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Student Spotlights:
Shanny Aya Bittom: Serving, Studying, and Leading Under Pressure
At 26, Shanny Aya Bittom is completing her first year at the University of Haifa’s medical school while continuing to serve in reserve duty (miluim)—a demanding balance that reflects both discipline and a deep sense of purpose. “One day I am in uniform, and the next I am in a white coat,” she says. “The transition can be difficult, but also meaningful.”
Shanny began her medical studies after seven years of military service, including a role as a Company Commander in the Search and Rescue Unit, where she led male and female combat soldiers and took part in the Swords of Iron war. Today, she serves in the reserves as an Operations Officer in the IDF General Staff operations room.
She chose to study medicine out of a strong sense of responsibility and a desire to make a real difference. She was also drawn to the opportunity to join the University of Haifa’s inaugural medical class and help shape the future of physician training in northern Israel.
She emphasizes that the University’s support has been essential. “Faculty offer individualized make-up sessions, access to mental health support, and flexibility with exams and deadlines,” she says. “You feel it every day. We have a strong sense that every student is seen, valued, and not alone. They really have our backs.” Nearly half (48%) of the School of Medicine’s inaugural cohort of 74 students are currently serving in reserve duty.
Looking ahead, Shanny hopes to become an excellent physician and to continue serving in the reserves as a doctor in a combat unit. “Although the path is long and complex, especially in the current reality, I take pride in what I am doing every single day.”
Read Shanny’s interview with the American Friends of the University of Haifa >>>>>
Shachar Eden: From the Front Lines to the Legal Front
At 25, Shachar Eden is no stranger to adversity—or to service. A second-year law student, Shachar brings a sense of purpose to his studies, shaped by the realities he faced as an IDF tank commander.
While patrolling the Israeli-Egyptian border during his regular army service, Shachar’s unit thwarted an attempted infiltration. Amid the fighting, an explosion left him with significant hearing loss in his left ear. After months of treatment, most of his hearing returned—but the experience left a lasting impression. As Shachar explains, "When you've faced adversity yourself, you internalize the need to help others."
After completing his army service, Shachar enrolled in the Faculty of Law, determined to continue serving his country in a new capacity. When the Swords of Iron War broke out, he was unable to return to reserve duty due to his injury, but he was determined to contribute in any way he could. He found his calling volunteering with the Legal Aid Clinic in Times of War.
"The Legal Clinic fulfills a dual mandate – giving law students practical, hands-on experience while helping war victims who have nowhere else to turn for help." He is especially proud of his work with a Nova music festival survivor, who struggled with PTSD and faced pressure from his employer to quit. Thanks to Shachar’s dedication and the clinic’s support, the survivor received full severance benefits, providing crucial financial stability during his recovery.
Your support enables students like Shachar to transform their compassion and expertise into real-world impact, providing hope and justice to those who need it most.
Research Highlights:
The Memory Mechanism Behind a New Startup: A New Approach to PTSD Treatment
Post-traumatic stress disorder affects an estimated 300 million people worldwide, yet most existing treatments focus on managing symptoms rather than targeting the underlying neurological mechanisms of trauma. Researchers at the University of Haifa, led by Professors Edi Barkai and Iris Reuveni, have identified a previously unknown brain mechanism that may explain why traumatic memories become so intense and persistent.
Their findings suggest that traumatic memories, unlike ordinary ones, can become abnormally strengthened in the brain. This mechanism appears to be specific to trauma-related memories, raising the possibility of reducing their emotional intensity without erasing the memory itself.
Through its technology transfer company, Carmel Economic Corporation Ltd., the University has partnered with NGT Healthcare II to establish Kailo Pharma. The company is developing a treatment based on a small engineered protein, delivered as a nasal spray to reach the brain directly.
The research is still in its early stages. If it succeeds, the treatment could offer something current therapies don't – a way to loosen the grip of a traumatic memory without erasing it, with potential implications for millions of people worldwide.
Read more in Calcalist >>>>>
Personalizing Mental Health Care
Award-Winning Research with Global Impact
A major challenge in mental health care is that even effective treatments often work for only a subset of patients. As a result, finding the right therapy can become a prolonged “trial-and-error” process, delaying recovery and increasing suffering for individuals coping with conditions such as PTSD and depression.
Professor Sigal Zilcha-Mano, Head of the Psychotherapy Research Lab, is leading groundbreaking work aimed at transforming mental health care through personalized treatment. Her research combines clinical expertise with advanced data-driven tools, including patterns gathered from smartphones such as sleep, movement, speech, and digital social activity. By analyzing these signals, her team seeks to identify early signs of mental deterioration and help clinicians match patients with more effective treatments more quickly and accurately. Beyond its scientific significance, this work has the potential to meaningfully improve people’s lives, well-being, and quality of life around the world.
Prof. Zilcha-Mano recently received a European Research Council (ERC) Proof of Concept grant to develop SMARTH MDD, an innovative AI-based system designed to provide proactive, personalized mental health care on a global scale. She was also awarded the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Research Award, a distinguished international honor recognizing lifetime research achievement.
Read an interview with Professor Zilcha-Mano by the American Friends of the University of Haifa >>>>>
Honors & Recognition:
University of Haifa Shines at Israel’s 78th Independence Day Celebrations
Two Israel Prize Laureates and Two Torchbearers
The University of Haifa marked Israel’s 78th Independence Day celebrations with exceptional pride as two faculty members received the Israel Prize – the nation’s highest civilian honor – and two alumni were selected to light ceremonial torches at the state ceremony on Mount Herzl.
