Following the events of October 7 and the outbreak of the Iron Swords War, the Edmond de Rothschild Foundation, the Azrieli Foundation, the Jewish Federations of North America, and the Gross Foundation, in partnership with the National Union of Israeli Students, launched an emergency fund to establish Resilience Centers within institutions of higher education.
The goal of the initiative is to adapt the municipal Resilience Center model to the academic context, supporting students, faculty, and administrative staff by strengthening individual, social, and institutional resilience.
The Israel Trauma Coalition was selected as the professional body guiding the initiative, and the Samuel Neaman Institute was appointed to conduct a formative assessment over a 24-month period. This evaluation aims to enable ongoing learning about the implementation of the centers, identify challenges and areas requiring adjustment in real time, and support the achievement of the initiative’s objectives. The research draws on literature reviews, interviews, focus groups, observations, surveys, and document analysis, while developing dedicated indicators and tools to assess personal, communal, and institutional resilience. Special attention is given to institutional diversity, tailoring tools to different target populations, and ensuring the independence of the evaluators within each institution. Throughout the project, the evaluation team at the Samuel Neaman Institute maintains close coordination with the Rothschild Foundation, the Israel Trauma Coalition, and participating institutions – enabling ongoing alignment, learning, and the generation of long-term insights.