Israel is at War. On October 7th we witnessed horrific atrocities and terrorism we never imagined to be possible here in Israel: Burnt houses; babies, children and entire families butchered; over 200 kidnapped. War against innocent civilians.

Over 5,000 Bar-Ilan students have been called to the front lines to protect our country and people. These students bear the weight of not only fighting for Israel’s survival, but also the burden of concern for their future, and for that of their families.

Elyashiv lives in the Lower Galilee with his wife, Coral, and their three children, the youngest born on October 7th. Shortly after the outbreak of the war, he was called up to serve in the reserves, and since then, he has been stationed with his unit in the combat zone in the North.

"The situation is tense, with many security incidents. We're doing our utmost to safeguard the Northern border, preparing for continued operations," he shares.

On October 7th, Reut Ganot, 31, was at the home of her sister’s in-laws. 'We celebrated the holiday together as a family, after I had been away for a while in military service,' she explains. ‘When the sirens started, we realized there was something unusual and made some calls to check what was happening. By 7:45, I received a message from the army to prepare for a callup. Within a few hours, once we understood the magnitude of the situation, I went to my parents' house, prepared my bag and medical supplies, and headed to the assembly area.

Prof. Avi Zadok, of Bar-Ilan University's Faculty of Engineering, has been elected to the 2024 Class of Fellows of Optica, the leading US-based optics and photonics society.

The Optica Board of Directors of Optica selected Prof. Zadok as a Fellow "for pioneering optomechanical sending outside optical fibers". "You join a distinguished group of members who have served the Society and the optics and photonics community with distinction," wrote Optica 2023 President Michal Lipson in a letter congratulating Zadok.