CONTENTS

1. YBA at a Glance
2. 5769 Year in Review: YBA Student Honors
3. 5769 Year in Review: YBA Alumni Honors
4. 5769 Year in Review: YBA School Achievements
5. A Galilean Retreat: Shir La'Maalot Hotel
6. Midreshet Merhavya Offers Tours of Historic Akko

YBA AT A GLANCE

           “The core mission of Yeshivot Bnei Akiva is to train future leaders for the State of Israel; men and women who are observant Jews devoted to Torah study, dedicated to the Land of Israel and the Jewish People and loyal citizens of the State, particularly regarding army and national service.” – Rav Chaim Drukman, Chairman, YBA

YESHIVOT BNEI AKIVA –
ON THE FRONT LINES OF JEWISH SURVIVAL –
IN THE FOREFRONT OF JEWISH EDUCATION

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5769 YEAR IN REVIEW: YBA STUDENT HONORS

Hadas and Mor Saban with PM Netanyahu

           Science: Hadas Saban, a 12th grader from Ulpanat Bnei Akiva Netivot and Itai Levi, a 12th grader from Yeshivat Bnei Akiva Yad Avraham, Netanya were awarded first and second place in the highly coveted International Physics Competition for Young Scientists, regarded as "the first step towards the Nobel Prize for Physics," beating out representatives of 50 countries in the competition. Hadas' science project, "Heat Diffusion through Cyclonic Air Movement" won her a month-long internship at a scientific research institute in Warsaw, Poland.

Mor Saban with President Bush. Photo:La'am

            Hadas' her older sister, Mor, who also excelled in Physics at UBA Netivot, finished second in the same international competition two years ago and was chosen to meet U.S. President George W. Bush on his visit to Israel. The head of Ulpanat Netivot, Sharona Maimon, commented that, "both girls are modest in spite of their impressive achievements. Hadas volunteers in a number of community projects, and has many hobbies, including playing electric guitar. She is always ready to help out whenever someone is in need, and remains unpretentious despite her many accomplishments."  

            Itai Levi's second place research project, "Comparative Efficiencies of Metal Heating Elements," has practical applications that can potentially save vast amounts of energy. Itai proved that a ribbon-shaped heating element made of a particular metallic compound is substantially more efficient than all conventional heating elements in use today.

Ori Luwisch

           Torah: On Yom Ha'atzmaut, Ori Luwisch, a 10th grade student from YBA Sussya, won second place in the International Bible Quiz in an unprecedented match-up decided in a dead-heat tie-breaking "overtime." Ori's teachers discovered his photographic memory earlier this year when he won a bet to memorize the phone numbers of all 160 students of the yeshiva, and encouraged him to enter the Bible contest.

Matan Weisner

           Talmud: In June, 9th grader Matan Weisner from YBA Nachlat Yitzchak, Nechalim won the Annual YBA Talmud Competition covering Tractate Kidushin, studied as part of the comprehensive Judaic Studies curriculum in all YBA Yeshivot. Matan, who suffers from Cerebral Palsy, was aided by his teacher, who repeated his answers to the judges when necessary. Earlier in the year 106 students out of over 500 participating in YBA's "Yagdil Torah" Project, were rewarded with a set of Talmud valued at $250 for successfully mastering 50 double-sided pages of Talmud text beyond their school's regular Talmud curriculum. The project was sponsored by Jerusalem philanthropist Ben Lande.

Michael Atnilov with Rabbi Drukman

          Sports: Michael Atnilov, an 8th grade student at YBA Afikei Aretz in Ofakim, won first place in his age category at Israel's national chess tournament, thereby qualifying to represent Israel in the International Chess Tournament to be held in Italy in August. Michael follows in the footsteps of his older sister, Bella, who finished in sixth place in the international competition three years ago when she was a student at UBA Ayelet Hashachar in Ofakim.

Mekonenit Kara and Tarfa Tarkon

Earlier in the year, 15-year old Ethiopian Olim Mekonenit Kara and Tarfa Tarkon from YBA Neve Herzog near Ashdod finished first and second in the 10 klm Jerusalem half-marathon for youth in March, matching their victories in the 2,500 meter Jordan Valley Field Race a month earlier.

           Citizenship: Yehoshua Ambiala, a 12th grade student at YBA Or Etzion was one of six high school students nationwide chosen for the Ilan Ramon Award. The prestigious award, named after the famous Israeli astronaut, recognizes Israeli youth for excellence, innovation and leadership. Ambiala, a gifted student, was cited for his voluntary tutoring of fellow Ethiopian students out of a sense of responsibility for his community. Tel Aviv resident Michal Marom, a 12th grader from UBA Tel Aviv and active community volunteer, was chosen to light a torch in the traditional Israel Independence Day Ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.

