Ronen Feldman, 16, of Petach Tikva, took first place in the World Jewish Bible Quiz for youth held today. Arye Greenstein, 16, of the Talpiot School of Buenos Aires, tied with Israeli Elazar Tennenboim for second place. The contest took place at the Jerusalem Theater in the presence of Premier Menachem Begin, who distributed the prizes to the finalists, other Cabinet members and hundreds of invited guests. Eliezer Avarshal, 16, of Strasbourg, France, placed fifth. The remaining finalists were Israelis.
As in previous years, the World Bible Quiz for youth comprised one of the central events marking Israel’s 31st Independence Day. Twenty-five youngsters from 10 countries around the world were chosen to compete in this year’s quiz following local contests conducted abroad. Constructed around the theme "The People of Israel and its Land," the quiz organizers grilled the contestants with a series of questions dealing with Eretz Yisrael.
One of the better organized events of the day was an 11-kilometer march on the West Bank by Gush Emunim members and sympathizers. The group’s leaders spent two days earlier this week paving a 1-kilometer stretch of rood connecting the main highway with the settlement of Tapuach, the concluding point of the march. According to Gush leaders, some 60,000 persons participated.
"The objective of this march was to strengthen our ties with the region," the Gush’s political secretary, Gershon Shafat, told reporters after the march. He added that he hoped the Premier and the government would honor their commitment to establish 10 additional Gush Emunim settlements in the near future.
Other parts of the West Bank, however, witnessed a more turbulent Independence Day. A curfew was imposed on Beir Zeit, near Ramallah, after hundreds of students from the local college displayed PLO flags and posters, stoned passing cars, and barricaded the entrance to the nearby Jewish settlement of Neve Tsuf. During the violence which ensued, one student was shot in the chest. Police say that the shots might have come from a car belonging to a settler from Neve Tsuf and they are attempting to locate the automobile.
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.
