Celebrating Jewish Unity and Innovation at the 8th Annual CAJE Jewish Day School Robotics Festival
Posted on 06/06/2025 @ 06:00 AM
Last month Scheck Hillel Community School once again played host to a vibrant and inspiring event: the 8th Annual CAJE Jewish Day School Robotics Festival, supported by the Eleanor M. and Herbert D. Katz Foundation.
Over 230 students from 12 Jewish day schools across South Florida gathered to showcase their creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration skills in a fun and friendly robotics competition.
The festival marks the culmination of a year of hands-on STEM learning through CAJE’s Jewish Day School Robotics Program — a flagship initiative that introduces robotics, coding, and engineering into Jewish day schools across the tri-county area.
Entering its ninth year, the program has grown from a small pilot with three schools into a robust initiative involving 14–16 schools and impacting more than 300 students annually.
Throughout the year, students from our participating schools worked in teams with the FIRST LEGO League Challenge Mat, which features a new engineering theme and set of missions each season.
In addition, students had the opportunity to explore CAJE’s custom-designed Israel: Land of Innovation mat, which connects robotics to the story of Israel’s contributions to technology and innovation.
This unique component brings a Jewish lens to STEM learning, reinforcing pride in Israel’s achievements, while deepening students’ knowledge and engagement.
This year’s participating schools included: Brauser Maimonides Academy, David Posnack Jewish Day School, Donna Klein Jewish Academy, Hebrew Academy (RASG), Innovative School of Temple Beth Sholom, Lehrman Community Day School, Lubavitch Educational Center, Meyer Preparatory Academy, Rambam Day School, Scheck Hillel Community School, South Florida Jewish Academy, Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes.
With the guidance of our talented local coach, Ilana Traub, and the leadership of committed educators at each school, students developed real-world skills in engineering, coding, and teamwork.
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More than just an academic exercise, the Robotics Program inspires curiosity, boosts student confidence, and cultivates a growth mindset.
For some participating schools, the program introduces formal STEM programming for the first time, while for others, it enhances and adds depth to existing STEM efforts through a project-based, interdisciplinary model that touches on math, science, engineering, technology, and even Jewish studies.
Regardless of where they’re starting, students benefit from a learning environment that is engaging, collaborative, and deeply rooted in both Jewish values and 21st-century skills.
Educators across the network praised the impact of the program. Mrs. Angie Lopez, Middle School Math Teacher at Hebrew Academy (RASG), shared:
“Thank you for such an enriching and exciting experience for our students and for the year-long effort and dedication.”
Rabbi Yaakov Garfinkel, Middle School Boys Principal at Lubavitch Educational Center, added a moving reflection:
“Some of our students who struggle in other academic areas thrived in this Robotics program. It was life-changing for them and for us to see them shine and build confidence in ways we hadn’t seen before. Thank you for everything!”
The CAJE Robotics Festival is not only a celebration of learning but also a powerful expression of Jewish unity.
In a time marked by division, the event brings together students and educators from diverse denominational backgrounds in a shared pursuit of innovation, creativity, and excellence in Jewish education.
CAJE remains committed to expanding access to high-quality STEM learning opportunities in Jewish day schools.
To learn more about the CAJE Jewish Day School Robotics Program, please contact Audrey Maman Bensoussan at audreymaman@caje-miami.org.
