New York, NY – Historic Win For NJ Boy In International Bible Contest

New York, NY – A Passaic teenager took first place in the annual International Chidon Hatanach, marking the first time that an American has ever won the prestigious competition.

Yishai Eisenberg, a ninth grader at the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy in Washington Heights, was one of two participants who so impressed contest judges that they unanimously declared a tie for the first time ever in Chidon history. Eisenberg shares his historic win with Beit Shemesh resident Elior Babian.

According to reports on Arutz Sheva, both Eisenberg and Babian were tied after facing the most difficult questions in the third round, presented to them by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Each was posed a rapid fire series of twelve questions, to be answered in five seconds or less with no corrections allowed. After both teens received perfect scores in this round, judges elected to proclaim them joint winners.

Eisenberg was not the only area resident to score a coveted spot in this year’s International Chidon. Shalhevet Schwartz, a student at SAR High School in Riverdale, tied for fourth place in the competition.

The worldwide competition, which each year has contestants studying one sefer each from Torah, Neviim and Kesuvim, is now in its fiftieth year and took place Tuesday at the Jerusalem Theater. The contest was founded by Israel’s founding prime minister, David Ben Gurion, and is held each year on Yom Haatzmaut to symbolize the State of Israel’s unwavering commitment to the Torah.

The annual Chidon Hatanach begins each year with written regional competitions worldwide. In the United States, students who score above a certain level move on to the nationals, which are broken up into four divisions: Hebrew Middle School, English Middle School, Hebrew High School and English High School. The winner of each division goes on to represent the United States at the International Chidon Hatanach the following May in Israel.

Yishai and his two sisters Yael and Shalva all participated in the Chidon and Eisenberg’s former elementary school principal at Yeshiva Beis Hillel of Passaic praised the Eisenbergs for their commitment to Tanach.

“Mr. Eisenberg comes to school to study with his kids for the Chidon and he always finds a way to work within the framework of the school schedule,” Rabbi Berel Leiner told VIN News. “I see them in the board room studying and he coaches other students as well. The Eisenberg children are privileged to come from a family where Torah study is primary and they are an inspiration to us all.”

Rabbi Leiner recalled that confusion reigned when Yishai received a perfect score in one of the preliminary rounds last year.

“The computer totaled his score and it came to one hundred percent,” recalled Rabbi Leiner. “They thought that maybe there was something wrong, or maybe they had accidentally scanned the answer key instead of Yishai’s answers. I think he may have been the first kid ever to get a perfect score.”

Yael Eisenberg, a student at Bruriah High School placed second in the Hebrew High School division in last year’s nationals and another Passaic resident Elisheva Friedman, a student at Yeshiva Ketana of Passaic, took second place in the Hebrew Middle School division.

Rabbi Leiner had high hopes for Yishai after his stellar performance in last year’s earlier rounds.

“I was expecting Yishai to do well and I was almost expecting him to win because he kept advancing from one level to the next,” said Rabbi Leiner. “I can’t say I was shocked to see him win, but I will say it was a very pleasant surprise.”