In 1958, to mark the tenth anniversary of Israel's statehood, its first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, launched the Chidon HaTanach International Bible Quiz. What was intended as a one-off event became so popular in Israel and the Diaspora that the competition has been continuously developed and continues to this day. The preliminary round for German-speaking countries has already been held in Munich three times. This year, for the first time, the European preliminary round for the youth competition was held in the Bavarian capital – with the support of Christians Standing with Israel (CSI).
More than 70 young people from eleven European countries came to Munich for the Bible competition on January 19th and 20th. In the rooms of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER), they tackled questions at various difficulty levels, ranging from beginners to advanced students. These questions had been prepared by several rabbis. Besides true-or-false questions and those with multiple-choice answers, the participants in the beginner group faced questions such as: "How many languages were spoken during the construction of the Tower of Babel?" or "After Sarah's death, Abraham remarried and had more children. What was his wife's name?"
The top three places in both difficulty groups were taken by young people from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The winners of the advanced group will travel to Israel in May for the grand final. These are the two first-place finishers, Noga (Stuttgart) and Isaak (Berlin), Benjamin (Düsseldorf) in second place, and Hanna (Leipzig) and Nechama (Vienna), who shared third place.
At the awards ceremony, Charlotte Knobloch, President of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria (IKG), emphasized: "In our fast-paced times with all their distractions, it's certainly not a given that a Bible competition would be so popular among 14- to 18-year-olds." She added: "For a long time, the Chidon HaTanakh was dominated by Israelis. But I can proudly announce here and now: The Diaspora can no longer be so easily relegated to the sidelines." Judaism is much more than a religious community. "And yet, without the Tanakh, without our Bible, we would no longer exist," Knobloch said. The pursuit of knowledge, curiosity, and the urge to explore and question things are clearly part of Jewish identity.
Support from CSI is a strong sign of solidarity
Stanislav Skibinski, Director of Educational Programs at the Jewish Agency in Germany, expressed his sincere gratitude to CSI for supporting the Bible quiz: “The support from CSI – Christians Standing with Israel – was a significant contribution to the success of the European Bible quiz Chidon HaTanach in Munich. Thanks to this assistance, we were able to offer Jewish youth from across Europe an inspiring platform that strengthens their connection to Israel and fosters their identity. This collaboration is a powerful sign of solidarity with Israel and an expression of shared values.”
CSI Chairman Luca Hezel described the support as a matter close to his heart in difficult times: “The annual Chidon HaTanach Bible quiz is a remarkable experience. Seeing so many Jewish young people competing so enthusiastically to demonstrate their biblical knowledge is a true joy. For us as Christians standing alongside Israel, this project has become a real passion, and we congratulate the winners of the competition on their outstanding achievement! Especially in times of rising antisemitism, it is all the more important to show our Jewish friends strong signs of solidarity and genuine friendship.”
"It is intolerable that Jews must once again fear for their safety on German streets."
CSI editor-in-chief Dana Nowak, who was present at the competition along with Luca Hezel, said after the event: “It was a joy and a blessing to experience so many Jewish young people here in Munich, 80 years after the Holocaust, enthusiastically studying the holy scriptures. At the same time, it is deeply painful to witness how these young people are warned against going into the city alone, displaying Jewish symbols, or speaking Hebrew. It is unbearable that Jews today once again have to fear for their safety on German streets simply because they are Jewish.” For security reasons and in light of the attack in Magdeburg on December 20, 2024, the Polish delegation canceled its participation in the competition.
The competition was primarily organized by the European Janusz Korczak Academy (EJKA eV) under the leadership of President Eva Haller. In addition to CSI, it was supported by, among others, the Israeli immigrant organization Jewish Agency, the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria (IKG), and the Federation of Traditional Jews in Germany. The competition was held under the patronage of IKG President Charlotte Knobloch and Munich's Mayor Dieter Reiter.
