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The Israeli Landa Foundation for Equal Opportunity through Education was created by Benny and Patsy Landa, originally from Canada. For the past six years, the Foundation has been providing substantial support to Jewish and non-Jewish BGU students of underprivileged backgrounds, stemming from the Landas’ vision to bridge the gap between Israel’s established and poor, between center and periphery and between Jews and Arabs. This vital support gives our students the chance for a brighter future.
Landa scholars Mahmud Mahamid and Luana Gutman tell how the Landa Foundation changed their lives:
 Mahmud Mahamid
second year student at the Department of Materials Engineering:
“I grew up in the village of Arara. My father died when I was very young and we were very poor. In high-school, I didn’t even have money for bus fare. To get to high school in Um el Fahem, I had to stand out on the highway and try to hitch a ride. Sometimes cabs would stop and pick me up, and sometimes they wouldn’t. That was when I learned there are two kinds of people in the world: those who will help you and those who won’t. I decided I was going to be someone who will.
As a boy, I had never met any Jewish people, and was always told that the Jews don’t really care about us Arabs. My first encounter with Jews was at the university. Suddenly, I found myself sharing a dorm room with Jewish roommates. I didn’t think they would even talk to me, but they did. They “adopted” me, helped me find my way around campus, and lent me whatever I needed. I thought I could manage on my own. I am the first person in my family to go to university, and had no idea how expensive it would be. But I soon realized that without financial support, I would have to drop out of school. I applied for scholarship support at the Dean of Students office and was very surprised when they said yes. Thinking back, I just don’t know what I would have done without this support. I never dreamed that organizations like the Landa Foundation existed. Being helped by them makes me determined to succeed. I feel like I owe it to them to do well, it’s my way of thanking them.
My dream has always been more than just to study. I don’t just want to get a degree. I want to lead, to go back to my village and help others move forward.
Receiving this support, having people at BGU help me with a smile, seeing the people at the Dean’s office help Jews and Arabs alike, seeing them treat women dressed in traditional Arab headdress with such respect, seeing how much they want us all to succeed, makes me believe that someday, there will be peace. It makes me optimistic and it gives me hope.”
Luana Gutman
second year student at the School of Medical Laboratory Sciences:
“When I was ten years old, I made Aliyah to Israel from Russia with my parents. From St. Petersburg we went straight to Ashdod, and it was a real shock. Life in Ashdod was so different than everything I was used to. I was the only Russian in my grade. Because I didn’t know any Hebrew, the only subjects I could understand were math and science, and the other students made fun of me. My parents really suffered – my mother had been a teacher and my father had been a successful engineer, but here in Israel they couldn’t find work. My father found a job in a factory, but the physical labor was too much for him and several years later he died. My mother began working as a cleaning lady. It was a very hard and frustrating time for all of us.
The first time I started university, my father died suddenly when I was still in my first semester. It was a terrible shock to me, and I quit school. Five years later, I began university again, but this time I was more mature and ready to invest all my efforts.
Being a student takes up almost all of my time. Our study schedule is very full and its so hard to find time to work. The Landa support is crucial. It lets me keep studying and get my degree. Many students just can’t pay for tuition. You can try to get by, sleep over at friends’ houses to save rent. But when you are poor, if you don’t have a scholarship, its just not possible to continue. So a lot of students stop studying. It’s the end of their dream and its terribly terribly sad.
By helping us, the Landa Foundation is breaking the cycle of poverty and sadness, and doing a most wonderful thing. Thanks to their help, I will manage to complete my studies, get my degree and succeed in life. For my future children, going or not going to university will no longer be a question. I will be able to help them, thanks to you, and they will be able to get a higher education. We will create new generations of people with hope, people who can excel and contribute to society. On behalf of all Landa scholars, I thank you.”
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