Maetal Gerson, a junior at Milken Community High School in Los Angeles, has won the second annual Norman E. Alexander Award for writing about American Jewish history.

Students this year were asked to write about a Jewish American who had inspired them through the field of entertainment. Maetal wrote about Aaron Copland, the Brooklyn-born composer who gave the world Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid and Rodeo — all ballets whose music become synonymous with American culture.

“As a young artist, Copland was already incorporating bits of Jazz, Latin, and even Klezmer music into his own works,” Maetal wrote.

“All he had to do was to tie these tunes together to express America. Copland did not capture, but unleashed the wild rhythms of the West with his driving rhythms, and he returned time and time again to the simple and traditional Shaker melodies. In the process, he found the simple dignity and wild exuberance that was America.”

The contest is an official program of Jewish American Heritage Month and sponsored by the Jewish Scholastic Press Association, Fresh Ink for Teens (FIT), the Jewish-American Hall of Fame, and The Jewish Week, New York City’s largest Jewish Newspaper.

Judging was led by Shira Vickar-Fox of Fresh Ink for Teens, a website whose content is written for and by Jewish teenagers from around the world.  She said there were 63 entries from six states and the state of Israel, representing 15 Jewish day schools and 12 public schools.

“I’m encouraging every participant to write for FIT,” said Ms. Vickar-Fox. “My goal is for students to feel that their voice matters and that they have a Jewish place to express themselves.

Maetal won a $500 prize.  There were five other finalists — four of them also students from Milken: Sammy Stolzenbach, Noa Rubin, Naomi Gluck, and Eliana Melmed.  The fifth was Isaac Rosen of Albany High School in Albany, New York.

Last year’s winner, Gabi Kamran, was also from Milken High School.

Maetal will receive her prize in a ceremony Oct. 15.