1st Place - Danielle Kim, 6th Grade, Kent Mountain View Academy, Des Moines. Teacher: Thanh Thu Do
Kindertransport was a movement of care and compassion that saved Steve Adler and children from the atrocity of the Holocaust that stripped many of their lives. The children were expected to leave their Jewish heritage behind. My art piece is a portrait of a young Jewish boy with his eyes smudged, drawn with charcoal. The use of charcoal is to show perseverance; without coal, they wouldn’t have been able to go on and escape from the hands of Hitler. The smudging represents his true identity and his Jewish inheritance slowly fading, to live the life he was blessed to preserve.

2nd Place - Aria Saisslin, 6th Grade, Kent Mountain View Academy, Des Moines. Teacher: Thanh Thu Do
You see a hand with words in it and broken barbed wire while I see a Jew never giving up for what they believe in. When I see my drawing I see myself as this person never giving up hope, and doing what is right. I want other people to see my drawing as an encouragement and for them to never lose hope. Hope, trusting, courage, believing, and bravery are words never to forget.

3rd Place - Brook Franklin, 6th Grade, Lake Washington Girls Middle School, Seattle. Teacher: Lindsay Mutschler
My art piece shows Anne Frank in the Star of David. Surrounding her are loose pages from her diary with some of her quotes. I was inspired to do this because it shows how one can do many amazing things during a terrible time. Anne Frank was able to write these incredible quotes as she was living a nightmare. The materials I used during this project were pencil and watercolor. This shows that we have to stop bullying before it turns into something bigger.

Honorable Mention - Jake Ewanchuk, 6th Grade, Cedar Park Christian, Bothell. Teacher: Hahnna Christenson
The iconic words, “Arbeit Macht Frei” (work makes one free) is shown on the gates of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Auschwitz is the site of the largest mass murder in the history of the world – more than one million men, women and children were systematically killed there. I chose to draw the gates at Auschwitz because it is a stark reminder of a horrible and tragic part of history, yet we need to remember and learn from it so we do not repeat it.

Honorable Mention - Taylor Bradshaw, 6th Grade, Cedar Park Christian, Bothell. Teacher: Hahnna Christenson
The Children -  For this project I really couldn’t chose a specific event that made my heart pound. I decided that I would focus on all the children and their families in general because it breaks my heart to see lives and futures being destroyed. Description - This collage is on canvas and it has pictures of children and their families, in the middle is the star with Jude on it.

Honorable Mention - Evi Fitzgerald, 5th Grade, Congregation Kol Ami Religious School, Woodinville. Teacher: Michal Comisioneru
Imagine being torn apart then being put back together piece by piece.

1st Place - Blake Jeffcoat, 7th Grade, McMurray Middle School, Vashon Island. Teacher: Heidi VanHarper
“The Resistance in the Death Camps” - The image I drew represent the resistance of the Jewish people within the death and work camps. Which to me was an even more powerful story than the struggles outside the camps. The barbed wire represents the prisoners bound in fear which brought about a great solidarity with the prisoners. Their hands clenched tightly represents the determination of strangers to come together united in pain and fear. With this unity and incredible courage overcame great odds in defeating the German soldiers that held them captive in deplorable conditions. My inspiration was from the fight for freedom at Treblinka Death Camp.

2nd Place - Callie Wong, 7th Grade, McMurray Middle School, Vashon Island. Teacher: Patty Gregorich
“A Life in a Jar” - I did not copy this photo. I took it with the help of a friend. This jar represents just one of many. They contained the lives of over 2,500 Jewish children saved by Irena Sendler. Irena was just one of many who saved children from the ghettos. She would snake kids out of the ghettos and put the kids with Christian families to protect them. After the war, she tried to reunite them with family members. She put a slip of paper with the name, date and location in the jar. A slip of paper can save a life…

3rd Place - Riley Lynch, 7th Grade, McMurray Middle School, Vashon Island. Teacher: Heidi VanHarper
Oskar Schindler was a brave and caring man who voluntarily rescued thousands of Jews during the Holocaust. My art reflects how Schindler took it upon himself to rescue those being harmed (dog) from the Nazis (car). Like many of us today Oskar Schindler was mostly a bystander who helped out of the kindness of his heart. Without his actions there would have been many more killed and many more families devastated. We are all capable of the same actions as Schindler, and we are capable of rescuing those around us who are being bullied.

Honorable Mention - Emilia Mediavilk, 7th Grade, McMurray Middle School, Vashon Island. Teacher: Heidi VanHarper.
The inspiration for this poster is from several different diaries and my class’ reaction to the stories. Some people took the subject of the Holocaust very seriously while others laughed and treated it like a joke. Even if it is a select few who act like it never existed. It could always happen against and it could be them or you for that matter. So it is still a very important matter to learn and remember. As you can see in my poster there is a girl and she has a huge crowd of people behind her. This is supposed to represent that more people died than survived in the death camps. Many were women and children, and the Nazi symbol represent who afflicted this upon them. I hope to make people realize the Holocaust is not a light subject and that it is more than possible that something like the Holocaust could happen again and you could be the afflicter or the victim. So until people take this subject more seriously it should be taught throughout children’s education and through college. The subject of the Holocaust really didn’t change me though it is a serious subject.

