Molly Oberstein-Allen, a 2011 graduate of Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, is the second place winner of the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundations’ (JPEF) 2011 Youth Writing Contest.
Molly’s essay was selected as the second place winner from over 500 student essays from 20 states, Canada and South Africa. Students representing public, private, Jewish and parochial schools competed for the notoriety, an iPod Touch and JPEF DVDs for both themselves and their teachers.
“I was glad to be given the opportunity to write about a topic so meaningful to me and to my heritage,” Molly said. “I think the contest is a great way for students to both learn about people who stood up for others and to relate those people’s actions to current times. The contest gave me new understanding of the Holocaust.”
Michal Cahlon, Judaic Studies teacher at Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy added, “The Youth Writing Contest helped students reflect on the different ways they could effect change in their community, and on the importance of choosing to be a participant rather than a bystander during life’s most difficult moments.”
“The students’ essays were thoughtful, bright and creative. Each one of them, from middle school to high school, spoke from the heart and the students were moved to make a difference in the world in their own way,” said JPEF board chair elect, Elliott Felson.
JPEF is the only organization in the world solely focused on bringing the history and life lessons of the Jewish partisans to students and their educators across the globe. For more information, go to www.jewishpartisans.org.
