Dozens of Jewish Techies Advance to State Fair
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Dozens of Jewish Techies Advance to State Fair

By Atlanta Jewish Times February 17, 2016, 5:00 pm Edit
The AJA Lower School has 28 participants in the tech fair: back row (from left), Deena Glusman, Bobbi Sloan, Zellik Silverberg, Daliya Wallenstein, Ilan Benamram, Adam Berkowitz, Lillian Zaidel and Ethan Rice; third row (from left), Noa Rudisch, Ian Yagoda, Sophie Knapp, Jordan Joel, Zachary Amdur, Shiraz Agichtein, Hannah Mandel and Paulina Lebowitz; second row (left), Yoni Kassorla, Ben Goldberg, Sammy Lebowitz, Amishai Weismark and Zachary Agichtein; and front row (from left), Kayla Joel, Sam Wachtel, Gabriella Schakett, Ethan Rolnick, Kayla Feingold, Kayla Wallenstein and Justin Rolnick.
The AJA Lower School has 28 participants in the tech fair: back row (from left), Deena Glusman, Bobbi Sloan, Zellik Silverberg, Daliya Wallenstein, Ilan Benamram, Adam Berkowitz, Lillian Zaidel and Ethan Rice; third row (from left), Noa Rudisch, Ian Yagoda, Sophie Knapp, Jordan Joel, Zachary Amdur, Shiraz Agichtein, Hannah Mandel and Paulina Lebowitz; second row (left), Yoni Kassorla, Ben Goldberg, Sammy Lebowitz, Amishai Weismark and Zachary Agichtein; and front row (from left), Kayla Joel, Sam Wachtel, Gabriella Schakett, Ethan Rolnick, Kayla Feingold, Kayla Wallenstein and Justin Rolnick.
The Epstein School has 19 winners advancing to the state technology competition March 5: back row (from left), Jonah Katz, Maya Kahn, Galya Fischer, Matthew Neuberger and Jacob Greenwald; middle row (from left), Dylan Wendt, Lila Ross, Jessica Covin, Barri Seitz, Lindsay Greenwald, Shai Bachar and Gavin Brown; and front row (from left), Foster Berlin, Andrew Frank, Jordan Leff, Elliott Furie, Naomi Furie, Leo Silver and Sophie Carmel.
The Epstein School has 19 winners advancing to the state technology competition March 5: back row (from left), Jonah Katz, Maya Kahn, Galya Fischer, Matthew Neuberger and Jacob Greenwald; middle row (from left), Dylan Wendt, Lila Ross, Jessica Covin, Barri Seitz, Lindsay Greenwald, Shai Bachar and Gavin Brown; and front row (from left), Foster Berlin, Andrew Frank, Jordan Leff, Elliott Furie, Naomi Furie, Leo Silver and Sophie Carmel.

More than 200 tech-savvy Jewish students competed in the 12th annual North Atlanta Jewish Students Technology Fair on Sunday, Jan. 24, at the Weber School.

The 16 competition categories range from game design and robotics to digital photography and 3D modeling in age groups from third grade to 12th grade. First-place winners in each category and age group move on to the state-level competition, the Georgia Educational Technology Fair, on Saturday, March 5, in Macon.

The regional tech fair is held on a Sunday to avoid forcing Jewish students to compete during Shabbat. Because the state competition is on a Saturday, the students are allowed to submit their entries via video.

Winning entries in the regional fair came from students at Atlanta Jewish Academy, Davis Academy, Epstein School, Torah Day School of Atlanta, Weber School, Druid Hills High School and North Springs Charter High School.

Davis had 15 projects created by a total of 21 students win first-place ribbons to give the school bragging rights. Close behind were Epstein with 11 first-place projects produced by 19 students and AJA with 13 first-place projects from 13 students.

