World
ON THE COVER
Photos by ORT Israel
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An outside view of ORT Rothschild Hashomron comprehensive High School in Binyaminia in northern Israel.
ORT Israel operates 162 schools.
ORT succeeds at spurring Israel's
economy, but splits over how to do it.
Josh Kram
Jewish Renaissance Media
Jerusalem
W
hen Richard Izsak, stra-
tegic planning director of
Coca-Cola's Eurasia Group,
announced in May at the American-
Israel Chamber of Commerce's Eagle Star
Gala that his company was building a
global center for innovation in Israel, he
explained that Coke's decision was based
on Israel being a unique incubator of
bright, raw talent.
"Innovation lives in the fabric and
soul of Israel," Izsak said. The center will
examine water usage, packaging and dis-
tribution, among other features crucial to
Coke's business.
Coca-Cola is not unique in its invest-
ment in Israel in an effort to harness Israeli
spirit and ingenuity. The biggest American
technology companies — Google,
Microsoft, Intel and Cisco Systems, to name
a few — have strong operations in Israel.
Israel has more companies listed on the
tech-heavy Nasdaq stock exchange than
any nation other than the United States.
According to columnist Thomas
Friedman in the New York Times last year,
venture capital firms poured $1.4 billion
into Israeli start-up companies, putting
Israel and its 7 million people in a league
with the world's two most populous coun-
tries, India and China.
Joel Rothschild, the director of ORT
Israel's Research and Development Center,
calls this 21st century Israel "the High-
Tech Holy Land."
Since 1949, ORT has been a fundamental
part of the Israeli educational system. By
combining government funding and inter-
national donations, ORT has built a system
of science and technology education that
has played a crucial role in Israel's devel-
opment as a high-tech superpower.
But just as Israel is reaching unprece-
dented heights in its tech-driven economy,
ORT has fractured. Late last year, ORT
Israel broke from the global network of
World ORT to operate its schools without
the funding or the interference ofr the
world organization. World ORT, including
ORT America, has responded by develop-
ing a science pilot program in at least 30
non-ORT Israeli public schools.
The result for now is that more Israelis
are benefiting from the ORT
approach of teaching cut-
ting-edge science so it can
be applied in the work force,
but ORT resources are being
stretched thinner.
A soccer-playing robot designed by ORT Givan Ram
students in Jerusalem. The robot came to the U.S. to
play in the Robocup soccer tournament.
Israel's Tech Teacher
ORT Israel is the largest educational net-
work in the country, with 162 schools that
emphasize science and technology A three-
day tour of high schools, technical schools
and colleges and meetings with students,
teachers, government officials and business
people in June provided a view behind the
curtain of Israel's educational system and
a better sense of how such a tiny nation
became and intends to sustain its position
as a technology powerhouse.
"Education is the most important issue
for Israel and the Jewish people Rabbi
Michael Melchior, the chairman of the
Knesset Education Committee, said in a
conference room in the parliament build-
ing. "Our people are our only resource'
He added that "21st century working
requires a 21st century education;' and
ORT Israel seems to be the pre-eminent
organization developing students to pro-
vide the horsepower of Israeli society.
Through relationships with the Israel
Defense Forces, academics and the high-
tech industry, ORT Israel combines a
practical technical education with an eye
toward absorption into the army, a univer-
sity or a job.
ORT Tel Nof High School is on the
grounds of the Tel Nof Air Force Base, one
of the three major air force bases in Israel,
near the town of Rehovot. Past the security
station and the dozens of soldiers mill-
ing about, a barracks-like building might
seem like a strange place to go to high
school, but this school is geared to prepare
its 470 students to serve in the Israeli
air force — not as pilots, but as aviation
mechanics, electricians or mechatroni-
cians, a discipline that combines mechan-
ics, electronics and computing.
ORT on page 20
August 16 • 2007
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