We are excited to announce the 2016 Mordechai Anielewicz Creative Arts Competition!

The competition encourages students to learn about and respond to themes and lessons of the Holocaust by means of creative expression. Each year over 400 students in grades 7-12 across the Delaware Valley submit artwork in the following categories: creative writing, music, visual arts, digital media and creative dance.  An awards ceremony is held each June in conjunction with the exhibition and all visual arts submissions are exhibited professionally by Moore College of Art and Design.

Many teachers have taken an active role to support this creative competition, encouraging their class to participate, and helping students submit their best work. Participating teachers attest to the value of including this program in their curricula.

• Donna Luzenski, an English teacher at Downingtown High School East. “What students learn best from responding to the themes of the Holocaust is that wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political view, THAT PLACE must—at the moment—become the center of the universe. Students learn that there are times when they must take sides.”

• Michele Gordon, a theology teacher at Gwynedd Mercy Academy. “…Whether via poetry, prose, sculpture, or other creative devices, GMA students are able to display their comprehension and empathy regarding a vital time in world history. Creating a vivid, palpable visual helps both themselves and others gain a further appreciation for what millions of our sisters and brothers endured, while simultaneously becoming acutely aware of how history continues to repeat itself around the globe.”

• Gwen Fredette, a homeschool teacher. “Last year our family attended the awards ceremony for the Mordechai Anielewicz Creative Arts Competition. We were amazed at the level of talent shown by the winning students.  Their works captured this dark moment of history with such sensitivity and depth.”

We hope you and your students will participate in this year’s competition. Entries are due March 9, 2016. Please see the attached flyer for more details about the competition. You can go to jewishphilly.org/holocaust to find the Guidelines & Requirements and the online entry form.

For general information, please contact Beth Razin, Holocaust Programs Manager, at brazin@jfgp.org or 215-832-0536.