History

An Idea Becomes Reality

  • At the same time, many Holocaust survivors were no longer able or willing to visit classrooms. Jen Mendelson, a seasoned Holocaust education advocate, stepped up to assist the local JCRC in developing a speaker training program for children of Holocaust survivors. Jen's research led her to 3GNY and its successful speaker training program. In contacting Dave, she learned about the other 3G groups nationwide.

  • 3GNY, under the leadership of Dave Wachs, saw much success—virtual programming allowed for broad recognition, increased fundraising, and the hiring of an executive director. As the first group established in the US, anyone considering creating a 3G group reached out to 3GNY for guidance on how to start. Demand for their flagship Speaker Training program, now on Zoom, dramatically increased. To avoid 3GNY's devoted volunteers facing burnout, Dave began to think of ways to connect the 3G groups and simultaneously expand the Speaker Training Program.

  • Strategy sessions, focus groups, and meeting leaders in the field all played crucial roles in guiding us toward developing a solid purpose for this new entity. It became clear that an umbrella organization would fortify the existing 3G groups and pave the way for new ones. Plans to expand the speaker training program became a focus and would find a home in this new entity. With the number of Holocaust survivors dwindling, the need for the first nationwide organization for survivors' grandchildren became increasingly urgent. The leaders of each of the 3G groups around the country enthusiastically supported forming a nationwide umbrella organization, underscoring the power of our collective effort.

  • When the USC Shoah Foundation expressed interest in our initiative, we quickly realized the synergy between the two organizations and the immense potential of our efforts. By July 2023, Living Links and USC Shoah Foundation had entered a MOU and a plan to launch Living Links in May 2024. This achievement would not have been possible without the exceptional contributions of our team. We are deeply grateful for their dedication and hard work.

In the Beginning

How 3Gs Launched a Movement

        3GNY Founding Board, 2010       
David Polen, Leora Klein, Daniel Brooks
Gayle Peck, Julie Cohen, Rachel Spring

In 2005, six 3Gs, a diverse group of individuals, with varying professional backgrounds and religious upbringings, were united by their unique family legacy. 3GNY was born. Since then, thousands of 3Gs have participated in educational, cultural, and social events in the New York metropolitan area. 

Under the leadership of Leora Klein and Daniel Brooks in 2010, 3GNY developed its flagship initiative, the WEDU, We Educate, speaker training program. Driven by the same passion, devoted volunteers have worked diligently over the years to improve and evolve the speaker training program. To date, this renowned program has trained 500 3Gs to tell their grandparents’ stories. While most are in the New York Metro area, the pandemic moved WEDU virtual, allowing speakers to be trained across the country.  WEDU-trained 3G speakers have been in classrooms and community centers nationwide, reaching 60,000 students. 

This successful program forms a cornerstone of the partnership between Living Links and the USC Shoah Foundation, which will expand the Speakers Training Program to reach as many 3Gs as possible.

We thank the following individuals for their ongoing devotion to the growth and success of the WEDU Speaker Training Program.

Volunteers:
Alexis Fishman
Laurie Klugman
Farah Kraus
Elizabeth Kamens
Anna Scheumann
Alison Berg
David Wachs

Staff:
Peter Nelson
Dave Reckess

As the grandchild of 4 Holocaust survivors, I felt the urgent obligation to carry their stories forward and create a forum for others like me to allow us to grapple with our grandparents' stories of survival.

-Leora Klein, 3GNY Founding Board Member 

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