Theme: Never Forget

The entry deadline for this year has passed.

Entries may be prose, poetry, or art

open to grade 6-12 students residing in a west or southwest michigan county

The Pestka Family, in memory of their father and grandfather, Henry Pestka, a Holocaust survivor, is proud to begin a new tradition in West Michigan - to bring Holocaust awareness and education to West Michigan students in grades 6-12 through an art and poetry contest. This contest is designed for students who have completed the Michigan state requirement on Holocaust education and enables them the opportunity to process and reflect on the concepts they learned through writing or art.

All too often, images of the Holocaust we remember are those created by the perpetrators. We see people humiliated, starved and beaten, dressed in rags or tawdry striped uniforms, and robbed of their humanity. If our study of the Holocaust ends there, we victimize these people a second time. 

But when we engage survivor testimonies or memoirs, we come to see those targeted by the Nazis as individuals, meeting them as people who gave and received love and for whom the memory of those they loved was a source of extraordinary strength. Love nourished their soul and sometimes inspired hope.

Though the Holocaust was a painfully tragic time in human history, there were everyday people who acted heroically, even when facing the most hopeless situations. Whether it was a Jewish prisoner who aided other victims, righteous gentiles who sheltered the Jews, or local people who spoke out, there were glimmers of hope in an otherwise terrible time.

Learn more about Henry Pestka and other West Michigan Holocaust Survivors at the West Michigan Holocaust Memorial website.

The Henry Pestka Art and Poetry Contest is coordinated by The West Michigan Holocaust Partnership, which consists of: ADL (Anti-Defamation League) Michigan, East Grand Rapids Public Schools, Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, Grand Valley State University, The Jewish Federation of Grand Rapids, TPS Teachers Network and WGVU Public Media. The Partnership collaborated to curate a collection of resources and aligned the contest to support educators and students in meeting Michigan State Holocaust and Genocide Education Standards. Members of The Partnership with proximity to student entries, including EGRPS faculty and staff, will not be permitted to judge entries.  

There were 11 million victims of the Holocaust. 

• 6 million were Jewish people.
• 5 million were soldiers, activists, and civilians including people with disabilities, Roma people, Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, LGBTQI+ persons, and more.

The Holocaust is history's most extreme example of antisemitism, which is prejudice or hatred of Jews. Antisemitism remains a persistent issue in Michigan.

• Less than 1% of Michigan's total population identifies as Jewish.
• In 2021, Michigan ranked 5th in the United States for antisemitic incidents, with antisemitism at a ten year high across the country.

Learning about the Holocaust can help students: 

• develop critical thinking and media literacy skills.
• understand the roles that history, society, religion, politics and the economy can play in democratic values and human rights.
• unpack and analyze the consequences of decisions and actions (or inactions) related to prejudice, stereotyping, racism, xenophobia, and hate.

In 2016, Michigan passed Public Act 170.

• All students in Michigan must receive six hours of Holocaust and Genocide education.

Teaching Holocaust history requires a high level of sensitivity and a keen awareness of the complexity of the subject matter. The West Michigan Holocaust Partnership has curated a collection of high-quality, interactive resources and lessons, including a virtual fieldtrip to the West Michigan Holocaust Memorial, to support educators in creating an authentic and meaningful learning experience for students in meeting Michigan Holocaust and Genocide education standards.

Using "Teaching the Holocaust: A Guide for Michigan Educators", teachers can navigate to age-appropriate content that best aligns with their goals and needs in teaching the Holocaust. Along with prepared lessons, teachers can connect with classroom tools such as graphic organizers, audio glossaries, newspaper archives, and more. Teachers will also find resources to help prepare and support their students, and themselves, for such an important, but difficult subject.

Additionally, the virtual field trip is also housed in the guide, and centered around accessibility. Students will follow a self-paced, interactive path through Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park to the final stop where they will meet the artist, Ariel Schlesinger, and explore the Holocaust memorial sculpture "Ways to Say Goodbye". Along the way, they will learn more about the gardens, the Holocaust, and Holocaust survivors from our own West Michigan communities.

Ideal for project-based learning in social studies, english language arts, and art classes, or for cross-curricular studies, the West Michigan Holocaust Partnership has come together to sponsor the Henry Pestka Art & Poetry Contest. This year’s theme, Never Forget, honors victims and survivors of the Holocaust, their stories of loss and tragedy, but also their stories of strength and bravery in unimaginable circumstances.  

As the foundation for students' Contest projects, educators are highly encouraged to use the "Teaching the Holocaust" curriculum and resources, 

along with the virtual fieldtrip to the Ways to Say Goodbye Holocaust Memorial at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.

Not Sure Where to Start?

This WGVU documentary, "L'dor V'dor: An Eternal Tree", is a great foundational resource for students and educators to begin to connect with Holocaust education, local Holocaust survivor stories, the West Michigan Holocaust Memorial, and the Henry Pestka Art & Poetry Contest.

L'dor V'dor: An Eternal Tree

Henry Pestka survived the horrors of Auschwitz. Pestka and the millions of Jews murdered during the Holocaust are now remembered with the dedication of the sculpture, Ways to Say Goodbye. There we talk with the sculptor and family unveiling West Michigan’s first public Holocaust memorial. L’dor V’dor explores art as education and its generational commitment to exposing atrocities against humanity. (26:46)

Finalists will be notified on or about March 3, 2023. 

