Around 400 Ultra-Orthodox students currently enrolled at the Ono Academic College are serving in the IDF reserves, the college announced Monday, a day after its semester began.
Established in 1995 by Ranan Hartman, the college currently serves a population of over 20,000 students on several campuses across Israel, including in Kyriat Ono, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa, including two campuses dedicated to ultra-Orthodox students.
According to Moshe Ovadia, director of the Haredi campuses, in addition to the number of students already serving in the reserves, dozens of Haredi students have joined the IDF in recent days.
“It is a source of great pride for the college and the student union that students have immediately come forward to defend the state,” said Rahamim David, chairman of the student union at the Haredi campus. “We too, like all the members of the reserves and the soldiers who study at all the campuses at Ono Academic College, receive significant benefits, financial and academic assistance, and maximum support from the management of the college during military service.”
Helping students and Israelis in need
In addition to helping students who are in the military, the college is also providing support to students whose families were evacuated from their homes in southern Israel and other areas of conflict.
Both are receiving academic flexibility and allowances, financial support and access to a system of emotional assistance.
Since the beginning of the fighting, the student dormitories at Ono Academic College have also hosted 400 people from families who were evacuated from their homes.