Amy Goodman

Amy is the proud oldest granddaughter of four Holocaust survivors. Growing up, their stories were woven so deeply into her family life that, as a child, she assumed all Jewish grandparents were survivors. It wasn’t until her teenage years that she realized just how rare and remarkable her family’s history was. From that moment on, she felt a deep responsibility to preserve and share their experiences. Amy completed her speaker training in February, 2024, and feels her grandparents’ presence guiding her words each time she speaks with students.

Amy holds degrees in Psychology and Jewish Studies from Indiana University, where she also spent a semester at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. While in Israel, she participated in the March of the Living, traveling to Holocaust sites throughout Poland, including Auschwitz, where her maternal grandfather had been imprisoned. She went on to earn her PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from NYU.

Beyond her work with 3GNJ, Amy is a dedicated community volunteer, a research consultant, and an avid runner. She cherishes time with her husband, Dan, their three young adult sons, and their beloved dog, Cosmo. A Monmouth County resident, Amy takes every opportunity to enjoy the beach, her favorite place to relax and recharge.

Lauren Kasiarz

Lauren Kasiarz is the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, Arie Kasiarz and Doris Beskinsky. Upon seeing photographs of her grandfather as a young child in the Lodz Ghetto, Lauren knew she had to learn more. She now proudly shares her grandparents' stories of Holocaust survival to promote empathy in schools, synagogues, and through her writing as a children's book author. 

Lauren holds degrees in Human Resources and Business Administration from Cornell University and is a lay leader with her local Jewish Federation to promote Jewish educational initiatives and combat antisemitism.

Julie Katz

Julie Katz is the granddaughter of two Holocaust survivors from Poland, Helen and Sol Krawitz. Helen was a child and Sol a teenager when the Nazis invaded Poland. They later found one another and survived the war together—her grandmother in hiding and her grandfather as a partisan resistance fighter who hid Helen, her sister and mother until the end of the war. Julie was fortunate to have her grandparents in her life well into adulthood and to hear many of their stories firsthand. They endured unimaginable atrocities during the Holocaust and lost their entire families in Nazi gas chambers.

Julie’s family has been directly involved in Holocaust education for many years and played a large role in creating the Helen and Sol Krawitz Holocaust Memorial and Education Center which provides workshops for teens and college age students, gives scholarships for March of the Living and facilitates community programming.

Julie holds an undergraduate degree from Tulane University and a law degree from Emory. Julie was a practicing attorney in New York until she left the law to pursue a career in health and fitness. Julie has two college-aged children and she and her husband cherish the time they spend together.

Julie joined 3G to honor her grandparents, share their stories of bravery and resilience, and to help educate future generations so that they understand the consequences of hatred and intolerance.

Laura Pellegrini

Laura Pellegrini is the granddaughter of two Holocaust survivors from Poland, Jadwiga Szermanski and Boleslaw Markowicz. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina—where her grandparents found refuge after the war—she grew up reading books and memoirs about the Holocaust, attempting to piece together their untold stories. She unexpectedly stumbled upon her grandmother’s time in the Warsaw Ghetto while reading the pages of Janina Bauman’s memoir: Winter in the Morning: A Young Girl’s Life in the Warsaw Ghetto and Beyond. For Laura, this experience underscored the vital importance of writing for preserving memory.

Classically trained pianist and tango violist, Laura studied music composition and arts at the University of Buenos Aires and has traveled and lived across North America and Europe before settling in New Jersey with her husband, two children, cats, and grand piano. Since joining 3GNJ, she has been deeply committed to growing and strengthening the organization by connecting descendants of Holocaust survivors, fostering a supportive community, and preserving their family legacies for future generations.

Gina Rozhitsky

As the proud granddaughter of Holocaust survivors—including her grandfather Walter, a Righteous Among the Nations honoree, whose courage and quiet heroism helped save Jewish lives in Nazi-occupied Poland—she grew up surrounded by stories not only of survival, but of extraordinary bravery, sacrifice, and resilience. What began as family history eventually became a calling. Today, Gina feels a deep responsibility to ensure that Walter’s legacy—and the voices of all survivors—continue to educate and inspire future generations.

Through her work with 3GNJ, Gina shares her family’s remarkable journey with students and community audiences, bringing history to life through the story of “Grandpa Walter”—from his childhood in Brody to his courageous work helping Jewish families survive under false identities during the war.

Professionally, Gina brings more than three decades of leadership experience in the hospitality industry. She has held senior leadership roles with organizations including the New York State Restaurant Association, Union Square Events, a division of Union Square Hospitality Group and Compass Group, where she built meaningful partnerships and championed people-first leadership. Gina resides in Monmouth County, New Jersey with her husband, two teenage children and chocolate lab Roxy. 

Melissa Shore

Melissa Shore’s maternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors from Poland. She began researching her roots with a trip to Poland in 2023, returning home deeply transformed by the experience. Upon her return she joined the 3G community, sharing her research resources via educational webinars and speaking at schools and community centers through the 3GNJ speaker initiative.

Melissa is currently enrolled in the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate: Teaching the Holocaust and Prejudice Reduction at Kean University’s Holocaust Resource and Education Center and Yiddish classes at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. Melissa graduated from New Jersey Institute of Technology with a BS in Actuarial Science and Statistics and a MS in Finance. She has worked as a Marketing and New Product Development professional in the specialty food industry building high performing domestic and imported brands. Melissa is also a Certified Healing Touch Practitioner (CHTP) and a member of Healing Beyond Borders. Melissa is a northern New Jersey native, with a passion for international travel.

Wendy Tepper

Wendy is the granddaughter of Holocaust survivor Oscar Cukierman, who was originally from Poland. Growing up as a 3G deeply influenced Wendy’s decision to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education at Penn State University. Inspired by her heritage, she dedicated herself to teaching students the values of kindness, advocacy, and celebrating diversity. Wendy is passionate about ensuring students connect historical learning with human stories. With 12 years of experience in the classroom, she has developed a strong foundation in education, which has prepared her to lead the Outreach Committee for 3GNJ. Outside of her work with 3GNJ, Wendy enjoys baking, cheering on Penn State, being a dog mom and spending time with her husband Craig and two sons, Jake and Max.

David Wachs

David Wachs, the grandson of two Holocaust survivors, has been a leader in the community of Holocaust survivor descendants since 2010. He was President of 3GNY from 2017 to 2023 and co-led the creation of Living Links, the first nationwide organization for 3Gs, in 2021. As a New Jersey native, he is focusing his efforts on NJ where he resides.

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.

Elyse Wolff

Elyse Wolff is the proud granddaughter of Holocaust survivors Yolan Moldovan Lichtman and Joseph Lichtman—an identity that has profoundly shaped her life and purpose. A passionate advocate for remembrance and education, Elyse has served since 2017 as an appointed Commissioner on the New Jersey State Commission on Holocaust Education and is a co-founder of 3GNJ. She shares her grandmother’s powerful story of survival with students and audiences across the region, with the hope of speaking connection and compassion while inspiring others to connect with their roots and become upstanders in their communities.

Elyse holds a BS in Psychology from the University of Maryland and a JD from Rutgers Law School. She works as a corporate attorney in the pharmaceutical industry. Elyse and her husband Keith are raising their daughters to carry forward their family’s legacy and help shape a more just future.

Co-Founders:

Michelle Edgar
Jessica Wang
Elyse Wolff