Visiting professor Shahar Kvatinsky continued teaching until July 2025
In 2023, Shahar Kvatinsky, a former visiting professor in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, left the University of Toronto to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Kvatinsky, the Dean of the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, continued teaching at U of T until August 2025.
Kvatinsky began his appointment as visiting professor in July 2023, but appears to have left the university to serve in the IDF sometime after October 7, 2023.
In a Facebook post from November 2023, Kvatinsky is seen wearing military gear in front of building ruins. The post’s caption reads, “We have been fighting for six weeks. […] Six weeks away from family, with my new-old family in Golani.”
The Golani Brigade is one of the IDF’s five infantry brigades.
According to his CV, Kvatsinky served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the IDF from 1999–2004. However, the CV, which was updated in July 2025 — the same month Kvatinsky left U of T — says that he “is currently in the reserve forces.” The caption of the Facebook post continues, “I’ve been traveling around the world for exactly 43 years, almost 25 years as a soldier, both regular and reserve.”
In November 2024, Kvatinsky shared a photo of himself and other military personnel meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The caption indicated that he’d met with Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant two months prior.
After serving in the IDF, Kvatinsky returned to the university in fall 2024 to teach ECE552: Computer Architecture. He shared a photo of himself outside the People’s Circle for Palestine in May 2024, wearing a t-shirt embossed with the symbol of the Golani Brigade.
It is unclear whether U of T formally allowed Kvatinsky to take a leave of absence to go to Israel. A spokesperson for the university wrote to The Varsity that they were unable to disclose this information “due to privacy constraints imposed by law.” (more...)
Former engineering professor went on leave to serve in IDF after October 7, 2023
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