Youth Holocaust/Genocide Awareness Award Competition

Nomination Form for 2020

Kidsbridge, in partnership with the ALLISON VANDAL LEGACY PROGRAM and the NJ State Commission on Holocaust Education announces the

Ninth Annual Competition — 2020, for students in 4th-8th grades

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  MAY 8th, 2020

Teachers, school counselors and principals, please nominate a 4th through 8th grade student who has demonstrated an altruistic act of generating awareness, empathy and action for Holocaust/genocide education.

The application process is simple; click on the NOMINATION FORM icon to print out a copy of the NOTIFICATION and NOMINATION FORMS (2 total pages).

A team of independent judges from the community and representatives from both the Allison Vandal Legacy Program and the NJ Commission on Holocaust Education will review the nominations and select the winners. Winners will receive certificates, books and gift cards as an acknowledgement of their humanitarian acts and deeds.

1st prize … $100 gift card
2nd prize … $75 gift card
3rd prize … $50 gift card

Winners and their schools will be notified in late May. Winning students, family members and nominators will be our honored guests at the NJ State Holocaust Commission educators’ meeting on June 3, 2020.

Questions? Please call (609) 771-0377.

About the Allison Vandal Legacy Award: Allison Vandal won this same statewide award in 2016. The judges were moved by Allison’s interest in learning lessons from history (bystanders vs. UPstanders) and inspiring others with hope for the future. Allison educated and helped many classmates, and her legacy provides the funding for the continuance of this important award recognition program for youth.


2019 Winners

Kidsbridge Annual Youth Holocaust/Genocide Awareness Award — 2019 Left to right: Lynne Azarchi, Executive Director, Kidsbridge; Fiorella Del Orbe, 2nd place winner; Stephen Mohr, 1st place winner; Jayson Goldner, 3rd Place winner; Maud Dahme, Holocaust survivor and Lawrence Glaser, Director of N.J.’s Commission for Holocaust Education.

This year’s NINTH ANNUAL YOUTH HOLOCAUST/GENOCIDE AWARENESS AWARD COMPETITION was once again organized by Kidsbridge. The Allison Vandal Legacy Program and the NJ Commission on Holocaust Education co-sponsored the competition, and noted that many impressive youth were nominated for their efforts.

Making a difference by taking action, these New Jersey students address the subjects of the Holocaust and Genocide in very different ways. Each enlightened their fellow students about their findings. Click here to read more about: Stephen Mohr (1st place), Fiorella Del Orbe (2nd place) and Jayson Goldner (3rd place). Winners received gift cards during the June 7 monthly meeting of NJ State Holocaust Commission’s educators. New Jersey is lucky to have such caring youth being honored for their unique efforts.


2018 Winners

(Photo, from L to R): Lawrence Glaser, Exec Director of NJ Commission for Holocaust Education; Mike Gerber, Social Studies teacher, Mullica Township, nominator for Violet Vogel (2nd place winner); Sarah Miller, Eisenhower MS (1st place winner); Shamai Bernstein (3rd place winner) and nominator Stephen Lillis, fifth grade teacher at Milnes Elementary; Lynne Azarchi, Executive Director of Kidsbridge; (missing is Sarah Miller’s nominator Jamie Caputo Getrajman)

Kidsbridge was pleased to take the lead for the EIGHTH ANNUAL YOUTH HOLOCAUST/GENOCIDE AWARENESS AWARD COMPETITION in 2018. Co-sponsor the NJ Commission on Holocaust Education generously provided gift cards for the first, second and third place winners. Winners and their nominators were honored at the NJ State Holocaust Commission educators’ meeting in June, 2018.

The panel of individuals judging this year’s nominees found youth to be extraordinary, making choosing the winners very difficult. Each youth had very interesting-yet-different approaches on how they seek to make a difference and have their voices heard on the subjects of the Holocaust and genocide. Kidsbridge is proud of these awardees, and hopes they continue their good work in the future.

Winners and their nominators appear below. Click here to read the nominations for all three winners.

