Remember that you are not alone

Dear students,

I hope this message finds you safe and strong.

Coping with the shock, loss and destruction is not easy. I hope that you are receiving support from those dear to you, and that you are supporting them in return. At this time, solidarity and fraternity are important to coping with the losses and with the horrifying news and images arriving from the south of Israel.

Please remember that you are not alone. Whether you are at the military front or the home front, if have suffered a personal loss, or find coping with the situation impossible, we are here for you at the faculty, and at the different schools, departments and programs. If you need a listening ear as you speak about the events of the past week, or have academic or other concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at the email address we have dedicated to this purpose, artsaid@tauex.tau.ac.il or in any other form.

We assume that you have many questions concerning your studies (assignments from previous years, academic issues and more). Firstly, as you know, the beginning of the semester has been postponed three weeks now. The faculty and its various units are preparing for the new academic year in the hope that the fighting in the south will soon cease, and we will be able to resume everyday routines, including academic studies.

If you have any questions concerning academic issues, please contact the appropriate unit. Additionally, you are invited to a Zoom meeting with the head of the Faculty Teaching Committee, Prof. Sharon Aronson Lehavi, who will assist you with your questions.
The Zoom will take place on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:00 pm-7:00 pm, beginning tonight.
 

Zoom link:
https://tau-ac-il.zoom.us/j/83559629371?pwd=emZOUUM4QmsvWHk3blFhL2xac0VCZz09
 

Even during this tense and painful time, I would like to ask you to practice restraint. Firstly, I believe it is best to avoid prolonged engagement on social networks. The soul- shattering images coming from the south are too difficult to bear. Please try to limit your exposure to them. Moreover, some of these images are fake, and were distributed in order to cause upheaval in the Israeli public. Do not inadvertently support attempts to worsen the situation.

Secondly, there are also attempts to cause upheaval between different groups within Israeli society by disseminating disinformation concerning alleged support of terrorist actions. In this context, I would like to clarify the following:

The faculty will accept no expressions of support for the terrorist attack in the Gaza envelope or for any other terrorist action. In the event that we will encounter supporters of terrorism and violence, we will undertake severe disciplinary measures against them. Nor will the faculty accept the dissemination of false accusations concerning students who allegedly support terrorism. Severe disciplinary measures will similarly be taken against students disseminating such false accusations.

Please ensure that we all maintain mutual respect, so that we may withstand this terrible time together, and in the hope that we will soon leave it behind us.

*    *    *

I would like to end with the words of Zarite, the protagonist of the book Island beneath the Sea by the Chilean-American writer Isabel Allende:

We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome.

In the hope that we all find hidden strength,

Take care of yourselves,

Yours,

Prof. Architect Eran Neuman, Dean

October 12, 2023

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