Staff
Dave Reckess, Executive Director
Aaron Ginns, Education & Outreach Coordinator
Board of Directors
Elizabeth Kamens, President
Gayle Steinweis Peck, Vice President
Steven Markowicz, Treasurer
Alison Berg
Bella Brandeis
Alyssa Domash
Michelle Edgar, 3GNJ
Alexis Fishman
Alyssa Greengrass
Lindsey Kamens
Leora Klein
Michael Mantell
Shannon L. Saks
Anna Scheumann
David Wachs
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. Dave holds a BA in Religion from Amherst College and a Masters in Childhood Education from SUNY Cortland. 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.
Aaron Ginns, Education & Outreach Coordinator
Passionate about preserving the personal stories of Holocaust survivors, Aaron is honored to be involved with 3GNY. Aaron is the grandson of Holocaust survivor, Ludwig “Larry” Hiss. He first became involved with 3GNY as a volunteer WEDU speaker in 2021 before taking the role as 3GNY’s Education and Outreach Coordinator. Aaron holds a BFA in Jazz Studies from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Music from NYU. Aaron lives in Brooklyn, NY and can often be found playing with his band LAZR WOLF.
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.
Gayle Steinweis Peck, Vice President
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 in fundraising marketing at UJA-Federation of New York, where she has been for more than a decade. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, Jason, and their daughters, Brooke, and Fara.
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.
Alison Berg
Alison Berg 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 works as the Associate Director of Communications for the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business.
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.
Alyssa Domash
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.
Michelle Edgar, 3GNJ
Michelle Edgar is a 3G from New Jersey, and is one of the founding members of 3GNJ. Michelle is also the Program Specialist for The Institute of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Raritan Valley Community College. Michelle received her B.A. in education from Rowan University and her M.A. in Holocaust and Genocide Studies from Gratz College. Michelle’s mother’s and father’s families had lived in Germany for generations; many relatives did not survive the Holocaust. Fortunately, Michelle’s grandparents did survive. The impact that the Holocaust had on her family has been profound and has motivated Michelle in her career and volunteer work.
Alexis Fishman
Born and bred in Sydney, Australia, Alexis is the grandchild of four Holocaust survivors and has been involved with 3GNY since 2015. Alexis is an actor and singer and was nominated for a Helpmann Award (Australian Tony Award equivalent). She also holds a Masters in International Relations with a focus on Holocaust and genocide studies. She performed for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and performs a one woman show about a Jewish cabaret star set in Berlin 1933. Passionate about Holocaust legacy and education, Alexis is thrilled to be involved with 3GNY and is proud of its impact. Alexis lives in New York with her husband Phil and baby daughter Cameron.
Alyssa Greengrass
Alyssa is the paternal granddaughter of two Holocaust survivors, Stefi and Charles Greengrass. She passionately dedicates her time volunteering to teach the lessons of the Holocaust and supporting numerous organizations in an effort to combat antisemitism. Alyssa began her involvement with 3GNY in 2017, when she participated in WEDU and became a classroom speaker and volunteer. She has had the honor of sharing Stefi and Charles' stories in numerous schools, synagogues, and various settings throughout the tri-state area. Professionally, Alyssa works as the Director of Leadership Gifts at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. As a fundraiser, she previously worked as a Managing Director at a boutique consulting firm and worked in-house at various nonprofits in the healthcare, education, Jewish, and arts sectors. She previously served as Chair of the Young Friends at the Museum of Jewish Heritage- A Living Memorial to the Holocaust and still spends her free time supporting a variety of nonprofits in the Jewish space. She earned her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and holds a Master’s Degree from Manhattan School of Music.
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 in the 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.
Leora Klein
Leora Klein is the grandchild of four Holocaust survivors and the first American in her family. She is a founding member of 3GNY and ran WEDU (We Educate) for five years. Leora worked at The Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, where she led three hour guided tours helping students navigate their first introduction to the Holocaust. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where she received her BA. After completing her MA in English and Comparative Literature at Columbia, Leora taught middle school and high school English Language and Literature at the Abraham Joshua Heschel School. She is currently on the Heschel Holocaust Commemoration Committee. Leora has spoken at the German Consulate and numerous schools and synagogues about her work on Holocaust remembrance and education.
Michael Mantell
Michael is a psychotherapist, an educator, and a 3G – the grandson of Holocaust survivors Alice Diamant from Satu Mare and Miki Mendelovits from Sighet. Michael teaches Modern Jewish History and facilitates a Mitzvah Project class in a Hebrew school in New York, runs Holocaust education programming featuring Holocaust survivors and their descendants, and works with NYC university students and alumni to combat Jew-hatred and cultivate Jewish pride on college campuses. In his spare time, Michael enjoys doing genealogy research and has built a family tree of over 700 people.
Shannon L. Saks
Shannon is the granddaughter of two Holocaust survivors, Mania and Samuel Saks. Growing up, Shannon was highly involved in Yom Hashoah Commemoration Programs in her hometown of Staten Island, New York. Shannon and her father have traveled throughout Poland to visit her grandparents' hometowns of Sosnowiec and Bendzin, as well as concentration/extermination camps Auschwitz-Birkenau, Majdanek and Treblinka. Shannon received her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in interdisciplinary studies (Communications, Legal Institutions, Economist and Government) from American University, in Washington, D.C., and her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Brooklyn Law School. She is an Of Counsel Litigation Attorney at a Manhattan defense firm and presently resides in Long Beach, New York, with husband David and their dog Roxy.
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 son, Max.
Stacy Seltzer, 3GPhilly
Stacy is the grandchild of two Holocaust survivors, Esther and Sidney Bratt. She became active with 3GNY in 2006 after returning from Birthright's March of the Living program. After moving to Boston, she and her husband, Matt, co-founded Boston 3G in 2009. Stacy and her family now reside in Pennsylvania where she recently founded 3G Philly. Stacy graduated from Muhlenberg College and received her JD from Suffolk University Law School. She has always been conscious of the role the Holocaust played in her family and takes great pride in continuing the legacy that her grandparents have created. She hopes that by sharing their story, she can educate and inspire future generations to learn from her family's history.
David Wachs
David is the grandchild of two Holocaust survivors and has been active with 3GNY since 2005. He joined the group to connect with others who have a similar background and to carry on his family's legacy. David took on a leadership role in 2010 in planning and organizing events. He is an avid traveler and has been to his grandparents' hometowns and seen many concentration camps across Europe. David earned a B.S. in Information Systems from Lehigh University and works full time as the IT director of a hedge fund in Manhattan.
Founding Board Members
Daniel Brooks, Julie Cohen, Leora Klein, David Polen, Rachel Spring, Gayle Steinweis