Sarah Miller (1st place) nominated by Jamie Caputo Getrajman, Eisenhower Middle School
Violet Vogel (2nd place) nominated by Mike Gerber, Social Studies teacher, Mullica Township
Shamai Bernstein (3rd place) nominated by Stephen Lillis, fifth grade teacher at Milnes Elementary


2017 Winners

(Contest not held)


2016 Winners

Lynne Azarchi, Executive Director/Kidsbridge; Emily Bengels, nominator and teacher at Readington MS; Allison Vandal, co-winner; Elias Stevens, co-winner; nominator and teacher Matthew Bergman from Northstar Academy and Larry Glaser, Executive Director of NJ Holocaust Commission.
Lynne Azarchi, Executive Director/Kidsbridge; Emily Bengels, nominator and teacher at Readington MS; Allison Vandal, co-winner; Elias Stevens, co-winner; nominator and teacher Matthew Bergman from Northstar Academy and Larry Glaser, Executive Director of NJ Holocaust Commission.

An award ceremony took place at NJ DOE on June 20 to announce the co-winners of the Sixth Annual Youth Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Competition. This is a statewide competition sponsored by Kidsbridge, the NJ State Commission on Holocaust Education and the Axelrod Foundation.

Co-winners Elias Stevens and Allison Vandal received gift cards and goodie bags. Said Executive Director, Lynne Azarchi, “We’ve never had two winners before. It was difficult for the judges to choose between the haunting words in Elias’ poem and Allison’s selfless deeds as described by her teacher. Both students deserved to be winners, so that’s what we did.”

Elias Stevens is a 7th grader attending Northstar Academy in Newark, NJ. He wrote an original poem entitled “Burn” which expressed his thoughts on Auschwitz and the Holocaust.

Allison Vandal is an 8th grader attending Readington Middle School in Whitehouse Station, NJ. She was nominated by her teacher, Emily Bengels for her wish to educate others about bullying and the Holocaust – as well as to spread her message of “kindness for all.” Her efforts included writing anti-bullying plays and composing poems addressing the Holocaust and the mistreatment of others. Allison has other projects in the pipeline, and aims to “use the arts to improve the world.”

Click here for a summary of the 2016 competition


2015 Winner

2015HandGJaredMiller

Jared Miller is a 9th grade student dedicated to generating genocide and anti-bullying awareness in the student population. Nominated by Robbinsville High School Social Studies Teacher Angel Dolina, Jared is the winner of the Fourth Annual Youth Holocaust and Genocide Competition (2015). Jared used the following quote, “Nobody is superior or inferior, everyone is equal whether a bully chooses to accept it or not” throughout his efforts to spread awareness in his high school. Troubled by those who unknowingly turned a blind eye to mass killings, Jared created presentations about the Armenian, Holocaust, Cambodian, and Rwandan genocides, which were displayed during lunch at his school. He found ways to link bullying prevention to the hatred generated from genocides, making his message clearer and easier to understand for his classmates.

Continuing his efforts, Jared solely organized an awareness day that impacted 900 high school students. He is in the process of inviting a Holocaust survivor who lived in a concentration camp, to make a presentation to help the student population gain a better understanding of the horror of genocide. In his first year of high school, Jared has made vast strides in increasing the knowledge of these topics in Robbinsville High School. There is no stronger compliment than one being such a positive role model and inspiration to other students at such a young age.

Click here to read Ms. Angel L. Dolina’s nomination for Jared.


2014 Winner

Sophia Goldberg is an 11th grade student enrolled in honors US History at the Mercer County Technical School Health Science Academy. Sophia is a young woman dedicated to tolerance and cultural awareness. She is a leader and a strong advocate for learning about the Holocaust and a passionate and responsible student, earning consistent “A’s”. Sophia is the first to give her input and guide the discussion relating to issues of tolerance, discrimination, and genocide.

Sophia’s learning extends beyond the classroom. She brings to our class discussion family history, stories, and accounts of tolerance and respect. Without her, classes would not be as informative, respectful, and passionate. There is no stronger a compliment than one being such a positive role model to other students in a time when it is desperately needed. –Nominated by David Lugo.