Source: PR Newswire

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/04-16-2004/0002153201&EDATE=

On April 16, 2004 PR Newswire reported, "In an effort to shift public perception of the traditional Christian - Jewish relationship, 25-year-old Boston philanthropist Elizabeth Goldhirsh, in partnership with The Institute for Christian & Jewish Studies, today announced the Reaching Common Ground national essay competition. Open to students 16-22 years of age, the competition offers young scholars unprecedented monetary prizes for religious-themed essays that illuminate the common origins and spiritual bonds of the two faiths. With $100,000 in total prize money, including a $25,000 grand prize, it is the world's richest student writing contest. Official rules are posted at http://www.ReachingCommonGround.com. Founded and sponsored by Ms. Goldhirsh, the Reaching Common Ground initiative is dedicated to building bridges between Christians and Jews. 'In the wake of Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ,' I wanted to encourage young people to examine the bonds shared by Christians and Jews and explore what we can learn from each other,' said Ms. Goldhirsh, who holds degrees in history and journalism from Penn and Columbia and is currently a graduate student in Theological Studies at Harvard."