holocaust essay contest 2021

White Rose Student Essay Contest

Your school is invited to submit student entries for the 3rd Annual White Rose Essay Contest. 

The White Rose Essay Contest provides an impactful research and writing experience for high school students.

Using primary sources and survivor testimony, students are able to synthesize researched information to demonstrate understanding of the Holocaust and how it happened.  They can use the contest to better understand the rhetorical concepts of audience, purpose, genre, and style. By conducting original research, the contest provides students an opportunity to explore an integrated model of literacy.

Winning submissions will be displayed on the Holocaust Center website as well as distributed in digital format for the award ceremony attendees.

Click here to download the prompt and educator packet.

The awards in this contest are made possible by the generous donation of an anonymous benefactor who hopes that students will continue to learn from the lessons of the Holocaust through education.  Prizes are as follows:

Student Prizes:

1st Place: $1,000

2nd Place: $500

3rd Place: $250

Sponsoring Teacher Prizes:

1st Place: $500

2nd Place: $250

3rd Place: $100

Note: This prize money may be considered taxable unless used for tuition, books, or similar.  It is best to consult an accountant or other tax professional.

Frequently Asked Questions:

The contest is open to students in Central Florida region.

Students currently enrolled in grades 9- 12.

Each school may submit 1 entry per student.

No. Student work must be completed individually.

The award ceremony will be virtual. For participants who would like to take part in the ceremony, a live video link will be made available.

All entries must be based on a video testimony on the approved websites listed in the contest materials only. Works based on other testimony sources without express approval will be disqualified.

Books may be used as sources to supplement video testimony, but used not in lieu of; all book sources must be cited as well as one of the approved websites listed in the contest materials.

Yes, please contact Stephen Poynor at [email protected] or at (407) 628-0555 to discuss how to obtain testimony and resources from HMREC.

Testimonies and resources can be from a myriad of sources. For a list of testimonies and resources, please refer to the list on page 2 & 5 of this booklet.

Students must be sponsored by schools. Works submitted without a school/educator sponsorship will not be entered into the competition.

Yes, all educational facilities that serve grades 9 – 12 are eligible to participate in the contest.

Yes, students are required to provide the URL of sources used in their works. In addition, if secondary sources are used, students should submit a list of citations for these sources along with their entries.

All submissions become the property of the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida.

Details for the awards ceremony will be announced soon.

• Digital entries be submitted digitally to

[email protected]

• Written entries will also be accepted via postal mail and by in-person
• Physical written entries may be hand-delivered or sent via postal mail to:

ATTN: Stephen Poynor

851 North Maitland Avenue,

Maitland, FL 32751

The deadline for submissions is March 26, 2021.

Yes. The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center  will offer workshop sessions. Please check the contest website for specific dates and information on how to register.

851 N. Maitland Avenue, Maitland FL, 32751

We will closed on Saturday, March 30 & Sunday, March 31 

Museum Hours: Sunday: Noon – 4pm Monday: Closed Tuesday – Thursday: 10am – 4pm Friday: 10am – 1pm Saturday: Closed

407-628-0555

MAKE YOUR RESERVATION

Thank you for your commitment to a better future

Your generous gift today will help us continue educating people about the important history and lessons of the Holocaust in order to create a more just, caring and inclusive community free of all forms of hate and bigotry.

• Board of Directors
• Join Our Team
• Make a Planned Gift
• Survivor Testimonies
• Educator & Classroom Resources
• Britannica's Holocaust Resources
• Other Holocaust Centers

We are thankful to our partners who help provide funding for our cultural season

Upcoming Event

With Gratitude

• See All Events

This essay contest is a tribute to Israel “Izzy” Arbeiter z”l, who survived the Holocaust against all odds and lost most of his family, who were murdered by Nazis. He was a past president of the American Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors of Greater Boston. Izzy Arbeiter passed away in October of 2021. His essay contest will continue to be a part of his incredible legacy.

Students in grades 6-12 are invited to write a 400-800 word essay on the topics below., essays will be judged on originality, knowledge, style, and depth..

SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES

Survivor Israel Arbeiter

• Video: A Promise to my Father

Survivor and Artist Samuel Bak

• Illuminations: The Art of Samuel Bak

Survivor and Poet Sonia Weitz

• Testimony and biography of Sonia Weitz

Survivor Rena Finder

• Testimony and biography of Rena Finder

Essay entries are due by March 22nd, 2024.

Essay contest winners will be recognized in person at the holocaust commemoration at faneuil hall on sunday, may 5th, 2024 at 10am. winners are also invited to attend a trip to the holocaust museum in washington dc on november 11th, 2024, please submit essay along with name, address, phone number, email, birthday, teacher, grade and school to joseph katz at document.getelementbyid("eeb-127173-245712").innerhtml = eval(decodeuricomponent("%27%6a%6b%61%74%7a%40%6a%63%72%63%62%6f%73%74%6f%6e%2e%6f%72%67%27")) *protected email* . essay finalists will be notified the week of april 15th..

Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston

Kraft Family Building 126 High St. | Boston, MA 02110

• Phone: 617.457.8600
• Fax: 617.988.6255

Privacy Overview

Some of the content on this website requires JavaScript to be enabled in your web browser to function as intended. This includes, but is not limited to: navigation, video, image galleries, etc. While the website is still usable without JavaScript, it should be enabled to enjoy the full interactive experience.

• About Our Office
• Newsletters
• Sponsored Projects Services
• Research Integrity
• Industry Alliances & Commercialization
• Institutes and Centers
• Graduate Education
• Center for Undergraduate Excellence
• Internal Funding Opportunities
• Policies and Guidance
• Statistical Consulting
• Ask the Experts Virtual Town Hall
• Quarterly Research Data
• Barry and Phyllis Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education
• Samueli Holocaust Memorial Library
• Holocaust Art and Writing Contest

» Chapman University’s Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest

“Everyone is a winner. Students, teachers, parents and our society are all beneficiaries. As are Holocaust survivors. Survivors benefit because their stories are absorbed by young minds who will be witnesses to the future” William Elperin, President of The 1939 Society.

25th Annual Holocaust Art & Writing Contest (2024)

Answering the call of memory: choosing to act, middle school first and second place entries by category.

