Visions for Israel and the Jewish Future:
A Global Competition for Jewish Students

 

July 18-23: Vision Competition in Israel for Jewish Students: Outstanding Jewish students present their visions for the future of Israel and the Jewish People to each other, Israeli leaders, and the Jewish world.

 

Herzl's Vision- Your Vision

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Theodor Herzl, the visionary who boldly dreamt of the creation of a Jewish State in the Land of Israel. Herzl's vision, thought by many to be improbable in his day, came to fruition a mere half century later.

The Jewish Agency is proud to announce an exciting new opportunity: an international competition for Jewish students on the topic of contemporary visions for the future of Israel and the Jewish People. These visions can be written, artistic, musical, or presented in other creative ways. They should address the question: What is What is your vision of the Jewish People and the State of Israel in the future?

A panel of independent experts in Israel will review all submitted entries and choose outstanding selections, within each type of medium, based on the following criteria:

• Clarity
• Motivating power
• Innovation
• Creativity

Exciting Opportunity to Come to Israel

To be eligible for this competition, you must be Jewish, under the age of 30, and currently enrolled as a student in a framework of post high school higher education. Outstanding selections will be chosen for both undergraduate and graduate categories.

The authors of the selected visions will receive a free round trip ticket including all expenses in order to come to Israel this summer for a five day conference to present their visions and to partake in a high level educational seminar with leaders of Israeli society, economy, politics and culture. The selected visions will be collected into a special volume as well, a volume which will be shared with leading decision makers in Israel and the Jewish world.

What you Need to Do

Written entries in your native language (of no longer than 3000 words) must be submitted no later than the end of May 2004 to the Director of Student Affairs of the Department of Education of the Jewish Agency, Ilan Wagner, at ilanw@jazo.org.il. Written materials should be sent in rtf format and should include details such as full name, address, University, e-mail and phone number. Arrangements for the submission of non-written materials can be arranged through the same address.

Over the next several months, we invite you, as Jewish students of University age, to visit our web-site at http://www.jafi-ed.org.il/anthology/ This web site, built to assemble in one place the wisdom of our traditions on the subject of vision and covenant, is a rich educational resource to help you articulate your own vision for the future. View this web-site as a work in progress, and suggest additional selections to enrich and expand it. You can find additional information about the competition there as well.

A Vision for the Jewish Future

There is no more appropriate time than now to renew the potential of vision for Israel and the Jewish future. We believe that the voice of Jewish students today will be a critical resource in shaping the future for tomorrow.

We look forward to meeting you, and your vision, in Israel this summer!