"I fell in love with the Bible," says 16-year-old World Bible Quiz winner

Israeli student, Ruth Cohen, became the first girl to win the World Bible Quiz in a decade. After her historic win she explained how she fell in love with the Bible.

“In ninth grade, I decided to start studying with all my might,” said Cohen, an 11th-grade student at Ulpanat Baharan, a religious girls’ high school in the Israeli town of Gedera.

According to the 16-year-old, although she began studying for the quiz just to know every detail, it quickly became a passion for her.

“I came with a focused goal of winning and that was it, but as I studied the Bible I realized it was so much more and I really became addicted,” Cohen said. “My personal experience is that I really liked it.”

“When you study the Bible, you must focus on the chapter you love, connect with and think about the most,” she said. “I focused on studying every quiz, but within a month, I learned all the material and fell in love with it.”

Israel’s leaders took to social media congratulate the young winner.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin tweeted, “Congratulations to the winner of the World Bible Quiz for Youth, Ruth Hacohen from Gadera. “Many daughters have done valiantly, but you excell them all.” Well done to all competitors from Israel and around the world, on your knowledge and learning!

Congratulations to the winner of the World Bible Quiz for Youth, Ruth Hacohen from Gadera. "Many daughters have done valiantly, but you excell them all." Well done to all competitors from Israel and around the world, on your knowledge and learning!#IsraelIndependenceday pic.twitter.com/bbL4o4Hd0m

— Reuven Rivlin (@PresidentRuvi) April 29, 2020

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed this sentiment, saying, “Congratulations to Ruth Cohen of Gedera, winner of the World Bible Quiz, and to all the participants in the Quiz from Israel and around the world. Well done!”

The World Bible Quiz for Jewish Youth is a contest is held every year in Jerusalem on Israel’s Independence Day. The contest was founded by Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, and 14-to-18-year-old students’ test their knowledge of the Bible in front of a live television audience. This year, in keeping with coronavirus health restrictions in Israel it was filmed without an audience.