The Aguda (Student Union) is the official student body for all of Ben Gurion University's students.
Based in Be'er Sheva, the Aguda organizes exciting and interesting events on an almost daily basis. The Aguda also addresses issues related to the welfare of the student body as a whole and of individual students. Members of the Aguda are even entitled to unlimited access to the University's Sports Center in Be'er Sheva. All students are able to join the Aguda by paying the "welfare/student activity" fee at the beginning of the academic year.
To learn more about the Aguda, visit their website (English or Hebrew). The Aguda also sends out a weekly update in English specifically for international students (sign up). Or just check the Aguda out on Facebook!
Transportation
First things to know:
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· There is no public transport from Friday evening until Saturday evening in Israel, due to religion (and political reasons), public transport usually stops around 2 hours before sunset on Friday and continues 2 hours after sunset on Saturday.
· You can’t use cash to pay for buses in Israel (only with trains its possible), so you have to use Rav Kav card (which also provides a student discount) or via the smartphone app Moovit (can be used only by inserting credit card information).
Applying for a Rav Kav Card:
· Students are eligible for significant discounts on public transportation. In order to take advantage of these, you must have a Rav Kav card. To get one, you’ll need your student ID card AND an official letter from Sarit stating that you’re a student (if you're a new student and didn't receive your student card yet, just take the official letter from Sarit). Once you have these, you can take them (AND your passport/Israeli ID) to the Rav Kav office. In Be’er Sheva, there are two Rav Kav offices: (1) Inside the central bus station, directly across from platform 4 and (2) at the University train station. The card needs to be updated at the Rav Kav office every academic year.
Public transportation timetable:
· ​All information is visible via the Moovit app. In general, there are direct buses mainly to Be'er Sheva, Dimona, Mitzpe Ramon, and Yeruham. for other places you should switch buses in Be'er Sheva.
University Transportation:
· To Be’er Sheva: Buses leave from the roundabout in front of building 47 at 15:20 and 18:00 Sunday-Thursday. In Be’er Sheva, the buses stop across from the market/central bus station, the university sports center, and possibly points in between if you ask the driver.
· To Midreshet Ben Gurion: Buses leave from Be'er Sheva (across from the dorms/university sports center) to the Midrasha at 7:20 and 9:30 Sunday-Thursday. They also make a few other stops in Be'er Sheva. Ask around for exact information.
Ridesharing:
· There is a Midreshet-wide a campus-wide WhatsApp group
https://chat.whatsapp.com/BR7IyVleeBeEgQ5VcrM5Cc
· Note: Unless otherwise stated, it is expected that you’ll help with the cost of the gas when ridesharing. The standard
contribution for a ride between the Midrasha and Be’er Sheva is 15 NIS.