AMIT Beit Shemesh Students Go to Kennedy Space Camp
By Heidi Mae Bratt
Space, the final frontier?
Space may become the first frontier for some AMIT students after coming to the United States on a once-in-a-lifetime trip and spending a week at the renowned International Camp Kennedy Space Center in Florida during their Hanukkah break.
Nine students hailing from three different AMIT schools in Beit Shemesh – AMIT Bellows Ulpanat Noga High School, AMIT Dvir Junior and Senior High School, and AMIT Shachar Junior and Senior High School – and a fourth Beit Shemesh school, Branco Weiss High School, were invited to participate in the space camp by the nonprofit group, Sister City, a Cocoa, Florida-based organization that has shared ties with Beit Shemesh for more than a dozen years as part of its Sister City program.
Beit Shemesh, a fast-growing metropolis of more than 118,000 people, and Cocoa, a seaside city of 17,000 in Brevard County, Florida, have exchanged visits since becoming Sister Cities in 2007, said Rev. Ron Shelton, a board member of Sister City.
This year, Shelton said, it was decided to bring the Israeli teenagers from Beit Shemesh to Florida to join a group of local Christian teen counterparts and spend five days at the space camp during the Hanukkah and Christmas break.
“Our theme was ‘Sharing Space Together,’ and for some of the students, coming to America and doing this was the dream of a lifetime,” said Shelton, who helped with the fundraising to pay the $700 tuition cost per student for the space camp. “The Sister City program, especially with the kids, gives everyone the opportunity to have a sharing, learning and, appreciation of each other. We also know that space is important to Israel.”
Beit Shemesh is home to three AMIT schools whose students were tapped for the trip. Because of its location in the so-called periphery, these AMIT schools are bringing cutting-edge curriculum and 21st century opportunities to students that might not otherwise have access. The space camp trip fit in perfectly with what AMIT does, emphasizing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and other related subjects.
The Israeli students – five girls and four boys – all 10th graders, also became de facto ambassadors, representing their schools, city, and Israel.
“We are just over the moon,” said Rachelle Goodman whose son, Eitan, 15, a student at AMIT Dvir Junior and Senior High School, was among the students. “What a wonderful opportunity and a huge chance to learn.”
Eitan, a physics and computer science major who wants to become an air force pilot and perhaps explore a career in space, echoed the excitement. He told AMIT magazine before leaving for Florida that he was most anticipating riding in a flight simulator. (Spoiler alert: He loved it!)
While the Kennedy space camp was the centerpiece of the trip, because of the timing, the students were treated to an American-style Hanukkah extravaganza, courtesy of Chabad of the Space & Treasure Coast in Satellite Beach, which held its annual Hanukkah parade on the holiday’s first night. It was a preview of the week to come because they met Winston Scott, a former NASA astronaut. What followed was a music festival, replete with a helicopter “gelt drop” and menorah lighting. At the concert, they listened to Hasidic rapper Nissim Black, who happens to live in Beit Shemesh.
The students did other pre-camp activities including, horseback riding, a barbecue meet-and-greet with the local students, airboating, and hitting the malls, as they geared up for the Monday through Friday 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily dose of everything space where they would learn about life on Mars, how to repair a crashed spacecraft, and what it feels like to walk in zero gravity.
“It was nonstop fun and nonstop learning,” said Avigayil S., 15, a student at AMIT Bellows Ulpanat Noga High School. “I never really thought about space that much before, and everything that goes on up there because it seems so far away,” said Avigayil, who spoke to AMIT magazine during her week in Florida. “But now that we’re here and surrounded by people with all the knowledge about space, it is super interesting to learn about a place that I never see but that is there.”
Among the highlights, the students got a chance to spend time in a simulator that replicated a shuttle take-off and ride through the atmosphere. They rode through “dust storms” and “turbulence” and “experienced frightening moments of lost communication.”
“They got the full experience,” said Rabbi Joel Fox, a member of Sister City and one of the chaperones in Florida. The two other adults who accompanied the students from Israel were Harley Stark, who works for the city of Beit Shemesh, and Orna Shapira, a science teacher at AMIT Noga.
“You can only imagine the thrill these kids had,” Rabbi Fox said.
From using the most sophisticated high-tech equipment to the most prosaic materials, the students engaged in various STEM activities that included creating an air rocket from a paper towel roll. “It seems like it would be like an elementary school project, but you really had to figure out how to engineer this thing so it would fly,” Rabbi Fox said.
They also “traveled” to Mars for the day and figured out how to live and work on the Martian surface, toured Cape Canaveral to see the rocket launch pads, and visited the Kennedy Space Center museum where they saw the section dedicated to Ilan Ramon, z”l, Israel’s first NASA-trained astronaut who died in 2003 when the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
One student, Maya A. who attends AMIT Shachar Junior and Senior High School, even celebrated her 16th birthday at space camp.
Eliezer M., 15, a student at AMIT Dvir majoring in physics and computer science, said it was “most fun flying and learning so much. I also really like meeting the American guys and seeing American culture. I was surprised and happy that some of them knew about the situation in Israel and that they cared about the welfare of Israel.”
Eitan G. said, “There is nothing like the simulator ride in Israel. I also thought it was interesting to learn about how the astronauts live and take care of themselves in space.”
Meital P., 15, a student at AMIT Noga majoring in physics and art, said in addition to the simulator, she enjoyed the Hanukkah celebration and parade.
Beit Shemesh councilman Zvi Wolicki, whose portfolio includes tourism, foreign relations, and the environment, said the students’ takeaway from the trip was huge. “They were blown away by the possibilities. They found the exposure to both the Jewish and non-Jewish communities in Florida beyond interesting, and they developed an understanding that there are cultures that differ greatly from ours and found appreciation for them.”
After the exceptional week, who knows what seeds were planted on this trip?
On the first night of Hanukkah, former astronaut Winston Scott made a prediction: “I have no doubt in my mind that one or more of these students will one day fly in space and get a chance to experience wonderful things.”
AMIT instills the message for its students to dream big. The sky’s the limit.
Why not beyond that?
Cover Photo Credit: FloridaToday.com
