Eva Lassman Memorial Writing Contest names middle, high school winners

For the 18th year, the Eva Lassman Memorial Writing Contest has put out the call to young writers to study and draft an essay or poem on the Holocaust. The theme of this year’s contest is “Young Heroes of the Holocaust,” with a focus on the actions taken by young Europeans during World War II that saved the lives of Jewish people who were under threat of mass annihilation by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. Spokane’s own Carla Peperzak was one of those young heroes.

Students from eight high schools and eight middle schools around the Inland Empire submitted entries to the contest. The Spokane Community Observance of the Holocaust Planning Committee asked students to: describe the lifesaving actions of at least two young heroes of the Holocaust; explain how Nazi domination changed life around these young heroes and motivated them to help Jewish people despite the significant risks; and identify lessons learned from their study of the Holocaust and the young heroes.

The high school winners are first-place Kayden Yowell, Grade 10, East Valley High School, “Shadows of the Holocaust”; second-place Marcine Thomas, Grade 10, East Valley High School, “Valiance of Youth”; and third-place Jaxon Hutson, Grade 10, East Valley High School, “True Heroism.”

The middle school winners are first-place Xitlali Ramirez, Grade 8, Libby Center, “Legacies of Resistance: Sara Fortis and Sonia Orbuch”; and second-place Andrew Sun, Grade 8, Libby Center, “Born in Blood: The Fight Against Hate.”