Exchange students from Germany decided to stay in Israel

"It was stressful, but we got used to it," said the international students who stayed in Israel during the "Iron Swords" war.

Lara and Leon, exchange students from Germany in the Faculty of Design, decided to stay in Israel after October 7.

Since the war's breakout, most HIT international students staying in Israel decided not to wait for the beginning of the semester and returned to their homes in the Diaspora. Not everyone behaved like that.

Leon Hergenröther from Munich is a 24-year-old industrial design student at the University of Applied Sciences in Stuttgart, Germany (HFG). Leon arrived in Israel at the end of September as part of the student exchange program to start a semester in the industrial design department of the design faculty at HIT. "I had all kinds of options for studying as part of the student exchange project, but I decided that I wanted to do it in Israel," says Leon, adding that despite the events, he has no regrets.

Lara Prinz, 23 years old, from Aalen, Germany, a visual communication design student from HFG, never imagined that the student exchange period in Israel would look like this. "On 7.10, I was in the hostel in Tel Aviv where I rent a room, and in an instant, sirens and alarms started. I didn't quite understand what happened. Everyone around me was glued to the news screens, and they explained to me that I needed to get to a protected area, but it seemed that no one was surprised, and this was something that had already happened In the past," says Lara.

The two say that even when they started receiving worried phone calls from the family and the university in Germany, they did not refuse their request and decided to stay; they felt enveloped in the "Israeli warmth" of their fellow

students. "The friends and family were worried. You can understand them. They saw kidnappings and bombs on the news and thought I was in the middle of the battlefield while I was on the beach in Tel Aviv," says Leon. "I eventually got used to the alarms. My roommates became my good friends, and I didn't want to leave them at such a difficult time."

Lara and Leon talk about what war looks like in the eyes of someone who has never experienced anything like it. "I felt very sorry for the Israelis. I can't quite understand the news because it's in Hebrew, but the frustration and despair are evident on the faces of the people," says Lara. "I kept explaining to my family that there is an iron dome here, and it protects us, and in general, despite all the warnings, I didn't feel fear or apprehension. The people here gave me an excellent feeling. It seems that this is not their first time."

Last month, Leon and Lara went back to Germany for a Christmas vacation with their families. They returned two weeks ago and started their studies in the exchange semester here at HIT.

Every year, the Faculty of Design admits about 50 students from abroad as part of a student exchange program from various countries abroad, such as Italy, France, Germany, India, and more.

The international office is led by Ira Ivshin Guetta, who oversees global partnerships and programs. Kim Rayn, the student exchange coordinator, handles all the needs of international students from abroad who want to participate in joint study programs at the institute. The international office accompanies Lara and Leon throughout the entire time from 7.10 until the end of the semester at the Faculty of Design.

HIT Holon Institute of Technology is proud to participate in the international effort with the participation of various academic and research institutes worldwide. The institute

collaborates with 130 educational institutions in 35 countries, including student exchange programs, joint research, mutual conferences, and transcontinental events.

Posted: 18/01/2024