Chidon
HaMitzvos 5760 For Girls
Five First Prize Winners:
Three
Judges Pose Tough Questions To 43 Girls
From A Dozen Schools
By Aliza Karp
Question:
A person leaves his hammer on the edge of his roof and a hurricane wind
blows it down. It causes $600 worth of damage. How much of that damage
is the owner of the hammer responsible for?
The
above is one of the questions posed at the Grand Chidon for girls, the
championship contest of Tzivos Hashem’s Chidon HaMitzvos Contest, held
in Crown Heights this past Sunday, 5 Adar II. For the past few months,
thousands of children across the US and Canada have been participating
in the Chidon HaMitzvos, by studying the Rambam’s Seifer HaMitzvos.
After a series of preliminary tests the finalists were selected to come
to the Grand Chidon.
Every
year the Grand Chidon is in a different city. On March 26, the Grand
Chidon for the boys will be held in Montreal, Canada.
Fifth
and sixth graders compete in level one, seventh and eighth graders
compete in level two. Due to equal points, first, second and third place
positions were shared by more than one winner.
Level
one, first place winners are: Chaya Mushka Hertz from Cheder Lubavitch,
Chicago and Sorale Karavitsky, Bais Rivka, New York. Second place
winners are: Devorah Leah Goldstein and Mushka Shemtov, both of Oholei
Yosef Yitzchok, Detroit, and Chayale Shanowitz, Cheder Lubavitch,
Chicago. Third place winners are: Mussy Druck, Oholei Yosef Yitzchok,
Detroit, and Devorah Leah Isenberg, Cheder Lubavitch, Morristown.
Level
two, first place winners are: Chavie Gourarie of Cheder Oholei Yosef
Yitzchok, Detroit, Devorah Leah Kamman, Bais Rivka, New York and Sorah
Perlstein, Cheder Lubavitch, Chicago. Second place winners are: Ester
Raizel Eherentrei, Bais Rivka, Montreal, and Dina Galperin, Cheder
Lubavitch, Chicago. Third place winners are: Chana Ita Klar, Cheder
Lubavitch, Morristown and Chana Reizes, Bais Rivka, New York.
The
Grand Chidon was addressed by Rabbi Leib Groner. He explained how all
participants in the Chidon HaMitzvos contest are winners. Even if some
of the concepts were difficult and the girls were unable to understand
them completely, all their efforts, using their time and energy to learn
Rambam, are bringing Moshiach closer. Rabbi Groner stressed that today
is the final contest but is in no way a finality to learning the mitzvos.
Now that they have this knowledge in their minds, the girls should try
to remember and review these mitzvos as often as possible. And
they should not stop there, either. Competing in this contest is a
preparation for future studies, as the Rebbe has requested us to learn
Rambam on a daily basis.
Twelve
schools sent representatives to the Grand Chidon. In addition to the
schools mentioned with the winners, were: Bais Chaya Mushka, Los
Angeles; Hebrew Day School Yeshivas Achei Tmimim, New Haven; Beis Chaya
Mushka, New York; Chai School, Ithaca, NY; Lubavitch Cheder Day School,
S. Paul; Politz Hebrew Academy, Philadelphia; Torah Academy, New
Orleans.
The
judges who asked the questions, tallied the scores and made every effort
that the contest should be as fair as possible were: Rabbi Yerachmiel
Benjaminson, Executive Director of Tzivos Hashem, Rabbi Zalman Leib
Markowitz, Principal, Cheder Lubavitch, Morristown, and Rabbi Eliezer
Wenger of Montreal, teacher, author and compiler of the Chidon Workbook.
First
place winner Devorah Leah Kamman says she likes to compete and likes to
learn. When asked which mitzvos have made the most impact on her,
she answered, “the ones against harming another with words.”
In
Rabbi Groner’s speech, his deep connection to the Rebbe was felt as he
assured the contestants and the hundreds of people in the audience that
“the Rebbe is present with us here and now and giving us brachos.
And in the z’chus of this event, immediately we should see the
revelation of Melech HaMoshiach. Immediately we will see the Rebbe.”
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