Tel Aviv University International students volunteering and support group and YOU! 2025-2026

The summer is running fast in Tel Aviv, and we are approaching the Jewish festival months of September and October. On the other hand, the start of the first semester 2025-2026 is far away in time (October 26th), where more regular activities and initiatives will happen.

To spice things up, we came up with tons of ideas and for this next months, and later the rest of the year, we would like to launch a few projects, even better if they get also your involvement!

First of all, let us explain the whole new situation. Lately, we managed to open our own community called "Researchers and Scholars in TAU: the Peers community", a platform TOTALLY independent from the TAU International School (and their WhatsApp community), which we envisioned to be dedicated to us International PhDs and Postdocs and to be a facilitator for all of the members to carry on projects, ideas, discussions etc... well, consider it a parallel (and independent) welfare system to the TAU International School. 

In the community we have an announcement board where you can see mainly the important communications without losing the pace within the WhatsApp Group "Intl. PhDs and Postdocs in TAU", the original platform where everyone has a voice and can participate and interact. This group has been active for the past eight years and beyond, and is thought to be a peer-to-peer interaction platform, where the admin will make sure that the dialogue is respectful and moderated.

Additionally, we designed the community for hosting WA groups for different initiatives, so one person can have updates of specific projects, while the rest of the community members do not have to read things that are not relevant. The groups are in general temporary and dynamic, for the sake of the order and clarity.

Plus, we always have our blog, where we keep on posting our updates and activities, and we like to consider it a beacon for all of us.

The mission for this next year: the activities incubator, advocacy for our rights, mutual support in difficult situations.

As in the past years, also this year we are connected to SEGEL (TRFO) link here, the organization that provides rights and protection to the students and early-stage career lecturers. For example, they advocate for equating the scholarships to the CPI (Consumer Price Index), while monitoring the scholarship rates each year. And not also: they provide support for academic rights, pregnancy issues and sexual harassment prevention. Our collaboration with them is important because they don't have much access and knowledge of our community.

With some of you, we are investigating the conditions and the requirements for the visa renewal, and we gladly supported the initiative that came exactly from the members of the community and not directly for us. The successful campaign ended in a very detailed and polite letter that will be sent to the International School staff that has supervision on the Visa processing.

In addition, we are following the status of the Broshim experiences, and we are opened to help and advise the community members on different arising issues. At the same time, we try to be up-to-date with some tips for housing and renting (see our topic at this LINK). The last good news is that we opened a group within the WA community called Dorms and Housing word of mouth, which is intended to mediate people looking for an apartment or a substitute for the rent.

If any common issue comes along, we advocate on the community behalf for our needs by connecting to the TAU International School representatives; every year, we collect the data with a survey and then we present to them the issues, the sentiments and the needs that people report to us and we are always committed to look for dialogue and constructive approach, seeking agreements and solutions. This year's survey is coming soon!

And, oh yes, we would be even happier if some folks wanted to work with us on these issues!

Our proposals and your contributions

Given the success of our experimental activities during these last months, we would like to propose some new dishes on the menu, hoping that you might want to appreciate and get involved.

We will give you some ideas, and we would like to hear your feedback!

Trips

Coming soon: 

• Rosh Hashana: Mon, Sep 22, 2025 – Wed, Sep 24, 2025 

We thought of organizing a nice happy hour moment to gather people together on the very first days of the Jewish year, as an opportunity to make networking and kickstart the next academic year!

Since we don't have any budget (nobody is funding us😩), we can't provide unilaterally the food and the drinks, so we will make happen like an organized potluck, where each one of the participants brings something to share in exchange of good company 😁

• Yom Kippur: Wed, Oct 1, 2025 – Thu, Oct 2, 2025

We typically organize two events for the sake of the fun of exploring Tel Aviv streets during the day in which the city turns like a ghost town. 

👉In the evening of October the 1st, we could walk around the neighborhood of Broshim and TAU in the empty streets at night.

 👉In the early afternoon of October the 2nd the ones who have a bike can join the bike adventure that will end up with a picnic in the park in front of the sea in Jaffa, the only place in which we can have        some fun without being disrespectful. 

Extra: for the ones who have a strong heart, we can stream a small video on the tragedy of the October 7th 2023 as a memorial of that event.

• Later on...

According to our availability, the weather and the occasions, we can think about doing something during the Sukkot vacation time or any good weekend.

Let us know what you think! A trip? A dinner? Another happy hour?

Your proposals and our contributions

Do you have an idea for an event? Would you like to build a sports team (basketball, volleyball...)? Or a club? 

Would you like to get involved in something that can benefit you as a scholar and can be shared with the other fellow?

Would you like to organize a trip? 

We can help you realize your project by supporting your ideas and giving you guidance!

For example, last year Valentina ran a debate club open for the entire international community, but very targeted to the researchers and older members (not the funny Bachelor people 😏😂); this summer we organized two trips, one in Jerusalem, one in Mitzpe Ramon to see the shooting stars; we proposed an activity to mingle the researchers, with the idea of making a poster exposition where people can walk around and ask each author what is their research about.

Following the success of the Shooting Star trip—our first major outing with a large group—we truly enjoyed every moment and would love to do it again. We're thinking about a similar desert adventure soon, or maybe a hike in the nature in the north of Israel. Therefore, we’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions.

We would be very happy to help you realize your idea and make it happen! 

We consider the Community in WhatsApp not only a mere social platform, but also a space where we can give everyone the chance to feel a part of something bigger.

We believe it is critical to encourage the exchange of ideas, cultures, and opinions among international people, as it is a fundamental part of the academic experience, and we want to make it happen!

✋Do not hesitate to contact us, we will be happy to help! PM Valentina or Bhavana