First Place: Mourning Silence by Isabelle Tran Second Place: The Most Dramatic Item -- So Must We All by Chloe Carper

High School First and Second Place Entries by Category

24th annual holocaust art & writing contest (2023), the strength of love and the will to survive, 23rd annual holocaust art & writing contest (2022), turning memory to strength living with courage, resilience and hope.

First Place: Tears Can Tell by Cocona Baba Second Place: Hope in a Hayloft by Bethany Cheung

First Place: Resilience and the Will to Live by Joshua Lieu ( statement ) ( film ) Second Place: Facing the Morning by Michael Pham ( statement ) ( film )

First Place:  A Streak of Light in a Dark Sky by Leo Chang Second Place: A Camp Sister's Spirit by Gwyneth Morrell

First Place: Unwavering Essence, Unwavering Strength by Jacob Sprague Second Place: Little Things Like That, We Did for Each Other by Logan Langrell

First Place: Wisps of Hope, Flames of Resilience by Min Young Lee Second Place: Locks of Hope by Alexa Yam

First Place: The Sunflower by Ava Lazar ( statement ) ( film ) Second Place: Everything Changed by Natalia Kłyż ( statement ) ( film )

First Place: Candle of Hope by Cayla Dembo Second Place: Hate Will Never Win by Maile Fowler

First Place: The Importance of Words by Katie Larson Second Place: A Woman of Valor by Sara Lebowitz

22nd Annual Holocaust Art & Writing Contest (2021)

Sharing strength, sustaining humanity.

First Place: Silenced Emotion by Mary Jane Pfaff Second Place: One by Emily Nelmida

First Place: We Live for Each Other by Olivia Brandeis Second Place: To Live by Rhiannon Jewell

First Place: Freedom and Hope by Kaylin Stapinksi Second Place: Wings that Embraced by Coral Hsu

First Place: The Power of Promise by Dorothy Laster Second Place: Staying to Survive by Violet Chen

First Place: Perseverance   by Arantza Guerena Second Place: The Face of a Clock by Bryson Naylor

First Place: It is Worthwhile Surviving  by Miruna-Maria Dumitriu Second Place: Together by Noelle Zepeda

First Place: An Inspiring Spirit by Shiri Kaplan Second Place: Dared to be Different by Angelina Ahrendt

First Place: Alone but Together by Kristi Ikemoto Second Place: Dragons by Micaela Martz

21st Annual Holocaust Art & Writing Contest (2020)

Memory matters whose story will you tell.

First Place: Goodbye, Mother by Evan Hong Second Place: In the Face of Hope by Aliena Sutcliff

First Place: To Be Human by Joaquin Domingo Second Place: Music Can Change the World by Alisa Kangas

First Place: A Maroon Hankie by Noa Nerwich Second Place: Signs by Sean Cronin

First Place: Sharing: An Offering by John Paul Laster Second Place: Listen and Remember by Sophia Amparan

First Place: Divided by Rachel Brinkman Second Place: Silenced but Not Forgotten by Grace Boihem

First Place: Remind by Yunji Kim Second Place:  Warmth by Ellie Cucullu

First Place: Bird by Elena Ashburn Second Place: Numbers by Jonathan Borowitz

First Place: Through Deep Snow by Joshua Lewin Second Place: Sharing What We Know by Michael McPhie

20th Annual Holocaust Art & Writing Contest (2019)

Purposeful telling: through memory to action.

First Place: The Shoes That Held Her Captive by Cate McMackin Second Place: Tears of the Star   by Irene Lee

First Place: Regardless of Our Differences by Carly Nguyen Second Place: Imagine by Kaneiya Desai

First Place: If/When by Sophia Harvey Second Place: From the Ashes by Joana Thomas

First Place: My Purpose by Grace Min Second Place: The Smallest Actions by Nicholas Vo

First Place: The Creation of Connection by Amanda Harris Second Place: Washed Away by Kyla Korkowski

First Place: Defiance by Chase Martin Second Place:  Just a 13 Year Old Boy by Jonathan Rosario

First Place: My Enemy, My Friend by Abigail Stephens Second Place: The Voice by Ethan Shill

First Place: Timekeeper by Madeline Gillette Second Place: A Reason for Survival by Stephanie Markowitz

The 19th Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest (2018)

Messenger of Memory: What Will Your Message Be?  View the awards ceremony program .

The 18th Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest (2017)

I have a story to tell awards ceremony program, the 17th annual holocaust art and writing contest (2016), telling it forward: making memory matter.

Event Program

First Place Middle School ART| "The Unknowing Goodbye" by Sophia Scarsi FILM| "Telling it Forward: Making Memory Matter" by Amanda Gomez POETRY| "Your Story" by Grace Aitken PROSE| "Ordinary People" by Daanesh Jamal

First Place High School ART| "The Will to Live" by Hailey Shi FILM| "Memory" by Kenzington Martin POETRY| "Brother" by Gemma Davies PROSE| "Separation" by Eunice Lee

The 16th Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest (2015)

Through discovery to action: making meaning from memory.

First Place Middle School Art "Everlasting Faith" by Erik Zou

First Place Middle School Film "Do Something" by Sanaia Meneses Film Statement

First Place Middle School Writing "Light at the End of the Tunnel"  by Cameron Martin

First Place High School Art "The Writing on the Wall" by Joshua Sands

First Place High School Writing "The Flow of Tears" by Caleb Penner

The 15th Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest (2014)

Memories spoken and heard: intersecting perspectives of the holocaust.

First Place Middle School Art "Never Again" by Hailey Shi

First Place Middle School Film "Strengths: Inspired by Ester Wigodsky" by Alexander Kimbrell Film Statement

First Place Middle School Writing "Because I Heard You" by Ashton Carroll

First Place High School Art "Withered" by Hannah Wheeler

First Place High School Film "See It Through My Eyes" by Jenny Kima Film Statement First Place High School Writing "To Whom This Story Remains Untold" by Justin Johnson

The 14th Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest (2013)

The courage to create: message to the future with special message from chava gins pressburger, holocaust survivor and artist and sister of petr ginz..

First place Middle School Poetry "And the Snow Still Falls" by Elizabeth Markus

First place Middle School Prose "Sing a Song, A Song of Life" by Kaitlyn Pham

First place Middle School Art "Bread of Creation " by Kelly Zhou

First Place High School Poetry "Who Am I?" by Palak Goel

First Place High School Prose "Horse Meat" by Hoyeon Lee

First Place High School Art "Survivor's Symphony" by Elizabeth Elder

The 13th Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest (2012)

Memories matter: stories of the holocaust with guest speaker, esther safran foer, director, sixth and i historic synagogue and daughter of holocaust survivors.

