Source: The Jewish Chronicle
Etgar, which organises the annual general Jewish knowledge challenge for UK primary schools, has launched a new venture for secondary school pupils. Its first quiz on Israel, aimed at 14-year-olds in year nine, will take place on Yom Ha’atzmaut next month as part of the celebration of Israel’s 70th anniversary.
Just as with the primary challenge, Etgar has produced an illustrated handbook of facts for students to swot up ahead of the competition.
The new, 100-page publication covers Israeli history, politics, culture and society with an opening section of more than 80 key dates in modern Jewish history that go from the Haskalah, the Enlightenment in the 18th century, to 2017, when Israel was ranked 12th in the international happiness index.
The Etgar Israel Handbook contains sections on the different strands of Zionist thought, from the cultural Zionism of Ahad Ha’am, to the religious idealism of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook; key moments such as the United Nations partition plan, to Israel’s various wars; influential figures, from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to Egyptian President and peacemaker Anwar Sadat; and artistic personalities from Nobel literary laureate Shai Agnon to rock musician Arik Einstein. There is even one on Israeli innovation which includes the USB flash drive and cherry tomatoes.
It does not shy away from difficult episodes such as the massacre of Palestinian civilians in Sabra and Shatila in 1982 or Baruch Goldstein’s slaughter of Muslim worshippers in Hebron in 1994.
As well as answering questions, contestants will also be set a creative challenge at the event.
Read more at The Jewish Chronicle.