The five JKHA and RKYHS students who were selected as “18 Under 18 Who Bring Jewish Learning to Life” by The Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life were recognized by the community at a gala dinner on Sunday night. The JKHA and RKYHS students truly stood out from the crowd as close to a third of the list selected. At the dinner, each student received a certificate and an Israel Bond.

The contest was open to all middle and high school students in greater MetroWest New Jersey and challenged them to write an essay demonstrating meaningful connections between their activities, passions or hobbies and Jewish textual sources. Fifty applications were submitted from students in grades six through eleven. The entries were judged by Jeffrey Korbman, national campaign director of NCSY; Abby Meth Kanter, the executive editor of the New Jersey Jewish News; and Vicki Weber, partner and chief marketing officer at Behrman House.

Entrants were provided with educational coaches who helped them develop the Jewish themes and search for relevant Jewish texts to support the ideas expressed in their essays.

Their essays may be read by going to www.ThePartnershipNJ.org/18winners.

“This year was the first time we introduced the ‘18 Under 18 Who Bring Jewish Learning to Life’ contest to the community. But it’s clear by the number of entries we received from the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy / Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School that the educational leadership there … shares our vision, appreciation, and never-ending amazement that Jewish learning and wisdom, texts and traditions are ever-relevant, and enriching our lives,” commented Robert Lichtman, Executive Director of The Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life. “The JKHA/RKYHS students who participated in this experience hopefully now have a deeper appreciation of that as well. And that was our goal… To Bring Jewish Learning to Life.”