Israeli youths took the three top spots in the World Jewish Youth Bible Quiz traditionally held here on Independence Day under the auspices of the Israel Defense Force and the World Zionist Organization and the government.
Pinhas Neriya, a 16-year-old yeshiva high school student from the largely Yemenite township of Rosh Haayin, took first place with a perfect score of 100 out of 100 possible points. Just behind him, with 99, was David Moriah. Third place went to Nahum Stepanski with 92 points. The top overseas competitor (out of 26finalists from 13 countries) was Meir Orlian, 15, of New York, who scored 83 points.
In a new departure — which effectively recognizes Israel’s almost consistent superiority in this contest — WZO chairman Leon Dulzin has instituted a special Diaspora Bible Champion” title, which went to Orlian.
Many of the questions related to Jerusalem in the Bible — including the “Prime Minister’s Question” which Menachem Begin posed to contestants at the end of the quiz. Begin was on hand to make the awards and bestow a kiss on the brow of winner Neriya.
EIGHT ISRAEL PRIZES AWARDED
At another traditional Independence Day ceremony, eight “Israel Prizes” were awarded to Israelis who have excelled in various disciplines and vocations. The recipients were Profs. David Flusser and Yoacov Kat of the Hebrew University for Jewish studies; Pinhas Litvinovsky, Yosl Bergner and the late Anna Ticho for art; Supreme Court Justice Haim Cohn for law; and Prof. Haim Leib Pekeris of the Weizmann Institute of Science for physics.
The special prize for an outstanding contribution to society went to Baruch Oren, the head of the Petach Tikva Fallen Soldiers Trust. The Nature Reserves Authority was commended for its work in ecology and preservation.
In other activities, Galei Zahal, the Army Radio station, ran a day-long live fund-raising song show in aid of a planned soldiers’ rest and education center in the north. By late night, some IL 35 million had been collected by radio teams all over the country. Among major contributions was one of $350,000 raised by Jews on the U.S. West Coast. Bank Leumi pledged IL 750,000 and the Bank Hapoalim and the Discount Bank IL 700,000 each.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
