The Fifth Annual Holocaust
Art and Writing Contest
Conscience and Courage:
Heroes of the Holocaust
Heroism took many different forms during the years of the Holocaust. As soon as the Nazis took power in Germany in 1933, they sought to separate from society those they depicted as the other-those with disabilities, political and religious opponents, gays, Jehovah's Witnesses-and most especially, the Jews. In Nazi Germany and the countries the Nazis would later occupy, people were pressured actively to support Nazi ideology or to remain obedient bystanders.
In these circumstances, when silence seemed the safest choice, some chose to become heroes, voicing their opposition and placing conscience above conformity. Daring to reach out to those in need was an act of heroism. For those separated from their neighbors and sent to ghettos and camps, struggling to live another day and resisting the crushing inhumanity designed to break body and spirit were acts of heroism. In the bleakest of circumstances, amidst hunger and hopelessness, teaching and fostering creativity were heroic actions.
To paraphrase author Joseph Campbell, heroes are ordinary people who do the very best of deeds in the worst of times. Those who lived during the Holocaust offer us diverse models of heroism. Although we will never face such desperate and dehumanizing circumstances, each of us is challenged to find ways to exercise conscience and courage within our own communities. Each of us has the chance to become an "ordinary hero" and to change our society for the better by our actions.
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Middle School Competition
First Place Art: Paulina Phan
Second Place Art: Jonathan Juliani
First Place Essay: Christine McNab
Second Place Essay: Camilla Wade-West
First Place Poem: Zachary Yates
Second Place Poem: Chelsea Redmon
High School Competition
First Place Art: Sothea Ouch
Second Place Art: Amy Segall
First Place Essay: Era Dykhne
Second Place Essay: Rebecca Kuperberg
First Place Poem: Matthew Adam White
Second Place Poem: Melissa Jones
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