Teen Recites 408 Pi Digits in Under a Minute at 17

When 17-year-old Ilana Greenberg recited 408 digits of pi from memory in under a minute, she did more than break a world record. She shattered assumptions about Orthodox Jewish education and what young women in those communities can achieve.

The record-breaking moment happened in August 2025, but the journey started years earlier during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many students suddenly at home with extra time, Greenberg turned her attention to a personal challenge: how many digits of pi could she actually memorize?

"For me, it kind of began as just a personal way of challenging myself to see how many digits I could memorize," Greenberg said. "And just having gotten it done, it felt very gratifying."

What made her achievement possible wasn't just natural talent or determination. Greenberg credits her Orthodox Jewish day schools, Brandeis Hebrew Academy and North Shore Hebrew Academy, with nurturing her intellectual curiosity and love of learning.

"They really nurtured me and developed my intellectual curiosity," she said. Her high school gave her access to opportunities and inspiration to keep pursuing mathematics and physics, fields where religious schools are often stereotyped as limiting rather than empowering.

Greenberg sees her Jewish education as an asset, not a barrier. "There's so much in Jewish education that can inspire secular pursuits," she explained.

Why This Inspires

Greenberg's story matters because it breaks down walls. In conversations about education, religious schools are sometimes portrayed as restrictive, especially for young women interested in science and math. Her experience proves that faith-based education can fuel academic ambition rather than limit it.

Now a student at Yale University, Greenberg is double majoring in physics and mathematics while participating in the demanding Directed Studies program. She's involved in Yale Scientific Magazine, the Society of Physics Students, and CodeHaven, a computer science outreach organization. She also joined the Rubik's Cube Club and can solve a cube in about 12 seconds.

Though another competitor has since broken her record, Greenberg continues memorizing digits as Pi Day approaches. "I may try memorizing some digits of Euler's number next," she said.

For Greenberg, the world record was never the end goal. It was one expression of a deeper commitment to curiosity and learning that she hopes will inspire other young Jewish women.

"I hope that my experience shows that nothing is off limits for Jewish women, and that Judaism can enhance and inspire, rather than limit," she said.