Westlake student places first in Holocaust commemoration art contest

Myra Renee Hartford, a Lee Burneson Middle School eighth-grader, won first place in an art contest honoring the 80th anniversary uprising of the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. The contest was part of an event sponsored by Kol Israel Foundation and Jewish Federation of Cleveland.

April 19, 1943, was the date of the Jewish uprising in Warsaw, Poland, against the Nazi regime and lasted for 4 weeks. Although it was ultimately unsuccessful, it demonstrated the courage, resilience and heroism of the 400,000 starved, abused and “incarcerated” Jews living in an area of 1.3 square miles with an average of 7.2 people per room.

Myra's piece, which was awarded first place in the Middle School Art category, depicts a giant golden eagle, the symbol of Germany, with three smaller species fighting it. These include white-tailed eagles, white storks and European bison, a representation of the three historical animals of Poland. The scene is set in a slice of the Warsaw Ghetto.  

April 17 was Holocaust Remembrance Day.  Myra's work was on display when 250 people assembled at Temple Emanu El in Orange Village to commemorate both events.

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Volume 15, Issue 8, Posted 9:21 AM, 05.02.2023