gur Alroey reflected on the responsibility of the University and its community during these difficult years, including supporting students returning from military service and helping strengthen the communities of northern Israel.

“Our responsibility to protect the home front and to live safely in our communities also requires a return to learning the Zionist idea in thought and practice,” Prof. Alroey said.

He also spoke of the responsibility to remember those who were lost, support the wounded and bereaved, and help rebuild the communities impacted by the war.

We remember. We honor. And we stand with all those whose lives were forever changed on October 7. 🕯️

May the memory of those we lost be a blessing.

10/05/2026

As we emerge from Simchat Torah, the idea of beginning again carries particular meaning at the University of Haifa.

On Simchat Torah, we reach the final words of the Torah and immediately return to its beginning. We begin again, not by forgetting what came before, but by carrying it with us.

Next week, students and faculty will return to classrooms and laboratories for the start of a new academic year. They begin not because the past is behind them, but because the future still asks something of them.

As this next chapter begins, we look ahead with remembrance, purpose and hope. Stand with the University of Haifa as we build what comes next.

Scholarships At the University of Haifa, scholarships are our top priority and the most powerful way to impact students’ lives. Making a Difference Where it Matters Most Recognizing the crucial role of scholarships in providing equitable access to education, we strive to remove financial barriers ...

10/01/2026

🪨 More than a million years ago, early humans were already doing something remarkably familiar: taking an existing idea and making it their own.

University of Haifa archaeologist Dr. Gadi Herzlinger and Prof. Nena Galanidou of the University of Crete used advanced 3D modeling to examine ancient hand axes and cleavers from the archaeological site of Rodafnidia on the Greek island of Le**os, comparing them with tools from prehistoric sites in Israel.

Their findings suggest that early humans didn’t simply copy the techniques they encountered. Shared technological knowledge was adapted to local materials, landscapes and needs, helping explain how the Acheulean stone-tool tradition spread across Africa, Asia and Europe and endured for more than a million years.

09/30/2026

🎓 At the University of Haifa, learning doesn’t stop at graduation. This November, the University will welcome a new class of students aged 60+ through its “University for Senior Citizens” program, created in partnership with the Haifa Municipality.

From technology and health to culture, art and the social sciences, participants can continue learning, exploring new interests and experiencing academic life on the Mount Carmel campus.

Another example of how the University of Haifa is opening its doors to the wider community and making lifelong learning part of life in the city.

09/29/2026

🧬 A decades-old mystery in the Galápagos Islands may finally have an answer, thanks in part to University of Haifa researchers.

Scientists had long wondered whether Asparagopsis taxiformis, a red seaweed now widespread across the islands, was native to the Galápagos or introduced through human activity.

Combining DNA analysis with historical specimens and records, a team including researchers from the University’s Charney School of Marine Sciences found that the seaweed was most likely brought to the islands by ships during or shortly after World War II. It is now the first seaweed confirmed to have been introduced to the Galápagos.

Read more in ynet: https://www.ynetnews.com/environment/article/ryheacu5ge

09/28/2026

🌍 The University of Haifa has earned major global recognition for its research, ranking 28th in the world for Public Administration and first among Israeli universities in the field in the newly released 2026 ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking.

Focused on shaping and implementing public policy, the field spans issues ranging from healthcare, education and economic policy to regulation, local government and public-sector leadership, examining how institutions can respond effectively to some of society’s most complex challenges.

A remarkable achievement that places the University of Haifa among the world’s leading institutions in the field and reflects the strength, impact and international reach of its research.

09/25/2026

As we prepare to welcome Sukkot, our hearts are heavy as the University of Haifa community mourns the loss of Master Sgt. (res.) Nadav Kali, 24, a University student who was killed while serving in Gaza.

Nadav, a student in the Department of Human Services, was the son of Dr. Yael Kali of the University’s Faculty of Education.

At a time traditionally centered on gathering with family and community, our thoughts are with Dr. Kali, Nadav’s family and friends, and all those mourning his loss.

May his memory be a blessing. 🕯️