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{Posted to this site on 2/2/2005 }
The Holocaust Commission
of the
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater
Presents
The Eighth Annual
Elie Wiesel
Writing/Visual Arts Competition
For Students
2005
“If I survive, I will not hate.”
-an inmate at Auschwitz
This competition is made possible through the generosity
of the Simon Family Foundation.
Earn Books For Your Classroom Simply By Submitting Your Students' Work To
The Elie Wiesel Writing Competition
All teachers who submit at least 25 student entries will receive a classroom set of books (limit one set per teacher) or paid admission to the 2005 Educators' Conference sponsored by the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater . If you teach smaller classes, please call us regarding the number of entries needed to qualify for this program.
You may choose one title from the following lists. Simply fill in the information below and return this page with your students' entries. All entries must meet competition guidelines. We will deliver or mail the books to you at your school. If there is another book relating to teaching tolerance that is not on the list, or other educational materials you would like, please notify us, and we will consider your request.
Circle one title from the following:
Middle School Books |
High School Books |
| 1.Friedrich , Hans Peter Richter | 1 . Mila 18 , Leon Uris |
| 2. Jacob's Rescue , Malka Drucker | 2 . The Painted Bird , Jerzy Kozinski |
| 3.Tunes for Bears To Dance To , Robert Cormier | 3. Sophie's Choice , William Styron |
| 4. Night , Elie Wiesel | 4. Survival in Auschwitz , Primo Levi |
| 5. U pon The Head of The Goat , Aranka Siegel | 5 . Gentlehands , M.E. Kerr |
| 6. A Pocket Full of Seeds , Marilyn Sachs | 6. The White Rose , Inge Scholl |
| 7.Number the Stars , Lois Lowry | 7. The Shawl , Cynthia Ozick |
| 8. Surviving Hitler , Andrea Warren | 8. Leap Into Darkness , Leo Bretholz |
9. Four Perfect Pebbles , Lila Perl |
9. Nightfather , Carl Friedman |
| 10. Hiding in the Open , Sabina |
Name of Teacher:_________________________________________________
Name of School:__________________________________________________
School Address:__________________________________________________
School Telephone:________________________________________________
Subject Teaching:_________________________________________________
Class Size:______________________________________________________
E-mail Address:__________________________________________________
Instead of the above books, I would prefer:_____(#) copies
of: _____________________________ by:______________________________.
This competition can assist you in preparing your students for the SOL by addressing the following SOL skills for Social Studies, Language Arts/English and Visual Arts.
Social Studies SOL Skills
- Identify, analyze and interpret primary source documents, records and data, including artifacts, diaries, letters, photographs, journals, newspapers, historical accounts and art, to increase the understanding of events and life in the United States
- Evaluate the authenticity, authority and credibility of sources
- Formulate historical questions and defend findings based on inquiry and interpretation
- Develop perspectives of time and place, including the construction of maps and various time lines of events, periods and personalities in American history
- Communicate findings (orally and) in analytical essays and/or comprehensive papers
- Develop skills in (discussion, debate, and) persuasive writing with respect to enduring issues, and determine how divergent viewpoints have been addressed and reconciled
- Examine the Holocaust and other examples of genocide in the twentieth century
- Apply geographic skills and reference sources to understand how relationships between humans and their environment have changed over time
- Interpret the significance of excerpts from famous speeches and other documents
Language Arts/English SOL Skills
-
Read and understand information from varied sources
-
Apply knowledge of resources in preparing written (and oral) presentations
-
Credit the sources of both quoted and paraphrased ideas
-
Use writing to interpret, analyze and evaluate ideas
-
Develop narrative, literary, expository and technical writings to inform, explain, analyze or entertain
-
Edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and paragraphing
-
Collect, evaluate and organize information
-
Use print, electronic databases, and online resources to access information
Visual Arts SOL Skills
-
Create works of art that are original and represent personal expression
-
Define and practice ethical procedures when producing works of art
-
Demonstrate skill in preparing and displaying works of art
The Eighth Annual
Elie Wiesel Writing/Visual Arts Competition
For Students
Writing Competition
Elena Baum and Gail Flax, Co-Chairs
Visual Arts Competition
Elizabeth Leeor, Chair
This competition is limited to students from Chesapeake , Norfolk ,
Portsmouth , Suffolk , and Virginia Beach .
