2017 Schedule at a Glance:
Regional Examinations will be Administered
on the Following Dates:
Test 1 – Wednesday, December 7, 2016.
Material: Devarim (Deuteronomy): Chapters 1- 25
Test 2 – Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Material: Devarim (Deuteronomy): Chapters 26-27; 29-34; Melachim Aleph (I Kings): Chapters: Chapters 1-3, 5, 8, 11-22
Test 3 – Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Material: Melachim Bet (II Kings): Chapters 1-9, 21-25;
[Hebrew High School : Yirmiyahu: 1-2; 16-20; 31-32]
Two important notes: Please note that this year, schools in the English division will have the option of either taking one cumulative regional exam on March 5, 2017, or three regional exams over the course of the entire year on the dates listed above. Please note that in the National Finals, contestants in the Hebrew High School Division will also be expected to know Yirmiyahu Chapters 21-29.
The following is an Important Update for the Third Regional Exam for all divisions.In order to allow more time to prepare for the exam, the date of the exam will be shifted to Wednesday, March 8th.Additionally, there will be no questions from Rut or Iyov on the Regional Exam.(Those who would still who would still like to take the regional exam on the originally scheduled date of March 1st may still do so.
The 2017 National Finals will take place in New York in May at Manhattan Day School on Sunday, May 14. The National Finals will cover the entire Syllabus.
Will there be any chidon-sponsored events, such as a shabbaton, preceding the finals? Or should out-of-towners make their own arrangements?
Everyone is expected to make his/her own plans for Shabbat. Several years ago, we offered a Shabbat program for out-of-towners. However, it was cancelled due to insufficient registration, which led us to conclude that most people prefer to make their own plans with friends or family in NJ/NY. If anyone has difficulty finding a place to stay for shabbat, the can contact us, and we will try to assist with finding accommodations.
How many different regions are there? Is there a way to learn which other cities are in our region?
The regions are not set until after the first exam, since the number and location of participating schools can vary from year to year, so we have to see where kids actually took the Chidon before we can divide the regions. Typically, each region has 3-4 schools. The New York area will generally have multiple regions due to the large number of schools there, while the rest of the US will normally only have 3-4 schools in larger geographical areas (e.g. West Coast or Midwest).
I think you may find opinion has changed and out of towners might like a shabbaton preceding,
thanks
Especially with the recent influx of west-coasters.
Yes, it would be nice to have a Shabbaton beforehand. It is more difficult for us on the West Coast. We would come!
For Middle School will the National Finals include high school material
No. Middle School students need to know everything on their syllabus (including Rashis), but not the additional parts of Trei Asar that are only listed for high school students. The syllabus is here – just read the relevant part for your age group and study all of that material.