ELIGIBILITY: Applicants must be 14-19 years of age; applicants must be members of a Conservative congrega- tion; and the scholarship will apply to any Conservative movement sponsored Israel program (including Israel programs taking place from June 1, 2010 and on).

THEME OF THIS YEAR’S ESSAY COMPETITION: Theodor Herzl is broadly known as the visionary of the Jewish state. His treatise Der Judenstaat (“The Jewish State”), written in 1896 set forth the reasons why a Jew- ish state was necessary. However, Herzl was not interested solely in creating a physical space for the Jewish people. Rather, as expressed in his less familiar novel Altneuland (“The Old-New Land”), published in 1902, Herzl had a vision, an almost utopian vision, of what that state should be like.

On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Herzl’s birth in 1860, we are inviting teenagers affiliated with the Conservative Movement to delve into Herzl’s dreams and to consider both their relevance for the Jewish world today and the challenge they constitute for the Zionist movement more than 60 years after Israel’s founding.

ESSAY FORMAT: You may articulate your thoughts in one of the following two formats:

1. Conduct an interview with Theodor Herzl as though it is taking place in the present, asking him questions about his vision against the backdrop of the reality of contemporary Israel.
2. Write a journal describing highlights of your visit to Israel in the year 2023 (Altneuland imagines the Jewish state in 1923), relating what you experience on your imaginary visit and comparing it to what Herzl described seeing in his imaginary visit a hundred years earlier.

SOURCES: To get you started, we suggest that you...

1. View the following 15-minute film: http://www.herzl.org/English/Article.aspx?Item=546
2. Review the attached selection of quotes (on pages 4, 5 and 6) entitled “Positive Zionism”, from Herzl’s writings.
3. Read Altneuland, sections of which are available on-line at no cost here or here

SCHEDULE: The biennial MERCAZ-Women’s League Essay Contest has traditionally run over the late spring and summer. This year’s essay contest has been moved earlier in the year to facilitate students planning their summer travel plans to Israel:

1. Opening of Essay Contest: December 1, 2009: Go to www.mercazusa.org or www.mercaz.ca for your entry form or see page 3.
2. Deadline for Entries: March 1, 2010
3. Announcement of Winners: Winners will be announced publicly during the Women’s League convention, December 10-15, 2010. (Those applying for Israel programs taking place during Summer 2010 will be notified privately by May 1st.)

FORMAT: Up to 500 words – typed and double-spaced, accompanied by a passport-size photo.

MAIL ESSAYS TO: MERCAZ USA/CANADA/Women’s League Essay Contest, 820 Second Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10017 OR 1000 Finch Avenue West, #508, Toronto, Ontario M3J 2V5.

The full application is available in PDF form here.