SpaceIL founders Yariv Bash, Kfir Damari, and Yonatan Weintraub. Photo: SpaceIL.

JNS.org – The Chicago-based iCenter, a national Israel education organization, has teamed up with SpaceIL, an Israeli nonprofit seeking to land the first Israeli spacecraft on the Moon, to develop a series of educational materials to engage North American Jewish students in Israeli science, technology, and space flight.

SpaceIL is the only Israeli team currently competing in the Google Lunar X Prize competition to become the first team to successfully land a robotic spacecraft on the Moon and send pictures back to Earth.

Anne Lanski, executive director of the iCenter, said in a statement that SpaceIL “represents an unprecedented opportunity to engage North American Jewish youth in an inspiring narrative of contemporary Israel.”

“At a time when Jewish educators and communal leaders are eager to connect youth with the richness, diversity, and sophistication of contemporary Israeli life, SpaceIL provides a unique portal, showcasing the leadership and ingenuity of Israelis in science and technology, and the Israeli spirit of overcoming long odds to accomplish great things,” Lanski said.