For many it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For others, it’s the novelty of blending two holidays that have freedom as its central theme. Whatever the reason, finding a way to depict Thanksgivukkah was the challenge many young artists undertook in this, the 17th annual Chanukah Art Contest, sponsored by the Chabad House Center and The Jewish Chronicle.
This year’s grand prize winner of an iPad Mini is Mandy Unterhalter, a member of Congregation Beth Shalom and a fifth-grade student at Leawood Elementary School. Mandy’s sister, Sarah Unterhalter, and Nina Kulikov are the first-prize winners. Sarah received a $50 gift card from Target and Nina will get a $50 gift card from Michaels.
“Several entries this year took into consideration the convergence of Chanukah and Thanksgiving, which was nice because America was founded as a place where people can turn away from religious persecution and pursue religious freedom,” noted Chabad’s Program Director Rabbi Mendy Wineberg. “Of course we all know Chanukah was about a fight for religious freedom.”
Each of these three girls have been recognized in previous years for their artistic talents. Sarah was the grand-prize winner in 2010 and a first-place winner in 2012. Nina won the grand prize in 2011. Mandy was a first-place winner in 2010.
“It’s nice we had entries from people who had entered before. It shows persistence and we can see the art projects keep getting better,” Rabbi Wineberg said.
Eleven youngsters in grades kindergarten through eight entered the contest this year. Besides the winning Thanksgivukkah turkey, a pilgrim’s hat was also turned into a Chanukiyah. Projects were made from paint, clay, recyclables, crayons, fabric, Legos and other building pieces.
The Unterhalter sisters are the daughters of Bryan and Janet Unterhalter. Mandy said it was “so cool” to win the contest.
“It’s going to be exciting to have an iPad,” Mandy said.
Because Thanksgivukkah is such a rare occurrence, when Mandy toought it was a good idea to “combine Thanksgiving and the wonderful holiday of Chanukah.”
Mandy did that by crafting a light-up turkey menorah. The turkey’s body is made from Styrofoam, and its feet are wooden dreidels. The turkey’s feathers serve as candles and the flames are tiny lights.
Mandy said she loves to draw little turkeys and she’s always doing little crafts, so the idea for the “Thanksgivukkah Menorah” simply came to her. She came up with the concept and design all by herself and was able to execute it, too, except for installing the lights.
“My mom had to do the drilling part when we had to go through wood, but that was it,” Mandy explained.
The 11-year-old artist loves art.
“It’s really fun for me and it relaxes me,” Mandy said. “Thank you for choosing me to be the winner.”
When Nina was declared the winner two years ago, she entered a ceramic menorah. This time the Trailwood Elementary sixth-grader painted a family celebrating the Festival of Lights using acrylic paints. She chose the project because she “really likes the idea of being around your family at Chanukah and other holidays. I just really enjoy that moment and I wanted to show that in my painting.”
The 11-year-old daughter of Vicky and Andre Kulikov and a member of Kehilath Israel Synagogue, Nina said the family in the painting, however, is not hers. She’s only been painting about a year and thinks art is a great way to express her feelings and her talent.
“It’s really the only thing I’m good at, so I aspire toward it. I like it. It lets me show my true colors,” Nina said.
The oldest of this year’s crop of winners, Sarah is a 13-year-old eighth-grader at Leawood Middle School. She became a Bat Mitzvah in August and chose to create a menorah using a technique called crayon art. She learned how to do it this past summer.
“I was looking at fun art projects and I found crayon art and I made a bunch of it. I decided maybe I could make a menorah out of it, so I did,” Sarah said.
She explained to make the project she first taped the crayons in the pattern she wanted, then hot glued them to the canvas. Once that’s done the canvas is flipped over and, by using a hair dryer, Sarah said you melt the crayon “downwards so it drips.” She used a cardboard strip to keep the drippings in a straight line for each candle.
This is the last year Sarah can enter the contest. She said she chose to enter the contest so often, “because it’s fun.”
“I like doing art that has to do with holidays,” Sarah said.
Last year when Mandy won an iTouch, she already had one. So her mother, Janet Unterhalter, said Mandy decided to donate her prize to Children’s Mercy Hospital so that children in the hospital could use it.
“I thought it was a very nice thing for her to do with her prize last year,” Janet Unterhalter said.
Janet thinks the contest is fabulous.
“Honestly they look forward to the contest every year. They look at the Jewish Chronicle and they say ‘Oh Mom, it’s time for the Chanukah Art Contest again.’ It gets them in the spirit for Chanukah. During the year they actually think about what they are going to do this year.”
