thank you YNET.

Including exploitation and abuse of Hebrew fairy tales, if it fits them ,... I bet those kids never heard of Sargon the Great and what he shares with Moses ,...

Have them study subjects that make a person ready for life, for serving the country and its people. Have them study History and Archaeology also, to understand that Bible is full of myths which were made up to serve the story tellers. Of course, they should be proud of their knowledge of the myths that were put down in writing because that's a good beginning, but insufficient to a person who is going to be happy with himself or herself. Tell them that to be successful in life Biblical knowledge is not enough.

and those 'myths' you speak of must infuriate you as Israel IS reborn and her Jews returning there to BUILD BABY BUILD!!! G-d is great.

I am a neighbor of the co-champion from NJ. He goes to a modern Orthodox school where he learns secular studies 1/2 day, both of his parents work, and he will go on to university and become a very productive member of society. He may already know, and certainly will know, at least as much as you about the secular disciplines you believe are necessary to be "ready for life" as you put it. In fact, none of the participants in the Chidon are Chareidim, those that you obviously detest, who often don't get a proper education or work. These kids are the gems of the Jewish people, that's why Bibi was there. They deserve your admiration, not your scorn. Shame on you.

Of course it is surprising when a kid from the diaspora wins the Bible Contest, because noone from the diaspora has done it for years and years and years. If Lauren has ever been involved with the Hidon Hatanach she will know this. For her to turn around and accuse others of ignorance on this matter is sadly ironic.

This 50 year custom is a great event showing excellence in Tanach in times when too many Jewish schools jump to Gemorra stright from Chumash and a few mesechtas of Mishnaos. Amazing to see an American co-winner. Every good wish to every contestant.

Haredi schools do very little Tanach. Many haredi Bar Mitzva boys would hardly know Isaiah from Jeremiah or Ezekiel. The competitors are mainly from mainstream Orthodox schools which cover a wide curriculum. I think Bibi was a previous winner of the Bible Competition.

I'm an American. I've reread the article twice and I cannot see the arrogance. It's just stating the facts, namely that for the past 20 years the winners have been Israelis. I'm happy an American won together with an Israeli, just as I was happy last year when two girls won. There are no religious schools that teach Bible and no secular studies. It's the Religious Zionists, not rthe Haredim, who tend to excel in Bible studies.

and those 'myths' you speak of must infuriate you as Israel IS reborn and her Jews returning there to BUILD BABY BUILD!!! G-d is great.

To satisfy your curiosity according to Pearson's Global Index of Cognitive Skills and Educational Attainment, (that's a total score of PISA, TIMSS and PIRLS in Reading, Maths and Science) where out of 39 tested countries Israel comes 29th, far behind Poland at 14th ,... Without assuming how it affected the results I have to mention that the Haredis didn't participate in this assessment only the hand picked schools in Israel did which was a subject of criticism by some that exposed this scam ,...

Is "Zionist Book" competing with Wikipedia? At the least, there is some archaeological evidence of Sargon's existence, while absolutely nothing such was ever found about Moses. Now, where do I collect my first prize?

As an American Polishman of Catholic faith, I am happy that Israel maintains the proud tradition of the Old Testament without which we practicing believing Catholics would have no Christianity to begin with. Don't listen to the imposter at #3. Every serious Christian must be a Zionist since the very basis of Christian faith is the Old Testament in which it is revealed that Israel is the historical homeland of the Jews. Much of the "myths" in the Bible have been supported by archaeological evidence all over Israel and many of the cities and kings of Israel mentioned in the Holy Bible are absolutely mentioned by other non-Biblical sources of ancient times spanning from Egyptians in the west to people of Mesopotamia and Persia in the east. And what Sargon of Assyria has got to do with Moses is a mystery to me.

does not contradict studying Judaism. You can study both. The Tanakh refers not only to religious matters but to historical events as well that are confirmed by history. True, the Tanakh mixes myth with history, but it doesn't change the fact that the much of the history of the Tanakh is real. Judaism is a national-ethnic belief system of the Jewish people - Judaism is not merely a matter of belief. Judaism consists of history, moral, ethics, rules for conduct, morality and ethics and proverbs. Your statement simply reveals your ignorance. I don't think that studying hard science makes anyone "happy" - happiness is something that is emotional and spiritual and comes from within. I guess what you meant to say is that studying hard science gives people jobs. That's an entirely different matter, but that has nothing to do with happiness.

