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More On The Israeli Bible Quiz And The Messianic Jews
#1
JERUSALEM POST today

Both chief rabbis of Israel called on Tuesday to cancel the
International Bible Quiz slated for the capital on Independence Day in protest
against the participation of a 16-year-old girl who believes Jesus is the
messiah.

"Choosing her as a finalist in the International Bible Quiz for Jewish
Youth is a transgression of Halacha and is a distortion of the goal and
essence of the quiz," wrote Chief Rabbis Shlomo Amar and Yona Metzger
in a letter to Education Minister Yuli Tamir.
"The Chief Rabbinate of Israel vigorously protests [the participation]
of this representative... Bible quiz participants have always been Jews
who believed in the Torah handed down by Moses.

"The Chief Rabbinate calls to disqualify this girl from taking part in
the quiz. If she is not disqualified, we call to cancel the quiz
immediately.
"It is unacceptable that a member of a cult that has removed itself
from the Jewish faith will take part in a quiz dedicated to a book that
has been holy to the Jews since their inception as a people," the rabbis
wrote.

Nevertheless, Tzurit Berenson, 15, from Nahariya, one of the four
Israeli finalists, said that she and the other contestants intended to
participate in Thursday's competition.
"We asked our own rabbis what to do and they told us that we should
participate," said Berenson, who added that she had taught herself the
Bible and has been preparing for the quiz for years.

Berenson said religious activists have been trying to discourage her
and the other participants from taking part in the quiz, "but we have all
decided to go ahead with it."
The controversy surrounding the participation of 16-year-old Bat-El
Levi, from Beersheba, began last week as a result of a campaign led by the
haredi anti-missionary organization Yad Le'Achim.

Yad Le'Achim discovered that Levi belonged to a messianic Jewish
congregation. The organization immediately contacted rabbis and other
spiritual leaders. Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, a leading religious Zionist halachic
authority, called to boycott the quiz if the messianic Jew did not
forfeit her participation. His call was joined by other rabbis aligned with
religious Zionism, including Safed Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliahu.
Sources close to the Levi family, who did not deny their ties with a
messianic Jewish congregation, said there had been attempts by Yad
Le'Achim to dissuade Bat-El from taking part in the competition. A group of
activists demonstrated in Dimona when the participants came to the Negev
town for a preliminary quiz.

Messianic Jews believe that Jesus is the savior yet see themselves as
Jews.
Tamir's representative, Lital Apter, said the minister had no intention
of canceling the quiz or asking Levi not to take part.

"It is too bad that on the 60th anniversary we are dealing with these
sorts of things. This should be a time of celebration, not of
controversy.

"The point of the quiz is to check the participants' knowledge of the
Bible, not to scrutinize their faith. The legal department in the
Education Ministry verified that Levi is Jewish according to the criteria of
the state. That's good enough for us," Apter said
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#2
Part II

Will they let her play?

Tomorrow is the finals of the Bible Quiz in Israel. The JTA from Jerusalem reports, "Should Bat El Levy be asked at Israel's international youth Bible quiz next week about the messiah's coming, she may find herself in a bind.

The 17-year-old Jerusalem girl is a world-class scriptural scholar who, as it happens, believes in Jesus."

So who cares what she believes? She was Jewish before she believed anything and she'll be Jewish long after this quiz is even a faint memory.


Today's Jerusalem Post says,
"Both chief rabbis of Israel called on Tuesday to cancel the International Bible Quiz slated for the capital on Independence Day in protest against the participation of a 16-year-old girl who believes Jesus is the messiah.

"Choosing her as a finalist in the International Bible Quiz for Jewish Youth is a transgression of Halacha and is a distortion of the goal and essence of the quiz," wrote Chief Rabbis Shlomo Amar and Yona Metzger in a letter to Education Minister Yuli Tamir. "The Chief Rabbinate of Israel vigorously protests [the participation] of this representative... Bible quiz participants have always been Jews who believed in the Torah handed down by Moses.

"The Chief Rabbinate calls to disqualify this girl from taking part in the quiz. If she is not disqualified, we call to cancel the quiz immediately.


"It is unacceptable that a member of a cult that has removed itself from the Jewish faith will take part in a quiz dedicated to a book that has been holy to the Jews since their inception as a people," the rabbis wrote.

"Nevertheless, Tzurit Berenson, 15, from Nahariya, one of the four Israeli finalists, said that she and the other contestants intended to participate in Thursday's competition.
"We asked our own rabbis what to do and they told us that we should participate," said Berenson, who added that she had taught herself the Bible and has been preparing for the quiz for years.

"Berenson said religious activists have been trying to discourage her and the other participants from taking part in the quiz, "but we have all decided to go ahead with it."

Isn't it a joy to know that 15-year-olds know the ideas of Tenach better than their older counterparts? Good on those young co-participants who challenge the rabbis and who just want to win in tomorrow's finals.

Shame on the ones who are trying to prevent another Jew from experiencing something Jewish. Who cares if any participant is a Jewish Buddhist or a Jewish atheist for that matter? Let these Jewish kids and young adults have a go.



Of course, this Bible Quiz is now OVER, and as far as I know, ALL the contestants got to play, including 'our girl', Bat El Levy (I believe that I have her name spelled right here).

I don't know yet who actually won, but wouldn't it be terrific if 'our gal' actually WON!

If I find out more, Ill post it here. Hopefully soon.

In Yeshua, Albion
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#3
I read an article that said she didn't win. Apparently she fell behind pretty early on. To me, though, it's impressive that someone from the public school system even made it to the finals at all. Rock on Bat El.
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