The Howard County Holocaust Remembrance Committee, along with the Jewish Relations Council of Howard County, Jewish Federation of Howard County and Howard County Board of Rabbis, is holding a contest for students in the area. Middle and high school students in the Howard County Public School System are invited to write an essay or poem or submit art meant to remember and reflect on the tragedies of the Holocaust, as well as the effect it continues to have on modern society.
This contest is being held to honor Yom HaShoah, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Participants are asked to consider the questions “What lessons can we learn from the Holocaust that help us to prevent hateful actions today?” and “What does it mean to be part of a peaceful minority group? Should majority groups have any responsibility to protect peaceful minorities?” in their submissions.
Each type of submission has specific rules it must follow. Essays and poems must be typed and not include images, with essays being 200-400 words and poems being 30 lines long or less. Art-based submissions must be two-dimensional and 12” x 18” or smaller, and must include a 100-words-or-less statement about the work’s response to the prompt.
Students are allowed one submission each. There will be four winners selected, two in high school and two in middle school, who will receive a $100 or $50 gift card as an award for their work.
“A lot of [Holocaust] survivors are leaving us, and we want to make sure their stories are continued in the next generation, who can know and learn about the events of the Holocaust,” said Randy Gartner, Holocaust Memorial Committee communications chair. “This is an opportunity for them to learn from it and reflect on it.”
Submissions are to be submitted to [email protected] by Friday, March 15. For more information, the contest’s flyer can be viewed here.
