‘Trivia on Steroids’ Draws Bigger Crowd for Second Year

Atlanta Jewish Academy (AJA) brought together a larger crowd for its second annual The Q on Sunday night, Aug. 30, at Congregation B’nai Torah, building on the success of the event’s inaugural year with an evening of rapid-fire trivia, community, food and fierce competition.

Both attendance and revenue increased over last year’s event, reflecting growing enthusiasm for AJA’s fresh, high-energy approach to Jewish day school fundraising.

Created as an alternative to the traditional fundraising dinner, The Q features five rounds of esoteric, funny and remarkably challenging questions delivered at a relentless pace. More than a dozen teams competed Sunday night, with questions spanning a wide range of subjects and teams fighting for every point until the final round.

“The Q was designed to prove that a fundraiser can support the school while also being an event people genuinely look forward to attending,” said Ryan Hyman, Atlanta Jewish Academy’s director of development. “The room had incredible energy. The questions kept coming, the competition was intense, and people were laughing and completely engaged throughout the night. Seeing both attendance and support grow in our second year tells us we’re building something that resonates with our community.”

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of AJA’s Parent Volunteer of the Year Award to Rebecca Guttman, recognizing years of volunteer leadership and service to the school.

Guttman joined the AJA community in 2018 and has held numerous PTA leadership roles, including class parent, grade representative, division representative, and co-president of the PTA. She was surrounded by family, friends, and members of the AJA community as she received the award.

Guests also enjoyed an excellent dinner, cocktails, and dessert alongside the five rounds of competition.

AJA recognized Robin and Avery Maron, The Q Campaign chairs, for their leadership and commitment to the campaign and their efforts to help ensure the evening’s success.

But the night ultimately came down to trivia, and the battle for The Q crown could hardly have been closer. Defending champions Team Dunwoody entered the evening hoping to become The Q’s first repeat champions. Instead, Team 9 to 5 captured the 2026 championship by a single point.

The winning team included Diana and Daniel Cohen; Elisa and Gavin Ellman; Keren Fisher and Ben Flusberg; Ariela and Jacob Rich; and Rebecca Winter and Josh Gottlieb.

Each member of Team 9 to 5 received a championship trophy, and the team will join Team Dunwoody on The Q’s perpetual championship plaque displayed at Atlanta Jewish Academy.

With attendance and support increasing and the championship decided by the narrowest possible margin, AJA organizers are already looking toward the event’s third year.

“The first year showed us that the concept worked,” Hyman said. “This year showed us that The Q has room to grow. And after a one-point finish, I suspect Team Dunwoody already has next year circled on its calendar.”