Staff
Dave Reckess, Executive Director
Haley Coopersmith, Program Manager
Eileen Angelini, Upstate Regional Coordinator
Jane Pashman, Long Island Regional Coordinator, in partnership with Suffolk Y JCC
Wendy Tepper, New Jersey Regional Coordinator
Board of Directors
Elizabeth Kamens, President
Alyssa Domash, Vice President
Steven Markowicz, Treasurer
Bella Brandeis
Lindsey Kamens
Daniel Keren
Farah Kraus
Gayle Steinweis Peck
Alison Reynolds
Anna Scheumann
Elliot Zelinger
3GNY Staff
Dave Reckess, Executive Director
Dave is the grandson of Holocaust survivors from Poland and Russia. Trained as an elementary school teacher, Dave has an extensive background in education, management, and nonprofit leadership. He holds a BA in Religion from Amherst College and a Masters in Childhood Education from SUNY Cortland. As a 2024-25 Fellow at the Witness Institute, Dave applies the teachings of Elie Wiesel to inspire moral leadership and growth. Raised in Poughkeepsie, NY, he now lives with his wife and two kids on a small farm outside of Syracuse. When not tending to their chickens and sheep, Dave can be found hiking with his dog at nearby waterfalls, cooking with friends, or cheering on the Syracuse Orange basketball team.
Haley Coopersmith, Program Manager
Haley is the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor from Vienna, Austria, with whom she shared an exceptionally close relationship. Haley’s professional background includes public programming for diverse and intergenerational audiences, non-traditional education, accessibility and inclusion in programming and education, and non-profit administration and management. Inspired by her lifelong passion for learning, Haley dedicated her career to ensuring that others have the opportunity to learn in ways that suit them best while engaging primary source material whenever possible. She holds a BA in Art History from Brandeis University and a MSEd in Educational Leadership in Museums from Bank Street Graduate School for Education. Prior to joining 3GNY as Program Manager, Haley held roles at the Museum at Eldridge Street, the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. Raised in Rockland County, New York, Haley now lives in New York City and can often be found at the movies, the beach, or, of course, at a museum.
Eileen Angelini, Upstate Regional Coordinator
Eileen comes to 3GNY with a deep passion for Holocaust education, having earned a PhD in French Studies from Brown University, where her research explored the impact of WWII on French authors. Her work has led her to interview and build relationships with Holocaust survivors, hidden children, Righteous Gentiles, and members of the French Resistance, and her outstanding contributions earned her the honor of Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques from the French government. Eileen lives in Manlius, NY, with her husband Bob O'Malley and their three cats. When not engaged in community work, she enjoys playing tennis and pickleball.
Jane Pashman, Long Island Regional Coordinator
In partnership with Suffolk Y JCC
Janie is the granddaughter of four Holocaust survivors. She has been working in education for over 20 years, with a special focus on Holocaust education and anti-bias training. She develops programs and curricula for educators and students to facilitate dialogue and enhance multicultural understanding, and to learn the lessons of the Holocaust to continue to fight hate and prejudice today. She loves to travel and has worked on education projects in Slovakia, Haiti, and Tanzania. Janie has a BA from Northwestern University and an MA in Education from Teachers College at Columbia University. She lives on Long Island with her husband, 2 daughters, and their dog.
Wendy Tepper, New Jersey Regional Coordinator
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 for her current role as New Jersey Regional Coordinator under our 3GNJ name. Wendy enjoys baking, cheering on Penn State and spending time with her husband Craig and two sons, Jake and Max.
3GNY Board of directors
Elizabeth Kamens, President
Elizabeth is the granddaughter of two German Holocaust Refugees, Rudolph Herz and Trudy Siegel Herz. From a very young age, Elizabeth recognized her family history was unique and began to embrace every opportunity to write and record her grandparents’ stories. Elizabeth became involved in 3GNY as a classroom speaker through WEDU in 2017. She is proud to be part of such an inspiring and important organization, and honored to keep the legacy of her grandparents alive, informing students about the Holocaust, and the effects hate and injustice can have on the world. Elizabeth graduated from The George Washington University with a degree in Political Communication and holds a J.D. from Drexel University School of Law. She serves as an Assistant District Attorney in Bronx County, New York City and resides in Manhattan.
Alyssa Domash, Vice President
Alyssa Domash is the granddaughter of two Holocaust survivors and completed 3GNY's WEDU speaker training in 2022. She feels fortunate that she was able to hear some of her grandparents' survival stories directly from them as a child, and with the help of 3GNY, has been able to piece her grandmother's survival story together. She is honored to carry on her grandmother's story and keep her legacy alive. Alyssa grew up outside of Chicago, and has lived in New York City for the past 5 years. She currently works in market research.
Steven Markowicz, Treasurer
Steven is the grandchild of two Holocaust survivors, Philip and Ruth Markowicz. He has been active with 3GNY since 2021. Continuing in the footsteps of his grandfather, Philip, and his mother, Hindea, he is passionate about telling the story of his family and their survival through the Holocaust, which is based off his grandfather’s autobiography, My Three Lives. Steven took on a leadership role in 2022 and has been focused on expanding the 3GNY reach into independent schools in New York City. He earned a B.S.M in Finance from Tulane University and an MBA in Accounting from DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. Steven is a CPA and a CFE, and after a long career as a forensic accountant, he is now a licensed real estate agent in New York City. Steven lives in Manhattan with his wife, Jana and their two children, Gavin and Samantha.
