Chidon HaTanach - International Bible Contest
Encyclopedia
The International Bible Contest (Chidon HaTanach, is a worldwide competition on the Tanakh
(Jewish Bible) for high school students. It is held annually in Jerusalem, Israel
on Yom Ha'atzmaut
. Because the event is officially sponsored by the Israeli government, the Prime Minister of Israel
usually attends.
gets into the top 10, they go also (the top Montrealer if there is more than one). The same goes for Western Canada. If there are Israelis in Canada who are participating, they are not allowed to win, but the top Israeli in the top 10 goes to Israel as the Chatan Yisrael of Canada. Thus, a total of 5 people at the most could theoretically go to Israel the next year. In reality, it is usually only 2 or 3.
, one in Early Prophets
, and one in Writings. The high school division also has one book of Later Prophets
. Selected chapters are chosen from each, for a total of 70-100 chapters. During December, February, and March, there are 3 regional tests. Every school, along with several other schools, are assigned a region. The kid who scores the highest score in their region is crowned "Regional Champion". The Regional Champion along with those who score a certain cumulative percentage (e.g. 85%) on the regionals go on to the nationals. There are 4 divisions in the nationals, the Hebrew High School, Hebrew Middle School, English High School, and English Middle School. The Chidon sends first place from every division to Israel. If there is a tie for first place, a tie breaker round is created to decide who will represent the country. Four people are sent each year, with the Israeli government paying for the contestant's plane ticket. In 2006 through 2011, this competition was held at Ramaz School
in New York City
, New York.
The National test is divided up into two sections. First there is a test similar to the regional test which asks questions such as "Who said to who", "Who is this talking about" and understanding the text. After this test, there is a second test called the cross-referencing test. Similar phrases in Tanach are given and contestants must be able to match up one side to the other. Family trees and finishing the phrases are also on this part of the test.
, Victoria
and Sydney
, New South Wales
, though in recent year participants from Perth in Western Australia have taken part. A national round consisting of the participants of each state (usually between 4-8 participants) sit a 1 hour written test and then a 2 hour public oral quiz, where participants sit on a stage and project their answers after hearing questions. Identical quizzes are sat by the participants in each state. The national syllabus usually consists of 100-150 chapters of Torah, Neviim and Later Prophets. The top three participants of the national quiz of each state are then selected to go through to the federal round, held either in Sydney or Melbourne.
A further 50-70 chapters is then added to the initial national syllabus. The Federal round of the competition is identical to the National only there is more content, thus the questions are seemingly harder. The winner and the 2nd highest scorer are then given places at the International Bible Quiz camp. Only the winner's ticket is paid for by the Australian Zionist Federation. The 2nd place winner must pay for their ticket to come to the camp.
The author of the Australian Bible Quiz is the 1999 Diaspora Winner, Dr Shira Wenig.
. Though all proceedings of the contest are in general conducted in Hebrew, translations of the questions and answers are available, so language is not a barrier to participation.
The international contest was founded by David Ben Gurion. Originally, a Chidon Hatanach for adults was the main contest, and the contest for high school students was a relatively minor part. The Chidon for adults will be returning once again in 2010
The winner of the International Bible Contest wins a four-year college scholarship to Bar Ilan University, while the first runner up and the winner of the Diaspora contest wins a scholarship to Mechon Lev.
Canada:
Breslow Family whose two daughters went to the International Contest three times between the two of them (prompting the rules to be changed such that no individual can go twice)
Witty Family, whose two children Yisrael Mordechai in 2006 and Rivka in 2008 both won the Diaspora Competition and placed 4th in the world;
Warner family, who sent three members in two generations to the International Contest;
Friedman family, whose two daughters Elisheva and Becky went to the International Contest in 2008 and 2010, respectively;
Cape Family, whose two sons Harry and Josh went to the International Contest in 2010 and 2011, respectively; and the
Maged Family, whose two children Alex and Jordana went to the International Contest in 2010 and 2012, respectively.
