The 2010 Adult Bible Contest: The First in 30 Years
A report on the first televised adult Bible contest (Hidon Ha-Tanakh) held in Jerusalem in 30 years, broadcast during Hanukkah 2010. The author describes the format, its similarities to the annual international youth Hidon, and expresses mixed feelings: satisfaction at the renewal of this tradition but disappointment at the absence of innovation.
This past Hanukkah, I watched the first televised adult Bible contest in Jerusalem in 30 years with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it was wonderful to have this contest renewed after such a long time. On the other hand, it was disappointing because it failed to provide a new format or innovations; it merely seemed like a copy of the international Hidon Ha-Tanakh for Jewish youth which has been taking place annually for the past 47 years.
Perhaps the person most especially moved by this renewed contest was Dr. Avshalom Kor, who for years has been the dynamic Master of Ceremonies at the youth Hidon and has often expressed his hope for a renewal of the adult Bible competition. Although he and many others, such as Israel’s former president, Yitzhak Navon, had in past years expressed such a wish, it took Prime Minister Netanyahu’s administration to finally implement it.
There were many similarities between the adult contest and that of the Hidon for youth: the format was quite similar and the MC was the same, as well as the chief judge, Navon. Here also, as at the annual contest, there were speeches (though even longer than those at the youth Hidon) by both the Minister of Education, Gideon Saar, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In addition, ex-President Navon decided that he too should make a speech and so at least a third of the program was devoted to speeches rather than to the Tanakh contest.
For the adult Hidon there were fourteen competitors (who had already won regional contests) sitting on the dais. They would now compete for the title of national champion. The fourteen who appeared on the stage entered the contest with the scores they had earned in written exams held a few weeks earlier, as in the youth contests. Their ages ranged from people in their twenties and thirties to the oldest contestant, who was 54. They included two young women.
After the first round of questions — which I found to be easier than those given to the youth at their contest on Israel Independence Day — eight contestants were left to participate in the second round. It was the earlier written tests which actually determined those who would continue,
Joshua J. Adler, formerly Rabbi of Chisuk Emuna Congregation in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has lived in Jerusalem since 1972, and serves as managing editor of *The Jewish Bible Quarterly*.
Cite this article
Joshua J. Adler. "The 2010 Adult Bible Contest: The First in 30 Years." Jewish Bible Quarterly 39, no. 2 (April – June 2011): 131–132.
Joshua J. Adler. "The 2010 Adult Bible Contest: The First in 30 Years." Jewish Bible Quarterly, vol. 39, no. 2, 2011, pp. 131–132.