First place Middle School Poetry " Stones " by Gabbi Heckler First place Middle School Prose " Blind Trust " by Branan Landau First place Middle School Art " In Disguise " by Raeann Guidry-Smith First Place High School Poetry " I Remember You, Zelda " by Anthony Madrigal

First Place High School Prose " Voice That Transcends Time " by Hyunkyung Chun First Place High School Art " Broken " by Elizabeth Marlowe

The 12th Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest (2011)

“the holocaust: spaces of memory” with guest speaker, idele stapholtz, holocaust survivor and member of the “1939” club.

First Place Middle School Essay “Targeted” by Jennifer Parra

First Place Middle School Poetry “Would I Have Done What You Did?” by Natalie Larson

First Place Middle School Art “Connecting Pieces of Memory: Past and Present” by Lisa Cho

First Place High School Essay “Shared Spaces” by Victoria Moyzis

First Place High School Poetry “Protection” by Sonali Toppur

First Place High School Art “No Comparison” by Katy Brannigan

The 11th Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest (2010)

“memory and meaning” with guest speaker, curt lowens, holocaust survivor and rescuer and distinguished character actor.

First Place Middle School Essay “Sharing Wisdom” by Roger Mendoza

First Place Middle School Poetry “Worn Threads” by Lindsey Valentine

First Place Middle School Art “Lonely Hope” Bailey Smith

First Place High School Essay “Intertwined” by Case Takata

First Place High School Poetry “69-9-27” by Porter Hahn

First Place High School Art “Lost Rails” by Angel Chang

The 10th Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest (2009)

“witnesses to the holocaust: identities shattered-identities shaped” with guest speaker, natalie weinstein gold, child survivor of the holocaust and psychotherapist.

First Place Middle School Essay “Changed in a Moment” by Annie Pankowski

First Place Middle School Poetry “Would You?” by Shannon Annarella

First Place Middle School Art “Shattered Innocence” by Christina Trinh

First Place High School Essay “Selene Bruk” by Gloria Gallardo

First Place High School Poetry “Rebuilt” by Laura Redmond

First Place High School Art “Edgar’s Defiance” by Ashley Austin

The Ninth Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest (2008)

“saving memories: history as witness to the future” with guest speaker, erin gruwell, educator and president, freedom writers foundation.

First Place Middle School Essay “A Pear of Lessons” by Danielle Spriggs

First Place Middle School Poetry “Marked” by Elle Gault

First Place Middle School Art “Lost Hopes” by Shin-Young Park

First Place High School Essay “In Remembrance There is Only Kindness” by Shelli Bautista

First Place High School Poetry “Boots” by Clara Mora

First Place High School Art “A True Reflection of Rose Toren” by Ophelia Yin

The Eighth Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest (2007)

“voices from yesterday: letters for tomorrow” with guest speakers, felicia haberfeld, founding member of the “1939” club and leon weinstein, warsaw ghetto fighter and member of polish resistance fighters.

First Place Middle School Essay “Speak Up and Make a Difference” by Sahil Thiruvengadam

First Place Middle School Poetry “This Little Story of Mine” by Julie Zafra

First Place Middle School Art “Tell Someone” by Kendall Cornell

First Place High School Essay “Letter to Mrs. Georgia Gabor” by Sheba Plamthottam

First Place High School Poetry “Thunderstorms” by Jessica Nguyen

First Place High School Art “Reflections on the Life of Joseph Fenton” by Erin Walsh

The Seventh Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest (2006)

“moments of decision: perpetrators, witnesses, rescuers” with guest speakers, dr. samuel goetz, holocaust survivor and author and sgt. (ret.) robert persinger, u.s. army veteran and liberator.

First Place Middle School Essay “A Nazi Propaganda Tool’s Decision” by Tito Joe Thomas

First Place Middle School Poetry “Without Regret” by Sonia Ricci

First Place Middle School Art “Message of Hope” by Laura Mai Beck

First Place High School Essay “No Other Choice” by Ella Fishman

First Place High School Poetry “Zoete Eeuwige Hoop (Sweet Hope Eternal)” by Natalie Beisner

First Place High School Art “Ending Vision” by Edwin Villa

The Sixth Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest (2005)

“to change our world: legacy of liberation” with guest speaker, gerda weissmann klein, holocaust survivor and author.

First Place Middle School Essay “It Starts with Me” by Gabriella Duva

First Place Middle School Poetry “Remember…” by Kim Ngai

First Place Middle School Art “Through My Eyes” by Monique Becker

First Place High School Essay “It is Time” by Irina Dykhne

First Place High School Poetry “Mientras Soñaban, Otra Persona de Despertó” by Matthew Adam White

First Place High School Art “Global Hope” by Marissa Moonilal

First Place High School Art “A Mother’s Nightmare” by Steven Vander Sluis

The Fifth Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest (2004)

“conscience and courage: heroes of the holocaust” with guest speaker, thomas “toivi” blatt, sobibor death camp survivor and author.

First Place Middle School Essay “Oskar Schindler and the Key” by Christine McNab

First Place Middle School Poetry “The Mystery of Beauty: Friedl Dicker-Brandeis” by Zachary Yates

First Place Middle School Art “Voices of Conscience” by Paulina Pham

First Place High School Essay “Responding to the Call of Duty” by Irina Dykhne

First Place High School Poetry “Song of Mother Superior Anna Borkowska. ‘She Who Dared’ ” by Matthew Adam White

First Place High School Art “Heroes of the Holocaust” by Sothea Ouch

The Fourth Annual Holocaust Writing Contest (2003)

“conscience and community: choices of courage” with guest speaker, pierre sauvage, child survivor of the holocaust and award-winning documentary filmmaker .

First Place Middle School Essay “I am Janusz Korczak” by Brittany Horth

First Place Middle School Poetry “Walls of Wood and Wire” by Jennifer Thompson

First Place High School Essay “The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising” by Andrey Finegersh

First Place High School Poetry “Stirring the Conscience to Love” by Elaine Inoue

The Third Annual Holocaust Writing Contest (2002)

“witness to humanity: choices of courage” with guest speakers, irene gut opdyke, holocaust rescuer and “righteous among the nations” and leon leyson, holocaust survivor and youngest member of schindler’s “list”.