Australia:
Both the Bloch and Kaltmann families from Australia have also each had four representatives from each of their families in the International Quiz.
USA:
The Sokoler family whose son Andrew went to the International Contest in 2012 and mother Rosalyn went in the 80's.
1st: Shlomo Edelman, , of Nof Ayalon
, Israel
2nd: Noam Hadad, , of Kfar Saba
, Israel
3rd: Ofir Abbo, , , Israel
Diaspora Winner: Orly Loker, Mexico
1st: Or Ashwal, 17, of Kfar Saba
, Israel
2nd: Elad Nachshon, 18, of Rechovot, Israel
3rd: Avner Netanyahu, 15, of Jerusalem, Israel
Diaspora Winner: Becky Friedman, Canada
1st: Sapir Malka (Kokhav Ya'akov
, Israel)
2nd: Uri Luvish (Beit Yatir
, Israel)
3rd: Aviv Barnavloom (Haifa
, Israel)
Diaspora Winner: Darren Sultan, United States
1st: Tzurit Bernson (age 15, Merkaz Tikvateinu, Nahariya
, Israel)
2nd: Elad Finish (age 18, Yeshivat AMIT
, Be'er Sheva, Israel)
3rd: Dovi Nadel (age 15, Yeshivat Akiva
, Southfield, Michigan, USA)
Diaspora Winner: Rivka Witty, Canada
1st: Yishai Gispan (age 17, Jerusalem, Israel)
2nd: Tamar Kronman (age 17, Be'er Sheva, Israel)
3rd: Tzuriel Sasson (age 17, Be'er Sheva, Israel)
Diaspora Winner: Yakir Forman, United States
Tanakh
The Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
(Jewish Bible) for high school students. It is held annually in Jerusalem, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
on Yom Ha'atzmaut
Yom Ha'atzmaut
Yom Ha'atzmaut commemorates Israel's declaration of Independence in 1948. It is celebrated on 5 Iyar according to the Hebrew calendar. Yom Ha'atzmaut is preceded by Yom Hazikaron, the Israeli Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism Remembrance Day.-History:...
. Because the event is officially sponsored by the Israeli government, the Prime Minister of Israel
Prime Minister of Israel
The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
usually attends.
Canadian system
Participants are given a list of chapters to study in May or June, and in the following February or April a preliminary regional test is taken. This consists of 100 multiple-choice questions for high school students (75 for grades 7 & 8, 50 for grades 5 & 6). A number of participants to continue are selected - e.g., 50. In this case, the top 50 scores will continue to the national competition. The national competition is held in May or June. It consists of 100 multiple-choice questions, as well as other questions. The top 10 people are selected. Of these, first and second place will go to Israel the next year to represent Canada. If anyone from MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
gets into the top 10, they go also (the top Montrealer if there is more than one). The same goes for Western Canada. If there are Israelis in Canada who are participating, they are not allowed to win, but the top Israeli in the top 10 goes to Israel as the Chatan Yisrael of Canada. Thus, a total of 5 people at the most could theoretically go to Israel the next year. In reality, it is usually only 2 or 3.
United States system
Participants are also given a set of chapters to study. There is one book of TorahTorah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
, one in Early Prophets
Nevi'im
Nevi'im is the second of the three major sections in the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh. It falls between the Torah and Ketuvim .Nevi'im is traditionally divided into two parts:...
, and one in Writings. The high school division also has one book of Later Prophets
Nevi'im
Nevi'im is the second of the three major sections in the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh. It falls between the Torah and Ketuvim .Nevi'im is traditionally divided into two parts:...
