About Us

Ellie Breslow is a retired educator and a committed Jew. She graduated from Trenton State College, now The College of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. Ellie was chosen as a full scholarship recipient to represent the college  with the Experiment in International Living to Japan.  That experience positively impacted her life in that she learned about living in a multicultural environment and understood acceptance and diversity. 

She used that knowledge and experience to teach her students to respect, appreciate, and accept people who may be different than each of them. Ellie was a devoted and much loved teacher, which is evidenced by the fact that she keeps in touch with so many of her students to this day. Ellie taught nursery school and grades 1, 2, and 3 for twenty eight years. 

She cares deeply about the importance of teaching the history of the Holocaust and its impact on people across the globe. As a mother  and grandmother, she is deeply troubled by the rise in anti-Semitism  in recent years across the world.  Ellie believes that 2GNJ is a necessary resource in helping to educate teachers and students  to end prejudice and hate once and for all.

Paula Cohen was a Vice President for a public company for 33 years. Her emphasis was on Equal Opportunity Employee Affirmative Action and non-discrimination in hiring, promotion, and retention. She believes strongly that children should learn about the 6 million innocent Jews killed by the Nazis during World War II that included one million children. Paula believes that all living Jews are survivors of the Holocaust. As such, she further believes that it is an ethical imperative to never allow the Holocaust to ever be forgotten.

Since the Dennis family became residents of Monmouth County, NJ they have pursued many paths to Jewish living. They care deeply about antisemitism and helped fund the start-up of Stand With Us, a group formed to combat the rise of antisemitism on college campuses. Linda is a graduate of Temple University and is active in many Jewish organizations.

Linda believes that teaching students about the Holocaust is critically important in teaching tolerance, respect, and diversity. Focusing on these important qualities and exposing her children, grandchildren and all children to the Holocaust must be a part of all education so that it never happens again.

Joan Feldman is a retired elementary school teacher. Her interest in teaching children continued after her retirement as she became a docent at the Brookdale College Children’s Museum for five years. Her goal is and has been to help children develop an understanding of kindness, acceptance of others and respect for all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnic background, and creed. Her goal is to make sure, through educational programs in the public schools, that the Holocaust will not be forgotten by younger generations.

There is a quote that proclaims  “Once a teacher, always a teacher”, and Candy Friedman has embraced that adage. After retiring as a junior high English educator, she has volunteered as a teacher of English as a Second Language, Adult Literacy, and Art Appreciation  in the West Long Branch schools. Candy is a proud Jew and would like to educate others to understand anti-Semitism with the goal of reducing bias, hostility, prejudice, and stereotypes.

Gloria has had an illustrious career in education. She has been a teacher, a Reading Specialist, a Curriculum Coordinator, a Principal, an Assistant Superintendent and a Professor. One of her most valued accomplishments was developing and teaching a unit on Holocaust studies. 

Her grandparents and most of her mother's family, who were from Salonica, Greece, perished when the Nazis invaded Greece in 1941.

The importance of teaching about those times and places became not only a part of history, but became personal. Gloria believes that education is the only way we can prevent this kind of hatred from happening again. 

She believes that helping to fulfill the goals of 2GNJ will serve her country (and world) from having to say "Never Again" again. 

Dr. Levin has always had the Holocaust in the forefront of her mind. As the child of 2 survivors who lived through Auschwitz and several other concentration camps, she feels a responsibility to speak to students as well as adults to tell them her family’s powerful story and to continue their legacy. 

As a college professor for 24 years, teaching Social Justice and Education, and preparing teachers, she understands the power of education. Her doctorate from Rutgers University is in Learning and Teaching and she hopes to bring that experience to students, teachers, and the community to advance Holocaust education in New Jersey. 

As an author, consultant to school districts, and speaker at various educational conferences, Dr. Levin hopes to promote the New Jersey Education Mandate to teach the Holocaust  as well as helping students and adults  understand the impact of hatred and anti-Semitism.

