The 61st International Bible Contest for Jewish Youth

The International Bible Contest for Jewish Youth was held in Jerusalem on Israel’s Independence Day. The Bible contest is sponsored by the Israeli Ministry of Education, the Jewish Agency and Keren Kayemet (Jewish National Fund). The Jewish Bible Association is proud to be an affiliate sponsor.

Sixteen contestants participated in the finals of the International Bible Contest. The International Bible Contest camp, which takes place the week before the contest and is organized by the Education Ministry and the Jewish Agency, is a unique preparatory camp for the contestants, who tour the country and participate in preparatory workshops. They met with former contestants and with Yaakov Hagoel, chairman of the World Zionist Organization.

The classic Bible contest traditions were maintained. In the first round of the contest, every one of the sixteen contestants is asked a question via short educational films, a feature which has been the practice now for several years. Evyatar Bar-Gil, an eleventh-grader at the Ort Pelech High School in Jerusalem, and David Shasha, a twelfth-grader at the Amit Yeshiva in Kfar Ganim, Petah Tikva, tied for first place in the contest. In second place was Dov Gothelf of the US, and in third, Noa Rivka Kahn, from Israel. The other contestants were Yahav Noach Atlas, Israel; Noa Saubel of Britain; Penina Crystal, from the US; Yosef Samson of Canada; Noach Greenblatt of South Africa; Aviv Sharon of Canada; Mickey Sirolnik from the US; Sara Harari of Panama; Ezra Goldberg of Canada; Emmanuela Millman from the US; David Abadi of Mexico; and Yoni Cady of Australia.

Winners of the contest are awarded scholarship money toward a bachelor’s degree, a personal computer, and a beautifully adorned personal copy of the Tanakh. These gifts were bestowed by Education Minister Yoav Kisch and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, who was also on the panel of judges, along with World Zionist Organization Chairman Yaakov Hagoel, Jewish Agency Chairman Doron Almog, and several other esteemed members of Israeli cultural and literary society.

At the start of the contest, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu related to the current war in Israel: “On Simchat Torah we endured an event on a biblical scale. Our enemies attacked us, exactly on the day when the people of Israel celebrate the continuity of study from Genesis and back again. This is not new. The Tanach teaches that even thousands of years ago we knew wars. Our forefather Avraham, our teacher Moses, Joshua, the Judges, King David and his son King Solomon – they all fought bitter enemies. Even then we did not surrender to them. Even then we did not bow our heads. The prophet Micah (7:8) says: Though I have fallen, I shall arise. We paid a price but we took the war to them. We were victorious over those who sought our ruin. With God’s help, we ensured the eternity of Israel… A direct line joins what is written in the Book of Nehemiah (4:14) to the current war: Fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses… Thanks to our heroic fighters, our state has a defensive wall. I turn to you, contestants from Israel and the Diaspora: Continue to spread love of the Tanach. Continue to study. Continue to teach others.”

Jewish communities around the world are urged to prepare pupils for local Bible contests in communities where they are held, or to prepare pupils privately so that they can become future participants in the international contest. Pupils may study the Bible either in Hebrew or in their native languages. During the written exam in Israel and at the Independence Day contest there are always translators for anyone speaking a language other than Hebrew. Detailed information about the Bible contest can be found on the Jewish Agency’s website, which offers a learning kit and the steps needed to participate in the competition.