Moshe Abu-Aziz in one of his happier moments
Moshe Abu-Aziz in one of his happier momentsIsrael news photo: Reshet TV

A religious Jew, father of eight, won a million shekels on a Channel Two TV program on Sunday, to the joy of the studio audience. It was the first time such a sum was won on the Israeli version of "One Against 100."

Moshe Abu-Aziz of Or Akiva, just north of Caeasaria, jumped up in joy and danced around on stage with MC Avri Gilad when he learned that he had answered the final question correctly. Seconds before, he had said, “It’s up to G-d if I win. I came here with less than one shekel in my pocket. If He wants, I’ll leave here with a million, and if not, I’ll continue working as I have until now.”

Moshe works as a teacher, and said that his greatest joy is when his students succeed: “Their success is my success.” Dressed in a suit, white shirt and a black kippah, he explained, "I don't have a television, but I don't really regard myself as a hareidi Jew, but actually closer to the religious-Zionist public. My black yarmulke is because my wife asked me to wear it..."

Asked what he would do with his prize money, Moshe said, “I have eight children to marry off, and a wife to support!” He said he currently lives in a rented apartment, which he now hopes to expand.

He first answered a series of trivia questions correctly, including queries dealing with stock market terms, popular songs, trivia contests, gastronomy, and more. With only two contestants remaining, out of the original 100, the final question was asked; after both of them answered incorrectly, he was left with two options: Winning the entire million, or nothing.

The question was this: "About whom did Golda Meir say, ‘I liked that energetic and charming President’?” The choices were: Nikolai Chauchesko, Augusto Pinochet, and Kim Il Sung.  After availing himself of the permitted help of the MC, who chose Romanian leader Chauchesko, Moshe agreed that this was the likely answer, as Golda Meir was herself of Russian descent, and Romania was under Russian control at the time. After minutes of suspense, it was revealed that he had chosen correctly - and the dancing and whooping commenced. 

Taking his win in stride, Moshe quoted a verse from Psalms 111, “I will thank G-d with all my heart, among the assembly of the upright.”