Telling Their Story

While many children learn about the Holocaust from textbooks and films, Nancy Dershaw learned about it from her parents, who experienced its atrocities firsthand. 

In 2004, she reached out to other children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors asking them to share their experiences. What began with just a handful of people led to the creation of Next Generations of Holocaust Survivors, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the memories of those who perished during the Holocaust, as well as those who survived.

“It started with just a few people telling their story. Here we are, 17 years later with 5,000 people in our database,” says Dershaw about the Boynton Beach based group. 

While many nonprofits struggled through the COVID-19 pandemic, interest in Next Generations’ educational programs skyrocketed, connecting with thousands of children virtually.

“We reached more students in the past year than we did in all of the previous 17 years combined,” says Director of Development Mark Glickman.

Next Generations’ mission is to teach future generations how dangerous hate and bigotry can be if left unchecked. 

“We take the lessons of the Holocaust and apply it to today’s world — the bullying, the hatred, the antisemitism,” says Dershaw.

The organization has partnered with several Florida school districts, including Palm Beach County, offering interactive programs and virtual lessons. 

This fall, Next Generations will provide a series of virtual presentations for the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida, based in Maitland.

“The virtual platform was key to our expansion, says Dershaw.

While there are other organizations offering similar educational programs, what makes this one unique is that the lessons are taught by survivors and the children of survivors. “The key is that we are the witnesses to the eyewitnesses,” says Dershaw.

All of those who participate are volunteers and many of them are retired educators. Demand has been so great that the organization is looking for additional volunteers. 

It’s estimated that about one-third of Holocaust survivors in the U.S. live in poverty. That’s why the organization also provides assistance through the Nancy Dershaw Grant.

“Many survivors are left without spouses or family. Many have difficulty paying for food, medicine and other basic needs,” says Dershaw.

They hope to be able to expand into more counties in Florida lacking Holocaust education programs. “Our only limit is how many volunteers we can recruit,” says Glickman.

For more information visit nextgenerations.org, email ngnewz@gmail.com or call 561-444-9135.