Scholars

The Shifra Hanon Pathfinders Department Summer Scholars Program is a unique opportunity for students to undertake an independent research project in a field of their choosing over the summer.

The program, coordinated by Pathfinders Counselor Emily Anteby, empowers students to take ownership of their learning while creating a product that can be continuously built upon.

This summer, nine students were accepted into the program and dedicated their time to research and create independent projects. The students were paired with

Here are summaries of the nine projects:

• DAVID BALLEH wrote a philosophical essay intending to answer the question of Fate vs. Free Will using different verses from the Tanakh.

• ROBYN BEYDA researched the origins of the American Dream and the psychology and history behind it. She looked into the political philosophies that preceded the foundation of our country and how the “dream” has taken shape over the years.

• ELISHA KAHAN researched the mathematics of Rubik’s Cubes and similar puzzles, and investigated four computer programs that simulate and experiment with the Square-1, the Pocket Cube, and the Rubik’s Clock.

• SALOMON KAMAGI researched how to create an NFT (non-fungible token), a digital asset that can come in the form of art, music, videos and more. He looked into how to find success in the NFT market by studying financial websites and statistical pages. Salomon also personally reached out to research specialists.

Summerappropriate mentors in their respective fields of interest, with whom they met on a weekly basis in August. The mentors guided the students throughout their research, and offered them invaluable advice and feedback. These research projects were a great addition to all of the students’ college portfolios.

Students were asked to dedicate a full eight weeks to their research project and join group meetings throughout the summer, with the goal of presenting their final project to family and friends at the Summer Scholars Symposium. At the Symposium, held this past October at the high school, students made posters explaining their research project and spoke to guests about their findings.

As a fitting gift for their summer diligence, all participating students were given a book signed by their mentor that was specifically geared towards their research project. YOF is extremely proud of these students who took on this challenging opportunity to grow intellectually in their spare time.

• RIVKAH LAHAV took samples of electricity from plants and analyzed them in order to find

• SOPHIA MADEB wrote a book about how a young adult dealt with her mental illness and chose how to say a final good bye to her family and friends. Sophia is working on getting her book professionally published.

• MOSHE MIZRAHI researched cryptocurrency trading indicators and algorithmic trading. He created a Python trading bot that can make trades.

• SOPHIA SALEM researched how the brain registers and processes color and what causes someone to become color-blind.

• JAMIE SHAMAH researched mental illnesses and composed a children’s book called “In My Mind”. She studied the science behind severe disorders and recognized the challenges that many children face.