In a ceremony held at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv, Afeka College of Engineering recently presented scholarships to outstanding students, with the awards named in honor of former students and alumni who were either murdered on Oct. 7 or fell in battle during the Swords of Iron War.
- The Akiva Yasinskiy scholarship was presented to the top outstanding student in mechanical engineering. Yasinskiy, a recent mechanical engineering graduate, died in January in central Gaza.
- The Lior Sivan scholarship was presented to the top outstanding student in medical engineering. Sivan, a mechanical engineering alumnus, fell last December in south Gaza.
- The Idan Herman scholarship was presented to the top outstanding student in electrical engineering. Herman was killed at the Nova music festival on Oct. 7.
- The Eviatar Cohen scholarship was presented to the top outstanding student in software engineering. Cohen fell in December in southern Gaza.
- The Oron Beilin scholarship was presented to the top outstanding student in Industrial Engineering and Management. Beilin was an electrical engineering student at the college who was murdered at the Nova festival.
- The Liav Seada scholarship was presented to the top outstanding student in computer science. Seada fell in northern Gaza in December.
Families of the fallen attended the ceremony, joining in the presentation of scholarships as a tribute to their loved ones.
During the ongoing conflict, more than 40% of Afeka’s student body has served in military reserves. Afeka College president, professor Ami Moyal acknowledging the challenges faced in this academic year amid the national crisis. “This year, more than ever, our students demonstrated leadership, commitment and resilience while facing the dual challenge of fulfilling their military duties while striving to complete their education.”
“With Israel’s high-tech industry as a pillar of economic stability and national security, the need for skilled engineers who can innovate and develop cutting-edge technologies with transformative impact has never been greater,” he added.
One of Afeka’s outstanding students, Regev Hodorov, shared his experience of attending school in between periods of active duty. Having spent more than 200 days in reserve duty since the beginning of the war, Hodorov expressed the personal significance of his service. “I’m currently serving along the border with Lebanon and I’m fighting for my family and home,” said Hodorov. “My family grew up here. My wife is from a town close to Akko and my brother lives in Nahariya. I’m not just fighting in a war, I’m fighting for where I live and the people I love.”
The event highlighted Afeka College’s commitment to academic excellence and the unwavering strength, devotion and commitment of its community to its students through these challenging times—shown also through a special emergency fund dedicated to helping student reservists complete their studies and enter the workforce.
