World ORT has installed a state-of-the-art multimedia center at the Lauder-ORT Dimcho Debeljanov Jewish School in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, making it the only school in the country to have such a facility.

The official opening last week attracted more than 100 people, including the Mayor, Jordanka Fandakova, journalists and principals of other schools who could be forgiven for being just a little envious.

“Plasma monitors are about as advanced as it gets at other schools,” said ORT Bulgaria Chairman Dr Emil Kalo. “We are very, very ahead with 11 ‘smart classrooms’, a computer laboratory, technology laboratory and a resource center. Even schools dedicated to media training do not have anything like this.”

The new facility boasts a photographic studio equipped with digital technology; an audio and radio studio which will enable students to create radio programs and teachers to create Hebrew and English language programs and audio courses for use in the classroom; and a television and video studio which allows students and teachers to take part in videoconferencing and live distance-learning sessions for the first time.