The United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula, Inc. Presents The Winning Entries of the 13th Annual Holocaust Writing Competition for Students 2014 Beyond Courage Rescuers and Resistors of the Holocaust Special Thanks This competition is made possible through the generosity of The Sarfan/Gary S. and William M. Nachman Philanthropic Fund of the UJC Endowment Fund. In Appreciation.... Special thanks to the Holocaust Writing Competition Committee for their dedication and commitment to this annual project. Our competition final judges have been outstanding and we thank them for their time and commitment to excellence. Committee/Readers Sandy Katz, Co-chair Helaine Shinske, Co-Chair Rhoda Beckman Margo Drucker Milton Katz Elaine Nadig Linda Roesen Ruth Sacks Barbara Seligman Lucy Sukman Jayne Zilber b b b Competition Final Judges Bonnie Fay Tom Fay Dr. Linda Burgess-Getts Joan Goldman Dr. Andrew Falk The Honorable Judie Kline Dr. Paulette Molin Meera Rao Joanne K. Roos b b b Linda Molin, UJC Staff -2- The 13th Annual Holocaust Writing Competition Sponsored by The United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula, Inc. and made possible with a generous grant from the Sarfan/Gary S. and William M. Nachman Philanthropic Fund of the UJC Endowment Fund. ne of the primary goals of this writing competition is to encourage young people to apply the lessons Oof 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 think and express themselves creatively about what they have learned. Booklets for the competition were distributed to teachers in Middle Schools and High Schools both private and public in Newport News, Hampton, York County, Poquoson, James City County/ Williamsburg, Gloucester, and Isle of Wight. This year 20 teachers from 15 different middle and high schools submitted 525 entries of their students’ writings to the competition. Individual students also submitted entries. Of the 20 teachers, 11 were new to the competition. We hope to see them all back with entries for next year’s competition. How are the winners determined? When received, the entries are categorized and coded with the cover sheet bearing the name and school of the entrant removed. These entries are then submitted to a group of readers who read each individual paper and agree on the top seven to ten entries in each division to submit for the final judging process. The entries are then sent for final judging with each category being read and graded by two judges. Those results are tabulated and in the case of a tie, an outside special judge is utilized. Our thanks to the teachers and administrators in those school districts for encouraging their students to participate in this worthwhile project. Prizes for the winning entries are: First Prize - $150.00 Second Prize - $100.00 Third Prize - $75.00 The students also receive a framed certificate for excellence in the competition. Names of the finalists can be found on a page at the back of the this booklet. For this year’s competition, an imaginary group known as the Peninsula White Rose Society was created to honor those writers who showed through their writings that they would be willing to stand up for what is right. The names of those White Rose Society writers are also listed in the booklet. All teachers who submit at least 22 original student entries are eligible to receive books for their classroom by choosing one title from a listing of Holocaust related books. -3- “The likelihood that your acts of resistance cannot stop the injustice does not exempt you from acting in what you sincerely and reflectively hold to be the best interests of your community.” Susan Sontag At the Sam e Tim e : Essays and Spe e c he s Our Story - The Liberators t has been over seventy years since it happened but I want to share the story with you now. IThere is a lesson to be learned and courage that needs to be honored. This is what I remember. I was picking some of the lilies that grow down by the railroad tracks. Around the corner came a big train. The engine was pulling many boxcars. As a lot of delicious vegetables are shipped from our village, I thought nothing of it. The train stopped and out jumped some very mean looking soldiers and some frightening, barking dogs. Then I noticed a line of people slowly making its way to the train. The soldiers tried to hurry them along but they were carrying heavy suitcases and they could only hurry so much. As they came closer I began to recognize people. There was the girl who sits next to me in history class! And Dr. Gold! And the butcher who always saved my mother tender cuts of meat! There was Mr. Cohen who has the lovely jewelry store. My friend and I loved to stare at his beautiful window pretending that we were fine ladies with expensive jewels. These people were definitely not going on a holiday; some of the women were weeping; many were looking wistfully back to their homes. The soldiers became impatient. “Hurry! Hurry!” they shouted. The dogs began nipping at people’s heels. A tiny girl dropped her doll in her effort to keep up. A soldier kicked it to the side of the road and prodded her to move faster. It was then that I noticed my friend Sarah in the line. She walked bravely down the street. “Sarah!” I cried but she looked right through me. She was passing by me when I felt a gentle nudge. In my hand was a piece of paper. My dear friend Steffi,” it said. “We are being sent away because we are Jewish. People who leave on these trains are never seen again. We have heard that we are going to a place where we will be killed. Steffi, please remember me and pray for us all. Love from your friend, Sarah.” Too many people were crowded into one single boxcar while the dogs snarled and the soldiers threatened. Saddened? Helpless? Hopeless? I was filled with so many emotions I did not know where to turn. -4- What I did not know was the other scenario that was taking place about fifty kilometers down the track. A young man knelt with his ear to the rails. He stiffened and stood up. “The train has started,” he said. “Klaus, do you have the explosives?” Yes, Wolf,” replied his friend. “Renata, do you have the meat?” “Yes, Wolf, ground up and full of blood. Just the way you requested,” answered the girl. “All right. Everybody take your place. Timing is critical; we must not fail.” Renata uncovered the meat and laid it by the track. Klaus lit a match. All eyes were focused on Wolf, their leader. There was a light in the distance and the roar of the train making its way. Klaus lit the dynamite and he and Renata hurried to safety with the others on the opposite side of the track. The train roared into view as the track exploded. There was a deafening screech as the engine lumbered to a halt. Many angry voices erupted from within the train. Then the doors opened and soldiers and dogs poured through the doors. As the dogs smelled the meat, chaos reigned. The dogs fought each other for the tasty morsels while the soldiers fruitlessly tried to make them desist and obey. Meanwhile, on the far side of the train, windows opened and strong, gentle arms reached in and pulled the prisoners out of the train. Silently, they carried them to nearby wagons that had been waiting in the dusk. By the time the soldiers quieted the dogs, everyone onboard the train had disappeared into the night. For two years the hapless Jews were hidden in barns, silos, root cellars, attics, and haystacks. For two years, their protectors risked their own lives to keep their guests hidden and well. The Jews were often hot, cold, wet, hungry, and/or sick. .but they were alive! They grew to love their liberators and when the war was finally over, many found it difficult to depart. -5- THE PROMPTS oth Middle and High School Students were asked to research the resistance Bunits in a country of their choice during World War II. They were instructed to go on the web and type in Nazi + resistance + (country of choice) where they would discover the information needed in order to concentrate on one particular resistance group they admired. MIDDLE SCHOOL ONLY Students were asked to choose one prompt from the choices below: EXPOSITORY 1. What resistance group have you selected? Write an essay explaining what this group did that motivated you to choose their work. 2. The friends you hang out with in school are planning to exclude a student because he or she is different. Write an essay explaining how you plan to resist their pressure. CREATIVE 1. You are the white rose. In a poem, story, rap, script, or journal entry, discuss the pride and privilege you feel as the symbol of a resistance unit that made a difference. 2. After you have studied the rescuers and resisters from the Holocaust, your teacher asks you to think of examples of discrimination or cruelty that you have noticed in your own school or community. Write a letter to your school’s newspaper explaining what students can do in their own community to “resist” or fight back against discrimination or cruelty towards different people.