National Student Essay Contest - What We Do - Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies



	What We Do National Student Essay Contest The Institute for Christian & Jewish Studies, in partner-ship with Elizabeth Goldhirsh, announces a national essay contest open to students ages 16-22. The com-petition offers high school and college students monetary prizes for original essays that demonstrate an accurate understanding of some aspect of the shared past between Christians and Jews. Topic areas include Faith and the Bible, History, and Current Events. Essay Questions Faith and Bible Choose a passage from the Hebrew Scriptures that has great significance for Christians and Jews. Ex-plain how this passage sheds light on what Christians and Jews have in common and on what distinguishes them from each other. What steps would you take to help Jews and Christians read and interpret this passage so that they might come to understand each other better? History Choose a historical event between 1209 BCE and 135 CE, examine why you think this moment was critically important to Jews and Christians, and explain why this event continues to have signif-icant implications for both religious communities today. Current Events The release of Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ, has generated widely conflicting responses. Many Christians have had their faith deepened and confirmed by this film. Other Christians and many Jews have found it very troubling, if not offensive. What do you think these responses indicate about the religious tensions within American society? What project would you propose to help people better understand these divergent views and how might this project assist people in the discovery of common ground? The ICJS has entered into this partnership in the hopes of identifying and building a base of young leaders who will become committed to the ongoing pursuit of the challenges of religious diversity and interfaith under-standing within the context of a democratic society. For official rules governing the writing contest, essay questions, contest deadlines, prize details, submission guidelines, and other important information, please visit the Reaching Common Ground Web site. Who We Are :: What We Do :: Events Calendar Clergy and Educators :: Scholars' Corner :: Newsletter Information Resources :: Get Involved :: Home
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