Jewish Students Show Broad Knowledge at ‘Darkeinu Olympics’

After months of anticipation and preparation, the third annual Jewish heritage ‘Olympics’ quiz for students of Chabad schools across the former Soviet Union has reached its third and final stage.

More than 2,000 pupils from 40 different educational Jewish schools in six different former soviet countries – all part of the FJC’s ‘Or Avner’ Jewish educational network across the former Soviet Union – entered the first stage of the quiz based on the ‘Darkeinu’ comprehensive Jewish heritage learning program. The pupils with the best results continued to the second stage, and only 80 of the most talented and knowledgeable reached the last and final stage that was divided into two different events.

The first took place a couple of weeks ago in the Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk in the famous ‘Menorah’ Jewish community center, and was attended by representatives from Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Latvia. The second event will take place in April in Petersburg, Russia – and will accommodate pupils from Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

The quiz focused on varied topics, all related to Jewish heritage, holidays, Tanach, history and tradition. It was successful in motivating thousands of pupils from unaffiliated backgrounds to deepen their knowledge and strengthen their personal connection to their Jewish identity.

Guests and educators from Israel and other countries who were present during the final stage, that included a public quiz, were amazed by the level of knowledge the contestants revealed while answering the questions, some finding it difficult to comprehend that in a land where Judaism was once declared illegal, today there is revival and renaissance.

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