Chabad looking for young Jewish stars
Jewish Kids Got Talent contest invites children from around world to present unique talents, be it act of charity, singing ability (boys only) or memorizing Torah verses by heart. Winners to get $1,000 for their school or favorite organization, $500 for themselves
Unlike other talent shows, in this one acts of charity also count. Samantha, who sends kosher food to Jewish soldiers in the US Army, is competing in the Heart category for children who have contributed to the community.
In the coming month, Jewish children 14 years or younger from all over the world are invited to submit a text or video presenting their unique talents, be it an act of charity like Samantha, an unusual singing ability (boys only) or memorizing Torah verses by heart.
The competition is produced by the Chabad-affiliated Tzivos Hashem youth movement, which was founded by the Lubavitcher Rebbe in a bid "to revive Jewish identity in children and provide them with a Jewish education through informal and entertaining programs, modern cutting edge teaching methods, first-class publications and personal encounters."
Chabad houses from all over the world are taking part in the competition, which is being broadcast on an impressive website. The producer and initiator is Daniel Finkelman, one of the leading Hasidic producers today, who is also responsible for the success of "Jewish Star."
Heart, hand, head
The competition is divided into three categories: Heart (the Chesed Award) for children who initiated a charity project in the past year; Hand (the Performance Award) for children blessed with stage talents – singing, playing a musical instrument, writing a story or poem, producing artwork or performing a comedy skit; and Head (the Achievement Award) for mastering a difficult concept, researching an important topic or studying Torah teachings by heart.
An internal judging panel will select 10 finalists in each of the three categories. The top three finalists in each category will be given two plane tickets to New York City for the Awards dinner on December 17.
The winner of each category will receive $1,000 towards their school or favorite organization, plus $500 for themselves.
"When we first initiated the competition, we didn't expect to receive so many appeals," says Rabbi Yerachmiel Benjaminson, executive director of Tzivos Hashem and the Jewish Children’s Museum in Brooklyn.
"After the initial shock, we decided to make the competition a custom and produce it professionally, with the main goal being to distribute the message that Jewish children have a huge power and that they must use their talents in an inspirational way, not just among other children but among adults too."
