The Bar-Ilan University International School’s aim is to connect with high school and university faculty members, administrators, and students all over the world. In order to do this efficiently, we have brought in various experts to help us spread the word about Bar-Ilan and recruit potential students.
We have nine international representatives and each one is responsible for a different area. These include Shira Gafni (North America), Anabella Jaroslavsky (Latin America), Zista Company – Divya Shevale and Mitali Rawool (India), Ariel Geva and Cynthia Jeng (China and Asia, excluding India), David Senkia (Turkey), Kata Mészáros (Russia and Ukraine), and Aidana Sadibekova (Kazakhstan).
In this article, we learn about Shira Gafni and find out what she has been doing to bring North America closer to Bar-Ilan University.
Shira Gafni, North America
Shira Gafni is responsible for BIU International School’s North American efforts and activities in building collaborative relationships with administrators in the field of education, and working with students interested in attending Bar-Ilan. She is based in Scottsdale, Arizona.
“Over the past few months, I participated in a number of virtual events focused on informing high school and university students about Israel and Bar-Ilan University,” said Shira. “These events were organized by the Jewish National Fund, Nefesh B’Nefesh, and other organizations that work with Israel.
“I also held a number of Zoom information sessions with high schools on the east coast, which were organized by high school college guidance counselors, while other organizations brought in either undergraduate or graduate students who are interested in studying in Israel and at Bar-Ilan. We had excellent participation with several hundred participants in all the events combined,” she said.
Shira has also been working closely with various directors of Hillel, the on-campus Jewish student organization, at universities across the US. Several seminars were facilitated in conjunction with Hillel at universities in Florida and led by BIU faculty on fascinating topics, including ‘The Entrepreneurial Spirit in Building Smart Cities’ and ‘Biblical Archaeology’, among others.
“There is strong interest in our MA degrees in Bible Studies and Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, especially among our non-Jewish audiences, which has enabled me to work closely with faculty members and administrators at top US-based Christian universities,” Shira said.
The next few months is prime time for US high schools regarding tertiary education, and they provide their students with the opportunity to meet with representatives from universities directly. Bar-Ilan University has established strong connections with many high school administrators at schools across the US and Shira will be speaking with their students whenever the opportunity comes together.
Recruiting students for full-time degree studies in Israel is not the only aim for Bar-Ilan. Shira works with many study-abroad directors at various universities to facilitate the study-abroad program and bring in students for our popular study abroad programs, which will start in the spring semester of 2021.
“There is so much interest in Bar-Ilan from all over the US at the moment,” she said. “Students are eager to study in Israel in general, and specifically at Bar-Ilan, whether to gain a degree or join one of our programs?
Why is this happening?
Bar-Ilan University is one of the top universities in the world. Academic excellence combined with a strong social community on campus has been strengthened by the top-quality faculty who are widely-recognized in their fields.
Our international students and olim (immigrants) get personalized attention and are well-supported by the International School’s team to ensure they have a successful academic career and enjoyable social life on campus.
“And finally,” said Shira, “a strong alumni network creates a powerful connection between former students and allows for potential work opportunities in Israel and internationally after graduation. This might not be unique, but it is a huge bonus.”
If you’d like to connect with Shira or find out more about the events she’s hosting, please email her