Bella Brandeis
Bella Brandeis is the granddaughter of two Holocaust survivors. She completed the WEDU training in early 2021 as a way to honor her grandfather and keep his memory alive by sharing his story in classrooms. She is fortunate that his recorded testimony is part of the USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive, and can reference his storytelling directly as she carries on his legacy. She is currently working to piece together her grandmother’s story as well. Bella grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, but has called New York City home for the past 12 years. She works in advertising sales as an Account Director for Tubi.
Lindsey Kamens
Lindsey is the granddaughter of two Holocaust refugees, Rudolph Herz and Trudy Siegel Herz, who both escaped Nazi Germany. Her grandparents’ positive influence, along with their optimistic attitude, left a strong impression on Lindsey during her formative years. She became involved in 3GNY in the fall of 2019 with the motivation to speak to students about her grandparents’ story. Educating students with authentic historical facts, along with the preservation of her own family history, provides Lindsey with great satisfaction knowing history lives on. Lindsey's personal experiences of travel to Germany and living abroad in Israel further her passionate involvement as a Board Member for 3GNY. She is a graduate of Penn State University where she majored in Communications and Business. She currently works at Discovery Inc. as a Sales Account Executive and lives in Manhattan.
Daniel Keren
Daniel is the grandson of two Polish Holocaust survivors, Krystyna Chiger and Marian Kwasniewski. His close relationship with his grandparents allowed him to learn their stories at a very young age. Growing up, he participated in Holocaust education programs and helped coordinate visits for his grandmother to speak in his school’s classes and share her story. Motivated to carry their legacy forward, Daniel joined 3GNY through the WEDU program. Shortly after graduating from Penn State, Daniel moved to New York City where he currently resides and works in business analytics.
Farah Kraus
Farah is the grandchild of two Holocaust Survivors, Eva and Harry Kostre. She initially became involved with 3GNY in 2010 to participate in the WEDU program. She is continually amazed at the insightful and thoughtful responses from the students she speaks to. Farah is honored to help prepare other grandchildren of survivors to carry forward their families’ stories and legacies. She majored in Finance and Business Economics at Indiana University. She currently works in her family accounting practice and lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Gayle Steinweis Peck
Gayle is a grandchild of two Holocaust survivors, David and Rosalie Steinweis, who were both from Poland. As a founding board member, Gayle has been actively involved with 3GNY since 2005. For a majority of this time, she directed and implemented the organization’s marketing and communications efforts, and executed many impactful events over the years. Gayle works as Director of Communications at Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF). She lives in Plainview with her husband, Jason, and their daughters, Brooke, and Fara.
Alison Reynolds
Alison is the maternal granddaughter of two Hungarian Holocaust survivors, Anna and Eugene Greenwood. Her close relationship to her grandmother inspired a deep, lifetime involvement in the Jewish philanthropic community, including mentoring teens on incorporating Judaism into their daily lives, serving on the board of a youth philanthropy program, and participating in a service trip to Nicaragua. She is also a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters New York City. Alison joined WEDU in 2019 after her grandmother’s passing to continue to share the stories and lessons so critical to her own understanding of justice and tolerance. Alison graduated from the University of Michigan with degrees in Communications and Political Science, and earned an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business. Alison is Associate Director for Corporate Affairs at KPMG US.
Anna Scheumann
Anna was born and raised in New York. Her maternal grandparents, Max and Erna Hilfstein, and maternal great-grandmother, Anna Kluger, were Holocaust survivors. She became involved in 3GNY through the WEDU program in late 2018 and considers it a great honor to share her family's story. Anna also serves on the Board of Directors of the New Cracow Friendship Society, a non-profit international organization established in 1965 by her grandfather and 12 others for Holocaust survivors and subsequent generations from Krakow, Poland, and the pre-war Galicia Regions. After working in various fields including non-profit and publishing, Anna ultimately followed in the footsteps of her grandfather, who was a beautician, by becoming a makeup artist and wardrobe stylist. Anna lives in the suburbs of New York City with her husband, Aidan, and their children, Max and Bobbie.
Elliot Zelinger
Elliot is the grandson of Holocaust survivors Ella and Sam Zelinger, who both came from the same small town in Romania. He has been active with 3GNY since 2022. After joining 3GNY, Elliot listened for the first time to his grandfather’s full recorded testimony from the USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive. Inspired by Sam’s story of survival, Elliot now shares his grandfather’s testimony with students across Long Island and New York City through the Living Links program, helping preserve Holocaust memory for future generations. Elliot graduated from Binghamton University with a degree in Psychology. Professionally, he works as a commercial real estate broker in New York City, where he draws on those skills to support and advise his clients. Elliot lives on Long Island with his wife, Jaimie, and their two sons, Seth and Jake. He is especially proud to have named his firstborn son, Seth, in honor of his grandfather, Sam Zelinger.
Founding Board Members
Daniel Brooks, Julie Cohen, Leora Klein, David Polen, Rachel Spring, Gayle Steinweis