Ma’ayanot capped off a week of STEAM-related events with STEAMishmar, an evening of Torah learning taught by the school’s science teachers during the weekly Bruce Ritholtz z”l mishmar program. Gila Stein, chair of the science department and co-director of STEAM, taught a class called, “Where There is Smoke, There is Fire: Is Smoking and Vaping Scientifically Smart or Halachically Allowed?” (The short answer: No.) Aryeh Tiefenbrunn, who teaches STEAM and physics, spoke about “The Relationship Between Science and Religion.” Gillian Cofnas, who teaches chemistry, physics and STEAM, gave a lecture on “The Physics of Spirituality: An Interactive Discussion on the Practical Applications of Newton’s Three Laws of Motion to Our Spiritual Growth.” Finally, Rebecca Mintz, who teaches math and science, gave a lecture called, “Did You Say Kosher Pig? The Science and Halacha of Genetically Modified Foods.”

STEAMishmar was followed by the debut of STEAMposium, an expo of the students’ capstone projects, presented to parents and peers. One highlight of the STEAMposium was the animation-board display created by the ninth grade STEAM class. Each board is equipped with an arduino and a micro-servo motor that has the ability to rotate anywhere from 0 to 180 degrees. Ma’ayanot students designed images and fabricated unique, laser-cut constructions that animated the room.