My Bronfman Grant Proposal

Earlier this year Charles Bronfman sponsored a competition at Brandeis for the "Next Big Jewish Idea"; something that would turn the community on its head and transform the world. Over 250 proposals were submitted. In the end the finalists that were chosen all had agents, publicists, and prior book deals. The person actually chosen turns out to be a Harvard Grad student finishing his PhD.
It is surprising that Brandeis had to go to such an extent to get a Harvard PhD to teach at their school. In many ways I feel cheated. I put a lot of energy and thought into my proposal. I still think that there is something here for a book.
Yet, the thing I find so disheartening is that the proposal that actually won is a continuation of what I see as veneer Judaism. Radicalism with some spackle from authentic memory? It seems like the criticism leveled at modern Jewish text study. One selects the point that one wants to make and then draws the circle around it.