Essay Contests
The Tribute to the Rescuers 2009-2010 Essay Contest
The Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) Plain States Omaha office, through the Institute for Holocaust Education, and a generous grant from the Carl Frohm Foundation, uses the lens of the Holocaust to analyze moral behavior and educate students about contemporary issues. Our objective is for students to appreciate their connection to the Holocaust, communities and even conflicts a world away. Using the Holocaust as the historical backdrop, this essay requires that students: explore the chosen historical event including making a connection to the Holocaust if writing about another topic, demonstrate how the chosen individual/group took a stand against social injustice and exhibited moral courage, and most importantly, explain why this information is meaningful to the student.
Visit the Plains States Regional Web Site for more information.
2010 The Tribute to the Rescuers Winning Essays
9-10th Grade Winners:
- First Place: Harriet Tubman
- Second Place: Irena Sendler – A Voice for the Children
- Third Place: The Death March of Janusz Korczak
11-12th Grade Winners:
- First Place: Moral Courage in Good Times and Bad
- Second Place: 175
- Third Place: Talking Bones
2010 Moral Courage Essay Contest
The Moral Courage Essay Contest asks students to use the lens of the Holocaust to learn the meaning of moral courage. Students are asked to become knowledgeable about people who displayed moral courage when they risked their own lives to act on their values and beliefs to spare the lives of others. Once students understand the meaning of moral courage in the context of the Holocaust, they are challenged to look beyond the examples presented. Students then choose a person from an historical or contemporary period to research. They consider what motivated these people to stand up against injustice. The essay leads the writer to articulate the answer and to apply the learning to his/her life.
Visit the Arizona Regional Web Site for more information.
7-8th Grade Winners:
- First Place: A Person’s a Person No Matter How Small
- Second Place: A Cause Greater Than Mortality
- Third Place: La Huelga
9-10th Grade Winners:
- First Place: Believe
- Second Place: Upsetting the Ranks
- Third Place: The Heroic Tale of the Village Idiot
11-12th Grade Winners:
- First Place: Dr. King
- Second Place: The Ripple Effect
- Third Place: A Man of Courage
