Introduction

The West Morris Section of the National Council of Jewish Women is proud of our annual “WHAT PREJUDICE MEANS TO ME” contest, which is open to all sixth grade students attending schools in Morris County, New Jersey.

The purpose of the contest is to complement the sixth grade curriculum and encourage students and teachers to have discussions about the many forms that prejudice takes in our society. It is our hope that by recognizing differences and exploring their personal experiences, students will begin to understand that compassion and tolerance are essential in our society today.

How to Enter the Contest

Most students enter the “WHAT PREJUDICE MEANS TO ME” contest through their schools. In the fall of each year, all public, private, and parochial schools in Morris county are contacted to invite teachers to participate. Entry forms, rules and the closing date of the contest are sent in early December to participating teachers.

Individual students may also enter the contest. Contact us via phone, fax, or e-mail to obtain an entry form.

Phone: (888) 895-3059
Fax: (973) 267-7917
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

‘Inspiration to Action: The Building of a Village’

Rachel Olstein, director of volunteer services for Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) in Rwanda, will be the special guest speaker at the Awards Ceremony for our sixth-grade diversity contest, “What Prejudice Means to Me.” The event will take place at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 3, at Morris Knolls High School in Denville. Volunteers are requested to arrive at the school by 6 p.m.

            Rachel’s talk, called “Inspiration to Action: The Building of a Village,” will focus on educating the audience about the genocide in Rwanda; explaining the goals and mission of ASYV; and encouraging the students to take a step beyond thinking about prejudice, and to use ASYV as a model and example of how one person can act and make a powerful difference. She will also discuss some ways they can get involved with the ASYV project. ASYV, a project of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, is designed to help educate orphans, and aims to create a safe and structured residential community for orphaned children in Rwanda. The village is a place of hope, where traumatized youth can “dry their tears” (Agahozo) and “live in peace” (Shalom).

            Ellen Nesson, our co–vice president of fund-raising, visited ASYV this past summer and spoke about it at Morristown Jewish Center–Beit Yisrael, so Prism readers will be familiar with this important project. Ellen will introduce Rachel at the Awards Ceremony.

            Rachel’s interest in social justice began in 1999 when she volunteered for a year with AmeriCorps. After graduating from Vassar College, she taught second grade at an inner city school for two years, and then taught and led outdoor education programs for several years at the Teva Learning Center. She also served as a wilderness guide for service trips in Ladakh, India, and the Azore Islands. The speaker received a master’s degree in community leadership and nonprofit management at Hebrew University, where her studies focused on international development and volunteer organization. In pursuit of her master’s, she spent two months working on a banking project in rural Ghana.

            To sign up as an Awards Ceremony volunteer, please contact Lesley Frost (973–898–0555; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).