A crowd of about 1,000 packed the Spectrum in downtown Montreal last month to see teenager Kathleen Reiter eliminate nine other finalists in the city's first Jewish Idol competition.

Reiter, 15, a Herzliah High School (Snowdon) student, captured the crown June 27 with her rendition of Aretha Franklin's Respect. She also sang The Voice Within, made famous by Christina Aguilera, in the preliminary round.

Jewish Idol, organized by Centre Hillel, copied the format of the popular American Idol television show, which features aspiring young pop singers competing in an elimination tournament decided by a combination of audience votes and judges' opinions.

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