The JEP Jakobovits Prize

To Make a Difference, to Change the World

JEP draws on the depth and creativity of Orthodox Jewish ethical traditions and brings them into dialogue with today’s moral challenges.

To this end, JEP presents the Rabbi Lord Immanuel Jakobovits זצ״ל Prize for Jewish Ethics to school pupils, university, yeshiva and sem students. Rabbi Jakobovits, Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom from 1967 to 1991, was a pioneer of Jewish medical ethics and a leading moral voice in public life.

Entries should show originality, clarity, and grounding in Jewish sources, with attention to human well-being, practical application, and how ethical challenges facing the Jewish community can be resolved in accordance with Jewish values. Through these prizes, JEP hopes to help nurture a new generation of thinkers who can bring the richness of Jewish ethics into schools, universities, yeshivas, sems, our communities and the wider world.

ILLUSTRATIVE ETHICAL TOPICS

Competitors will analyse and evaluate issues arising from topics such as:

• Noncombatant civilians during war

• Climate change

• Human migration

• Social justice as a universal value

• Collective and communal responsibility

The aim is not to produce legal rulings or political arguments, but to explore how timeless Jewish values can inspire fresh approaches to modern dilemmas.

Outstanding entries will be recognised with prizes and publication on the JEP website, and, where appropriate, in other publications. All participants will receive a certificate of participation.

JEWISH ETHICS PROJECT HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITION

1. 1,000 to 5000-word academic essay (collaborations encouraged)

2. Focus: a creative Orthodox Jewish approach to a selected contemporary ethical issue

JEP UNIVERSITY, YESHIVA AND SEM COMPETITION

1. 3,000 to 5000-word academic essay (collaborations encouraged)

2. Focus: Jewish ethics and global debates

BOTH COMPETITIONS OFFER

• Both competitions offer a £500 prize for the winner and three runner-up prizes of £100 each

• Shortlisted entrants will defend their work before a judging panel of senior judicial, legal and scholarly authorities

HOW TO ENTER

• Please register by sending us your name, age, institution and contact email, to:  competition@jewishethicsproject.org, as soon as possible.

• Full instructions will be published on the JEP website shortly after Succot and sent to registered applicants.

• Submission deadline: 23rd January 2026

EVALUATION CRITERIA

  • Coherence and eloquence of argument (25%)

  • Authentic deployment of Torah resources (25%)

  • Originality (25%)

  • Practical importance to modern life (25%)

COMPETITION RULES

  • Entries must be written in English

  • Group submissions are allowed

  • Both the initial sift and the final judging will be conducted blind

  • Use of AI tools is prohibited: authors must be able to explain and defend their work in person (judges will test understanding)

PUBLICATION NOTE

This will be a competition showcase, not a formal academic publication, and does not prevent later submission, in revised form, to peer-reviewed journals or other outlets. Entrants retain full copyright in their work.

We are looking forward to your entries.