Etgar brings more than 100 pupils together for flagship Israel Challenge

Etgar, the UK’s leading provider of Jewish and Israel education for schoolchildren, brought together more than 100 students from seven schools on Wednesday 22 April for its largest-ever Etgar Israel Challenge, a flagship programme designed to deepen pupils’ knowledge of Israel while celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut and Israel’s 78th birthday.

Aimed at students in Years 8 and 9, the competition – traditionally held at Wembley – tests participants on Israel’s history, geography and contemporary realities. This year they were also invited to design a travelling exhibition of Israeli art and design and create model gardens dedicated to the people of Israel.

The event also featured a moving address from Eytan, an injured IDF soldier visiting the UK with Beit Halochem, who shared his story of resilience and spoke about the people who had inspired him through his recovery.

The day ended with singing, dancing and a celebratory barbecue, with City of London School taking first place overall, a team from Bushey’s Immanuel College winning the award for the travelling art exhibition, and Borehamwood’s Yavneh College winning the garden design reward for its “sensory garden”.

Jo Rosenfelder, founding trustee and acting chief executive of Etgar, said the challenge “shows what high-quality Israel education can look like when it is rigorous, creative and rooted in real engagement. Young people need knowledge, confidence and nuance if they are to understand Israel seriously and speak about it with clarity.”

She added: “At Etgar, the aim is not simply to deliver a one-day event, but to help shape a generation of informed, thoughtful and articulate young Jews. It is deeply encouraging to see students engage with Israel’s story in such a mature, imaginative and committed way.”

Since Etgar’s inception in 2013, European Jewry’s biggest educational event has seen more than 10,000 children in the UK take part, and over 15,000 worldwide.