As the child of Holocaust survivors, Sandy Rosen frequently asks the question, “What have we learned from the past?” With the staggering rise in antisemitism today, in addition to the steadily growing lack of tolerance and acceptance of diversity in others, it is extremely important that we , collectively change our course of behavior. Sandy believes that we must use the Holocaust as a study plan to teach its impact on prejudice and racism.

Sandy sees herself as a direct link to the legacies of her family and wants to impress upon others the strength and resilience  the Survivors demonstrated in overcoming their difficult histories. As survivors, Sandy's parents were the true eyewitnesses to the effects of intolerance and hate. She hopes that by recounting their stories, she will be able to speak for them.

In addition, Sandy's reason for becoming involved in this group is based on the critical importance for education so that we (all of us) alter the current trajectory of “hate” and learn acceptance and respect for one another.  Sandy is a retired educator with a Bachelor of Science in  Education, and a Master's of Science in Special Education. She has earned additional certifications as a Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant and a Supervisor.  Her professional career included regular education, special education, Child Study Team as an LDTC and the Coordinator of Special Education.

Marlene Kaufman Schiff has always been well aware of the Holocaust and anti-Semitism based on her upbringing as the child of two Holocaust survivors. Her parents were the only surviving members of their immediate family. Her parents met and married in the Feldafing  Displaced Persons  Camp outside of Munich, Germany.  Marlene was born  in the DP camp and the family soon moved to the United States in 1949.   Marlene graduated from Mills College of Education and became an elementary school teacher. Additionally, she received her Master's degree from Monmouth University and was a Reading  Specialist in Long Branch, N.J.   Marlene has always been supportive  of Holocaust causes, and wants to work with 2GNJ to make sure that she does her part so that this never happens again.

Helen grew up in New York City and was educated at the Music and Art High School and City University (B.A. Political Science). She moved to NJ where she had a career as an executive in major department stores. Helen also taught Sunday School at her temple and initiated and taught a program at the JCC focused on educating children about Jewish tradition. She has a deep devotion to the telling of the story of the Holocaust as her grandparents and many relatives were murdered at or survived concentration camps and heard about the atrocities committed by the Nazis as told by surviving relatives. Helen believes that educational programs like 2GNJ are the key to helping children and all people to understand what discrimination and hatred can lead to. 

Nancy Silver was born in Heidenheim, Germany after World War II. She was born in a Displaced Persons Camp, which was a place where Holocaust survivors lived in peace after the war ended. Since her parents lost most of their families to the hands of the Nazis, they decided to start a new life and emigrated to Israel in 1949.

Times were very hard and Israel was a new country. Luckily, they had an uncle who lived in the United States and he sponsored their family so that they were able to come to America in 1958.

Nancy has always felt strongly about Judaism and the need to teach children about the Holocaust. Fighting anti-Semitism and teaching acceptance of all people has always been an important issue for her.

Nancy is a graduate of Monmouth University with a degree in Education and is a successful small business owner.

As the daughter of a Jewish farmer, Jewish tradition and culture has always been an integral part of Sharon Talansky's life. She was fortunate to have earned a full scholarship to the College of New Jersey, where  she received a Bachelor of Science in Speech Pathology and Audiology through the Foundation for the Education of Jewish Farmers.

It has always been very important to Sharon to be active in the Jewish community. She was elected to the Board of the Jewish Community Center in Deal, New Jersey. Sharon also served on the Executive Board  of our local temple. During her term of service, she instituted the “Tot Shabbat” program, which provided a venue for young families to come together in an educational environment.

As a trained advocate for survivors of sexual assault, Sharon had the opportunity to support victims by providing counsel and resources.

For the past 25 years Sharon has served as a state certified Court Mediator, providing an opportunity for those with controversial issues, who have gone before a judge, to come before her in an attempt to mediate their grievances and resolve their issues through communication and compromise.

With our beloved country in chaos,  and anti-Semitism on the rise, she looks to her involvement in 2GNJ: ADVANCING HOLOCAUST AWARENESS (A.H.A.), as a safeguard for her grandchildren and all children, to guard against bigotry and prejudice. Education is a powerful tool. Please join with us in making a difference, so no one will “EVER FORGET”.