A committee of the Jewish Federation of Tulsa, the Council for Holocaust Education’s mission is to assist and coordinate the Holocaust educational efforts of teachers and students in the greater Tulsa area and beyond.
We believe in the critical importance of Holocaust education for students of all faiths and backgrounds, to encourage a society that tolerates diversity and respects human dignity for all citizens. Our Holocaust education programs provide educational opportunities for students and resources to help educators teach the history of the Holocaust.
The Council for Holocaust Education coordinates annual commemoration events and collaborates with Tulsa area educators to provide opportunities for Holocaust study through yearly art and essay writing contests. Programs include:
Yom HaShoah Interfaith Commemoration event
Kristallnacht Remembrance event
Kristallnacht Art Contest (for middle and high school students)
Yom HaShoah Art Contest (for middle and high school students)
White Rose Essay Contest (for middle and high school students)
Kristallnacht Art Contest
The Kristallnacht Art Contest aims to enhance student learning of the Holocaust by providing an opportunity for middle and high school students to turn their historical knowledge into works of art. Each year the contests take on a new theme to inspire artists to showcase their classroom learning using the medium of visual art. The contest meets Oklahoma Academic Standards by relating artistic ideas with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
All Oklahoma Middle and High School students, grades 6-12 are eligible to enter the contests. Cash prizes awarded to both students and teachers.
The 2023 Art Contest winners will be announced at the Annual Kristallnacht Remembrance Event, Sunday, November 12 at 7:00 pm at Temple Israel.
What is Kristallnacht?
On the night of November 9–10, 1938, Nazi leaders unleashed a coordinated wave of violence against Jewish homes, Jewish owned businesses, and Jewish places of worship in Nazi Germany. This event came to be called “Kristallnacht” in German, or “The Night of Broken Glass” in English, because of the shattered glass that littered the streets after the widespread vandalism and destruction.
Kristallnacht Resources
Yom HaShoah Art Contest
The Yom HaShoah Art Contest aims to enhance student learning of the Holocaust by providing an opportunity for middle and high school students to turn their historical knowledge into works of art. Each year the contests take on a new theme to inspire artists to showcase their classroom learning using the medium of visual art. The contest meets Oklahoma Academic Standards by relating artistic ideas with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
All Oklahoma Middle and High School students, grades 6-12 are eligible to enter the contests. Cash prizes awarded to both students and teachers.
**Check back in January for second semester deadlines**
What is Yom HaShoah ?
Yom HaShoah, a Hebrew name for Holocaust Memorial Day, commemorates the six million Jewish lives lost during the Holocaust. In Israel it is a national memorial day, while in the United States, it is commemorated in Jewish communities through communal vigils and educational programs. It is marked on the 27th day in the Hebrew month of Nisan, and therefore changes each year on the Gregorian (secular) calendar.
White Rose Essay Contest
The White Rose movement was an intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany led by five students and one professor at the University of Munich. The group conducted an anonymous leaflet distribution campaign that called for active opposition to the Nazi regime. The White Rose Essay Contest honors the memory of these brave individuals through their chosen medium of written work. The contest allows middle and high school students to reflect on their Holocaust studies through impactful research and a personalized writing experience, using a new theme each year. The contest meets Oklahoma Academic Standards by generating an understanding of the effects of the Holocaust, and highlighting the ramifications of bigotry, stereotyping and discrimination.
All Oklahoma Middle and High School students, grades 6-12 are eligible to enter the contests. Cash prizes awarded to both students and teachers.
**Check back in January for second semester deadlines**
For questions or more information, contact Chloe Kirk, Director of Holocaust Education, ckirk@jewishtulsa.org
