Among the few teams advancing to the final playoffs at this year’s FIRST Robotics Championship in Houston was an Israeli high school robotics team from Modi’in, Israel, who had previously won Israel’s national competition. However, they withdrew from the competition the day before the finals and their letter explaining their decision, read over the loudspeakers, garnered a standing ovation from the crowd.
The finals were scheduled on the last day of the four-day event, a Saturday. To the Modi’in team, their choice was clear: They would not compete on Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, and their decision was met with respect, cheers and even admiration, for living by their values.
An official read a letter sent on Friday from Trigon 5990, the Israeli team, explaining their decision: “We come from a religious Jewish background and our faith is an integral part of who we are. Saturdays, Shabbat, have a special significance in the Jewish faith. It is a time when we disconnect and focus on our spiritual well-being, our families, G‑d and our communities. Because of this, our team will not be present and competing during the remainder of the competition. We encourage you to visit our pit to learn more. … We wish all teams the very best of luck in the competition.”
After reading the letter, the announcer concluded with, “Thank you, Trigon 5590!” prompting a massive round of applause, and adding, “Thank you, Trigon, for giving us a very important reminder about the importance of things outside of robotics.”
Over the past year, aspiring scientists and engineers from 3,000 high schools across 60 countries have been preparing for the FIRST Robotics Championship in Houston. The event, which began in 1992, attracts college recruiters, scientists and high-tech entrepreneurs from around the world.
The Israel contingent at the competition, comprising hundreds of students from 16 teams, had their Jewish needs catered to during the week by Rabbi Chaim Lazaroff, co-director of Chabad of Uptown Houston, and Rabbi Meni Raichik, co-director of Chabad of Houston’s Israeli Center.
Proud Parents Cite Values
Parents of team members expressed pride in their children’s values. “My son Rafi … is part of Trigon 5990. Super proud of the whole team,” wrote Suzanne Yantin on Facebook. “They had a brilliant week and an amazing experience and won an engineering design award.”
Jordana Young, another mother of a student on the team, shared her thoughts on a robotics forum: “As parents, we knew that our kids would not be able to finish up the competition today … . The boys, being raised in this faith, inherently understood this, too.”
“This week has been an incredible lifetime experience for them,” she concluded. “It served to underscore their commitment to faith and to give them the skills they will need to navigate a world where our values are not always accommodated.”
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