5769 YEAR IN REVIEW: YBA ALUMNI HONORS

In April, nine graduates of YBA schools were sworn in as Members of the 18th Knesset (Israeli Parliament), representing four different political parties in both the coalition and the opposition. A month earlier, G.L., a graduate of YBA Bnei Brak, received his IAF Wings as a combat navigator from the IDF Chief of Staff, in a ceremony at the Hatzerim Israel Air Force Base near Beer Sheva

1. MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union), YBA Kfar Haroeh

2. MK Gilad Erdan (Likud), YBA Netiv Meir

3. MK Rabbi Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz (Habayit Hayehudi), YBA Yavneh, Haifa

4. MK Tzippi Hotovelli, (Likud), UBA Tel Aviv

5. MK Yaakov Katz (National Union), YBA Kfar Haroeh

6. MK Avraham Michaeli (Shas), YBA Nechalim

7. MK Leah Ness (Likud), UBA Kfar Pines

8. MK Uri Orbach (Habayit Hayehudi), YBA Nechalim

9. MK Zevulun Orlev (Habayit Hayehudi), YBA Nechalim

10. Fresh IAF Navigator "G.L."

5769 YEAR IN REVIEW: YBA SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENTS

YBA Yavneh, Haifa Space Club

           In June, the Space Club at YBA Yavneh, Haifa won this year's national Ilan Ramon Space and Astrophysics Competition, sponsored by the Israel Center for Educational Excellence. The annual event, named after Israel's first astronaut, is designed to encourage the study of astronomy and astrophysics at the high school level. Participating clubs undergo a three-stage competition process to earn points, including a written exam, experiential learning tasks and finally, a head-to-head "College Bowl" style quiz. This year's "Cosmical Mystery Tour" theme alluded to the challenging but fun nature of the contest, which was designed by Aeronautical Engineering Department students at the Technion in Haifa, Israel's leading technological institute. Rosh Yeshiva Yoram Shamir commented that the Space Club, "represents Yavneh's educational philosophy combining the pursuit of excellence with educational innovation."

UBA Segula

             According to the latest Ministry of Education statistics, the average Bagrut (matriculation) rate in YBA high schools was 30 percentage points higher than the national average. This achievement is particularly impressive considering that 50% of YBA students receive scholarship assistance due to low family income levels, including a high proportion of Ethiopian immigrants. UBA Segula in Kiryat Motzkin was the leading school (both religious and secular) in Israel's northern district, with 95.5% of its graduates in 2008 earning full academic matriculation. Rosh Ulpana Nechama Gonen was not surprised: "Hard work and individualized attention pays off. In recent years our girls have achieved great things – their serious efforts together with our school's dedicated and supportive teaching staff lead to these results."

UBA Tzfira

            Also in June, UBA Tzfira, near Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, was awarded a special prize by the Minister of Transportation for developing an innovative 6-year interdisciplinary curriculum for teaching Road Safety. The curriculum focuses on a different theme on each grade level integrated into lesson plans from a variety of subjects, from Torah and Mishna to Chemistry and Physics. 

UBA Orot Modiin

            Earlier this year the Henrietta Szold Institute published the findings of a nationwide research project in which UBA Orot Modiin was one of five schools cited for excellence out of 160 schools recommended by the Ministry of Education "due to the unbelievable dedication of the teachers, who teach with a true sense of purpose. The Ulpana shows genuine desire to bridge between holy and profane, religious and secular, and through its alumni to influence Israeli society to become a better place to live."

YBA TO"M

            Last June, YBA TO"M (Torah and Miktzoa) was awarded Israel's Education Prize for 2008. The school serves 250 students, mostly olim from Ethiopia, Russia and India, as well as native-born Israelis. Education Ministry Director General Yechiel Shilo said: "This prize is awarded for the [the school's] great investment in thought, planning and execution, with great wisdom, understanding and attention to the needs of the students."

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A GALILEAN RETREAT: SHIR LA'MAALOT HOTEL

Shir La'Maalot Hotel

           In May, YBA Yeshivat Hesder Maalot Yaakov opened Midrashiyat Shir La’Maalot, a new hotel designed for conferences, seminars, and family retreats. The new building has 48 furnished rooms and suites, a spacious dining hall, mikve, spa and indoor/outdoor lounging areas.

           Shir La'Maalot is located midway between Nahariya and Tzfat, on a hillside overlooking the tranquil landscape of Upper Galilee. The new facility promises a warm family atmosphere, pleasant accommodations, gracious service and quality dining with the highest standards of kashrut, and all at affordable prices.

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Oz Ben-Shmuel
Director of Public Relations
oz@yba.org.il

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