Metro
Yes, Akiva!
Students to represent U.S. in Israel's
global Bible contest.
New York City
T
he auditorium of Ramaz Middle
School was filled with young Torah
scholars, their parents and their
teachers. Of the thousands of U.S. students
who had aspired to compete in the Hidon
HaTaNaKh, Israel's annual International
Bible Contest, 300 had qualified for this
year's national finals. And Yeshivat Akiva in
Southfield emerged a huge winner.
Students from 40 major Jewish schools,
including Boston's Maimonides School,
Chicago's Arie Crown Hebrew Day School
and Brooklyn's Yeshiva of Flatbush, sat at
the edge of their chairs, waiting to hear
who would represent the U.S. in next
year's Worldwide Hidon, to be held at the
Jerusalem Theater on Yom Ha'Atzmaut.
Then the announcement came:
• First Place, High School Division:
Elizabeth Goldmeier, l l th grade, Yeshivat
Akiva
•First Place, Middle School Division:
Dovi Nadel, eighth grade, Yeshivat Akiva
• Second Place, Middle School Division:
Noga BenAmi, Yeshivat Akiva
• Third Place, Middle School Division:
Yaakov Korman, Yeshivat Akiva
Dovi Nadel, Rabbi Tsaidi, Rabbi Amior and Elizabeth Goldmeier
Israel Bound
First-place winners Elizabeth Goldmeier ,
daughter of Dr. Phil and Laurie Goldmeier
of Southfield, and Dovi Nadel, son of
Mark and Ariella Nadel of Southfield, will
represent the U.S. in next year's worldwide
competition, hosted by the Education
Department of the State of Israel. Until
then, the two young scholars will study
more than 450 chapters in preparation for
the big event, which will be broadcast by
satellite around the world.
This year's International Hidon was a
three-hour, prime-time event that was
televised on Israel's Channel 1. It was
hosted by former Israel President Yitzhak
Navon, with the final question posed by
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
As each contestant was called on:'
Akiva President Mark Nadel said, "the
name of his or her home town was
announced. What a thrill to know that
come next year our own city's name will
reverberate in Jerusalem and throughout
the world. Akiva's triumph is a credit to
Detroit's Jewish community"
"This event has certainly put Akiva on
the map. I have already received calls from
colleagues from as far away as Israel," said
Rabbi Dr. Yigal Tsaidi, Akiva's educational
director. "We are delighted by our stu-
dents' success, not only those who placed
prominently in the competition, but all
13 of our delegates, who qualified for the
competition by passing a series of rigor-
ous regional exams:'
"The Hidon experience has been
wonderful on a great many levels:' said
Laurie Goldmeier. "As proud as I am of
my daughter's achievements within the
academic realm, I am no less proud of
the team spirit that was shared by all of
our delegates. Each pronouncement of
the judges brought forth a spontaneous
outburst of cheers and applause from all
of the students. I guess you could say that
sportsmanship is not solely the domain of
athletes!"
The winners' excitement over next year's
trip to Israel is exceeded only by their
anticipation of spending the coming year
training for the Hidon with their teacher
and mentor, Rabbi Pinchas Amior, who
joined Akiva's staff in 2005. Rabbi Amior,
who comes from Jerusalem, has 25 years
of experience as an educator, teaching
high school and college in Jerusalem.
The Amior family lived in Chicago from
1989-94, where Rabbi Amior was closely
involved in the education and preparation
of students for the Hidon.
In preparation for the New York event
held May 13, Rabbi Amior met with the
Hidon "team" over the past eight months,
introducing, teaching and reviewing this
year's curriculum, which included about
100 chapters from Exodus, Kings I &
Ezra, Nehemiah, Jonah, Amos, Haggai and
Malachi. Rabbi Amior made himself avail-
able after school and on Sundays for any
student who requested extra time.
"We are elated, proud, but not surprised
by our students' performance," Rabbi
Tsaidi said. "When highly motivated stu-
dents are led by a gifted, inspiring teacher,
one can expect that their efforts will very
quickly bear fruit."
Next year in Jerusalem ... Theater!
Kid Economy
Hine' fifth-graders gain firsthand
business experience.
Snack Shop workers Ari Chesterman and Jolie Goldberg pop and box popcorn to sell
to their fifth-grade classmates during Hillel Day School's visit to Exchange City in
Taylor.
fter completing hands-on
lessons in their classroom,
fifth-grade students from Hillel
Day School of Metropolitan Detroit in
Farmington Hills visited Exchange City
in Taylor, where they took on the roles
of business owners, employees, public
officials, consumers and citizens while
running a variety of businesses and gov-
ernment offices.
Students created job resumes, had job
interviews, developed business plans and
produced, priced and marketed real prod-
ucts and services. They also calculated
payroll expenses, planned advertising,
made material purchases and experienced
personal and business banking. Students
had to make payroll, pay rent, taxes and
utilities, and take out and repay business
loans.
Exchange City is an innovative hands-
on learning experience for elementary and
middle school students that combine a
nationally recognized 40-hour classroom
curriculum culminating with an all-day
visit to Exchange City or its companion
EarthWorks, which deals with science and
the environment.
"It gives the students the chance to 'live'
the lessons we teach about economics:'
said fifth-grade teacher Lauren Sterling.
"This program also teaches the students
Kid Economy on page 16
May 24 2007
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