The annual Jakob and Sala Kryszek Art & Writing Competition for middle and high school students encourages youth to evaluate history, foster an awareness of the Holocaust, and broaden their minds in the areas of art, history, civics, sociology, and literature. For the competition, students are presented with a prompt that becomes their cue to create a piece of writing or a work of art.
The prompts for the contest provide an opportunity for students to consider the circumstances in which a situation like the Holocaust can occur. We hope educators will encourage students to participate in the competition by helping them interpret this prompt in a way that is relevant to their classrooms. Entries can reflect a wide range of literary and world history topics, although we ask students to relate their responses in some way to what they’ve learned about the Holocaust.
Grand prize winners will have the opportunity to select their prize.
- A trip to Washington D.C. to visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for themselves and a chaperone.
- A trip to Los Angeles to visit the Holocaust Museum for themselves and a chaperone.
Both trips include airfare, three nights lodging, a meal stipend, and ground transportation.
This competition is open to students attending school in Oregon and SW Washington.
Submission Due Date: April 26, 2024
Grand Prize Winners 2023
Writing
Madison A., Grade 10, In the World of Silence
Teacher Ellie Gilbert,
St. Mary’s Academy
Art
McKenna Y., Grade 8, In Flames We Prevail
Teacher Sarah Wersal, Fremont Middle School
Writing
First
Kate V., Grade 8, The Looking Glass Turned Back
Teacher Carrington Light, Riverdale Grade School
Second
Harry S., Grade 8, Orbiting Eden
Teacher Carrington Light, Riverdale Grade School
Third
Riya R., Grade 9, Dear Hope
Teacher Carrie McCallum, St. Helens High School
Honorable Mention
Everly M., Grade 8, Forever and Always
Teacher Carrington Light, Riverdale Grade School
Estelle R., Grade 10, What They Saw
Teacher Victoria Keller, Seaside High School
ART
First
Adila H., Grade 9, Reverie
Teacher Paige Hazard, Cleveland High School
Second
Lillian S., Grade 7, A Massacre of Hope
Teacher Kellie Lerminiau, City View Charter School
Third
Pearl M., Grade 8, World of Their Own
Teacher Carrington Light, Riverdale Grade School
Honorable Mention
Alice N-S., Grade 7, Waiting for Hope
Teacher Kellie Lerminiau, City View Charter School
Lexi Y., Grade 9, Marked
Teacher Chris Mateer, Catlin Gabel School