• The top 10 Finalists from each grade will be invited to attend and be recognized at the Henry Pestka Art & Poetry Contest Event in April 2023 at a space generously provided by Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.
• The top three finalists from each grade level will additionally qualify to receive a certificate and a cash prize: First Place $150; Second Place $100; and Third Place $50 - generously provided by The Jewish Federation of Grand Rapids, Henry Pestka Holocaust Memorial Endowment Fund.
• Finalists will be asked to arrange for their projects to be brought to Meijer Gardens two weeks prior to the event to be curated and displayed in a gallery-style format.
• Please note that eligibility for prizes is based on attendance at the event, and all Finalists who attend will receive recognition and a gift.
• Prizes/gifts are not redeemable for cash, non-transferable, and non-substitutable, except at the sole discretion of The Partnership.

• No purchase necessary to enter or win.
• Entrants are highly encouraged to use the accompanying curriculum and resources as the foundation for their projects.
• Entrants must reside in a West and Southwest Michigan county and be enrolled in (or equivalent to)  6th – 12th grade during the 2022-2023 school year in a public, private, faith-based, charter, or home-school setting. Counties: Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Ionia, Kalamazoo, Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa, St. Joseph, and Van Buren.
• Entries must be individual projects, and only one entry per person will be accepted; all subsequent entries will be disqualified.
• Each entry must include a completed and legible official Contest Entry Form, with the required teacher/school information and parent/guardian permission, confirming that the entry is the student’s original work, and granting certain rights to entry materials.
• It is the responsibility of each parent, teacher and/or advisor to obtain and read these contest rules, requirements and guidelines.
• All submitted entries must be the entrants’ original work.
• Entries must meet privacy policy guidelines and contain appropriate content. Entries containing inappropriate content will be disqualified.
• Failure to meet rules and requirements may result in disqualification. The Partnership reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify ineligible entries; such entries will not be returned.
• Each entry must meet category guidelines and requirements. Click the "Contest Eligibility, Rules & Requirements" for more information.

Art Entries                                                          

• Projects must be individual.
• In addition to meeting all Contest Eligibility Rules and Requirements,each entry must include a completed official Contest Entry Form, with the required signature of a parent/guardian, consenting to allowing their child to enter, confirming that the entry is original work, and granting certain rights to entry materials.
• An Artist’s Statement will be required as part of the online entry form.
• Renderings of another’s work will be disqualified. Please note that all images, whether computer, artist, or photo generated must be the creation of the student artist.
• Art submission entry forms should be accompanied by photos of the artwork photos (maximum of 5, jpeg or png).
• If selected as a finalist, students will be asked to deliver their project to Meijer Gardens about two weeks prior to the Celebration.
• All Art entries must be a relevant, clear expression within the category and theme. Entries that do not follow the criteria will be disqualified.

Formatting

• Regardless of delivery method (digital or hard copy), all entrants must complete the online submission form.
• Art entries must be legibly labeled with entrant’s name, grade, and project title on the back.
• Entries must be titled and include the student’s name and grade on a title page or at the top of the first page.
• Submissions must be two-dimensional only, on medium no thicker than ¾”, and must not exceed 24’ x 36’.
• Artwork must not be matted or framed.
• Fixative spray must be applied to charcoal, pencil, pastel, and chalk art.
• Submissions can include photography and computer-generated images.
• Artists can use charcoal, pencil, pastel, chalk, watercolors, acrylics, or oils.
• Acknowledgement of sources – to protect copyright holders, proper citation of all sources is required. Permission for sources that are not public domain must be obtained in writing from the copyright holder and submitted with entry.

Poetry Entries                                                 

• Projects must be individual.
• In addition to meeting all Contest Eligibility Rules and Requirements,each entry must include a completed official Contest Entry Form, with the required signature of a parent/guardian, consenting to allowing their child to enter, confirming that the entry is original work, and granting certain rights to entry materials.
• An Author’s Statement will be required as part of the online entry form.
• All Poetry entries must be a relevant, clear expression within the category and theme.
• Writing submissions must adhere to the word/line count requirements. Entries that do not follow the criteria will be disqualified.

Formatting

• All entrants must complete the online submission form, and poetry entries must be uploaded as a PDF.
• Entries must be titled and include the student’s name and grade on a title page or at the top of the first page.
• Entries must be typed, on one side of the paper, and include page numbers.
• Entries must not include graphics, drawings, or other images. It must be clear that the entry is a poem, and not artwork.
• Poetry content should not include reference to student or school name.
• Entries may be no more than 30 lines.

Prose Entries

• Projects must be individual.
• In addition to meeting all Contest Eligibility Rules and Requirements,each entry must include a completed official Contest Entry Form, with the required signature of a parent/guardian, consenting to allowing their child to enter, confirming that the entry is original work, and granting certain rights to entry materials.
• An Author’s Statement will be required as part of the online entry form.
• All Prose entries must be a relevant, clear expression within the category and theme.
• Writing submissions must adhere to the word/line count requirements. Entries that do not follow the criteria will be disqualified.

Formatting

• All entrants must complete the online submission form, and prose entries must be uploaded as a PDF.
• Entries must be titled and include the student’s name and grade on a title page or at the top of the first page.
• Entries must be typed, on one side of the paper, and include page numbers.
• Entries must not include graphics, drawings, or other images. It must be clear that the entry is a writing entry, and not artwork.
• Prose content should not include reference to student or school name.
• Entries may be no more than 500 words, and may include fiction/story, argumentative, or expository writing.

Have questions? We’re happy to help!

To connect with a WGVU Education Team member, e-mail education@wgvu.org or call 616.331.6666.

Listen and Learn with Us

• What went into the creation of this contest and resource collection?
• How do teachers navigate the curriculum and resources?
• How can teachers use the curriculum and virtual field trip with students?
• What events and opportunities around Holocaust education and community engagement can I be part of?