Shira Gross, a senior student at the Amit Givat Shmuel Ulpana, won a silver medal at the International Biology Olympiad (IBO), held this year in the Philippines. Her achievement earned not only international recognition but also admiration for her steadfast commitment to modesty and faith throughout the competition.
Gross's conduct during the medal ceremony and all related events reflected her deep personal values, turning her success into an inspiring example of integrity and purpose.
The prestigious competition brought together 298 students from 77 countries. Israel was represented by a team of four students trained at Tel Aviv University for Youth and the Faculty of Life Sciences, under the academic leadership of Prof. Abdelsalam Azam. The delegation was led by head coach Dr. Yair Pozniak and accompanied by Avinoam Retzvi, Natasha Shpolanski, and Dr. Carmel Bar.
This isn’t Shira’s first major achievement. She recently won a gold medal in Israel’s national Biology Olympiad and has been a member of Israel’s international biology team for four consecutive years—a group that includes the top high school biology students in the country.
Reflecting on her experience, Shira said: “Participating in this year’s Olympiad deepened my appreciation for the miracle of living in the State of Israel, how nothing should be taken for granted. Behind every miracle is hard work, and that effort doesn’t make it any less miraculous. On the contrary, it makes the miracle personal, something we own. That’s how I feel about both this victory and the country I am so proud to represent.”
Rabbi Gilad Lewis, head of the Ulpana, praised Shira’s achievement: “We are incredibly proud of Shira, not only for her dedication and success, but for maintaining her spiritual values throughout. She has continued her studies at the Techelet Midrasha with deep commitment, using her many talents in service of the people and State of Israel. This is the essence of our educational mission: to strive for excellence in both sacred and secular fields, and to use that excellence to better the world.”