Deadline: Monday, Feb. 13, 4:30 pm
Cool facts about Israel:
• Israeli scientists have produced a clean energy alternative from spinach.
• 2,000-year-old seeds were discovered in 1963 inside an ancient jar in Israel. They were planted in 2005 and a tree that had been extinct for more than 1,800 years sprouted.
• A Syrian refugee has created a website, Thank You Am Israel, to thank Israelis for their humanitarian aid to displaced Syrians fleeing the country’s civil war.
These are just a few of 2017’s list of facts about Israel, posted on jewishva. org/CRCIsraelPosterContest, as creative prompts for CRC’s 5th Annual Israel Poster Contest. First through 12th graders are eligible to participate.
All of the students’ creative work will be displayed in the Leon Family Art Gallery in February for the community to vote, in person. The top 10 finalists will be posted online and the community will vote electronically in March for their favorite.
One vote per person per day is allowed, offering the chance for the creative artwork to go viral, promoting great information about Israel and an opportunity for global Israel advocacy.
The winning poster will be professionally framed and permanently hang at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus. In addition, attendees at the Simon Family JCC’s Israel Festival on Sunday, April 30, will receive a copy of the winning poster.
As in years past, Jewish day schools and area synagogues are promoting the poster contest to their students and families. Chris Kraus, director of Family Learning at Ohef Sholom Temple says, “I love the Tidewater (CRC) Israel Poster Contest because it integrates Israel education year-round into every dimension of our curriculum: eco-Judaism, innovative technology, and our Jewish homeland as a modern reality whose cultural relevance reaches far beyond deserts, camels, wars and political boundaries. Last year’s winner of the contest worked on his poster as part of our Sunday learning art curriculum.”
Twelve year old Brian Cohn, the Ohef Sholom student who won the 2016 Israel Poster Contest, says, “It was really fun to learn all the interesting facts about how Israel helps the world and it is important for us to be aware how Israel is helping the future. I hope everyone joins in!”
When asked whether he will compete again this year, his mother, Lisa Cohn says, “Maybe, but it might be nice to give someone else a chance to win.”
For more information and contest rules visit www.JewishVA.org/ CRCIsraelPosterContest or contact Wendy Weissman, assistant director, CRC, at WWeissman@ujft.org or 965-6107.
Submissions must be dropped off at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater office located on the second floor of the Sandler Family Campus, 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Virginia Beach by Monday, Feb. 13 at 4:30 pm.