Educator Resources
2021
2022
2023
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.
Materials to Help Guide You.
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
We’ll keep you up to date on the latest.