Epstein’s state qualifiers for Grades 3 and 4 are Shai Bachar in device modification, Jessica Covin and Foster Berlin in Internet applications, Sophie Carmel and Leo Silver in mobile apps, Elliott Furie and Naomi Furie in multimedia, Andrew Frank in robotics, and Lila Ross and Lindsay Greenwald in video production. For fifth- and sixth-graders, Epstein’s first-place finishers are Gavin Brown and Dylan Wendt in device modification, Jacob Greenwald and Matthew Neuberger in game design, Jonah Katz and Jordan Leff in robotics, and Barri Seitz in the technology literacy challenge. Maya Kahn and Galya Fischer are the regional champs among seventh- and eighth-graders in animation.

Dan Jutan from the AJA Upper School is the winner of three categories: technology literacy challenge, Internet applications and tech programming challenge.
Dan Jutan from the AJA Upper School is the winner of three categories: technology literacy challenge, Internet applications and tech programming challenge.

AJA has the top individual winner: Dan Jutan, who won blue ribbons in three categories (technology literacy challenge, Internet applications and tech programming challenge) among 11th- and 12th-graders. Also earning multiple first-place finishes for AJA are Shaun Regenbaum, who won 3D modeling and animation for the same age group; and the team of Ben Goldberg and Yoni Kassorla, who won audio production and non-multimedia applications among fifth- and sixth-graders.

Both Jutan and Regenbaum are high school juniors, and AJA Director of Technology Sue Loubser said their projects “were some of the best I have seen our students create.”

AJA’s other state qualifiers are Zach Agichtein in animation (Grades 3 and 4), Shiraz Agichtein in graphic design (Grades 5 and 6), Daliya Wallenstein and Sophie Knapp in project programming (Grades 5 and 6), Lillian Zaidel and Noa Rudisch in 3D modeling (Grades 5 and 6), Paulina Lebowitz in digital photo production (Grades 7 and 8), and Bobbi Sloan and Deena Glusman in non-multimedia applications (Grades 7 and 8).

Second-place finishers for AJA are Simon Stein and Zellik Silverberg in 3D modeling (Grades 3 and 4), Caroline Cranman and Kayla Feingold in multimedia applications (Grades 3 and 4), Jordan Joel in 3D modeling (Grades 5 and 6), Shiraz Agichtein and Margalit Lytton in game design (Grades 5 and 6), and Sammy Lebowitz in project programming (Grades 5 and 6).

AJA Upper School winner Shaun Regenbaum has two blue ribbons this year, for 3D modeling and animation. The animation project explains infinitesimals and nonstandard analysis in an intuitive way, the same approach for which Regenbaum was a national finalist for a $250,000 prize with a video in the fall.
AJA Upper School winner Shaun Regenbaum has two blue ribbons this year, for 3D modeling and animation. The animation project explains infinitesimals and nonstandard analysis in an intuitive way, the same approach for which Regenbaum was a national finalist for a $250,000 prize with a video in the fall.

Double winner Regenbaum also claimed a third place in the technology literacy challenge, along with the Cranman-Feingold team in animation, Joel in digital photo production, Zach Agichtein and Kayla Wallenstein in game design (Grades 3 and 4), Zachary Amdur in game design (Grades 5 and 6), and Ethan Rice in 3D modeling (Grades 7 and 8).

“As technology becomes more commonplace, our students are using increasingly complex projects to show off their skills,” Loubser said. “We look forward to seeing our students compete at the state level.”

She and Michael Chalmers of the Weber School serve as co-chairs for the region.

Weber also has two double winners among the six students taking seven projects to the state fair: freshmen Josh Glass in animation and game design and Isabel Berlin in multimedia applications and 3D modeling. Berlin teamed with former Epstein classmate Jared Rakusin, now at North Springs, on the 3D modeling project.

Rakusin is one of two students outside day schools who advanced to the state competition. The other, also among ninth- and 10th-graders, is Druid Hills’ Yoni Bachar in robotics.

Weber’s other winners are senior Amanda Kraun in digital photography for Grades 11 and 12, sophomore Justin Cobb and junior Levi Durham in robotics for Grades 11 and 12, and sophomore Isabelle Jacobs in the technology literacy challenge for Grades 9 and 10.

Weber Head of School Rabbi Ed Harwitz stands with multiple winner Isabel Berlin.
Weber Head of School Rabbi Ed Harwitz stands with multiple winner Isabel Berlin.