First Place Middle School Essay “Life is a Tapestry” by Sarah Kalen

First Place Middle School Poem “They Would Do it Again” by Aletheia Miyake

First Place High School Essay “The Ultimate Sacrifice” by Tan Michael Nguyen

First Place High School Poem “A Lot of Light Where There was Darkness” by Miriam Scatterday

The Second Annual Holocaust Writing Contest (2001)

“voices across time: from the children of the holocaust to us” with special guests, holocaust survivor and author, gerda weissmann klein and poet and writer, kurt klein.

First Place Middle School Essay “Dreams” by Irene Padilla

First Place Middle School Poem “I Will Stand” by Erin Poole

First Place High School Essay “Day of Sorrow and Hope” by Kate Kestenboym

First Place High School Poem “To Answer Their Call” by Miriam Scatterday

Holocaust Essay Contest (2000)

“one child’s voice” with guest speaker elane norych geller, child survivor of bergen-belsen concentration camp.

First Place Middle School “Because She Had Hope” by Ann Shin

First Place High School “A Child’s Story” by Alexandra Toumanoff

• Holocaust Art & Writing Contest
• Previous Art & Writing Contests

• Transcripts
• Cost & Tuition

Holocaust Education Resources: Contests for Students

Holocaust Remembrance Project The Holocaust Remembrance Project is an essay contest for high school students funded by the Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation. Scholarships and prizes are awarded to winning students writing about the annually selected Holocaust/human rights-related theme. 

Midwest Center for Holocaust Education (MCHE) The Midwest Center for Holocaust Education (MCHE) seeks to educate the public about the Holocaust and to prevent future genocide. MCHE offers community exhibits, lectures and programs, as well as a library and resource center for Holocaust education purposes. There is also access to a speakers’ bureau and information on the White Rose Student Essay Contest on the site, as well as links to Holocaust resources and a special link for educators. 

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum offers information about the exhibits in its Washington, D.C. museum as well as exhibits across the United States. The website also contains research tools including a Holocaust Encyclopedia, personal histories of those involved in the Holocaust, and online museum exhibitions. 

• canva icon Canvas
• Panther Mail (students)
• Arts & Film
• Business & Economy
• Campus & Students
• College Knowledge
• Health & Behavior
• Humanities & Society
• Science & Engineering
• University News
• Chapman Magazine
• Chapman Forward
• Maps & Directions
• Visit Chapman
• Discover Chapman
• Facts & Rankings
• Campus Services
• Degrees & Programs
• Schools & Colleges
• Academic Calendar
• Faculty Directory
• Course Catalogs
• International Study
• Undergraduate Admission
• Undergraduate Application
• Graduate Admission
• Graduate Application
• Affordability
• Financial Aid Calculator
• Campus Tours
• Get Involved
• Career Support
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Fish Interfaith Center
• Health & Safety
• Residence Life
• Student Life
• Pre-Award Administration
• Post-Award Administration
• Research Integrity
• Institutes & Centers
• Center for Undergraduate Excellence
• Graduate Research Support
• Contact Development
• Areas to Support
• Alumni Involvement
• Prospective Students
• Current Students
• Faculty & Staff
• Parents & Families
• All Directories

After Pandemic, Students Express New Empathy with Holocaust Survivors Winners of the 22nd Annual Holocaust Art & Writing Contest were recognized in a virtual celebration.

Chapman University’s Annual Holocaust Art & Writing Contest welcomed more participants than ever this year, with 220 schools registered from 32 states and 11 different countries around the world. This year’s participation showed a significant increase in the number of international entries. 14 schools in Poland sent entries, and 1st prize recipients included students from South Africa and Romania, while students from Germany and Poland were finalists. 

The winning entries were shared in a virtual recognition ceremony in March. 

A Legacy of Shared Strength and Humanity 

Now in its 22nd year, the contest offers a unique challenge to high school and middle school students. Participants are asked to listen to the testimonies of Holocaust survivors and respond creatively, through prose, poetry, art and film. The submissions, poignant and evocative, never fail to impress.

But after a year of pandemic and quarantine, this year’s participants had an opportunity to reflect upon their own experiences of isolation, fear and loss, as they created work around the theme, “Sharing Strength, Sustaining Humanity.” 

Marilyn Harran, Director, Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education and Stern Chair in Holocaust Education, praised the students for their submissions. “They recognized the differences between the era of the Holocaust and the the challenges of our own time, but the experiences of of separation and isolation — and in some cases the loss of family and friends — led students to connect to the testimonies with new empathy.” 

“We Are All Connected”

As part of the presentation, special guest Peter Feigl, a Holocaust survivor and diarist, described his own experience during the Holocaust, and spoke to the importance of personal connections in times of crisis. 

“My message to you today is that we are all connected and that our shared humanity requires us to stand up for one another — like the people of Le Chambon did for me,” said Feigl during his speech. “I am here today thanks to them.”

Feigl was nine years old when his family fled Austria for Belgium, and then France. When he was 13, his parents were arrested by the Nazi’s and killed in Auschwitz, though Feigl would not learn their fate for years. Feigl himself escaped only through the help of others, taking refuge with a community of Quakers in southern France, and then in Le Chambon, a community of mostly Protestants who saved roughly 4,000 Jews during the Holocaust. In 1944, he finally found safety in Switzerland. 

“Being together with others in the same boat as I gave all of us the strength to go on with our lives,” said Feigl, recalling the other orphans who were his only family during his time as a refugee. 

“It is so important to make people understand the meaning of family and friends,” said Holocaust survivor Rosette Fischer, who gave a congratulatory message during the presentation. Her words show an appreciation for what has always been the goal of the contest: “Thank you for choosing my past for a better future.”

Learn more about the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education . 

Staci Dumoski

Media Contacts

Newsroom site, chapman site, services & policies.

© 2023 Chapman University

• Arts & Film
• Business & Economy
• Campus & Students
• Health & Behavior
• Humanities & Society
• Science & Engineering

Your Header Sidebar area is currently empty. Hurry up and add some widgets .

UNESCO celebrates the 9th Russian Holocaust Essay Competition Ceremony

“Youth are the symbol of energy and hope, an encouragement to raise the profile of Holocaust and genocide education across the world” says the Deputy Director-General of UNESCO, marking the Ninth Edition of the Russian Holocaust Essay Contest, organized by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre and the Association "Verbe et Lumiere" at UNESCO.

