Students from City of London School have taken the gold medal for the second year running in the annual Etgar Israel Challenge.
Over 100 students – a record number – from seven schools came together to take on the challenge and celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut.
The day-long event saw the Year 8 and 9 students tackle a question paper on Israel’s history, geography, and contemporary realities. They also designed and created travelling exhibitions of Israeli art and model gardens dedicated to the people of Israel.
Students participating in the day-long challenge (photo: Etgar)[Missing Credit]
Eliav Morris, 12, from the winning team, said: “It was a real privilege to be able to take part in Etgar this year. We did have some pressure to retain City’s winning streak, but we pulled it off!”.
His teammate Aaron Coren, 13, added: “Thanks to all the Etgar organisers for a fabulous day!”.
Eliav Morris (left) and Aaron Coren study the Etgar Israel Challenge booklet (Photo: Etgar)[Missing Credit]
Meanwhile, a team of students from Immanuel College – whose future has recently been rescued with nearly £13 million of new funding – won the award for the travelling art exhibition.
An Immanuel pupil with the team's winning travelling art exhibition at Etgar Israel 2026 (Photo: Etgar)[Missing Credit]
The best garden award went to Yavneh College.
Etgar’s acting CEO Jo Rosenfelder said that the challenge “shows what high-quality Israel education can look like when it is rigorous, creative, and rooted in real engagement”.
End-of-day singing and dancing for Yom Ha'atzmaut (photo: Etgar)[Missing Credit]
“Young people need knowledge, confidence, and nuance if they are to understand Israel seriously and speak about it with clarity,” she continued.
“It is deeply encouraging to see students engage with Israel’s story in such a mature, imaginative and committed way.”
The day also featured a speech from an injured IDF soldier, Eytan, who was visiting the UK with the support of Beit Halochem and spoke about those who had inspired him throughout his recovery. It concluded with singing, dancing, and a barbecue.
To find out more about Etgar, click here.
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