Honorable Mention - Alina Tsymbalyuk, 8th Grade, Chief Moses Middle School, Moses Lake. Teacher: Rita Fryberger
This picture shows hands raising to the world asking for help. Jewish people hoped that someone would help them but they didn’t receive help for a long time. I drew this picture because in a lot of stories that I’ve heard people were hoping that someone will step in but no one did. Let’s help others and don’t let their hopes disappear and dreams vanish again.

Honorable Mention - Maggie Wright, St. Nicholas Catholic School, Gig Harbor. Teacher: Kathleen Buxell
My art piece tells the story of Riva Minsky and some of the quotes that she lived by during the many years in concentration camps. From the time she was talking to her daughter about how she survived all those years to when she was preparing for Passover with her family, to when she was working in the tailor shop; The time when she had the secret library in her house, to when the Nazis took her glasses. When she had to work in the nurse’s office in the camp and in the end when the Russian officer came to save them.

1st Place - Alexander King, 11th Grade, Stadium High School, Tacoma. Teacher: Laurie Brown
I was inspired by the following: Rene Guttman, born December 21, 1937. Identification number: 16961. At the age of 5 he was used as a medical experiment by Nazi Scientist. Renate Guttman, born December 21, 1937. Identification number: 70917. At the age of 5 she was used as a medical experiment by Nazi Scientist because of Hitler’s fascination with twins. Eliezer Wiesel, born September 30, 1926. Identification number: A-7713. At the age of 16 Eliezer was beat by other inmates for his food. (Image is one of three identical images, with the exception of the numbers on the arm - numbers are different in each image.)

2nd Place - Olivia Caflisch, 10th Grade, Seattle Prep, Seattle. Teacher: Jennifer Freeman
Can you point out any difference between the child in the center of the star and the children surrounding him? The boy in the center of the star is Emmanuel Alper. The others surrounding him are children who are alive now. The only way to tell Emmanuel is different is the red boarder surrounding his eyes. However, during his life the only way to tell he was different was his religion, and because of it he was killed. I learned from Emmanuel’s story, to never collaborate in any sort of mistreatment, and be open to what makes a human unique.

3rd Place - Alejandra Gutierrez, 10th Grade, Seattle Prep, Seattle. Teacher: Brian Elsner
“Listen to the tears of the children… Look and Listen as they walk towards dark flames so gigantic that the planet itself seemed in danger” – Elie Weisel Children represent innocence, naivety and careless joy; the tragedy of the Holocaust is a dreadful reality that destroyed an estimated 1.5 million children. In Auschwitz, there still remain articles of children’s clothing that were left behind in suitcases. Shoes, dresses, hats, and infants’ clothes are among the only surviving evidence of the lives that were stolen. Any crime against a human being in itself is unjust and evil, but crimes against children are unspeakable.

Honorable Mention - Dayton Pascua, 10th Grade, Tacoma Baptist High School, Tacoma. Teacher: Lisa McGowan
The first piece of fabric symbolizes the peace and freedom Jewish children had before their lives were forever changed by the occupation of Hitler’s Nazi regime. The second piece of fabric represents the children torn both emotionally and physically; separated from their families. The third piece of fabric shows the end result for many – death. The lasting effect of Hitler’s twisted, evil actions was, for the survivors, a lifetime of distrust and questioning the existence of God. The barbed wire is a symbol of the prison used to keep the children confined; their crime, nothing more than their birth.

Honorable Mention - Sophia Scheer, 10th Grade, Seattle Prep, Seattle. Teachers: Matt Barmore and Cheryl Healy
This artwork is a combination of acrylic paint and a photograph. The two children in the front are Jewish girls horrified by the devastation of Kristallnacht. For this piece, I chose to do the painting in black and white with the exception of blue highlights around the exterior, which act as a border around the image and reflect the sadness wrought by Kristallnacht. The theme I chose was “children,” reflected by the two small Jewish girls. Along with this is, of course, the event of Kristallnacht, which shatter the lives of thousands of Jewish families in just one night.

Honorable Mention - Julia Piacentin, 10th Grade, Seattle Prep, Seattle. Teacher: Brian Elsner
My artwork is photograph of my sister in black and white with barbed wire drawn across it. I wanted to represent the suffering that many children as young as ten, eleven and twelve years old suffered each and every day for many years. Many children were burnt immediately as they arrived but those who were selected to go on had to suffer through things that scarred even those older people who thought they had seen everything in their life. My idea started with Anne Frank but I thought that was too specific so I broadened it to the whole array of children in concentration camps.

