Holocaust Education in Nevada

Members

Myra Berkovits: I serve as the Education Specialist for the Governor's Advisory Council on Education Relating to the Holocaust and have been a member of the Holocaust Education Conference Committee for several years.  I was privileged to interview Holocaust Survivors residing in Las Vegas, for the Shoah Foundation.  I have been involved with Holocaust Education in the Clark County School District through both teacher and student workshops. I also recently retired from the District as the Coordinator of the Homeless Education Program.  

Brian Boothe:  I am the Project Facilitator for K-12 Social Studies in the Clark County School District.  I work to inform secondary social studies teachers about the resources and materials that are available to them regarding Holocaust Education.  Originally I am from Minneapolis, MN and my wife and I moved to Las Vegas in 2006.  I have been a teacher in Clark County for the past five years and I am passionate about improving social studies education in Clark County.

Sharon Carter, M.A.:  My career with the Clark County School District spanned over 38 years. My teaching experience includes both elementary and secondary school assignments. I have a love of history that developed during those years in the classroom, but was heightened while serving as the CCSD K-12 Social Studies Project Facilitator. Through this position, social studies professional development and materials were provided to teachers through CCSD Social Studies programs, nationally awarded Teaching American History Grant programs, and Teacher/Student Holocaust Education Conferences. Since retiring in 2010, I enjoy continuing as a community volunteer with the Holocaust Education Committee and I am presently volunteering as the executive director for Voices in Voting/Kids Voting Greater Las Vegas which offers K-12 teachers opportunities for civic learning in order to prepare students to be educated and engaged citizens. My favorite activities include learning more about America's history, traveling with my husband, John, and spending time with our three grandchildren Cayden, Makayla, and Jacelyn.

Carolyn Chapman: I graduated with a degree in English Education and a minor in History.  I taught middle school before moving to Las Vegas and I have been partnering with the Clark County School District to provide educational materials for nearly 18 years. I have been a proud member of the Nevada Holocaust Education Task Force for the last four years participating in events throughout the state. 

Esther Finder: I am the Founder and President of Generations of the Shoah – Nevada and former President of The Generation After in the Washington, DC area. I was a member of the official US Delegation to the Holocaust Era Assets Conference in Prague in June, 2009. I was designated to represent the Holocaust survivor community and spoke about caring for aging survivor parents from the perspective of the survivor families. I was also appointed by the Governor of Nevada to the Advisory Council on Education Relating to the Holocaust and I a member of the board of the Holocaust Survivors Group of Southern Nevada. I was a volunteer interviewer for both the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation (Shoah Foundation). I have been a speaker on the Holocaust in schools, synagogues, churches and military installations in the DC area. I was on the Task Force to create a Holocaust, Genocide Studies, Human Rights and Tolerance Center in Maryland as the designee of the Secretary of Higher Education. I served on the Jewish Community Relations Yom Hashoah Committee and the Speakers Bureau of Montgomery College. I am a member of the Association of Holocaust Organizations (AHO) and appeared on C-Span 2 Book TV at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum moderating the discussion on Denying History: Who Says the Holocaust Never Happened and Why Do They Say It?

Alan Ian Goldstein: Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.  I attended Lehman College where I met my wife Susan.  We have been married for 43 years.   We moved to Boca Raton, Florida in 1973 where we raised our two children Dr. Mara Posner and Shari Goldstein.  I was a public school classroom teacher for over 15 years and a school administrator for over 25 years.   In addition, I worked for 12 years as a part-time classroom teacher at the Solomon Schechter School in Boca Raton.  I taught grades Kindergarten – Grade 6. We moved to Henderson, Nevada in 2006 and live in Sun City Anthem. I presently work as a Clark County School District Administrator overseeing the Case Management Department.  In my free time I enjoy being with my Grandson Aiden Joshua Posner and of course, watching football. My goal is to be in education for 50 years and then volunteer at my grandson’s school.

Bryan Kessler: I currently serve as the Upper School Judaic Studies teacher at the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Educational Campus.  Originally hailing from Northern New Jersey and New York City, I hold a BA from Rutgers College, an MA from the University of Virginia, and a teaching credential from UNLV.  My early career was in museums and academia, working on the curatorial teams at the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust both in New York City, and designing exhibitions for James Madison's Montpelier and The Fredericksburg Area Museum in Virginia.  I am the grandchild of Survivors from Holland and have dedicated my life to the issues of teaching the Shoah for future generations.  I have been working with the Nevada Governor's Advisory Council on Holocaust Education, CCSD, and local Survivor and Religious institutions on the development of standardized curriculum for Nevada.  I was the teacher and curator of the program and class "Making their Story our Own" for Yom HaShoah 2011 at Congregation Ner Tamid.  

Nancy Kjenstad: I have degrees in Elementary and Secondary Education, as well as in Curriculum and Instruction. I was a classroom teacher in CCSD for 16 years.  During this time, I developed a love of history and utilized many resources to share history with elementary students.  I now work with HMH publishing, and am happy to be partnering with the Nevada Holocaust Education Taskforce to help provide materials and resources for students and teachers.  

Georgia Neu: I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Music from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and my M.S. in Elementary Education from Sierra Nevada College.  While teaching in Clark County, I taught GATE, served as a classroom teacher, reading specialist and a humanities teacher. I am currently Program Manager of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) No Place for Hate® anti-bias initiative and I also serve on the Clark County School District’s Holocaust Education Day committee. 

Douglas Unger: After years of working in private industry, I was appointed to the Jewish Federation in Las Vegas in 1998. I served on the Board of Directors, Treasurer and the interim CEO. I've also been involved with the Temple Ner Tamid during my time here in las Vegas. In 2003 I was appointed to the Governor's Advisory Council on Education Relating to the Holocaust. I am currently the Co-Chair for this body.

Ashley Wiener: My name is Ashley Wiener and I am a 25 year old Jewish occupational therapist born in Long Island, New York. Growing up with both of my grandparents being Holocaust survivors, the Holocaust has always been held close to my heart. As a child, I would attend the Holocaust survivor gatherings any chance I could get.  Luckily, the yeshiva I went to for my education, held several events yearly. As I got older I began to become more involved and would have additional intricate duties such as, helping my grandfather prepare his speeches for public speaking events and organize my own speeches regarding the Holocaust. For the past two years I have been living in Las Vegas, and through numerous Holocaust events, I have been fortunate enough to meet many survivors. It is a privilege to serve on such a beneficial committee that ensures Holocaust education will be implemented into the curriculum for the generations to come. 

Who We Are

 The Nevada Holocaust Education Task Force is committed to providing quality teacher training, materials, and resources in order to advance the knowledge and teaching skills of secondary teachers across the state.