. Selected chapters are chosen from each, for a total of 70-100 chapters. During December, February, and March, there are 3 regional tests. Every school, along with several other schools, are assigned a region. The kid who scores the highest score in their region is crowned "Regional Champion". The Regional Champion along with those who score a certain cumulative percentage (e.g. 85%) on the regionals go on to the nationals. There are 4 divisions in the nationals, the Hebrew High School, Hebrew Middle School, English High School, and English Middle School. The Chidon sends first place from every division to Israel. If there is a tie for first place, a tie breaker round is created to decide who will represent the country. Four people are sent each year, with the Israeli government paying for the contestant's plane ticket. In 2006 through 2011, this competition was held at Ramaz School
Ramaz School
The Ramaz School is a coeducational, private Modern Orthodox Jewish prep school located on the Upper East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It consists of a lower school , a middle school , and an upper school .The Ramaz Upper School is a college preparatory school...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York.
The National test is divided up into two sections. First there is a test similar to the regional test which asks questions such as "Who said to who", "Who is this talking about" and understanding the text. After this test, there is a second test called the cross-referencing test. Similar phrases in Tanach are given and contestants must be able to match up one side to the other. Family trees and finishing the phrases are also on this part of the test.
Australian system
In Australia, there are two competitions leading up to the International Bible Contest. Competitors usually come from MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, though in recent year participants from Perth in Western Australia have taken part. A national round consisting of the participants of each state (usually between 4-8 participants) sit a 1 hour written test and then a 2 hour public oral quiz, where participants sit on a stage and project their answers after hearing questions. Identical quizzes are sat by the participants in each state. The national syllabus usually consists of 100-150 chapters of Torah, Neviim and Later Prophets. The top three participants of the national quiz of each state are then selected to go through to the federal round, held either in Sydney or Melbourne.
A further 50-70 chapters is then added to the initial national syllabus. The Federal round of the competition is identical to the National only there is more content, thus the questions are seemingly harder. The winner and the 2nd highest scorer are then given places at the International Bible Quiz camp. Only the winner's ticket is paid for by the Australian Zionist Federation. The 2nd place winner must pay for their ticket to come to the camp.
The author of the Australian Bible Quiz is the 1999 Diaspora Winner, Dr Shira Wenig.
International Contest
The international contest is on around 400 chapters. Since Israelis usually win, there is a separate 'Diaspora Contest', for the top non-Israelis. For the week before and after, the contestants have a scheduled program known as the Bible Camp. During the Bible Camp, contestants travel throughout Israel, meet dignitaries, tour various sites, participate in the Gadna youth military program, and, of course, study Tanach. An initial fifty (and in 2009, sixty) -question written test takes place within the first few days of the program. Of the contestants that took the written test, the top sixteen overall go on to compete in the international championship, and the top scorers from the top sixteen countries (other than Israel) go to the Diaspora Contest. Thus, if Americans A and B are the top two scorers and Mexican C was in third place, A and C would go to the Diaspora contest but all three would go to the international championship. While the international contest is always held in Jerusalem, the Diaspora Contest is held in different Israeli cities every year. The main contest is broadcast live on Israel public television and radioKol Yisrael
Kol Yisrael is Israel's public domestic and international radio service, operated as a division of the Israel Broadcasting Authority.-History:...
. Though all proceedings of the contest are in general conducted in Hebrew, translations of the questions and answers are available, so language is not a barrier to participation.
The international contest was founded by David Ben Gurion. Originally, a Chidon Hatanach for adults was the main contest, and the contest for high school students was a relatively minor part. The Chidon for adults will be returning once again in 2010
The winner of the International Bible Contest wins a four-year college scholarship to Bar Ilan University, while the first runner up and the winner of the Diaspora contest wins a scholarship to Mechon Lev.
Family Traditions
The quiz seems to attract many members from the same family. Notable examples include:Canada:
Breslow Family whose two daughters went to the International Contest three times between the two of them (prompting the rules to be changed such that no individual can go twice)
Witty Family, whose two children Yisrael Mordechai in 2006 and Rivka in 2008 both won the Diaspora Competition and placed 4th in the world;
Warner family, who sent three members in two generations to the International Contest;
Friedman family, whose two daughters Elisheva and Becky went to the International Contest in 2008 and 2010, respectively;
Cape Family, whose two sons Harry and Josh went to the International Contest in 2010 and 2011, respectively; and the
Maged Family, whose two children Alex and Jordana went to the International Contest in 2010 and 2012, respectively.