The Deputy Director-General, Mr. Engida Getachew met with four of the five laureates of the Ninth Edition of the Russian Holocaust Essay Contest, organised by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre and the Association "Verbe et Lumiere," in presence of Shimon Samuels, Director for International Relations of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, Dr. Ilya Altman, Director of the Russian Research and Educational Holocaust Centre, Mr. Richard Odier, President of the Association “Verbe et Lumière-Vigilance”, Ms. Alla Gerber, Member of Special Chamber and co-Chairman of the Russian Holocaust Centre, Mr. David Kessler, Cultural Counsellor to the President of France, and Fr. Norbert Hofmann, Secretary of the Vatican Commission for Relations with the Jews.

The Ceremony took place in the presence of Ms. Katalyn Bogyay, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Hungary to UNESCO and President of the GeneralConference of UNESCO, as well as Mr. Nimrod Barkan, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Israel to UNESCO, Mr. David Killion, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of the United States to UNESCO, Mr. Michael Worbs, Ambassador Permanent Delegate of Germany to UNESCO, Mon. Francesco Follo, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to UNESCO, Ms. Pascale Trimbach, Deputy Permanent Delegate of France to UNESCO, and Mr. Alexander V. Boldyrev, Deputy Permanent Delegate of the Russian Federation to UNESCO. The Deputy Director-General underscored UNESCO’s leadership in the United Nations system on Holocaust Education, recalling its intrinsic linkage to the promotion of human rights, mutual understanding and the fight against all forms of intolerance and violent extremism. He recalled that UNESCO is working across the board to support Holocaust education, referring to the workshop held in September 2012, for Sub-Saharan Africa Member States in Cape Town, South Africa, followed by a seminar in May, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, exploring the best ways to address the history of the Holocaust and genocide in national contexts.

He noted UNESCO’s work to accompany states in introducing the subject into their curricula, such as Senegal, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, and Guatemala, to name a few.He also referred to the partnership between UNESCO and the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Mr Adama Dieng.

UNESCO was also applauded for including the Pages of Testimony Collection, Yad Vashem Jerusalem, 1954-2004 as well as the Archives of the International Tracing Service on the Memory of the World Register this June.

The ceremony also featured presentations by the laureates of abstracts of their respective essays addressing specific dimensions of the Holocaust, from the media to youth during the Holocaust.

Related items

• Culture of peace

More on this subject

UNESCO Brasilia Culture of Peace in Brazil 1 February 2024

Other recent news

After hiding the tool, if you would like to re-enable it, just press CTRL+U to open this window. Or, move your cursor near the tool to display it.

Raphael Lemkin Essay Contest

• The Powell-Heller Conference For Holocaust Education

Contact Information

Powell-Heller Holocaust Education Conference

Phone: 253-535-7294 or 253-535-7669

Email: [email protected]

12180 Park Avenue South, Tacoma, WA 98447-0003

Divisional Links

• Holocaust and Genocide Studies Programs

Conference Partners

• Holocaust Center for Humanity
• Facing History and Ourselves

Directions to Pacific Lutheran University

GENOCIDE: What does it mean to you?

Through the efforts of alumnus and Regent Donald R. Morken and colleague Bruce Littman, PLU sponsors annual scholarships in honor of Raphael Lemkin. Lemkin coined the term “genocide” and labored for passage of the United Nations genocide convention, which outlaws destruction of races and groups. The Raphael Lemkin Trust, founded by Irving Young of Haifa, Israel, helps support prizes and scholarships. Currently offered at Yale Law School, Duke University Law School, Hamilton College and others, the prizes serve to inspire young people to reflect upon the issue of genocide and to inform them about Raphael Lemkin.

PLU invites currently registered students to write an essay on the topic of genocide. A panel of faculty members will judge the essays. The first-place essay writer will be awarded a $750 prize; the second-place award will be $250.

Essays should reflect Raphael Lemkin’s ideals and concerns to include such topics as the concept and definition of genocide, ethical and legal aspects of genocide and international law, prevention of genocide and enforcement of the genocide convention, historical incidents of genocide, current events and the issue of genocide or other appropriate essay topics discussed and negotiated between contestants and the faculty review committee prior to the final submission.

Essays must demonstrate that students have read the biographical sketch on Raphael Lemkin (available from any staff person in the Division of Social Sciences or at https://www.plu.edu/social-sciences/documents-forms) .

Each year, PLU offers students a chance to participate in a Lemkin Essay contest . Students are asked to write a 7-10 page essay on the topic “Genocide: What does it mean to you?” A panel of faculty members judge the essays. The first place essay winner will be awarded $750. Second place award is $250. All essay contributors will be invited to attend the Lemkin Lecture where the awards are announced, which will be held virtually this year.

ž Submit the final product no later than 4:00 p . m . March 15th, 2021 . Format the essay in Word and send it electronically to Teri Potts, Administrative Assistant for Social Sciences, at [email protected] . The final submission must include a cover sheet, an abstract and the completed essay.  The cover sheet is to include your name, your PLU I.D. #, a current mailing address, email address and telephone number.  Format must follow these guidelines: the essay should be at least 7-10 pages in length, the pages should be numbered, double-spaced with margins 1” – 1.25”, with a font size of 12 pt. the essay should have either footnotes or endnotes and those citations must be in either the Chicago Manual of Style or the MLA format.

For additional information, contact Professor Beth Griech-Polelle via email: [email protected]

Congrats to our 2021 Lemkin Essay Winner!

Check out Zackery Gostisha’s essay. “Meaning, Logic, and Death: Genocide and its Underlying Causes” 

The Holocaust: Students reflect in award-winning essays, projects

In her award-winning high school essay, Emily Salko asks others to imagine the freedoms that Mira Kimmelman lost as Nazi Germany intensified its persecution of Jews during the Holocaust. 

“The freedom that we possess is something that we all take for granted each day,” she wrote. “Ask yourself, are you allowed to attend school? Walk the streets of your town? Ride a bus? Live in your own house? Answering ‘yes’ means that you already have 10 times the freedom that Mira Kimmelman had, and this little freedom is what sparked her appreciation of the things such as the clothes on her back, her shoes, and even her own roof.” 

Emily, a sophomore at Oak Ridge High School, is one of the 14 students who won awards in the first Mira Kimmelman “Learning from the Holocaust” Contest in 2021.  Kimmelman told her story of surviving the Holocaust to students, civic and religious groups in East Tennessee for more than 50 years before her death in 2019. 

