Yael Yao (יעל יאו), a 10th-grader who immigrated to Israel from Germany approximately three years ago, won first place in Israel’s National Bible Quiz for Youth (חידון התנ"ך הארצי לנוער) on March 17, 2026, in Kfar Saba. A Chinese speaker who is fluent in four languages — Chinese, German, Hebrew, and English — Yael will now represent Israel at the International Bible Quiz (חידון התנ"ך הבינלאומי) on Independence Day in Jerusalem.
A Remarkable Rise#
Yael’s trajectory in Bible competition is nothing short of extraordinary. In 2025, while still in 9th grade and only about two years after arriving in Israel, she won the Haifa District Bible Quiz in the state education stream — her very first year competing. She went on to win the district competition again in January 2026, this time alongside her classmate Georgi Ribnikov.
At the national competition on March 17, Yael claimed the top spot, with Georgi finishing in second place — marking a historic first: never before have two students from the same school and the same district both qualified for the International Bible Quiz.
Leo Baeck: A Multicultural Foundation#
Both Yael and Georgi study at the Leo Baeck Education Center in Haifa, a school known for its diverse, multicultural environment. According to reports, 17 different languages are spoken among students in a single classroom at the school. This environment appears to have provided fertile ground for Yael’s rapid mastery of Hebrew and deep engagement with the biblical text.
Yael participates in the “Tanakh B’Rosh” (תנ"ך בראש) project run by the HaMikra society, which supports young Bible scholars. In a recent interview with the society, she named Yoav ben Tzeruya as her favorite biblical character.
Voices of Pride#
Ronit Yariv, Yael’s Bible teacher, and Rabbi Ofek Meir, CEO of Leo Baeck Education Center, have both expressed immense pride in the achievements of their students. The school celebrated the historic double qualification as a testament to its educational approach and commitment to nurturing talent across cultural backgrounds.
What It Means for the Chinese-Speaking Community#
Yael’s win lands in a community whose presence in Israel is still often misunderstood. The Chinese-speaking population here is small, diffuse and varied — it includes the children of mixed families, students, professionals on work visas, returning Israelis raised abroad, and a sizeable cohort with roots in Hong Kong and the Cantonese-speaking diaspora. Unlike the larger Filipino or Thai communities, there is no single neighbourhood or institution that anchors it, and there are few public-facing role models. A teenager who arrived speaking Chinese and German, and who within three years can out-quiz Hebrew-native peers on the biblical text, quietly reframes what a Chinese-speaking immigrant in Israel is assumed to be capable of.
It also speaks to a wider pattern. Chinese-speaking newcomers — and Asian-Israelis more broadly — frequently report being read as perpetual outsiders regardless of how fluent or rooted they become. Achievement in the Bible Quiz, an arena saturated with Israeli cultural and religious meaning, is a particularly direct answer to that. Yael’s story sits alongside other recent examples of Asian-background Israelis excelling in unmistakably “Israeli” spaces — among them the Hong Kong-born lone soldier honoured with the President’s Award for Excellence — and together they push back, gently, on a narrow idea of who belongs.
The Road Ahead#
Yael and Georgi went on to represent Israel at the International Bible Quiz, held on Israel’s Independence Day in Jerusalem — one of the country’s most prestigious annual events. The 2026 contest brought together 16 finalists from seven countries; this year’s edition was recorded in advance and broadcast from the Jerusalem Theatre owing to the security situation. The international title was won by Hodaya Cohen of Israel, with Akiva Schrier of the United States placing second. Reaching that stage at all, just three years after her immigration, is itself a powerful marker of integration and achievement — and, for a Chinese-speaking teenager from Haifa, an unusually visible one.
Photo: Eran Yardeni, GPO (Government Press Office)
Sources:
- Haipo — יעל יאו וגאורגי ריבניקוב ייצגו את ישראל בחידון התנ"ך הבינלאומי
- Radio Haifa 1075.fm — תלמידת כיתה ט’ מחיפה זכתה בחידון התנ"ך המחוזי
- Radio Haifa 1075.fm — יעל יאו מחיפה זכתה בחידון התנ"ך הארצי
- Colbo News — תלמידים מחיפה ייצגו את ישראל בחידון הבינלאומי
- Jerusalem Post — Israel’s Hodaya Cohen wins 78th Independence Day Bible World Quiz