One of the primary goals of the Holocaust Commission is to encourage young people to apply the lessons of history to the moral decisions they make today. Through studying the Holocaust, students explore the issues of moral courage as well as the dangers of prejudice, peer pressure, unthinking obedience to authority, and indifference. This competition provides students an opportunity to express themselves creatively about what they have learned.
CATEGORIES: ESSAY, POETRY, AND VISUAL ARTS
Prizes Will Be Awarded In Each Category As Follows:
Junior Division (Grades 6,7 and 8) |
Senior Division (Grades 9,10,11 and 12) |
First Place : $150 |
First Place: $150 |
| Second Place : $100 | Second Place: $100 |
| Third Place : $75 | Third Place: $75 |
Winners will be honored at the annual community Holocaust remembrance program, Yom Hashoah, on Thursday, May 5, 7:00 p.m., at Congregation Beth El, 422 Shirley Avenue in Norfolk Virginia.
If you need assistance in locating resources, if you would like additional copies of the guidelines, or if you have any questions about this competition, please contact:
Gail Flax, Chairman, Elie Wiesel Writing Competition, (757) 481-3925
Elizabeth Leeor, Chairman, Elie Wiesel Visual Arts Competition, (757) 440-9407
Ronnie Jacobs Cohen, Director, Holocaust Commission, (757) 965-6129
The guidelines are also posted on the Holocaust Commission web site at:
www.holocaustcommission.orgPlease submit entries to:
The United Jewish Federation of Tidewater
"Elie Wiesel Writing/Visual Arts Competition"
5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 200
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462-4370
Attn: Ronnie Cohen
Complete any one of the activities in your division presented in this booklet.
Answers should be in the form of an essay or poem.
- All entries must be typed and double-spaced in 12 point font.
- Entries may be up to three pages in length.
- Submit two complete copies of your entry and two cover pages.
- Include a cover page with the following information on both copies:
a. The division you are entering, Junior or Senior, and the activity number that you have chosen
b. Your name, home phone number, and address
c. Your grade, your teacher's name, and your school
To ensure impartial judging, do not put your name or other identifying information on any page other than the cover page. Staple all pages together in the upper left hand corner with the cover page first. Judging will be based on the following criteria:
- Work must be original, cohesive, and insightful.
- There should be proper use of language, including grammar and spelling.
- Instructions must be followed fully and accurately.
Second Place , Junior Division Prize
Named for
LANDON CHAMBERS
In 1999 Landon Chambers, a seventh grade honor student at Rosemont Middle School , was committed to the idea of justice and concerned about injustice. Descended from the Mohawk Indian tribe, he easily related to the pride Jews felt about their heritage as well as the struggles they endured. His essay mirrored his personal feelings for the need to remember the history of the Holocaust, and for his efforts he received Second Place in the Elie Wiesel Writing Competition, Junior Division. Landon was killed by a drunk driver in 2001.
Junior and Senior Divisions
Margot Stern Strom tackles this irony in a question: “How out of such darkness shines their light, out of such hate comes their love, out of such degradation shows their dignity, out of such despair, is their hope?” Perhaps because of the old saying that those who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it, many survivors feel it is their obligation to tell their stories.
Activity I
Why do you think many Holocaust survivors feel it is their obligation to tell their stories, and, what, if any, is the responsibility of those who hear them? How do these stories impact history and/or contemporary events?