Her sons, Benno and Gene Kimmelman, created the essay and project contest for Tennessee high school and middle school students, sponsored by the Tennessee Holocaust Commission, to carry on her legacy and ensure that her voice continues to be heard through her books and recorded talks. The contest offers prize money ranging from $150 to $750. 

Emily watched videos of Kimmelman's speeches and read articles about her and about anti-Semitism before writing her essay while she was in the ninth grade. She noticed that Kimmelman, as a teen, chose to take family photos, rather than other possessions, when her family was forced to leave home for a ghetto.

“She was so brave to continue moving forward and just fighting to stay alive for her family,” Emily said of Kimmelman after she received the first place high school essay award. She wrote the essay when the Black Lives Matter movement was gaining attention in the news, and she realized that people facing discrimination need to have strength and resilience.

“I think her biggest message I would continue to use is just kindness toward everyone. You shouldn’t judge people based on who they are as a group, based on race or religion. You should get to know someone,” Emily said. “You should not treat them differently because you might look different or believe in something different.” 

Along with the mantra of “never forget” often heard in relation to the Holocaust, Benno and Gene hope students entering the contest learn their mother’s lessons of tolerance and kindness. The essays reflect that, as the students wrote about being moved by her bravery and resilience and about how they are applying her lessons today. 

“Many of the essays touched on current injustices and suggested ways they could be addressed,” said contest judge Katie High, of Knoxville, a retired University of Tennessee vice president for academic affairs and a member of the Tennessee Holocaust Commission. “The writers were giving world-wide atrocities serious thought, which was impressive. I wanted to cheer the students, and their teachers, because it was obvious teaching and learning were going on.” 

High, who served as interim dean at the UT Martin College of Business after her retirement, said much of the Holocaust Commission’s work is focused on middle school students, and that work becomes more difficult as more Holocaust survivors die. 

“When they talk to a group of middle school students and show their tattoos and talk about what it’s like to be in the camps, kids are horrified, but in awe of these survivors, because of their resilience,” High said. “You have planted something in their hearts.”

Emmanuelle Wolf-Dubin, first-place winner in the middle school essay contest, wrote that hearing a rabbi challenge listeners to think not only of Israelis and their suffering but Palestinians, as well, reminded her of Kimmelman’s message of seeing the kindness in all people. Her story, she wrote, is a message of ideals that Emmanuelle can only hope to achieve.

“As a young adult, she would be imprisoned in the deadliest concentration camp called Auschwitz and was forced into the nearly unimaginable march to Bergen-Belsen,” wrote Emmanuelle, a student at Meigs Magnet Middle School in Nashville. “Yet, after all of these horrors at the hands of one of the most evil men in recorded history, she still preached lovingkindness in a world that seemed apathetic to her plight. Instead of focusing on that, she zeroed in on the people who helped, the people of all nationalities, races, and religions who saved her and her counterparts across Europe,” Emmanuelle wrote. 

Chloe Collins, a student at Oakdale Middle School in Morgan County, said she read Kimmelman’s first book, "Echoes from the Holocaust," before writing her essay, which was awarded second place in the middle school contest. 

“Mira Kimmelman … had to say good-bye to the family she loved, she had all of her dignity stripped away, she saw things that no one should ever have to see, she lived in a world of hate, and she felt unwanted in a country that was once her own,” wrote Chloe, an eighth grader this year. “I am thankful for Mira Kimmelman’s message of hope and tolerance that will live on forever.” 

Though not a Tennessee student, Soha Sherwani earned a “Notable Achievement” award from contest judges for her essay comparing the Holocaust with the current Chinese government repression of the Uigher people, a small and mostly Muslim minority. 

“The Uigher population is being forced into concentration camps, which are dubbed ‘re-education’ camps by the government, and are forced to partake in direct violations of their Islamic faith,” Soha wrote as a high school senior in Houston, Texas. “The Uighur Muslims are exploited for cheap labor and physically abused ... it is happening again.”

Now a college freshman, Soha said she read about the essay contest online as she was seeking scholarship opportunities and was moved by the emotion in Kimmelman’s words. She could teach and spread love through her pain, Soha said. 

“For Ms. Kimmelman, her perception was undoubtedly changed by the two integral lessons she learned surviving the Holocaust: that there are always beacons of light in the darkness and that humanity must uphold its responsibility to learn and act from instances of injustices,” Soha wrote. In her essay, Soha urges those concerned to join her with their voices in protesting, spreading awareness, and educating others on the injustice happening now. 

First- and second-place awards for middle school contest projects went to teams of students at Oak Ridge’s Robertsville Middle School.

“The Shoah Proliferates” won first place. The team used an online survey to ask students to allow their names to be used on a poster to help remember the 6 million who died in the Holocaust, saying that people remember what they can be part of. Nathanael Peters, Lennox Pack, Aiden Cantu and Kyleigh Langdale are the team members who created the project, using a QR code for business cards that students used to access the survey. All are ninth graders at Oak Ridge High School now. 

A poster with a poem and image of broken glass, symbolizing Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass when Nazis targeted synagogues, was included. Kyleigh created the poster, and Lennox wrote the poem:

Think of them not as 6 million lives lost,

But 6 million lives remembered.

Thousands more put through exhaust,

And families dismembered.

These depressing tales aren’t fiction,

Rather they are tales to stand the test of time.

It is our job to remember,

These lives left devoured. 

The second-place team, Julia Hussey, Alia Oakes, Teagan Tate and Audrey Thompson, proposed a mural for a hallway at their school. They created artwork with Holocaust symbols, including  barbed wire on a red background on one side, and symbols of peace and hope, including swallows and flowers on a blue background. A Star of David represents martyrdom and heroism. 

Haley Braden, second-place high school essay winner from Anderson County High School, wrote that she knew little about the Holocaust before entering the contest. Her essay urges her generation to follow in Kimmelman’s footsteps, to “keep a positive attitude and mindset through the darkest hours. Because with this hope comes peace and love.”

Haley wrote, “We can embody her message when looking at the face of injustice. When you see something that is wrong, be sure to right it. Stand up for people who are treated wrongly and cannot stand up for themselves.” 