Jacobs and freshman Thomas Foodman placed second in robotics for the younger high school age group, as did Cobb in the technology literacy challenge.

Torah Day School, which is smaller and had fewer entrants, advanced one student to the state contest: Eli Litvin in Internet applications among fifth- and sixth-graders. In the same age group, Torah Day School’s Effy Freundlich and Noah Kalintz finished third in game design.

 

Davis’ state qualifiers for Grades 3 and 4 are Sylvie Bella Brown and Julia Moss, audio production; Jack Baylin and Maccabee Anderson, game design; Charlie Berss, 3D modeling; and Jake Martin, technology literacy challenge.

The Davis Academy Lower School’s nine first-place winners are (back row, from left) Adam Tepper, Jack Anderson, Connor Swislow and Jake Martin and (front row, from left) Julia Moss, Sylvie Bella Brown, Charlie Berss, Jack Baylin and Maccabee Anderson.
The Davis Academy Lower School’s nine first-place winners are (back row, from left) Adam Tepper, Jack Anderson, Connor Swislow and Jake Martin and (front row, from left) Julia Moss, Sylvie Bella Brown, Charlie Berss, Jack Baylin and Maccabee Anderson.

The winners among fifth- and sixth-graders are Adam Tepper, digital photo production; Jack Anderson and Connor Swislow, video production; Andrew Levingston, multimedia applications; and Eli Weiser, animation.

The Davis seventh- and eighth-graders advancing to the state contest are Derek Coffsky, video production; Caroline Goldman, multimedia applications; Jordan Liban, game design; Ethan Wolfson and Andrew Altmann, robotics; Jordan Liban and Jake Friedman, 3D modeling; Lucas Jannett and Stephen Rusnak, graphic design; and Matthew Aronin, technology literacy challenge.

The following Davis students finished in second: Ari Levi and Jack Tolk, animation (Grades 3 and 4); Micah Margolis and Etai Vajima, device modification (Grades 3 and 4); Jolie Levy and Sarah Meiselman, game design (Grades 3 and 4); Sarah Menis, robotics (Grades 3 and 4); Sydney Bressler and Dani Werbel, video production (Grades 3 and 4); Harrison Green, tech literacy challenge (Grades 3 and 4); Avery Friedman and Jenna Prass, video production (Grades 5 and 6); Jordan Palgon and Anna Baylin, digital photo production (Grades 5 and 6); Max Martin and Jake Martin, robotics (Grades 5 and 6); Alexa Warner, video production (Grades 5 and 6); Carson Wolff, tech literacy challenge (Grades 5 and 6); Bryan Kopkin, 3D modeling (Grades 7 and 8); Derek Coffsky, animation (Grades 7 and 8); Jordyn Rosenberg, multimedia applications (Grades 7 and 8); Isaac Goldman and Joey Rubanenko, robotics (Grades 7 and 8); and Lily Fleischmann, video production (Grades 7 and 8).

The Davis Academy Middle School students who finished in first place are (back row, from left) Andrew Levingston, Matthew Aronin, Andrew Altmann, Ethan Wolfson and Stephen Rusnak and (front row, from left) Eli Weiser, Derek Coffsky, Caroline Goldman, Jordan Liban, Jake Friedman and Lucas Jannett.
The Davis Academy Middle School students who finished in first place are (back row, from left) Andrew Levingston, Matthew Aronin, Andrew Altmann, Ethan Wolfson and Stephen Rusnak and (front row, from left) Eli Weiser, Derek Coffsky, Caroline Goldman, Jordan Liban, Jake Friedman and Lucas Jannett.

Davis’ third-place finishers are third-graders Gabriella Haviv and Kyra Russotto in video production; fourth-graders Ross Bernath in multimedia applications, Jordan Frank and Harrison Green in multimedia applications, Bradley Amato and Ari Levy in robotics, and Jordan Frank in the tech literacy challenge; fifth-graders Carson Wolff and Caleb Mahle in robotics and Connor Swislow in the tech literacy challenge; and seventh-grader Jake Friedman in the tech literacy challenge.

“This has been one of the biggest tech fairs,” Loubser said.  “We are very proud of all the students who competed.”

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