The city of Los Angeles declared May 12th as ‘Anne Frank Day’ to honor Anne Frank, her father Otto (whose birthday is May 12), and the nearly 1.5 million children who perished during the Holocaust.
Annelies (Anne) Marie Frank was a German-born Jewish girl who kept a diary in which she documented life in hiding under Nazi persecution during the German occupation of the Netherlands. She is a celebrated diarist who described everyday life from her family’s hiding place in an Amsterdam attic.
Since 2023, Anne Frank LA (AFLA) invites Southern California students ages 12 to 18 to enter the Anne Frank Day Your Story Matters Contest and reflect on Anne’s words from The Diary of a Young Girl and connect them to their own experiences in an essay format.
Contest winners will be presented with an official City of Los Angeles certificate by Deputy Mayor Jacqueline Hamilton and additional prizes will be presented by an AFLA board member at a ceremony being held on Sunday, May 12 from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm at the Los Angeles Public Library, Central Library’s Mark Taper Auditorium.
“Anne Frank Day came to be in 2020 when Anne Frank LA student activist, 9-year-old Olivia Prince sent letters to several California lawmakers after she was encouraged by a letter from Diane Feinstein and ultimately [then Los Angeles City] Councilmember Paul Koretz agreed to declare an official day to honor Anne’s legacy,” said Margrit Polak, Anne Frank LA, President and Founding Board Member.
“On April 26, 2022, the Los Angeles City Council adopted a resolution declaring May 12 to be Anne Frank Day in the City of Los Angeles and the following year, on May 12, 2023, Mayor Konstantine Anthony proclaimed Anne Frank Day in Burbank.”
One of last year’s winners, August Bircoll Kohn, 16, a student at Harvard Westlake, shared why participating in this contest was important to her.
“In reading Anne Frank, I learned about the importance of hope and looking for the light, even when there seems to be none. Once again, we are living in dark times in which anti-Semitism is supported by many people, institutions, and leaders,” said Kohn. “Rather than be consumed by this darkness, I choose to see the light, to focus on the good that so many people are doing to combat hate. In my daily life, I remember Anne’s words and hold fast to my faith that in speaking truth and doing good, light will prevail.”
Students aged 12-15 are asked to submit essays with no more than 1,000 words and students aged 16-18 should be no more than 1,500 words.
Kohn shared some tips for aspiring essayists who wish to participate.
“I would say, speak from the heart. The best way to communicate your perspective is to make it true,” said Kohn. “Also, I wouldn’t think of this essay contest as a competition, but as a special opportunity to speak your truth and to have your voice and story be heard. That is the real prize.”
Polak’s desire is for AFLA to continue to share the importance of the resilience of Anne Frank which has special meaning for her.
“Personally, the recognition of Anne Frank Day is meaningful to me because it helps carry on the legacy of my parents, Dutch Holocaust survivors who were lucky enough to survive Bergen Belsen, where Anne perished,” said Polak. “My husband (Harvey Shield), daughter (Sofi Shield), and I started Anne Frank Los Angeles in part to keep their story and Anne’s story alive, and to find ways to help the Southern California community understand that history must not repeat itself.”
The deadline to submit essays is Friday, April 19 with winners announced on Monday, May 6.
To learn more about AFLA and get more details on the contest visit annefrankla.org.
