Jewish Values Network
Five finalists in Bronfman Contest
Charles A. Radin
Published by Brandeis University January 29, 2008
WALTHAM,
Mass. -- The competition for Brandeis University's new Charles R.
Bronfman Visiting Chair in Jewish Communal Innovation has narrowed to
five finalists, who will present their proposals for changing the way
Jews think about themselves and their community at a symposium on
campus February 24. The winner will be awarded two years to develop his
or her ideas into a book.
The finalists were announced by Jonathan D. Sarna, Joseph H. &
Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History, who chairs the
committee composed of Brandeis faculty that made the selections. The
finalists and their topics are:
- Ariel Beery, founder and publisher of PresenTense magazine, whose project is "Translating Judaism for the Post-Digital Age"
- Shmuley Boteach, founder and executive director of the Jewish Values
Network, whose focus is "Bringing Judaism to the Mainstream"
- Anita Diamant, author of "The Red Tent" and numerous other books, whose project is "Minhag America"
- Yehuda Kurtzer, PhD candidate at Harvard, whose emphasis is on "The Sacred Task of Rebuilding Jewish Memory"
- Saul Singer, Jerusalem Post editorial page editor and columnist, whose project is titled "From Survival to Purpose"
The finalists were selected from among 231 people who submitted
proposals to the committee of Brandeis faculty. Forty-nine were rabbis,
19 were lawyers and 50 were from outside the US, from countries
including Israel, Italy, India, Australia and Sweden.
On Feb. 24, the finalists will be interviewed by the selection
committee and will participate in a symposium for members of the
Brandeis community and Boston-area Jewish leaders. Each finalist will
make a 15-minute presentation and answer questions for 15 minutes.
The idea of holding a competition of ideas to reinforce the vitality of
the Jewish community grows from an initiative by Sears Roebuck and
Company chairman Julius Rosenwald in 1929. Rosenwald offered a $10,000
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