The Jewish Lyceum No. 144 named after Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, a leading educational institution of the Jewish Community of Dnipro, successfully performed at the All-Ukrainian Competition of Youth Creativity “Peaceful Space-2026.” In the section “Man. Earth. Universe,” Lev Kupyansky won a diploma of the first degree, and Nelli Proshchenko – a diploma of the third degree. Diplomas of the third degree were also awarded to Nadiia Shestakova in the section “Space Biology and Medicine” and Lev Kandybur in the section “Programming and Computer Engineering.”
Lev Kupyansky, a student of grade 8-A, presented the research “Kazimir Malevich – Architect of Emptiness?” He examined the artist’s work through the prism of the ideas of the space age and gave special attention to his projects of “arkhitektony” and “planity” – structures that Malevich imagined as freely moving in space. Lev compared these designs with modern orbital stations and interpreted the “Black Square” as an image of emptiness from which something new can arise. His work shows how the ideas of art prompt a new reflection on the exploration of space.
Of special significance for the Jewish Lyceum is the work of the eleventh-grader Nelli Proshchenko, “Which Calendar Is Better?” In it, the researcher combined an astronomical theme with Jewish tradition, examining the Jewish calendar as a system that reconciles the movement of the Moon with the change of the seasons. Nelli explained why it is important for the calendar that Pesach always fall in the spring, and what role the addition of months in the nineteen-year cycle plays in this. Her diploma of the third degree is a recognition of a research in which scholarly interest helps one understand more deeply the tradition of one’s own people.
The ninth-grade student Nadiia Shestakova won a diploma of the third degree for her research on fabric for an astronaut’s suit. She studies the possibility of the gradual release of a moisturizing substance from the fabric coating in order to reduce skin dryness during a prolonged flight. Her first experiments helped her determine what such a coating should be, and she continues to work on it.
A diploma of the third degree was also won by the student of grade 7-A, Lev Kandybur. He created in Scratch the game “Get to Mars,” in which the player must collect enough energy for a flight to the Red Planet and a return to Earth. Through the game’s plot, Lev shows his peers that a space journey requires not only a rocket but also the calculation of resources.
“It is very important to us that the students of the lyceum are not afraid to take on various research tasks and present the results of their work at the all-Ukrainian level,” noted the director of the Jewish Lyceum, Olena Krasnova. “Especially pleasing is the research of Nelli Proshchenko, in which knowledge about space helps reveal the meaning of the Jewish calendar. We strive to ensure that children have the opportunity to learn, to seek their own answers, and to rejoice in discoveries. And for this opportunity, as well as for the successes of our students, we thank the united and cohesive Jewish Community of Dnipro under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
