• by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, March 12, 2025

A new “Jeopardy!” star was born on the show Monday night as New Jersey native Harvey Silikovitz shared his personal struggle with Parkinson’s disease and then won the game by a huge margin.

On the show, Silikovitz was like a “Jeopardy!” machine, mowing down the other two contestants -- including an eight-day defending champion -- with his uncanny grasp of subject after subject.

Heading into “Final Jeopardy!”, Silikovitz was so far out in front that he could not be caught. 

In the end, he won $23,600. Defending champion Laura Faddah, described as a manager from Memphis, Tennessee, finished with $3,000. The other contestant -- microcrochet artist Sabrina Blank from Rock Hill, South Carolina -- went home with $2,000.

Silikovitz, 55, was introduced at the start of the show as an attorney and worldwide karaoke singer originally from West Orange, New Jersey.

He remained seated on a chair behind his center podium during the show. After the first commercial break, host Ken Jennings made the rounds of each contestant to briefly interview them about their lives.

Jennings asked Silikovitz about his journey to “Jeopardy!” Apparently, Silikovitz missed an opportunity to appear in 2019 when he missed a voicemail message from a casting producer.

That was the same year that Silikovitz was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. “It’s been a longtime dream of mine to get here,” he told Jennings. 

“In 2019, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, but I continued chasing the dream, and now here I am. I wouldn’t recommend that as a preparation strategy for doing well on the show,” Silikovitz joked.

“But after living with Parkinson’s for five-and-a-half years, it’s no longer just about wanting to do well for myself. I would like to give hope and inspiration to the people who are living with chronic illnesses.”

The soft-spoken contestant’s heartfelt message of hope was an emotional moment, and a memorable one for TV. 

Since this TV Blog was written Tuesday afternoon, it could not be known whether Silikovitz would remain the current “Jeopardy!” champion on Tuesday’s show.

But judging by his performance on Monday’s show, he will be hard to beat. At the same time, his successful journey to “Jeopardy!” and his inspiring message made him a winner already.

Photo credit: Jeopardy Productions Inc.