Inauguration of Afeka's "Quiet Tent" - A Quiet Space on Campus for Afeka IDF Reservists

The rate of reserve service at Afeka is unprecedented: approximately 42% of Afeka students have been called up since the beginning of the war, many of them for lengthy periods of service. Behind these statistics are young people who bear mental strain, academic challenges, and the long-term effects of difficult experiences.

Even after fighting is over, many reservists struggle to return to daily routine at home, work, and academia. Afeka understands the depth of the challenge facing them. Many carry with them terrible sights, painful memories, traumas and invisible wounds that aren’t always obvious. This reality calls for broad responsibility — not just providing guidance and support to the reservists themselves, but also training the entire academic community to identify distress and offer help in a sensitive and attentive manner.

As part of this commitment, on June 3, Afeka College inaugurated a new "Quiet Tent", an unprecedented initiative in prioritizing the mental health of Afeka student reservists.  The Quiet Tent's inauguration ceremony was attended by Afeka senior leadership, faculty, and staff; families of fallen students and bereaved faculty members; and students currently coping with trauma, PTSD, and other mental health challenges.

Thanks to a generous donor contribution from Northwestern University Professor David Seidman and Mrs. Shoshana Seidman, the Quiet Tent will serve as a quiet, safe space on Afeka's campus, allowing for personal coaching, mind-body workshops, and resilience activities for reservists past, present, and future, as well as for anyone who bears the effects of war. 

“David and I are deeply honored to be part of bringing Afeka College’s Quiet Tent to life,” said Shoshanah Seidman. “This is a truly meaningful initiative because it recognizes the importance of providing students, especially those carrying the burdens of trauma, with a place where they can feel safe, find moments of peace, and reconnect with themselves and others. We hope this special space will offer comfort, strength, and healing to all who use it, and we wish the Afeka community continued success, resilience, and good health.”

Professor Yossi Rosenwaks, the President of Afeka College, leading the inauguration of Afeka’s new “Quiet Tent”