Activity II
Think of the Holocaust survivors at the end of World War II. Some survived because of the actions of righteous gentiles. Some survived because of their special skills or talents (medical, mechanical, musical, etc.) that the Germans deemed useful enough to spare their lives. Many others survived simply by luck. There is something unique to be learned from each survivor's story. Rarely did they seek revenge. Instead they sought life's renewal through personal success, by building a strong family, dedicating themselves to the ideals of justice and committing themselves to active participation in their new communities. Many survivors moved forward and planted the seeds of peace, rather than dwell on anger and mistrust for mankind. Put yourself in the place of a survivor's descendant and answer the following questions: How is it that I am here? What is the legacy of my ancestor's survival? Each survivor was left with the choice of how to live their future lives. They could live a life of hatred, such as might be held in your heart for their oppressors. They could live a life of tolerance, such as what you wished their oppressors had had for them. In assuming your responsibility and obligation to your ancestor's legacy, what would you do? Would you treat others differently because of that legacy? How would you react when you are blamed, as they were, for something you did not do?
Activity III
We are each affected by the personal stories and lessons of the Holocaust. How do these stories and lessons affect you personally, your feelings and your behavior? Do you treat others differently after you learn of the horrible acts performed in the name of blind obedience to authority? Are you sensitive to the oppression of others? What types of injustice, historical and contemporary, would or will motivate you to take action for change? What kind of action could or would you take? Have you taken action against injustice in your life thus far?
Activity IV
At some point for many Jews in mid-twentieth century Europe , fear grew into courage. Many had to leave their families and communities as they were chased like criminals for crimes they had not committed. They found the courage to run from the Nazis and the horrors of the Holocaust in an endless search for safety.
Holocaust survivor Sabina Zimmering and her sister survived first and foremost due to a great sacrifice by two non-Jewish sisters who provided them with false identity cards. Both sets of sisters were put at risk by this forbidden action. These four girls found the courage to act against the injustice of the Holocaust.
The very act of courage creates a legacy. It takes courage to deny yourself your identity and decide to run ; it also takes courage to protect the runner. Imagine yourself living in Europe during the Holocaust. With which act of courage do you more identify and why? What would your legacy be? Would it be the legacy of giving and protecting the gift of someone else's life, or for enduring the trials of living falsely yourself in order to survive? Explain.
Junior and Senior Divisions
Visual artists must be able to convey some social and/or emotional content using images that communicate with the viewer about the content represented in this visual arts competition.
Assignment
Using the introduction and Activity choices (in the writing competition section), create a 2-dimensional original artwork no larger than 24” by 24” using the medium of your choice. Your work should demonstrate an understanding of the Activity and reveal something of value to the viewer. Because your task is different from a writer's, you may have to narrow the concepts of this competition to a more specific feeling or idea.
Through an image you could:
- Strive to help your audience feel what it meant to experience the Holocaust.
- Show what it means to be isolated just because of who you are.
- Show how it feels when something terrible happens and other people do not take up for you. Can you think of something in your life that can help you empathize with someone in this situation?
- Tell even a small part of this story in the language of symbols. As an artist, how can you draw in your viewer in a way that invites participation?
- All entries must be 2-dimensional and may not exceed 24" x 24".
- All works must be mounted on a firm support such as foam core, wood, or frame.
- All entries must be original and created solely for this competition.
- Include a detachable cover sheet with the following information:
a. The division you are entering, Junior or Senior, and which Activity chosen
b. Your name, home phone number, and address
c. Your grade, your teacher's name, and your school
d. The materials used (i.e. pastels, oils, pencils, etc.)
e. A title for your work - Not following the above guidelines will render the entry ineligible.
Judging will be based on creativity, craftsmanship, presentation, composition, originality, and how well your image communicates the idea you select.
All competition entries must be received by 4:30 pm, Friday, April 1, 2005.
The Contemporary Art Center in Virginia Beach will host an exhibit of the winning visual arts entries in the Fleming Gallery from May 7—18, 2005.
Winning essays, poetry, and visual art may be published, exhibited, or reproduced. If you do not want your work published, exhibited, or reproduced, you must notify us in writing at the time of submission.
Visual art entries should be picked up at the UJFT office by June 13, 2005.
www.holocaust-trc.org
www.holocaustcommission.org
www.holocaust-history.org
www.facing.org
www.ushmm.org
www.wiesenthal.com
www.yad-vashem.org.il
www.bxscience.edu/holocaust