Stitching Memory: A Fashion Graduate Turns Grief into Art
Yifat Mandabi is a 46-year-old mother of three from Haifa. She moved there from Eilat during her army service in the Navy, fell in love with the city, and has lived there ever since.
Building New Pathways: A Conversation with Kalanit Kleemer on the Northern Lights Initiative
When the University of Haifa launched its Northern Lights Initiative this past April, it was addressing a gap that had been quietly widening for decades. Israel’s Druze citizens are required to enlist at 18 and often serve in elite IDF roles, but many have bypassed higher education in favor of immediate employment after years of service, leaving a growing educational divide within the community. Developed in partnership with the IDF Human Resources Directorate, the Defense Ministry, and with support from the Jewish Federation of Chicago and the Jewish Federations of North America, the program offers discharged Druze soldiers a structured bridge into academic life. Kalanit Kleemer, Head of Administration in the Dean of Students Office, sat down with us to share how it came together.
Bridging Worlds: University of Haifa Doctoral Student Reimagines Arabic Classical Music for the Modern Age
Onn Yosef Kadosh grew up in a musical household in Tel Aviv, where his father placed an oud in his hands and set him on a path that would shape his life’s work. Today, as a doctoral researcher at the University of Haifa and recipient of the prestigious Prof. Emeritus Robert Elbaz Scholarship for Outstanding Doctoral Students, Kadosh is developing a pioneering new compositional framework he calls “The Expanded Maqam” — an effort to bring the deep modal tradition of Arabic classical music into conversation with contemporary art music, without losing what makes it unique.
Student Spotlight: Kamela Mohammad Zaid
Kamela Mohammad Zaid grew up in Fureidis, a village in the Haifa district, with a childhood dream of studying medicine and a deep commitment to her community. A social activist, volunteer, and muralist, she is now a first-year student at the University of Haifa’s Herta and Paul Amir School of Medicine. For Kamela, being part of this inaugural class carries special meaning. Studying alongside students from different backgrounds and traditions, she sees the University’s diversity not as incidental but as essential preparation for the kind of physician she hopes to become.
Student Spotlight: Lee Avior Ovadia
Lee Avior Ovadia is a second-year student at the University of Haifa, studying Political Science, Philosophy, and Economics. She is also a Major in the IDF reserves who has served nearly 400 days since the war began, leading teams responsible for relocating hospitals into protected spaces under fire. Released from nearly seven years of combat service in August 2023, she was called back just weeks later. Through it all, she remains on track to graduate on time, supported by a faculty that has gone above and beyond.
Student Spotlight: Daniel Yehudai
In recent months, with the start of Operation “Roaring Lion,” I was called back to reserve duty as an officer in the IDF’s Intelligence Directorate. Since beginning my medical studies at the University of Haifa in October 2025, I have served nearly 60 days of reserve duty. This has been a particularly complex and intensive period in my life, as I balance my commitment to serving and protecting the country with my desire and determination to continue my studies.
Student Spotlight: Shanny Aya Bittom
Shanny Aya Bittom is a 26-year-old medical student in her first year at the University of Haifa’s medical school. Born in the United States and raised in Rishon LeZion, she now lives in Herzliya with her partner and their cat.
Standing with Students in a Time of War: A Conversation with Prof. Batya Engel-Yeger
Prof. Batya Engel-Yeger serves as Dean of Students at the University of Haifa, who has built her entire academic career at the University of Haifa and the Faculty of Medicine – Technion. A researcher whose work focuses on sensory processing and daily function, she spoke with AFUH about leading student life at one of Israel’s most exposed universities during an escalating war.
From Coexistence to Action: The MA in Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation at the University of Haifa
At a time when religious identity is often discussed in the context of division, the University of Haifa is advancing a different model, one rooted in rigorous scholarship, sustained engagement, and long-term leadership across communities.
Prof. Yossi Chajes Reveals the Hidden History of Kabbalah, Magic, and Science
When University of Haifa’s Prof. J. H. (Yossi) Chajes arrived in Cambridge this winter to deliver Harvard University’s Houghton Medieval Studies Lecture in Early Book History, he brought with him decades of groundbreaking scholarship—work that has reshaped how we understand the intertwined histories of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), magic, and science.