Elizabeth Bernheisel, of Dyersburg Middle School, focused on Kimmelman’s second book, "Life Beyond the Holocaust: Memories and Realities," in her third-place middle school essay. The book, she wrote, offers insights on how Holocaust survivors recover, rebuild and live normal lives after experiencing unimaginable trauma. 

“Through letters, reunions, and travels back to Europe, Mira Kimmelman tells her story, as well as the stories of those no longer able to speak for themselves,” Elizabeth wrote. “She also highlights the importance of remembering the atrocities of the Holocaust, as well as the restoration that must follow.” 

• Senior Living
• Jewish Family & Community Services
• Jewish Community Center
• Akiva Academy
• Mission Statement
• 2023 Annual Report
• Board Members
• Strategic Plan Summary
• Careers at Youngstown Area Jewish Federation
• Follow Us on Social Media
• Israel Today: Unveiling Truths, Shaping Perspectives
• 2024 Council of Communities Annual Meeting
• New! Car Donation
• New! Gift Cards
• Annual Campaign
• Legacy Gifts
• PACE & Lion of Judah
• Pay Your Pledge
• Community Calendar
• Photo Gallery
• Survivor Interviews (A - H)
• Survivor Interviews (I - Z)
• Jewish Education
• Other Organizations
• Community Mikvah
• New to the Area
• Senior Living by the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation
• Speak Up, Speak Out: Erase the Hate!
• JCRC Staff & Board
• Volunteer with JCRC
• JCRC Partner Organizations
• Holocaust Writing, Art, and Multimedia Contest 2024 Winners
• Youngstown Area Jewish Cemeteries Association
• Jewish Journal Staff
• 2024 Issues
• 2016-2023 Issues
• Advertise with the Jewish Journal
• Subscription Drive
• March for Israel video
• We Stand with Israel Statements
• A Primer to the Israel-Hamas War
• Jewish Federations of North America
• American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
• Jewish Agency for Israel
• Partnership2Gether
• Ukraine Updates

Student Holocaust Writing, Art and Multimedia Contest

“Righteous Among the Nations”

"I believe that it was really due to Lorenzo that I am alive today; and not so much for his material aid, as for his having constantly reminded me by his presence…that there still existed a just world outside our own, something and someone still pure and whole…for which it was worth surviving."

-  Primo Levi describing his rescuer, Lorenzo Perrone (“ If This Is A Man” )

The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation invited students in grades 7-12 in Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana Counties, and Western Pennsylvania, to enter its annual Holocaust Writing, Art, and Multimedia contest. This annual contest is held in conjunction with Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Memorial Day), an internationally recognized day to be commemorated this academic year on Monday, May 6, 2024, set aside for remembering all victims of the Holocaust and for reminding society of what can happen to civilized people when bigotry, hatred, and indifference reign.

The theme for the 2024 contest was “Righteous Among the Nations,” an official title awarded by Yad Vashem , the world Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, Israel, to courageous non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.

Attitudes towards Jews during the Holocaust largely ranged from indifference to hostility. The mainstream watched as their former neighbors were rounded up and killed. Some collaborated with the perpetrators. Many benefited from the expropriation of Jews’ property.

However, many non-Jews took great risks to save Jews, despite posted notices warning the population against this practice. Rescuers who sheltered Jews faced severe punishment that included incarceration in camps or execution. Non-Jews watched the Nazis’ brutal treatment of Jews, knowing that they would suffer greatly if they attempted to help the persecuted.

As a result, rescuers and those being hidden lived under constant fear of being caught, making it more difficult for ordinary people to defy the conventions and rules. Those who decided to shelter Jews had to sacrifice their normal lives and embark upon a clandestine existence, often against the accepted norms of the society in which they lived, in a life ruled by fear of their neighbors and friends, and by dread of denunciation and capture.

In a world of total moral collapse, this small minority who mustered extraordinary courage to uphold human values and rescue Jews were the “Righteous Among the Nations.” Most rescuers were ordinary humans from all walks of life and religions who risked everything to care for and protect those in need. Their humanity and courage of the Righteous serve as a model, teaching us that every person can make a difference in fighting hate, bias, injustice, discrimination, and persecution.

2024 Winners:

Charles Beichner, first place, grade 7-8 Poetry, Boardman Glenwood Junior High

Ronnell Gordon, second place, Grade 7-8 Poetry, Akiva Academy

Shelby Sullivan, third place, Grade 7-8 Poetry, Austintown Middle School

Danica Stanley, third place, Grade 7-8 Poetry, Austintown Middle School

Morgan Avery, first place, Grade 7-8 Essay, Austintown Middle School

Averi Billups, second place, Grade 7-8 Essay, Austintown Middle School

McKena Briggs, third place, Grade 7-8 Essay, Austintown Middle School

Addison Woodburn, first place, Grade 7-8 Art/Multi-media, Lowellville School District

Rubylyn Payumo, second place, Grade 7-8 Art/Multi-media, Austintown Middle School

Marion Pazin, third place, Grade 7-8 Art/Multi-media, Akiva Academy

Kharma Flowers, first place, Grade 9-10 Poetry, Sebring McKinley High School

Ava Acevedo, second place, Grade 9-10 Poetry, Boardman High School

Gianna Berardino, first place, Grade 9-10 Essay, Boardman High School

Jack Benson, second place, Grade 9-10 Essay, Boardman High School

Alexander Hoffman, third place, Grade 9-10 Essay, Boardman High School

Ella McGree, first place, Grade 9-10 Art/Multi-Media, Boardman High School

Kyrie Heeman, second place, Grade 9-10 Art/Multi-Media, Boardman High School

Natalie Vasquez, first place, Grade 11-12 Poetry, Boardman High School

Kaylee McCarty, second place, Grade 11-12 Poetry, West Middlesex High School

Ayzlin Jones, third place, Grade 11-12 Poetry, West Middlesex High School

Brayden Aratari, first place, Grade 11-12 Essay, Crestview High School

Lola Gordiejew, second place, Grade 11-12 Essay, Boardman High School

Maggie Hoffman, third place, Grade 11-12 Essay, West Middlesex High School

Natalie Vasquez, third place, Grade 11-12 Essay, Boardman High School

Sara Tackett, first place, Grade 11-12 Art/Multi-Media, Boardman High School

Ella Bartholomew, second place, Grade 11-12 Art/Multi-Media, West Middlesex High School

2022 Art & Writing Competition

The Kappy Family Anne Frank and Elie Wiesel Night Art & Writing Competitions seek to educate students about the Holocaust, engage them through Anne Frank and Elie Wiesel’s profound stories, and empower them to move from thought to action using creative expression.

