It’s hard to believe, but fall is nearly here. And with fall comes our annual membership drive. If you are already a member, thank you and please renew. If you have not yet joined, please consider doing so to enjoy the full benefits of membership. Visit our website at genafterdc.org to check out the many activities and programs we offer.

Being a paid member will enable you to:

• vote in Board elections
• join our book group, writers' groups, and speakers' bureau
• provide tzedakah to Blue Card to support survivors
• help plan special programs for 2Gs and other descendants.

Check your membership status at genafterdc.org.

Register now for the upcoming 2026 World Federation Conference in Philadelphia on October 23–26. Spaces are filling up quickly. Please see the announcement and registration details below, along with other exciting upcoming events.

As the evening of September 11 marks the beginning of the High Holiday season this year, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Shana Tova Umetukah! 

Shelli Klein

President

Olimpia Nowicka-Sulla

Vice President

UPCOMING: Film Discussion: 50 Children, September 27, 2026

Join us for an exciting discussion with the filmmaker, Steven Pressman, of 50 Children, the little-known story of Gilbert and Eleanor Kraus, an American couple who traveled into the heart of Germany in the spring of 1939 to rescue Jewish children and successfully brought them to the United States.

Check your emails in the coming days for a flier containing details and registration. Participants will receive links to review the film and to join the September 27th Zoom conversation at 11:00AM ET with the filmmaker.



UPCOMING: Book Group, October 18, 2026, 10:30 AM EDT

From the author’s website, "Berlin, 1942 — in the most dangerous city in the world for Jews, one institution remained. The Jewish Hospital was the only place where every patient, doctor, and nurse was Jewish — operating under Gestapo oversight in the very heart of Nazi Berlin. Inspired by the true story of his grandmother, Gerda Haas, who served there as a nurse, Jonathan Hammel brings to life the resilience, moral choices, and human dignity that persisted in a place where survival seemed impossible."

Gen After members can RSVP to receive the Zoom link. New members are welcome! Join or renew today.

UPCOMING: Speakers' Bureau, November 1, 2026, 10:30 AM EDT

Rescheduled from August 30, we welcome Marina Artukovic to join us. She recently completed Teach the Shoah's Lesaper program, which pairs college students and recent graduates with Holocaust survivors to learn to tell their stories. Marina, a senior history student at UCLA, was in TTS's most recent LA cohort. She will share her memorable experience with us.



We also plan to continue to share feedback from our members on their recent talks.Genie Glucksman and Dena Hirsh will also share their discussions with Montgomery College staff members regarding future cooperative efforts.

RSVP to receive the Zoom link. A reminder that Generations After Speakers' Bureau members must be paid-up members of the organization. Join or renew today.

SAVE THE DATE: Membership Party and Annual Meeting, November 15

Come and meet fellow Gen After members at our in-person event, November 15, 2026, 1:30–4:00 PM. The program will feature a photo recap of this past year's events, stories, refreshments, and music by the wonderful band, Machaya!. Location and registration details coming soon.

SAVE THE DATE: Living the Legacy, December 13, 2026

Growing Up 2G in Israel, the U.S., and Beyond

In December we continue our extraordinary partnership with Dorot Hahemshech, our Israeli 2G counterparts. At this session, we will be discussing our memories of growing up as 2Gs in Israel, America, and elsewhere. This will be a unique opportunity to share, learn about, and compare our experiences.

Gather your childhood photos to share with all of us on Zoom during the event. Watch for details on submitting photos and registering in upcoming newsletters.

IN MEMORIAM: Claude Kacser z"l, One Thousand Children

Gen After mourns the loss of Claude Kascer, z"l, a dear child survivor friend who participated in many of our activities throughout the years. Born in Paris, France, Claude Kascer spent his early childhood in London. His mother made the difficult decision to send her young child alone by steamship to his uncle in New York. Claude was among the One Thousand Children (OTC) sent to the US to escape the Nazi advance. He later returned to England to study physics at Oxford University and later earned his PhD, in elementary particle theory and special relativity. He built his career in academia, Princeton University, Columbia University, and teaching physics at the University of Maryland. After 33 years, he retired as professor emeritus.

Claude became a docent at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and waged a successful campaign to have OTC included in the USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia. Claude created a number of videos about his OTC experience and for many years participated in teaching l'dor v'dor at Yom HaShoah Holocaust Remembrance Days. A member of the Jewish Community Relations Council's Holocaust Commission, he was also very active with the Adat Shalom Men’s Group.

Claude was a devoted father and a beloved husband and lived a life shaped by resilience, intellect, independence, and an enduring curiosity. He will be deeply missed by his family and those who knew him.

Join or Renew Your Gen After Membership

Individual member dues are $36, and family memberships are $54. Your generous support will help us keep you and the 2G community engaged and informed and ensure that the legacy of the Shoah is never forgotten.

