BY ANAT ROSENBERG
Israel takes great pride in its reputation as “Start-Up Nation” and its culture of innovation. Yet as Dan Senor, co-author of the book “Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle,” once said, “a key lesson from Israel is that innovation is not just something that goes on inside companies; it comes from a wider culture that fosters both innovation and entrepreneurship.”
More and more, that culture can be found in Israel’s educational system, including the AMIT network, which encourages students to focus on STEM subjects, as well as in extracurricular programs that work to nurture gifted and talented students, particularly in math, science, and technology fields.
One of those students is Niv Peleg, a 9th-grade student at AMIT Gwen Straus Jr. and Sr. Science High School for Boys, who is on the national team for youth mathematics and is also enrolled in a program in which he takes high-level courses in math and computer programming at the university.
The program, called Odyssey, is a joint initiative run by the Maimonides Fund’s Future Scientists Center with the Education Ministry’s department for gifted and talented students and the National Cyber Bureau within the Prime Minister’s Office. It was originally the brainchild of former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, and it aims to foster a new generation of Israeli leaders in the fields of science and technology.
Peleg is certainly up for the challenge. “If it were easy, I wouldn’t be doing this,” he said of his participation in Odyssey, which requires him to attend 10 hours of class at Tel Aviv University, do 15 to 20 hours of homework per week, and take exams—and that’s in addition to his regular school work.
“I really enjoy mathematics, and thinking about problems for days until I solve them,” he said.
Peleg’s gift for math has been apparent since the 5th grade, when he and his family were living in California and his father was among the many Israelis working in Silicon Valley. That’s when he first took part in a mathematical Olympiad and was a member of his school’s math club.
After he finished 7th grade, Peleg’s family moved back to Israel, where he chose to enroll at AMIT Gwen Straus, in the science and technology track, because he heard the school was strong in math and the sciences.
Last year, when he was in the 8th grade, Peleg signed up for a math competition at the school, where he saw fliers for the Odyssey program and similar extracurricular activities. He decided to apply—a process that entails submitting the application and a recommendation and taking several rounds of tests—and was accepted.
Peleg recently completed his first semester of the program, focusing on mathematics and cyber. This year, he and his classmates are learning discrete mathematics, the Python programming language, computer communications, and also about subjects like Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.
Participation in Odyssey continues through 12th grade, and also includes workshops and intensive seminars during vacations. Students who take part acquire knowledge, research skills, and the ability to deal with complex problems, while accumulating academic credit. They can choose to defer army service for one year and continue the program in order to complete their undergraduate degree.
“We take the bagrut material to a higher level,” said Peleg, who at this point sees himself deferring military service for a year in order to obtain a degree. “We solve questions and problems that are much more complex and require more out-of-the-box thinking.”
Peleg’s participation in Odyssey takes up a great deal of his time—so much so that he said he hardly has any time to do his schoolwork. “I do my homework during breaks, and I barely study for my exams, but thank G-d my grades are good.”
He also said that his teachers at Gwen Straus, especially his math and computer teachers, are extremely supportive of his participation in Odyssey, and even allow him to leave class so that he has extra time to devote to his homework for the program.
At the same time, they also see beyond his academic excellence and commend him for his inner strength and Jewish values.
“Niv returned to Israel after almost nine years in America, when he was in 8th grade, which is not an easy feat and yet he integrated into the class beautifully,” said Rabbi Sagi Rosenbaum, principal of Gwen Straus’ science and technology track.
“He is a wonderful student in math, but above all he is a wonderful person, friend, and ben Torah. He is a high achiever, but very modest.”
So when does this 14-year-old have fun? Peleg said that he plays soccer or hangs out with friends on Thursday nights. He also takes part in the Bnei Akiva youth movement, and used to play basketball with a local Ra’anana team.
“I stopped playing basketball when I started Odyssey,” Peleg said. “I miss it because it was fun, but I prefer to be in the program because I wasn’t that good. I have a future with what I’m learning in the program; I definitely didn’t have a future in basketball,” he said with a laugh.
