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An ode to the Bible Quiz, Israel’s quirky and surprisingly consequential Independence Day tradition

JL;DR SUMMARY The International Bible Quiz, a quirky yet significant component of Israel's Independence Day, has deeply influenced the authors' connection to Israel. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish TraditionJewish IdentityDavid Ben GurionDiaspora JewsHebrew BibleReligious ZionismJewish LearningYom HaatzmautBible Quiz

Places mentioned

Jerusalem, Israel
"The annual Bible Quiz held at the Jerusalem Theatre on Israels Independence Day, May 5, 2022."
Australia
"We are two Australians in our 30s, and if you asked us what most shaped the way we love and understand Israel, we would both give the same slightly embarrassing answer: the Chidon HaTanach, the International Bible Quiz."
India
"Some came from places we had never associated with Jewish life at all: India, Georgia, Panama, Ireland."
Georgia
"Some came from places we had never associated with Jewish life at all: India, Georgia, Panama, Ireland."
Panama
"Some came from places we had never associated with Jewish life at all: India, Georgia, Panama, Ireland."
Ireland
"Some came from places we had never associated with Jewish life at all: India, Georgia, Panama, Ireland."
Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
"We have travelled to weddings of our Bible Quiz friends in Amsterdam, spent Shabbat with friends in Argentina."
Argentina
"We have travelled to weddings of our Bible Quiz friends in Amsterdam, spent Shabbat with friends in Argentina."

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Retrieved 2026-04-21 18:00:20 UTC
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