Bruriah’s CIJE Team has been winning prizes at CIJE competitions for many years. This year’s CIJE team is no exception, winning first place at the CIJE Hackathon (after winning first place at CIJE Tank earlier this year). The Bruriah Hackathon team members—juniors Ariella Dantowitz, Esti Hess, Ella Keigher and Hindy Koenig—showed up to the competition well versed in their knowledge of coding and motivated to continue their winning streak.

The goal of the competition was to create a product dedicated to solving a problem in Africa in the allotted time of six hours. The Bruriah team chose the healthcare category. They conceived of the idea of a solar/wind powered box that sterilizes medical equipment that is placed inside of it. Once they had the concept developed, they delegated jobs efficiently according to each of their strengths. Some worked on coding and website design, while others worked on the prototype. Their exceptional teamwork skills proved to be a tremendous asset, especially at the end where they faced a time crunch and had to prepare their presentation in a very short amount of time.

When reflecting upon the Hackathon win, Dantowitz acknowledged her team’s strengths: “We established an idea early on, and we delegated well. Overall, we work really well together.” Hess credited their leadership, saying “Dr. Erblich prepared us really well. She taught us a lot about coding, building websites and problem solving. She also taught us how to prepare a great presentation.”

Dr. Strulowitz shared, “At Bruriah, we empower our students to collaborate, think critically, and problem-solve. The Hackathon provides a wonderful opportunity for our students to put these skills to the test and achieve remarkable results.” Kol hakavod to Dr. Erblich and these incredible students!