Holocaust history raises important questions about what the international community and the United States could have done to stop the rise of Nazism in Germany and its assault on Europe’s Jews. Once war began, Allied governments prioritized the military defeat of Germany over humanitarian efforts. Yet during this time some action was taken by individuals and, limitedly, by the U.S. government in response to the increasingly dire situation of European Jews.
A successful essay or documentary entry will address both portions of the following prompt. At minimum, one-fourth of the finished work must be devoted to the REFLECTION.
RESEARCH: Describe the motivations and outcomes of a non-military action or policy taken by the U.S. government or American citizens to address the persecution of European Jews between 1933 and 1945. Discuss how these actions impacted the European Jewish community or Jewish individuals, citing specific examples.
REFLECTION: Based on your research, what responsibility do you believe the U.S. has toward refugees and immigrants in today’s world?
The finalists of this year’s White Rose contest will be honored and winners will be announced at the Academic Awards Ceremony on May 7, 2024. Shortly thereafter, the winning essays and documentaries – along with photos of the evening – will be posted below.
Savannah Crenshaw
Harmony Middle School
Blue Valley School District
Michelle Sutton, Sponsoring Teacher
Madeline Krager
Harmony Middle School
Blue Valley School District
Robert Sanders, Sponsoring Teacher
Leilani Raber
Indian Hills Middle School
Shawnee Mission School District
Jennifer Lehr, Sponsoring Teacher
Morgan Franey
Oxford Middle School
Blue Valley School District
Megan Trimble, Sponsoring Teacher
Sam Morris
Oxford Middle School
Blue Valley School District
Jaida Anderlik, Sponsoring Teacher
Ashlyn Tang
Harmony Middle School
Blue Valley School District
Michelle Sutton, Sponsoring Teacher
Morgan Franey
Oxford Middle School
Blue Valley School District
Megan Trimble, Sponsoring Teacher
Ulricka Brock
Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy
R Gina Renee,
Sponsoring Teacher
Halen McClure &
Walter Sumner
Oxford Middle School
Blue Valley School District
Megan Trimble,
Sponsoring Teacher
Davis Link &
Bennett Poplin
Oxford Middle School
Blue Valley School District
Megan Trimble,
Sponsoring Teacher
Halen McClure & Walter Sumner
Oxford Middle School
Blue Valley School District
Megan Trimble, Sponsoring Teacher
Sophie Ezell
Lone Jack High School
Lone Jack School District
Angela Gottesburen,
Sponsoring Teacher
Vicky Pan
Lone Jack High School
Lone Jack School District
Angela Gottesburen,
Sponsoring Teacher
Emma Gerstner
Lone Jack High School
Lone Jack School District
Angela Gottesburen,
Sponsoring Teacher
Ella Satterwhite
Notre Dame de Sion
Penny Selle, Sponsoring Teacher
Natalie Stapp
Notre Dame de Sion
Penny Selle, Sponsoring Teacher
Vicky Pan
Lone Jack High School
Lone Jack School District
Angela Gottesburen, Sponsoring Teacher
Sophia Grantham & Piper Riffe
Notre Dame de Sion
Penny Selle, Sponsoring Teacher
The contest is named in memory of the White Rose, a resistance movement consisting of German university students. Among them were Hans and Sophie Scholl, along with several friends and their professor, were arrested and executed for distributing leaflets denouncing the policies of the Nazi regime. The project commemorates the efforts of these brave young people who gave their lives for what they believed in. May their memories inspire us to reflect upon our own responsibilities as citizens in a democratic nation.
Our mission is to teach the history of the Holocaust, applying its lessons to counter indifference, intolerance, and genocide.
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