Announcing Winners of the Inaugural Rabbi Sacks Essay Contest

5 prizes-winning essays from 87 submissions and 41 schools worldwide, celebrating Rabbi Sacks’ impact on the next generation.

The Rabbi Sacks Legacy is proud to announce the winners of the inaugural Rabbi Sacks Essay Contest, a new initiative inviting high school students to engage with Torah, moral questions, and the teachings of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks.

Launched to mark Rabbi Sacks’ fifth yahrzeit, the contest challenged students to think seriously about some of the biggest questions facing Jewish life and the modern world. Rather than simply studying Rabbi Sacks’ ideas, participants were encouraged to think with them: to reflect, question, and respond in their own voice. 

Students were invited to submit a 1,000-word essay responding to one of five questions drawn from Rabbi Sacks’ Torah teachings and moral vision. Essays were assessed by a panel of eight educators from The Rabbi Sacks Legacy, ensuring both academic rigor and fidelity to Rabbi Sacks’ intellectual framework.

The contest drew 87 submissions from 41 schools, demonstrating both strong interest and remarkable global reach.

First prize was awarded to Micah Jackson of Kfar Batya Torah Science High School in Israel. Second prize went to Lea Rebibo of Carmel School in Hong Kong. Third prize was shared by Aria Knepler-Pearl of The Hockaday School in Dallas, and Tali Morgenstern and Nitsan Winter, both of Boyar International School in Israel. The winners will receive cash prizes, together with copies of the Koren Sacks Humash and a selection of books by Rabbi Sacks.

Beyond the impressive numbers, one of the clearest measures of success was the student response itself. Participants described the experience as meaningful and, in many cases, transformative. Several students shared that they were still thinking about Rabbi Sacks’ ideas weeks after submitting their essays, and that the process gave them greater clarity and confidence in relating their Jewish identity to the challenges of the contemporary world.

Lady Elaine Sacks said: “I have been so moved to learn about the Rabbi Sacks Essay Contest, and especially by the number of schools and students who have taken part. Real thought has gone into such subjects as morality and Jewish identity.  I know it would have meant so much to my dear husband. Thank you all so very much, and a special big mazel tov to the prize-winners!”

First place winner Micah Jackson said: “I really admire the way Rabbi Sacks connects philosophy and Torah, which has had a profound impact on my life. It is therefore incredibly meaningful to me to have taken part in the Rabbi Sacks Essay Contest and to have contributed my voice to Rabbi Sacks’ legacy.”