In honor of the Alter Rebbe’s 202nd yahrzeit on Chof Dalet Teves, and first anniversary of the acclaimed MyLife: Chassidus Applied webcast series, the Meaningful Life Center has launched the MyLife: Essay Contest and will award $10,000 to the winning essay which applies a concept or idea in Chassidus to solve a contemporary life issue or challenge. Contest details can be found online at www.meaningfullife.com/mylife/contest.
The contest is kicking off today and is open to the public. The winners will be selected by a panel of judges comprised of some of the most distinguished Torah and Chassidic scholars in the world – Rabbi Leibel Altein, Rabbi Dr. Yaakov Brawer, Rabbi YY Jacobson, Rabbi Sholom Lipskar and Rabbi Eli Silberstein.
Rabbi Simon Jacobson, Dean of the Meaningful Life Center (MLC) explains the motives for launching this unprecedented competition. “MLC is dedicated to presenting Chassidus as a blueprint for life. The Rebbeim invested their entire lives to teach us Chassidus. They left us with hundreds of volumes of treasures –a comprehensive blueprint of our spiritual DNA and the building blocks of existence. The world’s best kept secret.
“As the first anniversary of MyLife: Chassidus Applied drew close, we challenged ourselves with the ultimate question: How can we engage and motivate a new generation of leaders and thinkers to demonstrate the life changing methodologies found in Chassidus? What can we do provoke the public to invest energy and creativity in presenting these teachings in ways that address the real challenges men and women face today? How can we tap Chassidus for practical tools to live the most fulfilling life possible? And with that, the essay contest was born!” said an animated Rabbi Jacobson.
The contest is an outgrowth of the pioneering and highly popular MyLife: Chassidus Applied weekly Sunday night webcast series – a new hafotzas hamayonos chutza initiative, where Rabbi Jacobson applies Chassidic teachings to answers people’s questions, in simple, clear language while being heavily sourced. Each episode is jam-packed with advice from the Rebbeim, gleaned from letters, sichos and maamorim that succinctly address personal issues for any level of listener.
Anyone over 15 years old is eligible to submit an essay at www.meaningfullife.com/mylife/contest. The contest runs until February 19 (Rosh Chodesh Adar). Essays may be written in English, Hebrew or Yiddish and will be judged blindly,* as outlined in the contest rules and guidelines, which can be downloaded and read on the contest landing page. The objective and focus of the essay is to demonstrate how Chassidus provides, even for a secular person, powerful tools for personal transformation. How Chassidus addresses the most fundamental human needs, from the emotional to the psychological and the spiritual, from finding happiness, inner peace, and passion to alleviating anxiety, fear and other impediments.
when will the winners be announced?
woah! This contest is so Swell, so fresh.
Love it love it love it!
I disagree that a judge needs to be an expert in eyin beis or samech vov. They do need to know if the essay works in a practical, down to earth way–if it answers to people’s real life concerns. But if you’re worried that there aren’t enough women who are proficient in deep chassidus, then you need to ask yourself why we have this problem. What’s holding us back from educating the women so they can understand samech vov? It certainly was not the Rebbe’s derech to limit the scope of women’s education. He wants women to know all of… Read more »
For those that want women judges. Please list your candidates. They should be expert in Eyin Beis and samach vov, lekutei torah and torah or. I know only one that may fit this description.
Please add a few female judges
I am blown away by this idea
let us know how many contestants you have
If anything women are more qualified because they are more involved in the practical work of making the home into a dirah for Hashem.
Are women not qualified to judge an essay on Chassidus?
Our youth should not only be tought chassidus, but should also practice applying chassidus
pen names would probably get you many more submissions!
Our yeshivos and schools should get on board. Excellent opportunity to get our youth involved and excited about Chassidus. Hats off to you Rabbi J and crew.
Finally! A real incentive for young and old alike who koch zich in Ch’sidus. What an amazing opportunity. Chevre, take advantage – your efforts will be rewarded by the nachas ruach this will definitely be gorem for our Rebbe. And if you win… Haray zeh meshuboch.
if it can be submitted anonymously would attract more participants
Right an essay about it
Thank you to for making this happen our generation is in desperate need inspiration and direction !
Are former employees of mlc eligible?
What a great idea. I hope that the winning essay and runners up will be shared. The glory of this august panel of judges could be further enhanced with the presence of a woman!