Essay Contests
The Tribute to the Rescuers 2008-2009 Essay Contest
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), through its Institute for Holocaust Education in the Plains States Omaha office, 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. These issues, both historical and modern, illustrate how prejudice and discrimination influence thoughts and actions and ultimately inflict harm on individuals, communities and societies. Our objective is for students to appreciate their connection to the Holocaust, communities and even conflicts a world away. Each student can work to be a positive change in the world. 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.
The Tribute to the Rescuers High School Essay Contest is one of the many venues the Institute utilizes to reach students and meet state educational standards. This year’s essay contest on Moral Courage is co-sponsored by the Plains State Region ADL; Dana College in Blair, Nebraska; and the Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, Iowa.
2008 The Tribute to the Rescuers Winning Essays
9-10th Grade Winners:
- First Place: Liviu Librescu
- Second Place: St. Maximilian Kolbe—For the Life of Another
- Third Place: Changing the Sight of Society
11-12th Grade Winners:
- First Place: Mother Theresa
- Second Place: Moral Courage Does Not Hide
- Third Place: We All Must Help
2008 Echoes and Reflections Winning Essays
9-10th Grade Winners:
- First Place: A Woman’s Greatest Sacrifice in History’s Darkest Hour
- Second Place: Regardless of the Risks
- Third Place: Burns, an Activist
11-12th Grade Winners:
- First Place: Becoming a Rescuer
- Second Place: Moral Courage and Altruism in an Age of Self-absorption
