Meet Our Team

People are Everything

Our success depends on people who believe in working together creatively so we can keep the lessons of the Holocaust relevant and continue to inspire individuals to stand up to bigotry, antisemitism, and Holocaust distortion. Working in partnership with the USC Shoah Foundation, we empower descendants of Holocaust survivors to create enduring communities devoted to preserving and sharing their families’ legacies. Our founders — lay and professional teams — are tasked with realizing this vision and serving this vital and active third-generation cohort. 

The Living Links professional team works within the larger structure of the USC Shoah Foundation, benefitting from its professional infrastructure, mentorship, collaboration opportunities, and networks within the field.

Mollie Bowman | Managing Director

A grandchild of Auschwitz survivors, Mollie’s 3G legacy has influenced her career in public service. Prior to Living Links, Mollie was the chief of staff and director of external affairs for More Perfect, a coalition of presidential foundations and 100+ nonprofit organizations dedicated to securing America's democratic future. She previously worked on racial equity initiatives at Deloitte, as well as at POLITICO, Hillary for America, and the Obama White House.

Mollie has overall strategic and operational responsibility for building Living Links and meeting three core programmatic goals: advancing the 3G movement nationwide, developing educational programming and partnerships, and supporting 3G networks in responding to events that impact targets of hate and bigotry. Plans for two other positions will be announced soon.

Mollie holds a B.A. in political communication and a M.A. in public affairs from the George Washington University where she is a former member of the Board of Trustees. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband Oliver.

Advisory Committee Leadership

The Advisory Leadership Committee will provide expert guidance in strategy, vision, and fundraising to the professional leadership of Living Links. This group of lay leaders will steward and shape the growth of the new organization. We are building this leadership body throughout 2024.

Jennifer Mendelson
Co-president, Co-founder

Jennifer Loew Mendelson (Jen), the daughter of a survivor, has had a passion for Holocaust education for most of her life. A member of the founding staff of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, she currently serves on its Education Committee as well as several other boards devoted to preserving the Holocaust and countering hate and antisemitism.

With the rise of antisemitism and the imminent passing of the Holocaust survivor generation, she felt compelled to devote her skills to building an organization for grandchildren of Holocaust survivors to counter hate and keep the Holocaust relevant. Along with David Wachs, she co-led the strategic initiative with 3G groups around the country to create Living Links — the first nationwide organization for 3Gs.

David Wachs
Co-president, Co-founder

David Wachs, the grandson of two Holocaust survivors, has been a leader in the community of Holocaust survivor descendants in New York since 2010. He was President of 3GNY from 2017 to 2023 and remains on the board. Along with Jennifer Mendelson, David co-led the creation and founding of Living Links, the first nationwide organization for 3Gs, in 2021.

David is the former President of the Board of the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy and is passionate about Jewish history. Together with his sister, David created WanderingJews social media accounts to document their travel adventures to historical synagogue buildings. David is the head of IT infrastructure and security at a financial services firm in New York. He received a BS in business information systems from Lehigh University and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional.

Affiliate Council Leadership

The Affiliate Council is composed of representatives from each of the 3G organizations across the US, ensuring that Living Links understands the needs of the 3G field. The Affiliate Council provides essential thought partnership to help Living Links grow and evolve.

Affiliate Council Representatives 2024 - 2026

  • 3GAZ
    Arizona
    Adena Bernstein
    Einat Orlev

  • 3GBMore
    Baltimore, Maryland
    Alana Snyder

  • Boston 3G
    Boston, Massachusets
    Lisa Einstein
    Elizabeth Hipsman

  • 3GChi
    Chicago, Illinois
    Rachel Allswang
    Joe Kanengiser

  • 3GDC
    Washington DC
    AJ Seigel

  • 3GLA
    Los Angeles, California
    Jordanna Gessler
    Fanny Wolfowitz

  • 3GMiami
    Miami, Florida
    Stephanie Rosen
    Julie Paresky

  • 3GNJ
    New Jersey
    Michelle Edgar
    Elyse Wolff

  • 3GNY
    New York
    Alison Berg
    Dave Reckess

  • 3GPacNW
    Portland, Oregon
    Naomi Derner
    Dan Sharp

  • 3GPhilly
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    Cindy Silverman
    Meghan Stevenson-Krausz

  • 3GSF
    San Francisco, California
    Mayaan Stanton
    Beth Cohen

Inaugural Affiliate Council Representatives 2023-2024

  • 3GAZ
    Arizona
    Adena Bernstein

  • 3GBMore
    Baltimore, Maryland
    Alana Snyder

  • Boston 3G
    Boston, Massachusets
    Lisa Einstein

  • 3GChi
    Chicago, Illinois
    Ari Sagett
    Dan Thalheimer

  • 3GDC
    Washington DC
    AJ Seigel

  • 3GLA
    Los Angeles, California
    Jordanna Gessler

  • 3GMiami
    Miami, Florida
    Stephanie Rosen

  • 3GNJ
    New Jersey
    Michelle Edgar

  • 3GNY
    New York
    Elizabeth Kamens
    Dave Reckess

  • 3GPacNW
    Portland, Oregon
    Naomi Derner

  • 3GPhilly
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    Stacy Seltzer
    Meghan Stevenson-Krausz

  • 3GSF
    San Francisco, California
    Morgan Blum Schneider

Memory is a complicated thing. It can hurt us, haunt us, and even set neighbor against neighbor in bitterness. But memory can also heal us, and be the knowledge we need to build a better future. Being a part of [a 3G community] means facilitating practices of remembrance that heal ourselves and each other, educate, and repair the world.

-3GNY Community Member