Australia:
Both the Bloch and Kaltmann families from Australia have also each had four representatives from each of their families in the International Quiz.
USA:
The Sokoler family whose son Andrew went to the International Contest in 2012 and mother Rosalyn went in the 80's.
2011 contest
In the 2011 international contest, The top three contestants placed as follows:1st: Shlomo Edelman, , of Nof Ayalon
Nof Ayalon
Nof Ayalon is a communal settlement in central Israel. Located in the Ayalon Valley near Sha'alvim, it falls under the jurisdiction of Gezer Regional Council. In 2007 it had a population of 2,500....
, Israel
2nd: Noam Hadad, , of Kfar Saba
Kfar Saba
Kfar Saba , officially Kfar Sava, is a city in the Sharon region, of the Center District of Israel. At the end of 2009, Kfar Saba had a total population of 83,600.-History:...
, Israel
3rd: Ofir Abbo, , , Israel
Diaspora Winner: Orly Loker, Mexico
2010 contest
In the 2010 international contest, The top three contestants placed as follows:1st: Or Ashwal, 17, of Kfar Saba
Kfar Saba
Kfar Saba , officially Kfar Sava, is a city in the Sharon region, of the Center District of Israel. At the end of 2009, Kfar Saba had a total population of 83,600.-History:...
, Israel
2nd: Elad Nachshon, 18, of Rechovot, Israel
3rd: Avner Netanyahu, 15, of Jerusalem, Israel
Diaspora Winner: Becky Friedman, Canada
2009 contest
In the 2009 international contest, 47 finalists from 24 countries participated. The top three contestants placed as follows:1st: Sapir Malka (Kokhav Ya'akov
Kokhav Ya'akov
Kokhav Ya'akov is a religious communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. It is located between Ramah in Benjamin and Bet-El near al-Bireh, and is about 10 minutes away by car from the Jerusalem neighborhoods of Pisgat Ze'ev and Neve Yaakov. It falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin...
, Israel)
2nd: Uri Luvish (Beit Yatir
Beit Yatir
Beit Yatir , also known as Metzadot Yehuda , is a religious Orthodox moshav and Israeli settlement in the southern Hebron Hills of the West Bank along the Green Line south of Susiya...
, Israel)
3rd: Aviv Barnavloom (Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, Israel)
Diaspora Winner: Darren Sultan, United States
2008 contest
In the 2008 International Chidon, 63 finalists from 37 countries participated. The top three contestants placed as follows:1st: Tzurit Bernson (age 15, Merkaz Tikvateinu, Nahariya
Nahariya
Nahariya is the northernmost coastal city in Israel, with an estimated population of 51,200.-History:Nahariya was founded by German Jewish immigrants from the Fifth Aliyah in the 1930s...
, Israel)
2nd: Elad Finish (age 18, Yeshivat AMIT
AMIT
AMIT is an American Jewish Zionist volunteer organization, dedicated to education in Israel and nurturing Israeli children to become productive, contributing members of society...
, Be'er Sheva, Israel)
3rd: Dovi Nadel (age 15, Yeshivat Akiva
Yeshivat Akiva
- The school's mission :Akiva Hebrew Day School - Yeshivat Akiva was founded in 1964 to promote religious Zionism and offer a combined the Judaic and secular studies education. Akiva is a Nursery through 12th grade Jewish Modern Orthodox school in Southfield, Michigan...
, Southfield, Michigan, USA)
Diaspora Winner: Rivka Witty, Canada
2007 contest
In the 2007 contest, the contestants placed as follows:1st: Yishai Gispan (age 17, Jerusalem, Israel)
2nd: Tamar Kronman (age 17, Be'er Sheva, Israel)
3rd: Tzuriel Sasson (age 17, Be'er Sheva, Israel)
Diaspora Winner: Yakir Forman, United States
External links
- American Chidon HaTanach Website (dead link)