Terror took her father and placed many challenges in her path, but her father was part of her motivation and her success will be a blessing to his memory.
Meet N, 33 years and an inspiration. At the age of 21, her father was murdered in a terror attack while at work outside Israel. At the time of his death, N was completing her army service. “I had a great childhood, but due to financial difficulties my father was forced to travel for work. When he was killed I was at loose ends and didn’t know what to do.”
N, a capable student, decided to go to university. As a Survivor of Terror she was entitled to a tuition grant from the National Insurance Institute. Because she was already 21 when her father was killed, she was not entitled to a living stipend. Therefore, while working odd jobs whenever possible, depending on bank loans to get from semester to semester, she studied psychology full-time.
Upon graduation, she took a job at a children’s home as a counselor, where four years later she continues to work part-time. With the help of several second jobs, working nights and summers, she saved enough tuition for her first year of a graduate school program in educational psychology.
N lives with family in Jerusalem; goes to school in Beer-Sheva; and works in Tel Aviv. Much of her studying is done on the bus. She is now in her last year of class work and has started researching her thesis. In September, she will begin a four-year internship. With your generous help ATZUM was privileged to assist N with her tuition this year.
I was deeply moved by N’s story and asked to meet her. I told her she has amazing courage and strength. I asked how she was able to do all this. Her answer was beautiful in its simplicity: “You have dreams, you have goals, and you sacrifice.”