Professor Yosef Chetrit of the Department of Hebrew Language was awarded the Israel Prize for his groundbreaking scholarship in Hebrew linguistics, Jewish linguistic traditions, and the preservation of Moroccan Jewish culture. Over four decades, his pioneering research documented more than one hundred endangered dialects and brought to light invaluable oral and written cultural traditions for future generations.
Professor Micha Popper of the School of Psychological Sciences received the Israel Prize for his influential work on leadership, organizational learning, and management sciences. His research, spanning over three decades, has shaped leadership theory and practice in public institutions, business, civic organizations, in Israel and around the world, including the IDF and other defense establishments.
The University also proudly celebrated alumni Major Nurit Rokach and Mr. Tamer Atallah, selected as torchbearers for the national Independence Day ceremony.
Major Nurit Rokach exemplifies courage and resilience. Following severe combat injuries sustained after October 7, she returned to military service and continues her rehabilitation journey with remarkable determination. She is a graduate of the University’s Tactical Command College program.
Tamer Atallah, a Major in the IDF reserves, has played a central role in emergency humanitarian efforts supporting the Druze community along the Syrian border, helping save countless lives and assist displaced families. He holds degrees in economics, accounting and international relations from the University of Haifa.
Together, these honorees reflect the University’s enduring commitment to academic excellence, leadership, resilience, and the diversity of Israeli society.
Leading with Courage and Dialogue
Special Feature in Science Magazine
Our Rector, Professor Mouna Maroun, was recently featured in Science Magazine, one of the world’s most influential scientific publications. This recognition is a tremendous source of pride for the University community.
The article traces Professor Maroun’s remarkable journey from first-generation student to neuroscientist, faculty member, and the first Arab rector of an Israeli university. At a time when Israel is engaged in its longest war in history, it portrays a courageous leader deeply committed to academic excellence, dialogue, and building bridges. In doing so, it also highlights the University of Haifa’s unique role as a model of shared society in Northern Israel, where diversity and coexistence foster the exchange of ideas, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovation.
International Recognition for Leaders of the Azrieli ADVANCE Nursing Center
Professors Efrat Shadmi and Anna Zisberg of the Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing have recently received prestigious international honors, reflecting the growing global impact of the Azrieli Advanced Nursing Center (ADVANCE). A first-of-its-kind initiative in Israel, ADVANCE integrates a human-centered approach to nursing education with simulation training, health-technology innovation, and research to prepare the next generation of compassionate, highly skilled nurses.
Professor Efrat Shadmi Honored with Johns Hopkins Distinguished Alumni Award
Professor Efrat Shadmi, Head of the Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing and Founding Head of ADVANCE, received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, recognizing exceptional achievement and international impact.
Her work focuses on improving care for high-risk populations, particularly through integrated and equitable healthcare systems that address both physical and mental health. Prof. Shadmi earned her doctorate from Johns Hopkins (Class of ’05) with the support of Fulbright and Spencer scholarships.
Professor Anna Zisberg Inducted into International Nursing Research Hall of Fame
Professor Anna Zisberg, Head of the ADVANCE Research Unit, has been selected for inclusion in the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame by Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
One of only 26 researchers selected worldwide for 2026, Prof. Zisberg was recognized for research that has influenced clinical practice and healthcare policy internationally. Her work focuses on improving care and health outcomes for older adults and contributed to a national initiative – developed in partnership with JDC and Israel’s Ministry of Health – to reduce the impact of hospitalization on older adults’ functioning.
She also founded the University of Haifa’s “Age-Friendly University” initiative, the first university program of its kind in Israel.
Recoding Justice: AI, Criminal Law, and the Future of Justice
As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes nearly every aspect of modern life, Professor Eldar Haber of the University of Haifa Faculty of Law is helping lead one of the most important legal and ethical conversations of our time: how artificial intelligence (AI) will transform criminal justice systems in Israel and around the world.
In 2025, Professor Haber, Head of the Haifa Center for Law & Technology (HCLT), was awarded a European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant for Recoding Justice, a groundbreaking project examining how AI technologies are influencing criminal investigations, sentencing, incarceration, and rehabilitation. Beyond analyzing these changes, the research seeks to develop legal frameworks that ensure emerging technologies are used responsibly, transparently, and fairly, while safeguarding fundamental rights and principles of justice.
ERC Consolidator Grants are awarded to mid-career researchers with an independent research vision and a proven ability to push the boundaries of knowledge. The award places the University of Haifa and its Faculty of Law at the forefront of global research and highlights the important role of Israeli academia in shaping the future of law in a rapidly evolving technological era.
Prof. Haber’s work on artificial intelligence, cyber law, privacy, and intellectual property has been widely cited in academic literature, government reports, major media outlets, and by U.S. federal court decisions.
Donor Spotlight:
Jay Ruderman: Leader, Changemaker, and Activist Philanthropist
Photo: Andy Bernstein
Jay Ruderman has long believed that meaningful change requires more than support from the sidelines – it involves action, advocacy, and a willingness to challenge public attitudes. As President of the Ruderman Family Foundation, host of the award-winning podcast All About Change and author of Find Your Fight: Make Your Voice Heard for the Causes that Matter Most, Ruderman has dedicated his career to advancing inclusion, social impact, and civic engagement.
A longstanding member of the University of Haifa’s Board of Governors, Jay Ruderman and the Ruderman Family Foundation have played a transformative role in supporting the University’s Ruderman Program for American Jewish Studies. Now in its 13th year, the first-of-its-kind master’s program is helping strengthen ties between Israel and the American Jewish community through a growing network of alumni influencing policy, education, and public discourse across Israel. To date, more than 250 students have graduated from the program.
In a recent conversation with the American Friends of the University of Haifa, Jay shared insights into his activism, philanthropy, and enduring connection to the University.
Read the full interview with the American Friends of the University >>>>