Area students, from kindergartners to high school seniors, can win an iPod, a computer or other prizes when they enter the My Israel Writing Contest and write about what Israel means to them. The contest is a program of Our Israel, an initiative sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County's Israel Program Center and Makom, the Israel Engagement Network.
The criteria for entries based on grade levels is: kindergarten through second grade, one page with a picture and words; third through fifth grade, 500 words maximum; sixth through eighth grade, 750 words maximum; and ninth through 12th grade, 1,000 words maximum. Submissions, which must be typed or neatly handwritten, will be accepted now through Sunday, November 19.
The My Israel Writing Contest is open to students from Boynton Beach to Stuart who are friends of Israel.
Participants can send their submissions to My Israel Writing Contest, c/o Israel Program Center, Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, 4601 Community Drive, West Palm Beach, FL 33417. Submissions, which will not be returned, must include the student's name, address, phone number, grade and school. The selection of contest winners is at the sole discretion of Federation's Israel Program Center.
All entries become the property of Federation. For more information on the contest, call Brenda Horowitz at 561-209-2615 or e-mail nacie@jewishpalmbeach.org.
The Israel Program Center and Makom thank the following for generously donating the contest prizes: Dr. Brad D. Simons - Pediatric Ophthalmology; Dr. David A. Lickstein - Plastic Surgery; The Law Office of Mitchell I. Kitroser; Symphony Title Insurance Co., LLC; Tami and Jim Baldinger; and Michael and Kilmeny Chernys.
The goal of Makom, a program of the Jewish Agency for Israel, is to strengthen local residents' knowledge of and connection to Israel. This is accomplished by working with area agencies and synagogues in the greater Palm Beaches to create models of Israel education and involvement that will be emulated throughout the country. The greater Palm Beaches is one of 12 Jewish communities throughout North America that are part of Makom.
The Israel Program Center provides our community, its synagogues and agencies with a connection to Israel through the center's resources, events and educational programs.
The Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County serves residents from Boynton Beach to Jupiter and west to Wellington as the central Jewish community-building organization of the greater Palm Beaches. Federation strengthens Jewish identity, energizes the community's relationship with Israel and meets the human needs of the Jewish community in Palm Beach County, Israel and 60 countries around the world.