“I’ve been living in the North for four years. I love the regi on. But the war made me question whether I wanted to st ay. The scholarship to st ud y at Tal-Hai College h as erased a ny doubts that I had.The Upper Galilee is where my future lies.”

Ilanit Sigati, a 27-year-old third year student at Tel-Hai College in Upper Galilee spent
a nightmare summer in bomb shelters. Originally from Dimona, Ilanit moved to Kiryat
Shmona after meeting her partner Yair, who is from the Upper Galilee.

Throughout the war, Ilanit remained in Kiryat Shmona. Yair was serving in a combat unit in
Lebanon, and she wanted to remain close to him.

When the war ended both, Ilanit and Yair, who will be studying electronics at the Jezreel
Valley Regional College, planned to continue their college education. But the .nancial
situation was di.cult for both of them.

“As a student in Israel it’s always a struggle to make ends meet,” says Ilanit. “I have to work
to pay for my tuition and living expenses. This year it is harder, as both of us were unable to
work because of the war.”

The young couple heard about the Jewish Agency scholarships on the radio and applied.
“It’s very moving to know that Jews around the world care about us. It gives me enormous
incentive to succeed,” says Ilanit.

Registration for northern regional colleges, which serve as an engine of the northern
economy, has signi.cantly increased as a result of these scholarships.

In addition, more than 5,000 students like Yair, who were called-up for emergency reserve
duty, also applied for scholarships. Now, students who dropped everything to .ght for their
country can move forward with their education.