Pictures/Chidon in the News/New Syllabus!

Pictures of this year’s 2017 National Finals are here ! (All photo credits go to David Khabinsky)

For recents articles about Chidon in the news see some of the following links. For articles about the recent National Finals see here and here. For an article about National Champion Caleb Gitlitz see here.

Link to the new syllabus is also attached here: FinalChidonSyllabus.2017-18.docx. The test dates and registration are coming soon after Shavuot!

-Dovi

Congratulations to Our National Finalists and to our National Champions!

Yesterday’s Chidon Ha’Tanach at Manhattan Day School brought together over 175 of our National Finalists from around the country, our largest National Finals in years. This year featured the addition of an exciting Chidon Carnival. Pesukim and positive energy filled the room. Below is a posting of our top rankers from yesterday’s Chidon. Stay tuned for pictures,posting of next year’s syllabus, and articles about this week’s event! Be in touch with me at dovin@jafi.org for more info about this year’s Chidon and to get involved for next year. Congrats again to all of our National Finalists!

Hebrew 6-7

1. Yehuda Zinberg – Yavneh
2. Yechiel Shulman–  Private Registrant
3. Ariella Fohrman–  Yeshivat Netivot

Hebrew 8

1. Noah Hill – Denver Academy of Torah (Will go on to compete in Israel next year).
2. *Three Way Tie:  Nossi Shields– Berman Hebrew Academy,  Breindy Berger – Torah Academy of Girls,  Jacob Colchamiro – Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy

Hebrew High School

1. Esther Werblowsky – Reenas Beis Yaakov (Will go on to compete in Israel next year).
2. Shira Orlian – Beis Yaakov of Spring Valley (Will go on to compete in Israel next year).
3. Ephraim Helfgot – TABC

English 6-7

1. David Levine– Orchard Middle School
2. Ahron Frankel– Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School
3. Eden Richman– Donna Klein Jewish Academy

English 8-11

1. Ryan Joseph-Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School (Will go on to compete in Israel next year).
2. Sarah Louis -Donna Klein Jewish Academy
3. Talya Tapper – Independent School of Minneapolis

Information about Upcoming National Finals!

The following communication was sent out to parents of National Finalists today. Please be in touch with your respective Chidon Coaches/Teachers with any questions/concerns.

Chidon National Finalists, 

I hope your studies are progressing well!  You should be proud of yourselves for what you have learned, and for earning the title of Chidon National Finalist. I look forward to seeing you, our 200 Chidon National Finalists from around the entire country, assembled in one room in under two weeks. I would like to share a few important points with you in advance of the National Chidon Finals on Sunday, May 14th at Manhattan Day School (310 W 75th St, New York, NY 10023 )

The Competition

1)   Registration is from 9:00 A.M to 9:25 AM.  Please be prompt.

2)   At 9:25, we will begin the opening assembly, welcoming contestants from around the country.  Contestants will be sent to the exam rooms at 9:45. The written contest will take place from roughly 9:45 AM to 12:30 PM. There will be 2 parts to the exam, with a short break in between them. Only actual contestants are allowed in the classroom area where the exams take place.

3)   After the exams, contestants can pick up a free pizza lunch. The pizza will be located in the same large auditorium in which the opening assembly took place. Exciting addition to Chidon: After taking the two written exams there will be trivia games set up around the room for kids to participate in,showcase their knowledge, and win raffle tickets for prizes at the

end of the competition.

4)   The closing assembly will begin in the auditorium at approximately 1:45 PM. Parents, family, and friends are encouraged to attend.  At the closing ceremony, we will conduct the final round of the Chidon for the highest scorers from the morning’s written tests in each of the divisions. Chidon finalists who are not called up to the front for this final round will be able to text their answers in to video questions for a chance to win prizes as well. Be sure to bring a cellphone if you’d like to participate. The ceremony will conclude at the latest by 3:00 with the announcement of winners and the singing of HaTikvah. Please note that every kid will receive a commemorative Tanach and an individualized certificates of accomplishment by the conclusion of the ceremony.   

 Other Important Info

5)   Bring Pencils and Snacks: Please be sure to bring a #2 pencil, because the exam will require you to fill out a scantron form. In addition to bringing pencils, students are allowed to bring snacks with them into the testing area.

