By , Special to JTNews
More than 50 people gathered at Temple B’nai Torah, May 6 to hear and participate in an interactive scientific presentation entitled, “Making Sense of the Senses.”
The presenter, Dr. Moshe Rishpon, is the mastermind behind the Clore Garden of Science at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. Rishpon’s demonstration of basic scientific principles through humorous “experiments” with volunteers from the audience kept everyone entertained. Rishpon invited everyone in the audience to come to Israel and spend a day at the Institute in the Garden of Science, the first entirely outdoor interactive science educational center in the world.
While working towards his Ph.D. in nuclear physics at the Institute, Dr. Rishpon became involved in establishing extracurricular science education activities there. In 1972, he was invited to form and direct the Youth Activities Section, which coordinates all existing activities and develops the potential within the Weizmann Institute for further development of science education. In 1999, he received the first Award for Innovation from the International Association of Science and Technology Centers. The award recognizes the Garden’s unique capacity to illustrate the physical properties of nature in a natural environment. George Moynihan, Director of the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, was a member of the international selection panel. The Weizmann Institute develops the science curricula for all students in grades K—12 in Israel.
The Weizmann Institute of Science is a leading center of scientific research and graduate study. Its community of some 2,500 scientists, scientists-in-training and support staff is engaged in more than 1,000 projects across the spectrum of contemporary science. For more information about the Institute, to arrange a visit or to get on the mailing list, call the Pacific Northwest office at 206-328-5157 or e-mail [email protected].