For the past two and a half years, Israel’s students have been living through a reality that defies any traditional definition of “student life.” They have studied between sirens, taken exams between reserve duty rotations, and tried to build their futures while their country has been under constant threat — from October 7 through today’s ongoing war with Iran.

At Afeka Academic College of Engineering in Tel Aviv, we have come to understand a fundamental truth and a moral obligation: If we are to educate excellent engineers, those who will be entrusted with rebuilding and shaping this country’s future, we must first sustain them as human beings. Resilience is not a byproduct of education. It is a prerequisite for it.

Every single one of our students has been affected, carrying the psychological and financial weight of an ongoing war. Beyond that shared burden, Afeka has faced an unprecedented reality: more than 40% of our students have been called up for reserve duty since October 7, one of the highest proportions among academic institutions in Israel. Many served in combat units, some were wounded, all of them return carrying scars that go far beyond an academic gap to close. This completely redefines academic life, and it requires a profoundly different response.

Early in the war, we made a clear........

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