Honorable Mention - Ashley Nagel, 12th Grade, Stadium High School, Tacoma. Teacher: Laurie Brown
“Arbeit Macht Frei” is a German saying meaning work or labor makes you free. This saying was posted at the entrance of Nazi Concentration Camps. Concentration camps were intended to handle the masses of people arrested suspected of rebelling. Most camps were equipped with gas chambers for the purpose of mass extermination of prisoners. In 1933, there were approximately 9 million Jews in Europe. By 1945, the Nazis had reduced that number to about 3 million. Later that year, Soviet, US, and British forces liberated many of the camps and the full Nazi horrors were exposed to the world.

Honorable Mention - Kyra Stern, 10th Grade, Seattle Prep, Seattle. Teachers: Jennifer Freeman and Andy Hendricks
I made a collage representing a scene from Elie Wiesel’s Night. It compares the reality of a violinist in the Holocaust – who dies playing – to what he could have accomplished in an alternate reality. This piece connects to the theme of children because it recaptures the violinist’s lost identity, showing the viewers that he could have been able to teach children how to play the violin, instead he died playing in a barrack. The barbed wire represents the lack of freedom in the Holocaust, and the other images on each side of the collage are my abstract reenactments from Night.

1st Place - Alexia Campos, 6th Grade, Finch Elementary School, Spokane. Teacher: Paul Regelbrugge
"What I can do to help spread the word of doing good is to share some of the stories that my parents have told me about racism, for when I heard this story it made me feel heartbroken for my dad to experience that. Also, The White Rose inspires me…to help and stand up for each other…" Read full entry

2nd Place - Noah Yeager, 6th Grade, Finch Elementary School, Spokane. Teacher: Paul Regelbrugge
“The theme I have picked is resistance because of a passage I read in school about when a young man used his violin to trick the Germans into letting him into their small base ear the woods. The young man was a helper of Tuvia Bielski, who tried to help the Jewish people. One day he filled his violin case full of explosives to try to give Bielski the distraction he needed to help so many Jews escape to freedom. But soon after the explosion, Nazis attacked the camp. This is what I’m writing about, from the point of view of the young man.” Read full entry

3rd Place - Seher Sheila Taj, 5th Grade, Cascade Ridge Elementary School, Sammamish. Teacher: Erin Perea
"Humans are amazing. They can do good deeds that benefit others and bring joy to their fellow human beings. They can be as kind and caring as Mother Teresa and Florence Nightingale. On the other hand, they can also do horrible things that can cause pain and misery for others, examples would be people like Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin. In addition to these opposites, humans possess the ability to bounce back from something horrible. This is called resilience. Let me share some stories which involve this important quality…" Read full entry

Honorable Mention - Allison DeCracker, 6th Grade, Cedar Park Christian School, Bothell. Teacher: Hahnna Christienson
"Irena Sendler the angel for the Jews, showing love, kindness, and compassion/ She went to the Warsaw Ghetto to help by any necessary action / They took screaming kids from crying mothers / Just like she had for all the others /  She kept records of the Jewish kids in jars under an apple tree / And she promised the parents that after the war she would return the children home safely..." Read full entry

1st Place - Jazmin Ruiz, 8th Grade, McLoughlin Middle School, Pasco. Teacher: LuAnn Leverson
"By sticking up for those in pain / Their happiness can remain / We can never let this happen again / We must join together as a friend / I will remember those who died as brave / If only I could of saved / The thousands of innocent children / Whose lives had been stolen..." Read full entry

2nd Place - Shlomit Menashe, 8th Grade, Seattle Hebrew Academy, Seattle. Teacher: Liz Ebersole
"When most people think about resistance of the Holocaust they tend to think of Zegota and resistance groups, people who stood up against the Nazis and fought back. Yes they were amazing and we are thankful for the bravery and courage they showed during the war, but there is another element of resistance that doesn’t get as much credit as it deserves: spiritual resistance. Jews went to great measures just to try to keep the commandments from G-d as best they could, even though the consequences were severe." Read full entry

3rd Place - Emma Greenlee, 7th Grade, McMurray Middle School, Vashon Island. Teacher: Heidi VanHarper
"What I find / So amazing / About this particular story / Is that people are doing this now / Trying to write / Their own history / But they’re getting arrested / Taken to jail / For sitting down, / Having to pay / Their own bail / People sitting / Standing / Singing / Shouting / All for the sake of peace"  Read full entry

Honorable Mention - Kendall Blackburn, 8th Grade, Billings Middle School, Seattle. Teacher: Linda Cooper
"Bertie’s story was inspiring, because she made me realize that during hard times, sometimes you have to tell yourself things will be okay. But Bertie’s situation was much harder than any bad situation I’ve had in my life, and she was a young girl. ..It has inspired me personally because it make me realize that sometimes you have make the best of the worst." Read full entry

Honorable Mention - Maggie Ballew, 7th Grade, Selah Intermediate School, Selah. Teacher: Lorri Clifton
"Maria Von Maltzan was mentally and spiritually destroyed by the horrors of the Holocaust and WWII. I chose Maria because her story was not only a tale of heroics but a tale of the effects of the holocaust. I learned that that anyone can help to stop a terrible thing a make a difference but even the most heroic people will be left unchanged." Read full entry