Posted on 05/09/25
Bais Yaakov of Baltimore is making waves in the world of STEM – once again!
Baltimore, MD - May 8, 2025 - At the recent CIJE Spring Robotics Competition in Passaic, New Jersey, our incredible students took home both first-place trophies, showing the East Coast what innovation, creativity, and teamwork really look like.
Facing off with 12 schools and 50 robots from cities ranging from Boston to Atlanta, our talented teams rose to the top. Seven of our robots made it to the final round, and the 8th-grade teams clinched both first place top spots.
Some standout highlights? One of our 8th-grade teams scored a national high of 109 points – and Shani Rothschild shattered records with a jaw-dropping leaderboard score of 184, the highest in the entire country!!
A total of 37 amazing students participated – 16 from 7th grade and 21 from 8th grade – all representing Bais Yaakov with skill, determination, and beautiful middos. A huge shoutout to our incredible coaches: 7th Grade Coach – Mrs. Tanya Gerstman, and our 8th Grade Coaches – Mrs. Rochelle Goldberg and Assistant Coach Miss Chana Grier, along with high school mentors Shana Gross and Aidee Moss, all under the inspiring leadership of Program Supervisor, Mrs. Gitti Horowitz. A special thank-you to Dr. Joey Saltzman, our CIJE liaison and advisor.
The Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE) is a national organization dedicated to bringing high-quality STEM education to Jewish schools across the country. CIJE inspires the next generation of Jewish innovators through hands-on robotics, engineering, coding, and technology-based learning. Thanks to its support and vision, our students are not only learning how to build robots — they’re learning how to think critically, solve real-world problems, and lead with creativity and confidence.
This victory isn’t just a one-time win – it’s part of a legacy. For four years running, Bais Yaakov’s 8th-grade teams have taken first place at every single CIJE Robotics Competition – both winter and spring. That’s what we call STEM excellence!
Mazal Tov to the entire Bais Yaakov Robotics Team – we're so proud of you!
Our 7th Grade Robotics Girls:
Elisheva Copeland
Nechama Feldman
Bella Chaya Gedalius
Suri Goldfinger
Miri Goldman
Zoey Gross
Devorah Lesser
Meira Lewin
Tikva Niknava
Chana Leah Perelmutter
Bracha Leah Pickett
Ariella Ribakow
Batya Schoenfeld
Aleeza Schulman
Michal Spero
Essie Verschleisser
Our 8th Grade Robotics Girls:
Miriam Ansbacher
Tirtza Bilek
Esterli Bushwick
Ahuva Feldman
Emuna Felps
Aviva Golburgh
Shira Haber
Miki Herman
Perri Klein
Tehilla Levin
Malkie Lipnitsky
Esther Luxenberg
Huvie Pass
Hila Roth
Shani Rothschild
Shira Safren
Leah Shnaidman
Devorah Leah Weiner
Chaya Yasnyi
Huvie Zalesch
Kayla Zuckerbrod