The first Hanukkah candle will be lit this year on Tuesday night, Dec. 12, and that’s a little more than a month away. Since Hanukkah is so close, it’s time to announce the 21st annual Hanukkah Art Contest is open for entries. Deadline for entries is 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5. The Chronicle will publish a photo of the winning piece of art in the Dec. 14 edition.
The contest is sponsored by Chabad House Center and The Jewish Chronicle and all prizes are provided by Chabad.
The art contest is open to all students in grades K-eight. Entrants will be judged in two levels — K through four and five through eight. One grand prize, to be announced at a later date, will be awarded. The first prize winner in each level will be awarded with a $50 gift card to Target or Michael’s. This year the name of every child who enters the contest will be recognized in The Chronicle’s Hanukkah edition.
A separate contest has been established for writing either a poem or an essay on the meaning of Hanukkah. This is open to students in grades four through eight. A $50 gift card to Target or Michael’s will be given to the winning essay or poem.
Since its inception, the contest has attracted children from all corners of the Jewish community. Students must live in the greater Kansas City or surrounding areas (Lawrence, Topeka and St. Joseph) to be eligible.
Projects must be original and relate to the story or celebration of Hanukkah and can be submitted in any of the categories below.
1. Art: May be either two- or three-dimensional (for example paint, drawing, craft or sculpture). Entries created from kits will be disqualified. Two age divisions: K through four and five through eight.
2. Writing: Poem or essay on the meaning of Hanukkah, grades four-eight.
A grand prize, to be announced at a later date, will be awarded to one grand prize winner in the art contest. First place winners of each level in the art contest will be awarded $50 gift cards to either Target or Michael’s. A $50 gift card to either Target or Michael’s will be awarded to the winner of the writing category. A student is not eligible to win the grand prize two consecutive years.
Entries must include the student’s name, grade, religious school name (if applicable), home address and the best telephone numbers to reach the student’s parent/s during business hours and in the evening. Please put this information on a separate sheet of paper, attached to the entry. Students should not write their names on their entries as judges are not allowed to know the identities of the artists.
Entries will be available for pickup after the judging and the winners have been notified.
Essays can be emailed to . Art projects may be dropped off — by appointment only — now through Dec. 5. To make an appointment, call Rabbi Mendy Wineberg at 913-205-9524.
The decision of the judges (staff members of The Chronicle and Chabad House) shall be final.
For questions or more information, visit www.ChabadKC.org or contact the Chabad House, 913-205-9524 or .