Tripping on high tech in Israel

Over winter vacation, 10 Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR) High School students in the school’s scientific technology and biomedical engineering course took part in the inaugural Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE) “Start-up Nation” mission to Israel.
HAFTR sophomores and juniors, along with students from several other yeshiva high schools, had the chance to learn about Israel as a leader in advanced technology and entrepreneurship. The HAFTR delegation was led by Stanley Blumenstein, director of HAFTR’s Science and Engineering Institute.
Students visited the City of David, where they met with archeologists who taught them about the history of the city. They were also able to participate in an archeological dig near the city. During the trip, the students met with a group called Presentense. This group explained to the students how they can quickly and effectively generate ideas. The students even had the opportunity to visit Google and meet Jerry Sanders, the CEO of Skytran, who spoke about the future of urban transportation.
The group spent two days at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, known as the MIT of Israel. Toward the end of the trip, the students visited The Hive, a think tank for data-driven companies, where they met with Assaf Luxembourg, who gave them advice on how to create the perfect sales pitch. The students sat in on many lectures and had the chance to view research labs. Using the knowledge they gained, the students gave a presentation about start-up ideas at IDC, a private university in Herzliya.
Trip participants were also able to enjoy recreational activities, such as jeep riding, visiting the Blind Museum and shopping on Machane Yehuda. HAFTR sophomores Gila Schein and Rachel Sacks, sophomores at HAFTR High School said: “This trip provided an amazing opportunity to see a side of Israel we have never seen before. Seeing how each start-up company grew and developed while overcoming all of the challenges they faced inspired me to follow my dreams and taught me how to face my own challenges and overcome them. It was illuminating to see the level of technology that emanates from Israel on which the whole world depends and benefits. This trip also gave me the opportunity to meet with the people who really make this a reality.”

It was an invaluable experience for all of the participants: Joel Feinberg, Marc Gottlieb, Josef Kahn, Alison Kanefsky, Deena Kopyto, Josh Plaut, Jeremy Rubenstein, Sacks, Schein and William Silber. They learned from prominent professors, visited high-tech companies and acquired skills to be successful in careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
The HAFTR participants would like to thank Judy Lebovits, director of the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education, HAFTR High School General Studies Principal Naomi Lippman, and Stanley Blumenstein for making this trip possible.