The Robotics team at the Abraham and Sara Silber Middle School at Yeshiva of South Shore achieved an extraordinary milestone, placing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd overall at the recent CIJE VEX Robotics Competition, organized by CIJE.
YOSS entered seven robots, designed and built by 23 middle-school 7th and 8th graders, into a highly competitive field of 31 robots representing many yeshivos throughout the tri-state area. Each robot team consisted of three to four students, all working collaboratively to engineer machines capable of speed, precision, and durability under pressure.
From the very start of the competition, the YOSS team led by Moshe Shuman’s robot set the tone. Scoring over 100 points early on, the robot surged ahead and maintained a commanding position, consistently ranking between first and second place throughout ten intense preliminary rounds. Each round paired two robots into an alliance—sometimes with competitors from other yeshivos, and at other times with fellow YOSS teams—adding an unpredictable and thrilling strategic element to every match.
As the competition progressed, tension mounted. Nail-biting rounds saw YOSS’s second- and third-place robots steadily climb the leaderboard, powering through match after match to secure spots in the Top 16 robots advancing to the finals. The championship round—a fast-paced 90-second showdown—featured a high score of 148 points, underscoring the elite level of engineering and strategy on display.
Behind this success lies months of dedication. The students devoted countless lunch breaks to planning, building, testing, debugging, rebuilding, and practicing. Through repeated trial and error, they learned firsthand that engineering is an iterative process—requiring patience, precision, and perseverance to refine every articulation, optimize speed, and reinforce structural integrity.
The Robotics program is coached by Mrs. Elisheva Pinsky, who has been an educator at YOSS for 22 years. While she guided students through the engineering and programming process, she is quick to credit the boys themselves.
“The success belongs to the students,” Mrs. Pinsky shared. “They showed extraordinary dedication, teamwork, and grit. The skills they’ve developed—problem-solving, collaboration, and a deep understanding of engineering principles—will stay with them for life.”
The podium sweep was more than a competitive victory; it was a celebration of learning, perseverance, and the power of hands-on STEM education. YOSS is incredibly proud of its Robotics team for representing the school with excellence, innovation, and determination.