Lidor Shaar-Moshe dream was to become a doctor. That is, until she spent time working in the fields of Kibbutz Nirim, where she became fascinated by the extensive expertise and resources that were needed for mass food production. After a trip to rural Ethiopia she decided to dedicate her studies to pursue the field of food security, after she saw the contrast between agricultural practices in developed and developing countries.

Dr. Shaar-Moshe’s new lab in the Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology at the University of Haifa studies how plant physiology and development are affected by unfavorable and dynamic environments, and what mechanisms allow plants to thrive under such conditions. Using advanced techniques like single-cell transcriptomics and targeted genome editing, she aims to enhance agricultural sustainability and food security.

After completing her postdoctoral training at the University of California, Davis, Dr. Shaar-Moshe returned to Israel to establish her lab at the University of Haifa, just two months before October 7th, 2023. Here is her story, in her own words:

On October 6th, I visited my family in Kibbutz Nirim. We celebrated the Kibbutz’s 74th birthday, a beautiful and joyful evening – but we woke up to hell the next morning. We hid in the safe room for 12 long hours of constant booms and shooting. My aunt received countless text messages from her kids, family members, and friends crying for help. We knew Hamas terrorists were passing from house to house, trying to break in or burn the houses down. I made a plan based on what I found in the mamad (safe room). I took two bamboo sticks carrying the flag of Israel and the pride flag, and placed them between the door handle and doorpost to help keep the door locked. I kept a pair of scissors next to me and whispered to my aunt that if they break in, she should help my kids crawl under the computer desk and hide them behind the cradle of her newborn grandchild, and stay back.

Luckily, I didn’t have to execute my plan. IDF soldiers took over the kibbutz and cleared it from Hamas terrorists. We spent the night at a sheltered kindergarten, together with many other shocked families, and were evacuated from Nirim the next day.”

At this dark time, the University of Haifa, like other universities in Israel, serves as a lighthouse of democratic and liberal values. Here, coexistence and solidarity are the practice. Yet, our colleagues overseas are calling to stop funding and collaborations with us. These actions, either active or passive, have a devastating impact on Israeli academia, especially early career scientists who are just starting to establish their scientific connections. It is up to each one of us, as well as our institutions, to clearly communicate the consequences of weakening Israeli universities.

We have much to fight for: our existence, our values, and our legitimacy. It’s a tough fight, but I’m staying optimistic because losing is not an option.