30 Finalists in ‘Power’ Contest

Online voting has begun this week on ‘Power of Jewish Children’, an educational competition marking 30 years of the Jewish youth movement Tzivos Hashem’s global efforts.

Out of 700 entries, 30 were chosen in 3 categories by judges – singing superstar Avraham Fried, Rabbi Sholom Ber Baumgarten – director of operations at Tzivos Hashem, Danny Finkelman – director of Sparks productions and Israeli producer Danny Keisler.

Children were invited to submit entries in 3 categories: heart – Chesed, hand – performance or talent, and head – achievement for exceptional studies, researching or writing.

“We’ve had an unbelievable response to the competition,” said contest coordinator Zevi Steinhauser. “We got amazing submissions from all over the world, all over the US, Israel – even from Ukraine.”

COLlive.com, one of the major sponsors of the contest, presents the full list of the top 30 semi finalists:

Chesed

1. Mussie Brackman – Illinois, United States – Distributed Tehillim cards

2. Esty Levin – California, United States – helps lady with Alzheimer’s

3. Malky Levy – Ohio, United States – visits severely injured child

4. Mendel Kugel – New York, United States – plays violin to bring joy to others

5. Mushka Heidingsfeld – California, United States – plays recorder at nursing home, teaches elderly women how to bench licht and distributes challah

6. M. Amram – New York, United States – Fries doughnuts to raise money for needy and formed a band to bring joy to others on Chanukah

7. Eden Harari – New York, United States – created a Mitzvah a day website

8. Mathew Cohn – Toronto, Canada –
collected 2169 pairs of socks for the needy.

9. Michelle Stern – New York, United States – plays violin at community centers

10. M. Goldenberg – New Jersey, United States – compiled a Siddur

Performance

11. Levi Brod – California, United States – plays the harmonica and piano simultaneously

12. Ari Raskin – New York, United States – Acts (and sings) story of Yosef moker shabbos

13. Mordechai Zirkind – Thornhill, Canada – plays violin

14. Mordechai Hertz – New York, United States – plays piano and sings

15. Shimshy Gansburg – New York, United States – Rebbe drawing

16. Chaya Nelken – New York, United States – painting of Israel scene

17. Avraham Schneerson – New York, United States – playing violin

18. Esty Rosenfeld – Montreal, Canada – Embroidery art

19. Shmuel Dov Maler – Montreal, Canada – plays drums

20. Yossi Altein – Montreal, Canada – makes Tefillin

Achievement

21. Chana Schusterman – Indiana, United States – power point of Rebbetzin Chana

22. Liba Rimler – New York, United States – story book

23. Mendel Halberstam – New York, United States – first chapter of tractate Brochos by heart

24. Tzivia Malka Lederman – Thornhill, Canada – Tanya baal peh

25. Effy Kahn – Melbourne, Australia – moshiach power point

26. M. Farkash – California, United States – learned the entire Shisha Sidrei Mishna by heart

27. Yisrolik Wilhelm – New York, United States – 12 Perokim Tanya by heart b’bas achas (at one time) plus the Hakdamah

28. Zalman Gansburg – New York, United States – essay remembering holocaust

29. Tzviki Zwiebel – Montreal, Canada – memorized the entire Perek Alef Tanya

30. Menachem Mendel Muller – Grants Hill, United Kingdom – learned the first 12 Perokim of Tanya & Perek 32 by heart, as well as 8 Mesechtos of Mishnayos.

Now that the judges have spoken, voting is open to the public to choose their favorites from the top 30 semi finalists at Powerofjewishchildren.com.

The top 10 finalists will receive an all-expense paid trip to New York City and will appear at the Tzivos Hashem Anniversary Dinner and Concert with Avraham Fried and Lipa Schmeltzer.