Marking one month since the October 7 terror attack in southern Israel, Bar-Ilan University held a ceremony to remember the victims and say a prayer for the hostages with the hope that they would be returned home safely and soon.
The Bar-Ilan community lost 34 members of its community and since then, the university has provided continuous emotional support to the families.
Bar-Ilan University President, Prof. Arie Zaban (center left) with Maayan Zin (center right)
At an assembly on campus on November 7, guest, Maayan Zin, spoke about her daughters, Dafna (15) and Ella (8), who were abducted from their father’s home in Nahal Oz and are being held captive in Gaza. She called upon the decision-makers to return the girls to her so that she could hug them again.
As a sign of solidarity, the university displayed 240 yellow balloons on the fence facing Highway 4 just outside campus, one for each captive being held in Gaza. An inscription under the display reads, “We await you at home.” On the nearby pedestrian overpass, students hung photographs of the captives.
Following the assembly, Zin, Bar-Ilan University President, Prof. Arie Zaban, and hundreds of university personnel released yellow balloons into the sky as a symbol of hope for the speedy release of all the captives.
Maayan Zin, whose young daughters are being held captive in Gaza, calls upon the decision-makers to bring all the captives home
At the assembly, Prof. Zaban said, “We have not yet begun to digest the events of that horrible Saturday, neither as individuals nor as a nation, nor have we had a single moment to stop and do so as Israel went to war.
“Unfortunately, many elements in global academia give free rein to support Hamas, even though this terrorist organization does not share any of the values of institutions of higher education. The universities in Israel are acting regularly in the global arena of public opinion to remind the world of those that were murdered and abducted on that black Shabbat and to protect our right to defend ourselves,” he said.
Photos: Shlomi Mizrahi
