Photos: Shalom Burkis
One hundred finalists took the stage at Sterling Banquet Hall in Brooklyn as the 2026 JewQ International Torah Championship brought the CKids Shabbaton weekend to its grand finale. Over 1,200 people filled the theater, with thousands more watching live from communities around the world.
The championship, the culmination of months of independent Torah study by over 4,000 children from 250 communities across 175 cities, featured the most interactive game show format to date, with professional video, audio and props throughout.
The children on stage had spent months studying CKids’ Living Jewish curriculum on their own time, with each grade focusing on a different area of Jewish knowledge. After passing multiple tests throughout the year and competing in regional championships, these finalists earned their place on the international stage.
For the Bain family of Metairie, Louisiana, this was their third year at the championship. “We keep coming back because it’s such a meaningful experience for our children,” said Aaron Bain. “At home, they have few peers who share their enthusiasm. Here, they connect with friends from around the world who share that same passion, especially inspired by the Chabad shluchim and the excitement for Torah learning they bring to the kids.”
His son David, an eighth grader, took home the top prize in his grade on Sunday.
“Giving Jewish children a quality Torah education is more important today than ever,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Chairman of CKids International. “These kids are building a foundation of Jewish knowledge that will stay with them for life. That’s how we build the next generation of strong Jewish leaders.”
The show opened with a surprise performance by the TYH Boys Choir and was emceed by Dovid Weinbaum, featuring Judges Sruli Werdeger, Yisrael Richler, and Rabbi Mendel Raskin.
This year’s game show raised the bar with new formats designed to test knowledge in creative ways. Third graders matched foods to their correct brachos in a live “Dunk-It” round, while fifth graders went “shopping” onstage, scanning items at checkout counters matched to the correct Jewish months. Seventh graders faced a rapid-fire challenge, listing as many Jewish heroes as they could in sixty seconds.
The grand finale tested the oldest contestants on the entire curriculum, with questions covering the full year’s learning. The answers came instantly, showing the depth of Jewish knowledge these children acquired over the year.
Olga Bakayeva, a mother of two from Columbia, MD, has attended the Shabbaton for three years with her daughters Liri and Tali Naor.
“My oldest was competing in the fifth-grade round and my youngest was on stage for the first time. We were cheering them on, sending clips to the whole family,” she said. “In today’s world, there’s so much coming at kids from every direction. It’s important to me that they have a strong Jewish identity, and programs like JewQ are helping them build something that will stay with them.”
“JewQ takes the competitive drive that every kid has and channels it into Torah,” said Rabbi Zalman Loewenthal, Director of CKids International, the world’s largest Jewish children’s network. “The real win is a child who can confidently live and speak about their Judaism anywhere they go.”
Every finalist who passed the tests was recognized with a medal on stage. The ultimate champions, receiving trophies, were:
Grade 3: Chaya (Charlotte) Henn, Chabad of Red Rock, Nevada
Grade 4: Skylar Cohen, Chabad of Contra Costa, California
Grade 5: Zoe Shlivko, Chabad of Brookville, New York
Grade 6: Sylvia Fletcher, Chabad of the East Valley, Arizona
Grade 7: Abby Mendelsohn, Chabad at Wiregrass, Florida
Grade 8: David Bain, JUDA Club, New Orleans, Louisiana
As the families head home to their communities across the globe, they carry with them more than trophies and medals. The Torah knowledge, friendships, and Jewish pride built over this weekend will follow these children into their classrooms, their homes, and their futures.
