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 — both 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.
We seek a highly motivated self-starter who will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for developing and building Living Links at the USC Shoah Foundation.
This is an outstanding opportunity for a seasoned entrepreneurial leader to build and grow an organization with the help and guidance of USC Shoah Foundation and other partners. Please note: while Program Director is the USC internal designation, the successful candidate will hold the title Managing Director.
We are hiring!
Head of Education
We seek a highly motivated self-starter with overall strategic and operational responsibility for developing all components of the Speaker Training Program and additional nationwide educational programs.
Working closely with the USC Shoah Foundation and other critical team members, the Head of Education will lead staff in creating field-wide initiatives to grow the descendant community and its purpose.
Job opening will be posted soon. Interested? Reach out to us at hello@wearelivinglinks.org
We are hiring!
Program Specialist
The Program Specialist works closely with the Living Links Project Managing Director and Head of Education to support Living Links programs. Employing excellent communication and organizational skills, this person will act as a liaison between USC Shoah Foundation and the Living Links Advisory Committee and assist in coordinating all Living Links programs, including its educational programs. The Program Specialist will report to the Managing Director.
Job will be posted soon. Interested? Reach out to us at hello@wearelivinglinks.org
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
3GNJ
New Jersey
Michelle Edgar
Elyse Wolff
3GNY
New York
Elizabeth Kamens
Dave Reckess
3GPhilly
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Stacy Seltzer
Meghan Stevenson-Krausz
3GPacNW
Portland, Oregon
Naomi Derner
Dan Sharp
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 Siegel
3GLA
Los Angeles, California
Jordanna Gessler
3GMiami
Miami, Florida
Stephanie Rosen
Julie Paresky
3GNJ
New Jersey
Michelle Edgar
3GNY
New York
Alison Berg
Dave Reckess
3GPacNW
Portland, Oregon
Naomi Derner
3GPhilly
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cindy Silverman
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