When winners of this year’s Hebrew Language Olympiad were announced at Tel Aviv University on June 5, some students were thousands of miles away.
Relatives stepped forward to receive certificates on behalf of winners overseas, while families abroad stayed up late to watch the ceremony from countries including the United States, China, Singapore, Brazil, the Netherlands and Egypt.
The fifth Hebrew Language Olympiad drew a record 9,286 participants from Israel and around the world, up nearly 64% from 5,668 last year. But organizers said the bigger story was the growing reach of Hebrew as a living language connecting students, families and communities far beyond Israel’s borders.
“The result was a rare kind of simultaneous Israel-Diaspora event, not built around symbolism or ritual, but around Hebrew itself,” organizers said.
Run by Tel Aviv University’s Department of Hebrew Language and Semitic Linguistics, the Olympiad brings together middle and high school students from different sectors, communities and faiths in Israel and abroad. Participants tackle linguistic challenges and puzzles requiring creativity, logic and problem-solving beyond the standard school curriculum.
For the second consecutive year, the competition included a dedicated track for Hebrew learners in Israel and around the world, held in cooperation with the Consortium for Hebrew Teaching at Brandeis University.
This year’s winners in the overseas track included students from the United States, China, Singapore, Brazil, the Netherlands and Egypt.
First place in the Hebrew learners’ track went to Mia Goldenberg, an eighth-grade student at Milton Gottesman School in Washington, D.C., as well as Yehoshua Yaffe, Zvi Dudov and Akiva Huff of Maimonides Day School in Massachusetts.
Among the international participants were students from Brazil, China, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Cyprus and Singapore, as well as Mahmoud from Egypt, who took part in the Olympiad for the second consecutive year.
The competition’s international footprint extended across Washington, Boston, New York, Denver, Berkeley, Toronto, Ottawa, Amsterdam, São Paulo, Limassol, Singapore, Hong Kong, Mexico, Shanghai and Beijing, among other locations.
Within Israel, the Olympiad brought together Jewish students from secular, religious and Haredi backgrounds, alongside Arab, Bedouin and Druze participants. Among students in the Arab sector, first place went to Sirin Khalayla, an eighth-grade student from Sakhnin, and Wizan Abu Gholia, a 12th-grade student from the local council of Zemer.
Dr. Einat Gonen, head of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Hebrew Language and Semitic Linguistics, said the competition reflected a growing passion for Hebrew across diverse communities.
“Every year I am impressed and moved by the students’ achievements and by the evident passion for the Hebrew language among all sectors of the population, communities and religions,” Gonen said. “Especially notable is the dedication of teachers in Israel and abroad, who encourage, rally and motivate, and take pride in every single achievement.”
Founded in 2021, the Hebrew Language Olympiad was created to expose teenagers to deeper and more challenging aspects of Hebrew through linguistic puzzles and analytical exercises rarely encountered in the regular school system.
The Olympiad is held in cooperation with the Academy of the Hebrew Language and Israel’s Ministry of Education, with sponsorship from Check Point and Final and support from the Koret Center for Jewish Civilization.
