HAIFA (Press Release)–The University of Haifa will be awarding 44 scholarships in a unique and moving project to commemorate of each of the 44 men and women who tragically died in the Carmel fire. The scholarships are the generous gift of Leon H. Charney, Chairman of the University of Haifa Board of Governors, and will be awarded for three years.
Each scholarship will be in memory of one of those killed in the disaster. The program intends to establish a personal connection between the student and the family of the victim, with the aim of thereby adopting all of the bereaved families.
“The University of Haifa will not forget those who tragically lost their lives in their courageous efforts to save the lives of others in the disaster. The students’ academic and professional accomplishments will forever carry the memory of those who are no longer with us,” said President of the University of Haifa, Prof. Aaron Ben-Ze’ev.
The University faced the enormous fire as it raged on the mountains just meters away, and only the direction of the wind kept the flames from reaching the campus. Some of those killed in the disaster were members of the University community, graduates or relatives, and the University feels duty-bound to commemorate those who helped protect the Carmel and the University too.
Through this project, the University will embrace the 44 bereaved families, welcoming them to become part of University life and the lives of those students who will be given the honor of memorializing their loved ones through their studies.
The University has given similar scholarships in the past, awarding 121 scholarships in memory of the 121 fallen soldiers of the Second Lebanon War, through the generosity of Younes and Soraya Nazarian. “This experience showed us that the relationship between each student and family while not an easy one is very moving and cherished on all sides,” said Prof. Ben-Ze’ev.
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Preceding provided by University of Haifa