Public school students from 25 countries competed before a crowd of more than 1,200 at the 2026 JewQ International Jewish Knowledge Championship on Sunday. Organizers said the event aims to shift the focus from combating antisemitism to strengthening Jewish identity through education.
“Where the conversation once centered on antisemitism and external threats, more families are now asking a different question,” organizers stated. “Not how do we protect our children from the world, but how do we give them something to be proud of?”
The championship, held at the Sterling Banquet Hall in Brooklyn, was the finale of a weekend summit organized by CKids, Chabad’s global children’s network. A total of 98 finalists advanced from 4,500 students—many of them the only Jewish students in their classes, studying independently.
The competition, described as the “Scripps Spelling Bee of Jewish knowledge,” featured game-show-style rounds testing Torah knowledge and Jewish history.
Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, chairman of Chabad’s global networks, said, “Building the next generation of strong Jewish leaders will only happen when we pivot from defense to offense, celebrating who we are more than fighting what we are against.”
