Now that everyone has returned safely, we can finally share – this month marked the return of the third and final delegation of the current academic year from Germany, after a week of learning, research, and an unforgettable international experience!
The delegation included around 29 students alongside staff members from the Schwartz/Reisman Centers for Science Education across campuses throughout Israel.
As part of the trip, the students visited Dresden and the DESY (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron) research center in Hamburg – one of the world’s leading institutions in particle physics, astrophysics, chemistry, and biology – with which we maintain a successful and meaningful collaboration. The program also included a visit and activities at the European XFEL research facility.
This year’s delegation marked an especially exciting milestone for the Schwartz/Reisman Foundation – for the first time, students from the Akko center and the Kfar Saba center took part in the program! Coming from different schools, the students connected through a shared curiosity and passion for science, becoming one community of learning and exploration.
The rich scientific program included tours of DESY’s main research facilities, including the particle accelerator and the PETRA III synchrotron facility – one of the most advanced in the world. During the visit, students attended lectures by leading Israeli researchers, including Prof. Meital Landau, Maya Topf, and Edgar Weckert, and participated in science and engineering activities at DESY as well as laboratory tours.
At European XFEL – one of the most powerful X-ray research facilities in the world – students divided into groups and took part in guided tours and hands-on laboratory activities in physics and biology, including sessions on “The Invisible World of X-rays” and “Tracking Viruses.”
Alongside the scientific program, the delegation also included visits to sites in Berlin and Hamburg, as well as shared time that encouraged new friendships and connections between students from different centers and schools… (and we discovered there are teenagers who actually stay up late to play group games – not just scroll TikTok 😉).
We are proud of our students for their participation, curiosity, and outstanding representation – and excited to see how experiences like these continue to connect students, deepen exposure to cutting-edge scientific research, and inspire learning beyond the classroom!
