Young Jewish scholars from across Long Island gathered at Chabad of Great Neck for the Regional JewQ Championship, one of many exciting regionals taking place worldwide leading up to the grand finale.
Winners will advance to the JewQ International Championship on March 22 at the CKids Shabbaton, where they will compete against top students from Chabad Hebrew schools around the globe.
“This is what Jewish education looks like at its best: joyful, engaging, and deeply meaningful,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Executive Director of Merkos 302. “The Rebbe taught us that when children feel proud of who they are and what they know, it shapes their entire Jewish future.”
The atmosphere was vibrant and filled with excitement on Sunday, February 8th. Open to students in grades three through seven, the championship featured two challenging rounds. Using a Kahoot-style digital quiz, participants demonstrated their mastery of Jewish prayers, holidays, and history. The intensity rose in the second round, where students had just 60 seconds to list as many facts as possible on a given topic, pushing their knowledge, speed, and confidence to the limit.
“We are incredibly proud of how hard these children have worked. They are shining examples for their peers, proving that commitment and perseverance pay off,” said Rabbi Zalman Baumgarten of Chabad of Great Neck, who hosted the event.
The competition concluded with six champions, each representing their respective grade levels:
3rd Grade: Eli Somech – Lake Success Chabad
4th Grade: Sidney Dubey – Chabad of the East End & Brooke Makhani – Chabad of Great Neck
5th Grade: Olivia Halimi – Chabad of Great Neck, Ryan Glasser – Chabad of the Beaches – Aleph Academy
6th Grade: Naomi Cohen – Chabad of Great Neck
7th Grade: Ethan Moirzadeh – Chabad of Great Neck, Sky Shonberger – Chabad of Merrik
“Watching these kids light up with confidence and pride in their Yiddishkeit is what CKids is all about, said “Rabbi Zalmy Lowenthal, Director of Kids International at Merkos 302, who attended the Long Island championship. “This isn’t just a competition, it’s Jewish identity coming to life in the most impactful way.”
The top qualifiers from Long Island will now prepare for the JewQ International Torah Championship this March, where they will compete against students from over 250 cities worldwide.
Register today for the upcoming CKids Shabbaton at shabbaton.ckids.org.
