On October 7, Daniel Shpector was in his hometown of Kiryat Gat. “I was woken up by sirens. Living in the south, we’re used to it, but this time they didn’t end in 10 minutes. Sitting in the shelter, many texts on What’s App started to come up about terrorists infiltrating the country. I didn’t believe them. I didn’t think it was possible and thought they were just rumors.”
Later that day, Daniel, 27, a fourth-year student studying electrical engineering and physics at the Technion, was ordered to his base and was sent to Samaria, where he served as a soldier during his regular IDF service. Initially he was disappointed, because he wanted to defend the south. But he understood that “each mission is meaningful; it has a purpose to defend citizens and our friends and family.”
After moving around a bit, his unit was stationed in Bat Hefer, a village east of Netanya. “Our mission was to protect the area and perform defensive operations in the refugee camps.” Daniel was a commander of a class of 10 soldiers in his infantry unit. He served for 132 days until the middle of February.
Prior to the war, Daniel had already postponed his studies a year so he could work two days a week at Tower Semiconductors in the R&D department, designing and testing chips. Having missed about a month of the first semester, he decided to prolong his degree by another semester.
“Professor Ayelet Fishman, the dean of students, helped me a lot during my reserve time. I spoke with her; I knew I couldn’t succeed starting the semester five weeks late. She understood that and made it possible for me to return to my apartment in the dorm, even though I wasn’t enrolled in that semester.”
Like all returning reservists, Daniel received a stipend to cover his rent, made possible by the generous support of Technion donors from around the world. “The financial aid is always great, but the greatest benefit is the peace of mind it gives. It’s a relief from a major burden.”
The transition to becoming a soldier again was almost easier than the transition to returning to the Technion, Daniel explained. “After four months of living the war, coming back was a bit hard. Everyone here is studying, minding their own business, living their lives, like nothing changed here. Life continued without me.
“I’m proud of myself for taking the decision not to study this semester. It really helped me.” He took some day trips and multiday hikes with friends and spent time with family. “I felt much better after my release from service by taking the time I needed,” he said.
Overcoming challenges is certainly nothing new for Daniel. He chose to get a degree in two very demanding subjects. He enjoyed physics in high school, but it left him with many questions he hoped higher education might answer. He chose electrical engineering because he wants to create something that will serve society and make good use of his technical and math capabilities.
“By combining the two fields, I thought my questions might be answered, but instead I only have more questions,” he quipped.
Before starting his job at Tower, Daniel had planned on working full time in engineering after he graduates but is now considering a second degree at the Technion. He has found his work in R&D very satisfying and understands the importance of research in developing new technologies.
Daniel enthusiastically enrolled in the spring semester, ready for the new challenges that lay ahead. “I feel like I belong here again.” He already knows his unit is scheduled to return this year. “But knowing I have support here and have people I can talk to really eases my mind.”