This year, I got into the final round for the top 16 contestants in the International Bible Quiz, broadcast live on Yom Ha’atzmaut on 15 April.
The Bible is the greatest compendium of tales ever compiled, with murder, infidelity, bloodshed, sibling rivalry, deceit, love, war – every plot twist imaginable.
The South African finalists included Liron Krawitz from King David Victory Park, Temima Goldfein from Hirsch Lyons, and myself, representing King David Linksfield.
The highest achievers usually embark on a two-week Tanach camp in Israel. My brother, who represented South Africa in the quiz in 2019, described the camp as the best two weeks of his life. But the intrusion of COVID-19 meant that the camp translated into a five-hour online tour on Zoom. I felt invigorated seeing the battlefield where young David vanquished the giant, Goliath, but honestly, it didn’t replace the in-person camp we’d been looking forward to for so long.
It was exciting to be broadcast on Israeli television. While sitting there, I received pictures of my friends watching me from a projector in the school hall. My heart swelled as I realised how many people across the world were supporting me. I felt honoured to represent my school and my country.
On the eve of the finals, I received a heart-warming message from Rabbi Gary Braude, who said, “I hope that the more you learn, the more you will see that the Tanach is an unfinished book, a story of the Jewish people that continually unfolds with all the modern miracles and challenges as occurred in biblical times. I hope you will see yourself as having a chapter to write in that narrative.”
It wasn’t what I dreamed about when I watched my brother in Israel two years ago, but it was a special and a pivotal moment in my life.
