The Qimam (peaks)- Gap Year Program has launched its Academic Division at the Hebrew University for the 2025/2026 academic year.

The Gap-Year Program is an academic preparatory program for high-school graduates from Arab communities from northern Israel. As part of the Academic Division, led by Tala Atieh, the program coordinator from the Diversity Unit at the Hebrew University, the students are introduced to the world of academia: they take part in an academic course, meet with faculty members, students, and alumni from various departments, and visit the university’s different campuses.

Exposure day for ultra-Orthodox high-school graduates about to be discharged from military service.
An inspiring day at The Hebrew University! The soldiers were exposed to the academic world, study programs and campus life through lectures, workshops and open dialogue.

We thank all our partners and participants for a meaningful and inspiring day.

 

The “Hawiya - Identity” program is kicking off for the academic year 2025/2026

The program is designed to give space and voice to Arab students studying at the Hebrew University, under the guidance of Attorneys Nasreen Alyan and Sara Abu-Eid.
The program aims to enable participants to realize their potential and thrive within the academic environment, while remaining true to themselves, to their personal and collective identities, and to the values of their community and culture.

Wishing great success to all participants.

A new class of the Public Emissaries Program is getting under way, led by Dr. Naomi Perl and Ms. Dina Alekperov. This is a unique leadership program designated for Jewish ultra-Orthodox students in all disciplines taught at the Hebrew University, seeking to take part in shaping Israeli society and promoting real change in the community and public space.

Wishing all students a year of learning, impact, and personal growth

This year, we marked the World Day for Cultural Diversity, celebrated on May 21, with an entire week of unique activities in the various campuses, together with our students and academic and administrative staff. On Mt. Scopus, a moving panel discussion was held with the coordinators of the programs for research students from diversity populations. In addition, we held a multicultural musical ensemble performance on behalf of the Social Engagement Unit. We also hosted Prof. Cory Shulman for a lecture on autism, and staged a play by Psik Theater focusing on the story of an employee on the autism spectrum.
Later that day, an inspiring session was held, bringing together poetry and academia – a discourse on identities and worldviews with poets of Ethiopian descent, Dr. Wovite Worku Mangesto and Dr. Danny Admasu, accompanied by singer Oshi Masala. 
In the Rehovot campus, we held the “Talking with Hands” workshops of the Nalaga’at Center, and at Assaf Harofeh-Shamir Hospital, we enjoyed an experiential dance workshops with an Arab-Jewish troupe and the Rabi’a Studio. 
During the week, we launched our annual “Feelings and Needs Survey”, which is open to all community members in all campuses.
Administrative Staff: link
Academic Staff: link
Students: link

A unique workshop for the academic and administrative staff on working with the university’s LGBT community, led by the Weizmann Institute.

A unique workshop for academic and administrative staff, focusing on working with the LGBTQ+ community at the university. The workshop was led by the Weizmann Institute.

The exhibition “Multiple Voices: Expressiveness and Creativity in the Faculty of Medicine”, curated by Michal Mor, featured artwork by members of the faculty, embodying personal and poetic expressive channels that accompany the artists’ professional routine in the realms of science and medicine. These expressive channels reflect a rich fabric of voices that integrate in the shared human and cultural space of the faculty community, attesting to its resilience and multiplicity.

Since October 7, the resources of the Diversity Unit have been diverted to emergency response and preparations for the academic year, including messages to the university community, webinars, and emotional support. About two weeks into the war, we provided workshops to support academic organizations and help process trauma, and offered solutions for maintaining social and team resilience (see the Staff page for more on these workshops. More than 1,400 people took part in these workshops. On December 7, the Winter on Campus Forum was held, to improve shared spaces on campus and establish norms of tolerance and inclusion. Forty-three management and staff members and students of all populations took part. In addition, over 400 staff members and students volunteered to stand in the campus gates, congratulate incomers and distribute our “Public Statement Guidelines”.

The unit provided workshops on “Diversity-Promoting Teaching”. The day was dedicated to the staffs, offering an opportunity for discourse and deeper learning of issues related to teaching and diversity. The workshops equipped participants with pedagogical tools to promote the teaching of diversity populations.

The unit staff, together with the diversity officers from the various units met for two days to discuss the fundamental values of diversity in the university, challenges and hopes. The discussion was led by a group facilitator.

World Day for Cultural Diversity is celebrated on May 21, and is marked every year on our various campuses. This year, we hosted the Vertigo troupe in Power of Balance, a performance where some of the dancers have disabilities, and spoke to Dr. Nili Breuer about disability on stage. We also enjoyed a performance of the multicultural musical ensemble, Tahrir on Campus, and watched a play by Psik (Comma) Theater on the Autistic spectrum