Gaza PhD scholar is now baker to feed family, others amid Israel’s war

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‘It is my mission to teach Palestinian students, even if I must build a classroom, brick by brick,’ Bader Slaih says.

Published On 5 Jan 2026

Bader Slaih is one of many Palestinian scholars from Gaza who had to put down his books amid Israel’s genocidal war on the enclave.

Slaih, who was displaced multiple times from Bureij in central Gaza with his family, started baking bread to feed them during the war, but he still has dreams to enrich the minds of students in Gaza, who have suffered deaths in their families, a loss of their homes and the decimation of their schools and education.

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“The war was hard on everyone. We were tormented and humiliated,” he said.

“Out of a dire need, we built a brick oven to make bread for our children,” Slaih told Al Jazeera.

“We had to bake to feed our children and others,” he added.

Palestinians have always been deeply committed to learning.

Before Israel’s war, the education sector in Gaza was thriving, and literacy rates were reported to be among the highest in the world.

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the illiteracy rate stood at 2.1 percent among Palestinians aged 15 and older in 2023.

Slaih said he was always committed to his studies since early childhood into adolescence before he got his master’s and doctorate degrees in Egypt, and returned to Gaza to serve his homeland.

“[After I came back] I filed all my certificates with universities, hoping to start my teaching career,” he told Al Jazeera.

“But then disaster struck – the war began.”

Slaih’s wife and son left Gaza for medical reasons as he was left behind during the war.

“It was difficult for me. My son’s medical needs were more important, so I stayed behind with my other family members,” he said.

Educational system devastated

According to a UNICEF report released in November, Gaza’s education system “stands on the brink of collapse”, with more than 97 percent of schools damaged or destroyed.

The report said 91.8 percent of all education facilities require either full reconstruction or significant rehabilitation to become functional again.

All of Gaza’s 12 universities have been totally or partly destroyed and are in unusable condition, according to local reports.

Slaih said he was determined to pursue his career as there was a ceasefire in place in Gaza, adding: “Patience and resolve are part of our DNA.”

“I will serve as a teacher, even in a tent. It is my mission to teach Palestinian students, even if I must build a classroom, brick by brick,” he said.

“With my hopes still high, I am certain I will make my dream come true very soon.”