20.6.25 update #3 following attacks on BGU
Dear Friends,
Unfortunately, the pace of events here continues to outstrip the pace of my updates.
After a long day on campus yesterday assessing damage and coordinating our response, I chose to host a webinar from my apartment in Be’er Sheva, hoping for a quiet night’s sleep. That hope was short-lived. At 5:30 AM, I was awoken by sirens, followed by a building-shaking explosion.
I stepped out onto my porch. Many of you have stood with me on that same porch as I proudly pointed to the BGU skyline. This morning, the view was different. This is what I saw:
A missile had landed just three buildings down the street, directly across from one of the Gav-Yam Advanced Technologies Park buildings. The building next to the impact site is now uninhabitable. Miraculously, no one was seriously injured, as residents had taken shelter in time.
Minutes after the blast, I sat with many university staff whose homes were damaged. I asked if they were physically okay, what they needed, and how the university could help. I was deeply moved by their composure just minutes after their apartments had been destroyed. Some were evacuated to our U-Tel on the North Campus, others to the Leonardo Hotel, and others to stay with family across the country.
This alone would have been enough for 24 hours.
But at 15:40, sirens sounded again in Be’er Sheva and other parts of the country. This time, two pieces of missile debris landed on campus—most significantly, one pierced the roof of the old Sports Center and crashed into the gymnasium, destroying the flooring. Thankfully, the gym was closed and empty at the time.
A member of our administration half-joked that Vikko, the long-time director of the Sports Center, has been lobbying for a major renovation for years—maybe he has a line to the Iranians?
If there’s a silver lining here, perhaps it’s this: Even the Iranians seem to recognize the impact we’ve made on this region.
Innovation. Health. Science. Education. Sport. That’s the ecosystem they targeted. That’s the future they tried to shake.
As Shabbat approaches, lets reflect on our fortune even during these awful 48 hours. We’re still here. And we’re not going anywhere.
Shabbat Shalom,
Danny