Michael, unfortunately you are the one that shows your ignorance. The bible is the original book written by G-d himself and is the reason the Jewish people have existed and survived for all these centuries despite all the hardships. Being a great Torah scholar did not prevent Maimonides from being one of the greatest physicians in history. Being a great Torah scholar did not prevent Dr. Auman from winning a Nobel Prize for Game Theory, etc. etc.

More than just a floating basket, an identical rescue circumstances, divine intervention and most of their life achievements. As you have noticed Sargon the Great of Akkad left plenty of visible proof/record of his existence and there's non except the one in fairy tales of Moses. Needless to say, Sargon conquered the dominant Sumerians to forge the first great Semitic kingdom, the Akkadian Empire. His story was long known throughout Mesopotamia and he was considered the greatest man who had ever lived, celebrated in glorious tales down through the Middle East ,... The funny part is in the detail that Sargon's story was recorded around 1200 years before Moses if you assume that he existed.

The Bible is not the sole source for historical accounts proving ancient Israel's and the ancient Jewish nation's existence, and the Bible unlike what you claim, does not solely, does not entirely and does not mostly consist of "divine intervention" or "revelation" or "mythical figures" who may or may not have existed. Myths and legends are to be found in most civilizations - from Mesopotamians to Egyptians, from Indians to the Chinese, from the Greeks and Romans to Persians and from Celts to Germanic tribes and from African tribes to Vikings. The Aztecs and the Inkas had myths too. They all had myths and legends and yet these nations existed - just like Israel. If Moses existed or not - that we don't know, but the Israelite/Jewish nation and ancient Israel and the ancient kingdoms called Israel and Judah, and the dozens of ancient Israelite/Judean kings mentioned not only in the Bible but in the records of Egypt, Babylonia and Assyria, and the millions of Israelites/Jews that lived in ancient Israel - ABSOLUTELY existed. Clothes, sandals, coins with Hebrew inscription, ancient synagogues all over Israel, Masada, remnants of the First and Second Temple beneath the Muslim abomination called the Dome of the Rock, water reservoirs built in ancient Israel by the Israelites etc are many examples - that you chose to ignore. And ancient Israelite cities like Jerusalem, Schechem (Arab squatter city of "Nablus"), Hevron, Jericho, Betlehem, Nazareth, Yafo, Beer Sheva, Megiddo, Beit Shean etc all existed in ancient times - are mentioned in the Bible and are mentioned by non-Biblical sources and exist even today as we speak. Are these physical Israelite cities myths? And what Sargon of Akkad has got to do with Moses beats me. We don't assume that Moses existed - we don't know. But its strange that you disqualify the existence of an entire ancient civilization because you can't find evidence for this particular man's existence - while the existence of hundreds of thousands/millions of Israelites/Jews living in Israel for 4000 years is recorded by the Israelites/Jews themselves and their ancient neighbours in ancient Middle East. I guess of course that the Assyrians wrote just for fun that they brought with them hundreds of thousands of Israelites (the ten tribes) to Assyria? Because according to you they are a "myth". You're a funny guy split - you have a very strange logic - a logic befitting of a retard - or a racist genocidal ideologist looking for a reason to disqualify an entire race of people's right to exist. By the way: much of what today is "Poland" is actually German. Wroclaw is actually called Breslau. And what today is called the Polish nation consists of Slavs, assimilated Jews, Turks, Mongols, Swedes and Germans speaking Polish. Using your arguments of racial purity and historical connection to one's land, it means that Poland has no right to exist.

"what Sargon of Akkad has got to do with Moses beats me" - If you're to dim to connect the chain links then taught, don't blame anybody but yourself, also read Thomas L. Thompson's 'The mythic past' (if you can get it in Israel) with the good book handy next to it. I bet his knowledge and arguments can penetrate zionist hardened armour covering your pin size brain even if you unable to connect Sargon's legit achievements with those of Moses in your fairy tales he'll force you to be more selective and grow up ,... In regard to your list of Jewish achievements in Holy Land I want to correct you the Temple Mount and the Temple on it was build by Herod the Great an Arab according to Jewish law, so was Masada, Herodium, the structure around/under/above the Cave of the Patriarchs, a port/city of Caesarea, his Northern Palace and more landmarks during just 30 yrs of his reign. The places you listed were already there before the Hebrew showed up if you believe your fairy tales ,...

There weren't any. I suppose they would have done better if they could get past the memorization exercises they are exposed to by their rabbis as they get closer to God.

I am not sure they are interested in a Tenach contest.