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Areyvut is proud to announce the winners of its second annual Bnai Mitzvah Essay Contest. While all of the entrants described creative and meaningful tzedakah projects that can serve as models for future Bnai Mitzvah celebrants, four winners were selected. Areyvut congratulates the following students on their winning essays:
First Prize:
Sarita Rosenstock of Princeton, NJ, who started an initiative to end the genocide in Darfur.
Second Prize:
Eden Adler of Farmington Hills, MI who visited senior citizens and knitted hats for cancer patients.
Third Prize (Tie):
Elana Fink of Beachwood, OH, who raised money for Pups for Peace by walking and taking care of dogs.
Third Prize (Tie):
Charles Breitbart of Great Neck, NY, who raised money to build an outdoor basketball court in Tiberias.
Each winner had his/her essay posted on the Areyvut web site, has been invited to speak about their projects to other students at a program sponsored by Areyvut and received various prizes including an iPod, a Giving Certificate to be redeemed at Tzedakah, Inc., and gift certificates for Judaica Press.
We encourage you to read the winning essays by clicking on the following links:
An End to Genocide by Sarita Rosenstock
More Than Just a Mitzvah by Eden Adler
My Bat Mitzvah Went to the Dogs by Elana Fink
Chesed Hoops by Charles Breitbart
We would also like to recognize all of the other finalists:
- Elizabeth Alexander of Stamford, CT who participated in Mitzvah Visitation Program, wrote notes to Israeli soldiers (A Package from Home) and donated gifts to children for Chanukah through Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty.
- Josh Fink of Beachwood, OH who raised money and sent ping pong tables and accessories to army bases in Israel.
- Samantha Markowitz of New York, NY who knitted squares to make a blanket, which will be used as wrapping for brand new baby blankets that will be sent to Just One Life, in Israel, an organization that supports poor Israeli women who have unplanned pregnancies and give birth.
- Elisheva Mittelman of Baltimore, MD who decorated blankets for Project Linus for sick children.
We would like to thank The Jewish Publication Society (www.jewishpub.org) for co-sponsoring the gift certificates, Judaica Press (www.judaicapress.com) and Tzedakah, Inc. (www.just-tzedakah.org) for their help with the Giving Certificate TM. We once again acknowledge Karen Klieger, who interned at Areyvut in 2004 who was instrumental in bringing this contest to fruition. Additionally, we would like to thank the expert panel of judges who gave of their time and helped us determine the winners.
Areyvut invites all Bnai Mitzvah students to begin planning their entries for our Third Annual Bnai Mitzvah Essay Contest. We will begin collecting essays in the summer. Visit our website over the upcoming months for further details.
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