Ramaz hosted its first (virtual) "Greater Good Summit" this week featuring leading environmental and cultural change-makers who shared how they turned their dedication to helping others into global action. The virtual summit caps off our Middle School students' interdisciplinary exploration of peace and justice through social, political, environmental, and Jewish lenses - for our community, our country, and the world. The entire program aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Some 200 Middle School students attended this virtual conference, with students introducing each speaker and connecting their work to the UN goals, and learning how these individuals are raising awareness and creating a call to action surrounding some of the most pressing issues of poverty, climate change, and others facing our society....

Yariv Bash, co-founder of SpaceIL, which sent Israel's first unmanned spacecraft, Beresheet, to the moon in 2019, shared his insight on teamwork and resilience with Middle School students this week. Friends of Access Israel (led by Ramaz alumnus Jamie Lassner) sponsored the live talk on Facebook. Mr. Bash is also CEO of the Israeli drone startup, Flytrek, which began as a supplier for drone manufacturers and hobbyists and has evolved into a delivery service. Since then, the company has begun small-scale test routes in the U.S., in North Carolina and North Dakota and is waiting for approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to be recognized as an unmanned air carrier.