Junior high students from Hand in Hand's Jerusalem campus took first place in a prestigious national science competition sponsored by the Ilan Ramon Foundation on Jan. 30.

Over the course of four months, Hand in Hand students advanced through three rounds of quiz questions focusing on astronomy and space, including a project about finding and extracting water on the moon. Our students made their presentations in both Hebrew and Arabic, the only school to do so and a first for the competition. 

Students from all over Israel participated in the competition, led by a team of prestigious scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science, Tel Aviv University and the Association of Israeli Astronauts. 

Ilan Ramon was an Israeli astronaut who died along with six other crew members aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 2003. The foundation established in his memory sponsors scientific research and education in Israel.

Thirty-one schools made it to the semifinals, 11 to the final round. Israeli and international scientists, astronauts and the widow of Ilan Ramon were present to watch the final round.

The 7th, 8th and 9th graders representing Hand in Hand were Alon Peled, Shaadi Ansari, Carmel Hess, Ben Mehta, Itay Gomelski, Adan Avid, Nimrod Davidov, Ariel Zelnov, Lior Cohen, Mahmood Karajeh and Emanuel Ohrbach. Science teachers Johan Mahmood and Baayan Abu Katish trained the team, assisted by IT specialist Maher Khatib and art teacher Ali Anati.

Congratulations, Jerusalem junior high! We are so proud of you.