Stetson Students Sweep Holocaust Writing Competition

Michael Vitullo (left), Maria Hromcenco, Abigail Gallo, Davis Patel

8th-grade students from Stetson Middle School made a strong showing at this year's Mordechai Anielewicz Creative Arts Competition, sweeping the 7th/8th-grade prose writing category. Awards were handed out at a ceremony at Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia on June 4.

-Michael Vitullo won first place for his short story titled "Pathway to Freedom." Click here to read this essay.

-Maria Hromcenco won second place for her short story titled “Swift Deer.” Click here to read this essay.

-Abigail Gallo won third place for her short story titled “Corrupted Innocence.” Click here to read this essay. 

-Davis Patel won an honorable mention, for his short story titled “Liberation.” Click here to read this essay.

All four students received a certificate and gift cards to Barnes & Noble for their winning entries. A total of 13 students from Stetson Middle School submitted entries to the competition.

The Mordechai Anielewicz Creative Arts Competition is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia's Jewish Community Relations Council. The annual event encourages all Philadelphia-area middle school and high school students to learn about and reflect upon the history of the Holocaust. Students are invited to submit Holocaust themes and lessons through essays, poems, short works of fiction, two-and three-dimensional as well as multimedia works of art, original songs, musical compositions, and dance. The contest is named in memory of the young leader who led the Jewish revolt against the Nazis in the Warsaw Ghetto.