Students Honor Carla Peperzak Through Art

Carla Peperzak, the namesake of Peperzak Middle School, has been honored in countless ways since she began sharing her story of surviving the Holocaust. On May 31, students found another way to honor her through art. 

On Track Academy senior Mackenzie Winchell visited Peperzak Middle School to present a stained-glass piece she created and donated to the school. The piece, titled Ometz, the Hebrew word for “courage,” is up for a national award and won the Jessica Stein Memorial Art Contest earlier this spring. 

Winchell also gifted Carla a smaller stained-glass piece that samples Ometz. 

“I will share my artwork and experience learning about Carla by donating a copy of my stained-glass window panel to Peperzak Middle School—as a colorful, hopeful reminder that being brave enough to do the right thing makes anyone a hero, and in honor of Carla’s 100th birthday year,” Winchell said in prepared remarks in front of the entire student body. 

Peperzak students in Kim Vandervert’s art class also spent weeks preparing, studying and designing a mural of Carla that is now displayed in the school’s hallway. Three of Vandervert’s students shared these remarks in front of Carla and their peers: 

Aliyah: 

My favorite part of making the Peperzak mural was finding out how to blend assorted colors to find what looks good and makes Carla’s picture in the middle stand out. Another feature I loved was learning how to do pointillism and then applying my knowledge on the portrait and really seeing it come to life. 

This mural is important to me because it signifies Carla Peperzak and her survival through the Holocaust. Carla resembles our school with the kindness and hope she has for us and all future generations. I want our mural to be an example of who to look up to and traits we should strive for.  

Omaya: 

This mural is important because it’s a way of saying, “Thank You” to Carla from the students. It’s a gift from us to her. 

My favorite part was getting to work with my classmates. 

Working on this project made me feel like I’m fully connecting with Carla and her experience. 

Raffi: 

I helped to draw the art for the mural that my classmates would bring to life with pointillism and triadic colors. The mural is important to me because it shows respect to Mrs. Peperzak. She is an amazing person who shows what it really means to become your best self. 

“Becoming your best self” is a mantra at Peperzak Middle School, and the artwork dedicated and donated this spring is proof of students living that out.