Dean of Students, Prof. Avi Gilboa

The Dean's Office professional staff are available to students, attentive to their needs, and provide a wide range of services, including academic support, access to information, protection of student rights and handling of complaints, support for students serving in the military reserves, assistance with parenting and gender-related matters, support for students facing challenges in completing their degrees, and services related to student loans and housing. The Dean's Office also operates dedicated support programs for diverse student populations, including ultra-Orthodox students, students of Ethiopian descent, students from Arab society, and new immigrants.

Prof. Avi Gilboa has served as Dean of Students since October 2026. He completed his studies in psychology, music, and music therapy at Bar-Ilan University and joined the university's faculty in 2008. He was among the founders of the Music Therapy Program for the ultra-Orthodox community, which he headed from 2012 to 2015. He also served as Head of the Department of Music for seven years, from 2016 to 2020 and again from 2023 to 2024. Between 2017 and 2022, he was a member of the steering committee of Israeli Hope in Academia, serving as its chair in 2023.

Prof. Gilboa's research interests, which include music therapy and the social dimensions of music, have resulted not only in research studies, journal articles, and book chapters, but also in extensive initiatives aimed at promoting social change through music.

In 2016, he established the Meitarim Center, dedicated to advancing social and community-based music initiatives that strengthen communities through music. The center serves diverse populations, including senior citizens, children living in residential care facilities, and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

In 2017, he co-founded Kelim Shluvim, a music school for people with disabilities who share a passion for music, in collaboration with the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs and AKIM Israel.

In 2018, he co-founded the Abraham Omer School for Musical Dialogue, which trains music therapists to establish and facilitate musical dialogue groups among communities experiencing conflict within Israeli society.

In 2022, he helped establish a project providing music groups to support individuals affected by combat-related trauma, in collaboration with the Ministry of Defense's Combat Stress Reaction Unit.

In 2025, he established the Music in the Community track within the undergraduate music program, designed to train socially committed musicians to use their musical abilities to develop and lead community-based music initiatives and projects.

Prof. Gilboa views both higher education and music as powerful instruments for strengthening social resilience and fostering healthy, thriving communities in Israel and around the world.