Seven Yeshivat Frisch engineering students had the opportunity to travel to Israel for the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education’s (CIJE) “Journey to the Startup Nation” 2018 trip from February 15 to 22. Frisch Engineering Program Director Rifkie Silverman served as Frisch’s faculty adviser and chaperone for the trip.

As part of the program, students toured and/or met with the CEOs from MobilEye (bought by Intel for $15 billion), CAM Group, Mazor Robotics, Airobotics, Rambam Underground Hospital, Vayyar Industries and Intelligo and more. They also learned about ancient engineering technology by touring Caesarea’s Roman aqueducts and visited the Technion campus, among other activities.

“CIJE’s ‘Journey to Start-Up Nation’ gave our students a unique opportunity to see Israel through a new lens,” said Silverman. “Israel stands as a world leader in technology and innovation. A chance to see research labs at universities, company headquarters, testing facilities and hospitals using cutting edge technology, all narrated by the people who are making it happen, makes a lasting impression. Accessibility to the entrepreneurs makes anything seem possible. Their passion was infectious. Engineers, CEOs and leaders in the field, entertained student questions and validated them with thoughtful responses. Seeing Israel and its start-up culture change the world is inspiring.”

“This trip was the most amazing experience of my life and it really opened up a whole new realm of possibilities and shed a new light on the wonders of Israel,” said Zoey Buchsbayew, noting Israel’s potential to guide engineering students toward greatness in their field.

“This trip is definitely a once in a lifetime experience and I would definitely recommend it,” agreed sophomore Manny Nagel. “It has taught me so much about engineering and technology and what it really means to be an entrepreneur.”

Six other yeshiva high schools participated in the trip, which included 20 participants in total.