More than 200 ninth and 10th grade Jewish day school girls participating in the CIJE-Tech High School Engineering Program, enjoyed a behind-the-scenes visit full of innovation and insight at Google’s New York headquarters.
Craig Nevill-Manning, founder of Google, New York welcomed the girls and discussed the past, present and future of Google. Rachel Geisler, a Bruriah High School graduate and Google software engineer, organized this memorable event. Geisler discussed her schooling and how fortunate she was to combine, “being a dedicated wife and mother as well as a successful ‘Googler.’”
As part of the activities, the girls were able to virtually “travel” to different destinations using Google virtual reality inventions including new Google Cardboard. Google Cardboard is an affordable virtual reality viewer that works on mobile devices. Equally captivating, however, were the six orthodox Jewish “Googlers,” who addressed the CIJE-Tech group.
“The girls were rapt in attention as they listened to each Googler recount how they handle their roles as software engineers and religious Jewish women,” remarked Judy Lebovits, CIJE vice president and director. “This was an amazing opportunity for our young ladies to learn from Jewish and STEM career role models. They asked great questions and learned that through their CIJE-Tech coursework, there is a successful path for the future that is being placed before them.”
According to Ilan High School CIJE teacher, Natalie Aryeh, “The women described their journeys to becoming engineers and the struggles they faced as being women in a predominantly male field. It was inspiring for our students to see Jewish mothers and wives go against the grain and succeed in attaining prestigious engineering positions all while keeping strong to their religious beliefs and practices.”
Students from the following New York schools participated in the trip: Bnot Shulamith School in Woodmere; Tichon Meir Moshe and Torah Academy for Girls in Far Rockaway; Yeshiva University High School for Girls in Queens; Prospect Park High School and Shulamith High School in Brooklyn. From New Jersey: Ilan High School in Deal and Bruriah High School in Elizabeth.
