International Bible Competition Collaboration

Yesterday, Israel Independence Day, Yom Haatzmaut, marked Israel's 61rst birthday. In addition to a day of fire works (the evening before), special prayers, introspection, appreciation, and mandatory barbecue, we also watched the televised International Bible Competition from 11 AM to 1 PM.

Yes, it doesn't sound amazing or overly fascinating, but from year to year I find the competition magnetizing. The participants have an extraordinary grasp of Bible/Tanach and it never ceases to amaze me how much information the participants store and retrieve on a moment's notice.

Yesterday's competition did not disappoint. Hosted by Dr. Avshalom Kor, one of Israel's primary linguists and interesting personalities, his sharp wit helped make a potentially boring subject come alive.

The final round of the competition was between two extremely talented young men, Sapir Malka, from the settlement community of Kochav Yaakov, student from "Yashlatz" -- the Yeshiva l'Tzi'irim -- Merkaz Harav High School" (where a terrible terror attack took place a year and a few months ago) and Uri Lubish, from the settlement community of Yatir, student at the Susiya Yeshiva High School in the Southern Hevron Hills.

They were neck and neck, with Sapir leading by a single point. And then the 12 random question final round started. 5 seconds per question, and the most random of questions from end to end of the Tanach, were posed back and forth between the 2 challengers.

Neither Sapir nor Uri paused for more than the slightest of hesitations between the questions and their answers.

And then, a question was posed to Uri which caused him to hesitate. He paused, and then said he didn't know. He didn't guess, he truthfully didn't recall.

This clinched Sapir as the winner. Yet instead of smiling or grinning in the knowledge that he was now the First place champion of the International Bible Championship, he grimaced in pain.

His visible sadness said it all -- as his friend and competitor Uri missed the question, pushing him down to the runner up-spot, instead of the possibility of them sharing the title together.

Not only did Sapir win the championship based on amazing knowledge of the Tanach, but he is truly the champion by his exemplary character of seeing the competition as a collaboration.

As Prime Minister Netanyahu said in his closing remarks of the championship, "All of the participants...just by getting here, are winners..."

Avshalom Kor summed up the event, "This is the last year of the International Bible Championship, because B'Ezrat Hashem, with G-d's help, next year, all Jews will be living in Israel, and there will only be a "national" competition."

Next Year in Jerusalem - לשנה הבאה בירושלים

source. Hat-tip to DK...

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Israel's National Bible Championship in Jeopardy

In addition to blue & white, fireworks displays, barbques, and general day off, Israel's Independence Day is also marked by the annual "National Bible Contest" (or in Hebrew, Chidon HaTanakh, חידון התנ"ך). These champions are truly amazing, and I've met many of them over the years from Israel and the Diaspora; one was my Israeli roommate in Yeshiva in Israel, and when I asked him off the cuff (after looking up the answer in advance) how many times it says "bakbuk בקבוק [bottle]" in the Tanakh, he was able to nonchalantly throw out the correct answer (3), as well as cite chapter and verse of each instance. It's no wonder he's now one of the judges for the annual contest.

However, this year's contest has hit a snag. NRG reports today (in Hebrew) that participation of one of the contestants from Israel...is problematic! The contest is defined on the National Bible website as follows:

The International Bible Contest for Jewish Youth is an impressive annual event, to which a number of young high school students come to Israel and meet with a similar number of Israeli youth, for a number of weeks enrich themselves with many experiences and deepen their connection to Israel, the traditions and the Bible. The process begins with in their own countries tests. The winners of those national contests, arriving in Israel will take part in the contest for overseas youth...and the successful ones will participate in the final contest on the Israeli Day of Independence in Jerusalem.

NRG reports that the counter-missionary group Yad L'Achim is endorsing a ban on this year's contest -- not because one of the contestants isn't Jewish (which is clearly stated in the Mission Statement above), but because the contestant, 11th grade Israeli teenager Bat-El Levy from Jerusalem...is a follower of the "Jewish Messianic" sect of Christianity.

Yad L'Achim is currently in touch with Israel's Ministry of Education and leading rabbis around Israel -- calling for Bat-El to be disqualified from participating...or for all religious participants to boycott the contest.

**Israel's Ministry of Justice has determined that according to Israeli law, Bat-El is in fact Jewish (although she and her family are part of the Jewish Messianic sect), and she can therefore participate. I guess they are of the opinion that once a Jew, always a Jew, despite conversion or acceptance of another faith.

Some say, let her participate and lose -- which will show that Jews in fact, do excel in Bible studies. Other are worried what might happen if she wins.

I'm sure we haven't heard the last of this...

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד