Columbia High School Student Competes On 'Jeopardy!'

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ - Ask Danny Oxman of South Orange what it was like to compete on “Jeopardy!” and he’ll tell you it’s all about the buzzer. That, and the excitement of beating out thousands of other teens across the U.S. to make it onto the popular game show’s Teen Tournament.

Oxman, a senior at Columbia High School as well as in the Hebrew High at Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel (TSTI), was one of 15 contestants on the Teen Tournament episode that aired on Nov. 9.

“I like game shows and I started watching 'Jeopardy!' every day. I told my Dad it would be fun to be on the show and he encouraged me to look up how to audition,” said Oxman.

He took the online quiz in May—along with more than 10,000 other teenagers. In mid-June, he was invited to a live audition in Washington, D.C., which included a mock game, a paper test, an interview with the production team and a surprise visit from host Alex Trebeck. Oxman got the highly anticipated phone call in late July that he was going to the Aug. 29 taping in Los Angeles. He participated in the semi-final round, accompanied by his family and lots of cheers from members of TSTI, the Reform synagogue in South Orange.

“Getting that call was surreal. Even though I had a strong audition and felt confident about my chances, I wasn’t 100 percent sure I’d actually get on the show,” said Oxman.

Oxman said that being on-set felt pretty normal.

"But then I’d look around and think, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I’m really here,'” he said.

He said that during the taping his finger was twitching on that buzzer the whole time.

"I kept hoping that if I hit it, I’d give the right answer. I was also thinking of all the people back home who were rooting for me,” Oxman said.

The 'Jeopardy!' Teen Tournament only tapes and airs every two years, making its contestants part of a very small group across the country. The production company is breaking with its tradition this season and will hold a second tournament this winter, due to so many strong contestants during auditions. Contestants must be between 14 and 17 years old at the time their segment tapes.

After the tournament, the teens and their families enjoyed a cast party in the studio commissary. Alison Oxman, Danny’s mother, said the parents were particularly touched by words from Trebeck, who praised their children as the future of the country and told them how proud he was of them.

“This was such a wonderful experience for Danny, giving him a chance to make a lifelong bond with so many interesting kids. We met families from all over the country of different backgrounds and cultures, and he has become friends with an incredible group of students,” she said.

At Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, Danny Oxman attended the Linda and Rudy Slucker Religious School, became bar mitzvah and was confirmed, and is expanding his knowledge of the Jewish perspective on many issues at Hebrew High.

When Oxman isn’t practicing his 'Jeopardy!' categories, he plays trombone in the school band, tutors math, and competes on the Columbia High School ultimate Frisbee team. He plans to become a chemical engineer.

“Danny believes in himself and he’s not afraid to take risks,” said Alison Oxman. “Taking this risk to qualify for the Teen Tournament was very important to him. But his real success was gaining such a distinguishing experience he’ll remember forever.”

That is a sentiment Danny Oxman agrees with.

“It was a great experience and I’m so happy I did it. I’ll have the best dinner conversation of anyone for years to come,” he said.

(Photo courtesy of Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel)

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