Entry deadline: wednesday, april 20, 2022  | virtual awards ceremony: thursday, june 23, 2022, categories: poetry | prose | 2d art | 3d art, 2022 theme: the power of your voice, it is our pleasure to share the virtual awards ceremony with you.

NEW! COMPETITION CATALOG

For more information, please contact: [email protected]

• Support Local Journalism
• TL Digital Services
• Subscribe Now!
• New: Place Classified Ad
• Submit Classified Ad using Contact Form
• Get News Alerts
• Property Tax Assessment Database
• Special Sections
• Times Leader Purchase Locations
• Times Leader for iPhone/iPad
• Times Leader for Android
• Print Subscriber Setup
• Subscribe To E-Edition
• Times Leader on YouTube
• Interactives
• Submit News Tip
• Restaurant Inspections
• Nation/World
• Air Traffic
• Online Community
• Online Forms
• TL on Facebook
• TL on Twitter
• Submit Scores
• Submit Sports News
• TL Sports Betting
• Auto Racing
• College Basketball
• College Football
• High School Baseball
• High School Basketball
• High School Cross Country
• High School Field Hockey
• High School Football
• High School Golf
• High School Ice Hockey
• -HS Boys Lacrosse
• -HS Girls Lacrosse
• -HS Boys Soccer
• -HS Girls Soccer
• High School Softball
• High School Swimming
• High School Tennis
• High School Track and Field
• -HS Boys Volleyball
• -HS Girls Volleyball
• High School Wrestling
• Penn State Special Section
• International Auto Racing
• AP Olympics Coverage
• Submit Letter To The Editor
• Our Opinion
• Political Cartoons
• Add Your Event
• Recipes – Times Leader Cookbook
• TV Best Bets
• TV Listings
• Puzzles & Games
• Anniversaries
• Engagements
• Submit Anniversary
• Submit Birth
• Submit Birthday
• Submit Engagement
• Submit Wedding
• Buy A Subscription
• Buy Single Editions
• Buy A Custom Front Page
• Free Access Monday eEdition
• Search Notices
• Place Notices

• Subscription Deals
• Free Monday E-Edition
• View Obituaries
• Place an Obituary
• Classifieds
• Advertiser Pay

Need to Sell? Click here to place a classified ad.

Support Local Journalism & receive Diamond Card discounts!

Best of Photo Gallery!

Watch #OnTheStacks podcast! New episode every Wednesday.

• #OntheStacks Podcast
• TheWeekender.com
• Tax Database – Updated!

Seven MMI students place in Israel T. & Mildred Klapper Memorial Holocaust Essay Contest

Seven MMI Preparatory School students placed in the annual Israel T. & Mildred Klapper Memorial Holocaust Essay Contest. Pictured are, from left: Serena Novotney, Nathan Sissick, Darren Zheng, advisor Jennifer Novotney, Robert Orbin, and Daniella Vasquez. Missing from photo are: Peter Walko and Paige Machulsky ’20.

Submitted photo

Award winners announced from 2020 and 2021

Seven MMI Preparatory School students placed in the annual Israel T. & Mildred Klapper Memorial Holocaust Essay Contest.

Due to COVID-19, the 2020 contest was postponed until this year so award winners were announced for both years.

Nathan Sissick (Middle School category) and 2020 graduate Paige Machulsky (High School category) captured first place in the 2020 contest. Robert Orbin (Middle School) and Darren Zheng (High School) finished in second place.

The 2020 essay topic focused on the rise of both Anti-Semitism worldwide and the number of “history revisionists” who deny the Holocaust ever occurred. Students were asked to imagine how they would respond to a Holocaust denier and list what documentation they would cite to demonstrate that the denier’s belief is false, and that the Holocaust actually did occur.

Serena Novotney placed first in the Middle School category of the 2021 contest and Peter Walko and Daniella Vasquez came in first and second, respectively, in the High School category.

For the 2021 essay topic, students were asked to write their response to people who say, “A lot of people have suffered in history. What is so special about what Hitler did to the Jews?”

The Israel T. & Mildred Klapper Memorial Holocaust Essay Contest marked its 26th anniversary this year. The contest is sponsored jointly by the Hazleton Jewish Community Council and the Greater Hazleton Ministerial Association. It features Middle School (grades 7 and 8), High School (grades 9-12) and Post High School categories. Students in the Middle School and High School categories are asked to submit an essay that is no more than 300 words on the given topic. A panel of judges chosen by the Greater Hazleton Ministerial Association read each essay and selected the winners.

Exclusive Subscriber-Only Content

Color Scheme

• Use system setting
• Light theme

Annual Holocaust essay and art contests celebrate young heroes

From staff reports

The theme for this year’s Spokane Community Observance of the Holocaust writing and art contests is “Young Heroes of the Holocaust.” Middle school and high school students from the region are invited to write an essay or poem, or create a work of art, that responds to the theme.

During the Holocaust, as the European Jewish community was being annihilated, there were people who were brave enough to try to help the Jews, organizers explain in the contest information. One of those people was Spokane’s Carla Peperzak, who as a teenager worked with the Dutch Underground and helped save more than 40 Jewish people.

For the Eva Lassman Memorial Writing Contest, students should write about at least two young heroes of the Holocaust. Students need to explain how Nazi domination changed the lives of the young heroes and motivated them to act despite grave risks, as well as identify personal lessons learned in their study of the Holocaust.

For the ninth annual Jessica Stein Memorial Art Contest, students should create art influenced by the lifesaving actions of one or more of the young heroes of the Holocaust. Art entries must be accompanied by a brief statement that describes the actions of the heroes who inspired the art.

For both contests, the organizers have online resources to use.

The statement for art contest entries should be emailed by March 15 and the artwork delivered on March 17. Winners will be notified by April 8.

Writing contest entries are due by April 14, and winners will be announced June 3.

Winners for both contests will receive scholarships, with high school winners awarded $400, $250 and $100, and middle school winners awarded $250, $150 and $75. First-place winners will be published in The Spokesman-Review.

To access the resources and for more information about the contest and submission guidelines, visit spokanetbs.org/yomhashoah .

Robotic heart surgery gives Donny Jones a rapid recovery, more energy

Donny Jones was born with a heart that was a little bit different.