6)   Parking: Parking can be difficult in Manhattan. If you have a choice, I recommend using public transportation, with the 1 train being the closest subway line to MDS. There are several lots where you can pay to park near MDS, with High Rise Parking (210 West 71st Street) being the most affordable option that I know of.

7)   Minian: If anyone would like to pray Shacharit near the Chidon, the West Side Institutional Synagogue (120 W. 76th St., New York, NY 10023) has an 8:30 AM minyan and is a 5-10-minute walk from MDS. There will also be an open space in the Beit Midrash on the second floor of MDS for davening which will begin promptly at 8:30 AM.

8)    What to do during exam: While students are taking the written exams, we are honored to have two renowned Tanach educators deliver lectures, Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot (http://netivotshalomnj.org/about-us/our-rabbi/) and Rabbi David Fohrman (https://www.alephbeta.org/). The lectures will be back-to-back beginning at 10 and will be open to parents of all backgrounds and knowledge levels. More information regarding exact timing and titles is forthcoming. In addition, there are many interesting museums and attractions within walking distance of MDS, which you are welcome to visit while your children are taking the written exam ( the Museum of Natural History and Central Park are nearby).

9)   Food: There will be pizza provide for contestants after the written exams. We cannot provide free lunch for family members, or other non-contestants. However, there are several kosher eateries in that neighborhood. For recently-opened kosher eateries in the neighborhood, see http://www.koshertopia.com/blog/tag/upper-west-side.

10) Shabbat: Rabbi Adam Hertzberg of the Joseph Kushner Academy  has offered to put together a Seuda Shlishit together for Chidon contestants planning on spending the Shabbat in the Teaneck area. If you are interested in joining in, please be in contact with him at ahertzberg@jkha.org. If you are still in need of a place to stay next Shabbat, please email me directly with details of who/how many people you need a place for. There are many people from around the tri-state area who have generously offered to host fellow “Chidoners.”

11)Luggage: For those who need, there will be space to store luggage at Manhattan Day School.

I’ve attached a simplified schedule to this email as well. The attached schedule is not comprehensive. Please be sure to read all of the information above as well. Please continue to be in contact with your respective coaches regarding Chidon questions unless they are of an immediate concern. For sample tests, more information about the Chidon, or to watch the recent Chidon in Israel, please see our website https://chidonusa.wordpress.com/ See you soon!

חזק ואמץ

-Dovi

Congrats to our Champions! Watch The Chidon Ha’Tanach today!

Congrats to Caleb Gitliz and Uriel Simpson for placing in the top eight in the Chidon Ha’Tanach Ha’Olami this morning and to Shlomi Helfgot for placing in fourth!

You can watch the Chidon on the links shared on the previous post or on the links attached to the following article here.

Yom Ha’Atzmaut Sameach!

-Dovi

Watch the International Chidon Ha’Tanach on Yom Ha’Atzmaut! Cheer on our Representatives!

Three Americans have qualified for the International Chidon Ha’Tanach taking place on Yom Ha’Atzmaut – Caleb Gitlitz, Uriel Simpson, and Shlomi Helfgot. See the following article for more on our representatives here . We wish them the best of luck!

For those interested in watching this year’s Chidon, here’s all the info you need. The Chidon will be at 11 AM in Israel on Yom Ha’Atzmaut. It will be live streamed on the Israel Broadcasting Authority website here.  It will remain recorded for approximately a week, so you will be able to access and watch it at a later time. The following  is a link to an advertisement  for the Chidon currently running on  Israeli TV  that can be seen here.

There is another competition called the Diaspora Chidon that will take place on May 4th from 6-8 PM. Nechama Reichman will be representing America in that competition. That competition will be live streamed at the following link here.  We wish her the best of luck!

Stay tuned for more information about the International Chidon, as well as the American Nation Finals which will be taking place in under two weeks!

-Dovi

 

 

 

Nationals Finalists and Top Scorers!

Almost 400 students from around the country participated in the Chidon over the course of this year. Our top 200 contestants have been invited to participate in the National Finals at Manhattan Day School on Sunday, May 14th. We congratulate all of our National Finalists and look forward to seeing them in two months! A link to some of the top scorers around the country can be found here : TopScorers.Chidon2017

Chidon Regional Three Completed!

Congratulations to all our contestants who completed the third regional exam today. Stay tuned for a listing of Regional Champions and National Champions next week! Purim Sameach to all!

-Dovi Nadel