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Honoring HAC reservists: At the beginning of March, HAC
held a special evening in honor of HAC students serving in
the reserves. In his opening greetings, HAC President Prof.
Bertold Fridlender thanked the reservists for their contribution
to the country. A memorable stand-up performance by
Israeli comedian Guy Hochman brought a lot of laughs and
a temporary escape from the harsh realities at the front.

Dr. Iris Gertner, a Lecturer in the Dr. Yehudit Kahn, a Lecturer in
Department of Management, together the Department of Management,
with the Aliyah Foundation, organized volunteered in the Ministry of
the contribution of 500 mattresses Tourism’s Emergency Center, helping
for IDF soldiers in the South. evacuees find a place to live.

Galit Shabo, a Lecturer in the DAN
Department of Creative Human Design, in
partnership with Bezalel Academy of Art
and Design, facilitated arts activities for
evacuated children. Several students in the
Department joined her in this effort.

Gauging the National Mood

Dr. Yitzhak Alfasi, from HAC’s Department of Behavioral Science, conducted a study in
November 2023 to understand how the events of October 7th affected mental health. The sample
included 434 Jewish Israeli men and women in Israel. Some 51% of the respondents reported
extreme depression, and 25% reported that they spend five hours or more a day reading or listening
to the news. The study found that the more time people spend exposed to the news, the more they
report a deterioration in mental health. Findings also indicated above-average levels of emotional
attachment to the country, which were found to be directly associated to levels of mental health.

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