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By Itzhak Rabihiya

President Reuven Rivlin welcomed today, Tuesday 3 December representatives of the the Israeli delegations to the International Physics, Chemistry, Mathematical and Informatics Olympiads. Minister of Education Rabbi Rafi Peretz, Director General of the Ministry of Education Shmuel Abuav and writer Meir Shalev also participated in the event.

The Israeli science teams have been trained as a joint initiative of the Ministry of Education and the Maimonides Fund’s Future Scientists Center. Training takes place at Israel’s leading universities in the school year leading up to the International Olympiads, which are held in the summer in different countries across the world.

The president spoke to each one of the competitors and heard which school they came from, in which field they are competing and their  hobbies, and congratulated them warmly. “You are ‘brain sportspeople’”, he said, “Your knowledge and wisdom are long-distance runners. Like the best Olympians, you need special qualities to get the gold: dedication, determination, will-power and skill, as well as a love for your subject.”

The president added that a few months ago, Israel hosted the 50th International Physics Olympiad, saying, “you talented youth are the face of the State of Israel, embodying the enormous potential we have in fields that can change the world.”

Minister of Education Rabbi Rafi Peretz: “Regarding the results published today, I would like to say that we aim that the teams you are part of will have boys and girls, from the center and the periphery of the country, from all sectors and populations. It is possible. That is our mission and those are our values. Scientific discoveries and developments from our country are reverberating around the world today. In the fields of medicine, computers, water, biology, agriculture – we are making a mark in practically every scientific field. You are the scientists of the future and our job is to continue to give you the tools for success, because your contribution to the country is enormous. Each one of you is a champion and an inspiration. Even if you did not achieve what you aimed for, you can hold your heads high with pride and look forward because a bright future awaits. My congratulations to the medalists. I trust you will use your knowledge for the good of the State of Israel.”

Attached photo credit: Mark Neiman (GPO)