On Yom Haatzmaut, April 26, 2012, Yeshivah of Flatbush High School senior Akiva Abramowitz stood next to Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who congratulated him on receiving coveted titles in the 49th International Bible Contest for Jewish Youth.
Akiva won first place among students of the Diaspora and second place in the international contest! Israeli student Elchanan Bloch was the first place international winner. Akivas international prize was particularly outstandingit is very unusual for a non-Israeli to place among the top three champions.
Viewers throughout the world watched the intense competition on television and on the Internet. The final rounds are held each year in Jerusalem on Yom Haatzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, and are the culmination of a year of local, regional and national contests throughout the world. This years competitors came from 24 countries. The winner from each nation gets to compete in the Diaspora competition, and the top 16 of all the competitors are entered into the international competition as well. This year those finalists hailed from Canada (4), Costa Rica (1), Israel (4), Mexico (4), Panama (1) and the United States (2).
YOFs Head of School, Rabbi Dr. Raymond Harari, proudly stated, Akivas hard work, commitment to learning Torah, and natural abilities enabled him to achieve this unique distinction.
Akivas winning title in Hebrew is Hatan HaTanakh and his classmates welcomed him back with a banner proclaiming his accomplishment. The competition was streamed to the yeshivahs auditorium live on Yom Haatzmaut and cheers could be heard throughout the halls as Akiva rose in the ranks. Nachum Segal, radio host of JM in the AM a Jewish radio program with a broad following throughout the Jewish world called him a superstar of the Jewish world.
Soon to represent his JBHS Class of 2012 as Salutatorian at graduation, Akiva is also an accomplished musician who plays piano and violin. His college plans include studying at Yeshiva University or Machon Lev of the Jerusalem College of Technology in Israel, where he was awarded a scholarship.
Akiva has gone with the flow amidst all the tumult, humble and willing to credit a bit of luck to his win and the prowess of his Israeli opponents. Luck notwithstanding, Akiva is outstanding in his knowledge of the Tanakhhaving memorized large portions of it and mastering understanding of its content and interpretations.
He was thrilled with the bonus aspect of the contest; his achievement earned him a trip with the finalists to Israeltwo and a half weeks with the other participantstraveling, studying and competing in preliminary international tests.
Akiva commented, I read the Tanakh and have learned so much about it, but in Israel Tanakh really comes alive.
His family supports his efforts and has a tradition of learning Tanakh intensively. Dr. Shira Burnstein Abramowitz, a YOF alumna, accompanied Akiva on his trip, along with his two younger brothers, and the rest of his family cheered him on from across the ocean.
Although this year was special, Akiva has been dedicating extra time to learning Tanakh for many years. He thanks Rabbi Avner Taler, Chair of the JBHS Tanakh Department, who served as his advisor during high school, and Mrs. Naomi Suberi-Busany, his advisor while studying in elementary school.
The annual Bible Contest is organized by IDF Chief Education Officer, the IDF Rabbinate, the Defense Ministry, Education Ministry, the Jewish Agency and the JNF. It has a huge following, and dignitaries and celebrities throughout Israel are invited to present the questions and awards to the contestants. The theme of this years contest was social justice.
The Prime Minister has traditionally had the role of questioner in the final round, and current Prime Minister Netanyahu has a special affinity for the Tanakh competition. There is great pride among the Israeli people for being the People of the Book. There is great pride in the Yeshivah of Flatbush alsofor Akivas accomplishments!
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Diane Chabbott is a writer, editor and publicist at the Yeshivah of Flatbush.
