Dear Technion Family,
As the Jewish New Year 5785 approaches, we all feel a combination of pain and hope. A few days after Rosh HaShanah, we will mark the anniversary of that terrible Saturday, October 7, and commemorate the memory of the murdered and the fallen. Dozens of our colleagues’ family members were murdered that Saturday and others were abducted. Many were injured or killed in the war, and our hearts ache as we hope for the recovery of the wounded. The fear for the fate of the hostages in Hamas’ tunnels in Gaza is suffocating, and we will not rest until they are returned. Bringing them back to their families is the utmost duty of any humane society. As our forefathers said: “Whoever saves one life, saves an entire world.”
At the same time, recent and accumulated military successes inspire hope. We hope they will be translated into a political agreement that will bring peace and lead to calm, allowing us to refocus on mending societal rifts and healing the nation.
Approximately 3,500 students, faculty members, and administrative staff were called to reserve duty under emergency orders, and those who were not summoned to the military front volunteered to assist on the civilian front. We supported the communities around us, hosting displaced families and school students forced to leave their homes. It was an unprecedented mobilization of the entire Technion community, both students and staff alike, in an inspiring act of solidarity. Thanks to the joint efforts of Technion’s management, teaching, academic and administrative staff, as well as the Technion Student Association, we were able to complete the academic year in full and resume research activities. According to our data, the dropout rate this year was similar to that of previous years—an exceptional achievement by many who dedicated themselves to the task, including our friends in Israel and abroad.
And now, alongside coping with the numerous challenges, we must look forward. Each of us has an important role in overcoming the crisis experienced by the State of Israel. Our graduates will continue to advance industry and strengthen the security and social resilience of the State of Israel. We have a central role in reenergizing the Israeli economy through education, research, and the development of innovative technologies. Most importantly, the Technion has a solid set of values shaped over its hundred years of existence—values based on excellence, equality, liberalism, the pursuit of truth, inclusiveness, tolerance, and acceptance of others. These values have guided us through difficult times since the founding of the Technion, and their importance as a compass has been evident this past year. Now, amid an ongoing war and a deep social crisis tearing society into different sectors, we all have an important role in spreading these values across society.
The past year has been difficult for each and every one of us as individuals, and for all of us together as a community. Together, we have overcome the crises, supported one another and those whose lives were upended, faced the challenging reality, and continued to realize extensive development plans that are the key to our ongoing success. We have the right to be proud of these achievements, and I want to thank each and every one of you for your dedication and mutual responsibility that made this possible during these difficult days.
Lastly, I wish each and every one of you and your families a happy and peaceful year. May this year and its curses end; may the new year with its blessings begin.
Professor Uri Sivan
President of the Technion