Sign up, or send

your check to:

The Generations After

P. O. Box 2121

Rockville, MD 20847

Send your Gen After Newsletter Items by the 23rd of Each Month

Do you know of an event or news item that the Generations After community needs to learn about? Please email it by the 23rd of the month along with a very short description to genafter@genafterdc.org. Our Communication Committee will review it and, if possible, publish it in the upcoming issue.

- Around the Community -

UPCOMING: From the Sousa Mendes Foundation, Fall 2026

Lisbon and World War II — Spies, Gold and Diplomacy

September 25–28, Watch the film

September 27, 2:00 PM EDT, Join the discussion

Portugal managed to get through all of World War II without firing a single shot. Caught in a vise between the Axis and the Allies, António Salazar, the country’s strongman, used every trick in the book to get his country through unscathed.

Bruno Lorvão‘s documentary Lisbon and World War II: Spies, Gold and Diplomacy explores how the Portuguese dictator took advantage of his country’s neutrality and how the rescue action of Aristides de Sousa Mendes presented a threat to Salazar’s plans. Registrants can watch the film between September 25–28 and participate in the discussion on September 27. Links will be provided to all who register. Tickets are by donation ($18 suggested). Register.



Children Saved from the Nazis — The Story of Sir Nicholas Winton 

October 2–5 Watch the film

October 4, 2:00 PM EDT, Join the discussion



This documentary film is about Nicholas Winton, the man who organized the Kindertransport evacuation of 669 children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to the United Kingdom on the eve of the Second World War. His son Nick Winton will join the program live from the UK. Also speaking will be historian Dr. Mordecai Paldiel and moderator Melissa Hacker of the Kindertransport Association.

Links will be provided to all who register. Tickets are by donation ($18 suggested). Register.

UPCOMING: Introduction to Storytelling Class, October 6, 2026

Teach the Shoah presents "Moving From Testimony To Story" for those interested in learning the art of storytelling. Register to join the six-week program that will meet online from 6:30–8:30 PM ET.

UPCOMING: WFJHS&D Conference, October 23–26, 2026

36th Annual World Federation of Jewish Survivors & Descendants Conference

There is no other event that gathers 3Gs, 2Gs, survivors, and allies where you can make deep and meaningful connections in such profound ways. Here is a sample of the sessions you can join:



2Gs born in DP Camps

Survivors Tell Their Stories

Regaining Your European Citizenship

Fighting Hate on Social Media

Are We Allowed To Be Happy

Jewish Students on Campuses Today

Hear renowned American Historian Dr. Jonathan Sarna, Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Eric Lichtblau, child survivor and psychiatrist Dr. Robert Kress, and a panel of 3Gs active around the country.

Register now. Spaces are filling up fast!! Survivor scholarships available.

- Ongoing Activities -

Jewish Soldiers Project

The Jewish Soldiers Project serves the needs of Jews in the military serving our nation in the U.S. and around the world. Please send names of service members in need of assistance to the Jewish Soldiers Project. You can also make donations there. Follow this nonprofit organization on Facebook to learn more.

Gen After Remember a Child Program

Are there b'nai mitzvah celebrations coming up in the family? Your synagogue?

The Remember A Child (RAC) program pairs adult and young b'nai mitzvah students with children murdered during the Shoah before they were able to have a bar or bat mitzvah. Participants receive a scroll of remembrance, biography, and links for additional information about their child. More than 800 b'nai mitzvah students have enriched their milestone simcha by participating in this meaningful program. Contact RAC Coordinator Barbara Brandys at genafter@genafterdc.org for information or visit the RAC website page.

Holocaust Survivors–The Last Generation

Child survivors meet the third Sunday of each month. Join the Zoom call or contact Ayana Touval for more information.

3GDC

Learn about DC, Maryland, and Virginia 3rd-Generation activities on the 3G Facebook page.

Resources to Address Antisemitism

Listing of several organizations that can assist in addressing antisemitic incidents.

Campus4All.org offers tools for Jewish students to navigate antisemitism on U.S. college campuses.

Arolsen Archive Project "Every Name Counts"

“Every Name Counts” aspires to make available every name contained in the online archive. Help digitize names into the massive and vital Arolsen Archive. Learn more at the Arolsen Archive website or #everynamecounts.

Generations of the Shoah, International (GSI)

GSI newsletters list hundreds of Holocaust-related events, conferences, lectures, books, and resources from around the world at www.genshoah.org.

Jewish Foundation for the Righteous (JFR)

JFR supports those who rescued Jewish victims during the Shoah. Learn more and sign up for newsletters.

CESJDS Fellowship to Combat Antisemitism

The Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School has announced a fellowship to mobilize local teens to combat antisemitism. More details can be found on the JDS website and in this Washington Jewish Week article.

Student to Student

Do you know a rising high school junior or senior who would be a good candidate for the Jewish Community Relations Council's Student to Student leadership program? For more information on becoming a Student to Student participant, or to schedule a presentation, please call Mandy Book, Assistant Director of Education Programs and Services at 301-348-7377 or email mbook@jcouncil.org. 

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