Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU) announced on Monday the launch of the “Way Forward,” a Ben-Gurion University (BGU)-led $1 billion global fundraising campaign to build and strengthen Israel beginning with the south.
Since the Hamas attacks on October 7, this campaign has become more urgent. BGU is the largest employer in the South of Israel, and is important to the economic vitality of the southern region.
Hamas’s October 7 attack disproportionately affected residents of the Negev. Of the Israelis killed in the October 7 massacres, 80% were from the Negev. Close to 3,000 were treated at Soroka University Medical Center and Barzilai Medical Center, and upwards of 200,000 Negev residents were displaced from their homes.
The BGU community was impacted more than other universities in Israel, with 111 people killed from the community (including fallen soldiers, students, and immediate relatives). There were 29 wounded, eight missing or kidnapped, 1,000 displaced from their homes, and more than 6,600 called to reserve duty, with several hundred still in active service.
As of April, the campaign has raised $380 million from supporters of the University of North America, and also from countries around the world. The gifts have been provided from a variety of prominent philanthropists and foundations, including Sylvan Adams, who donated $100 million, Katja Goldman and Michael Sonnenfeldt, who donated $20 million, The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, which gave $18 million, the Diane & Guilford Glazer Foundation, which gave $15 million, and Ernest Scheller, who provided $6 million to the campaign.
The donated amount is 30% of the fundraising goal, 60% of which is tasked to A4BGU. The $1 billion to be raised in the Way Forward campaign will support BGU’s capital building and expansion projects, for which $500 million is allocated, student access and support, for which $250 million, and $250 million is allocated to research.
Efforts of BGU community members after October 7
“On October 6th, it was already evident that the future of Israel is in the South and that Ben-Gurion University would drive that future,” Doug Seserman, CEO of A4BGU remarked.
“On October 7th, BGU’s community was disproportionately affected by the attacks. In the days that followed, the University began demonstrating just how vital it is to the remarkable resilience of the entire nation,” he emphasized.
Seserman described this campaign as “historic” and said, “Diaspora supporters are rallying around Israel’s essential efforts to rebuild the South, with the University leading the way forward as both the epicenter of the region and the key to its recovery.”
Several BGU students volunteered in hospitals throughout Israel in the aftermath of October 7. They provided medical and psychological assistance to wounded Israelis and their families.
Students and faculty members of the University helped families of IDF soldiers called for reserve duty by looking after their children and maintaining their homes. University dormitories were opened to families of casualties, evacuees, and army reservists.
Evacuated families were also hosted at homes of BGU faculty and staff. Dozens of students and staff members volunteered to sort and prepare food and supplies for donation.
An additional goal of A4BGU that this campaign is addressing is the mission of building a movement of Americans who are committed to improving the world through a unifying vision for Israel. This mission is inspired by the pioneering spirit of David Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel, who envisioned that Israel’s future would emerge from the Negev.
“From its inception, Ben-Gurion University has had a major role in building the future of Israel through developing the Negev,” said BGU President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz.
“Over the past half century, we have accomplished the remarkable in transforming the desert into a center of research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. In the wake of the tragedy of October 7th, the dual calling of BGU — the fostering of cutting-edge research and building the Negev — is clearer than ever. We are proud to take a central role in continuing to build Israel’s future from the Negev,” he concluded.
Currently, BGU carries out cutting-edge research and solutions in the fields of water conservation, environmental science, medical research, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and others.