L ifestyle /C ulture
Gladwyne Teen Wins JEWQ Championship
LOCAL ANDY GOTLIEB | JE MANAGING EDITOR
YOSEF VESSAL
JUST finished seventh grade at Welsh
Valley Middle School in Lower
Merion and has big goals in
life, but recently exceeded his
own expectations.

The 13-year-old student
at Chabad of the Main Line
in Merion Station won the
JEWQ International Torah
Competition’s seventh-grade
division on June 6. More than
2,500 contestants worldwide
spread over third- through-sev-
enth-grade divisions competed
in the event.

“I thought I would score
high, but I didn’t think I’d
win,” Yosef said.

JEWQ, which debuted in
2018, is organized by Chabad’s
international office as a way
for Jewish children to
Three tests are adminis-
gain an appreciation for
tered at local Chabads and
their heritage, said Rabbi
the top three scorers at
Mendy Cohen, the co-
each school compete in the
director of Chabad’s
international competition,
Family Community at
said Cohen.

Chabad of the Main Line.

This year’s champi-
“Hebrew school has its
onships were held in
limitations ... but for the
Bushnell, a community in
student looking for a little
the Pocono Mountains,
more, this is ideal,” Cohen
although most of the
said. participants
competed Cohen knows from
over Zoom.

experience how competi-
When the dust cleared,
tion can spark an interest
Yosef was on top and the
owner of an impressive
in Judaism: His father grew
trophy. up in a nonreligious house-
“It’s very cool for him
hold in England and won a
and very cool for us,”
Jewish trivia contest. The
Cohen said, noting that
prize was a stay at a Jewish
Yosef was the school’s top
summer camp.

“That started
his From left: Josh, Yosef and Mikhyela Vessal scorer in previous years.

Courtesy of Michele Vessal “He worked hard on it.

journey to be connected to
He’s a bright kid, but he
Judaism,” he said.

For JEWQ, participants the topics of Jewish prayer, had to study, too.”
Yosef said his main trick for
spend four months studying holidays, heroes and traditions.

learning material is to make up
songs in his head.

He wasn’t the only member
of his family doing well at
JEWQ: His 11-year-old sister
Mikhyela, who just completed
fifth grade, competed in the
championship round and took
home a silver medal, and his
younger brother Josh plans to
compete next year when he’s in
third grade.

Unless JEWQ is expanded
into eighth grade next year,
Yosef’s competitive career in
Jewish knowledge is over for
now, although he’ll be volun-
teering as a Hebrew school
tutor. And there’s already that
big career goal he has in mind:
“I want to own a company
called Tornado and build a
resort,” he said. l
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