Next Generations Group

Mission

Next Generations Group, an all volunteer group formed in 2009, is comprised of descendants of/and Holocaust survivors, 2g, 3g, and community supporters — anyone impacted by the Holocaust who wants to keep the personal histories and lessons alive and relevant for today’s world. The group meets for social, educational, and service projects. Find us on the web at nextgenerationsgroup.wordpress.com and on Facebook “Next Generations Group.”

Help up keep the NGG member email list up to date. Let us know of any changes to suemwendel@gmail.com

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Donations gladly accepted.

To make a much appreciated donation to the Next Generations Group Fund to support our mission-related programs and activities, please click here (https://www.ojmche.org/product/next-generations-group-fund/).  Thank you!

NGG Vision:

Members have a voice: to share with each other and within the community.
We support each other and empower future generations to keep the personal histories and lessons of the Holocaust alive and relevant.

Important values:

Honor Holocaust survivors, refugees, heroes, supporters
Support relevant organizations and groups, and the Oregon Holocaust Memorial
Create camaraderie, nurture speakers for the OJMCHE Speakers Bureau
Create community outreach and connections
Promote understanding and positive action

Member benefits: 

A space for personal growth, support, learning, and develop and share personal histories

Shared leadership: Opportunities to plan and facilitate get-togethers and events

Opt-in to the Next Gen social email list to receive relevant info and event announcements.

And more….

Social, educational, and activities that support our vision and values:

Assist members to develop their personal and family history story

Hold get-togethers on topics that promote personal growth, friendship, and learning

Nurture leadership within the group to plan and implement activities

Oregon Holocaust Memorial support

Connect members to relevant arts and culture events and volunteer opportunities

Communicate, partner, and support other relevant organizations and their programs

Nominate NGG volunteer of the year for the Song of Miriam award presented by the Jewish Women’s Round Table

Guiding objectives:

• Support and nurture members to develop and present their persona and family stories.
• Support the spin off 3g group, 3GNorthwest
• In 2024, support the Oregon Holocaust Memorial 20th anniversary, nominate Song of Miriam award for outstanding volunteer
• Continue to keep stories alive and relevant at NGG get-togethers and for the community; and to collaborate with relevant groups and organizations such as Jewish Child and Family Service and OJMCHE.

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Rabbi Stone sent this to me. It was read at the 2023 Yom HaShoah service. It’s an excerpt from the Yad VaShem website.  -Sue

Candle 6: In honor of survivors everywhere and their families who carry their legacy with them 

During the 1960s and 1970s, children of Holocaust Survivors began exploring what it meant to be “children of Holocaust survivors.” Psychological studies were done on this “second generation of survivors,” to determine how their parents’ nightmarish experiences affected their lives. At the same time, awareness groups developed, in which children of survivors could explore their feelings in a group that shared those feelings. In November 1979 the “second generation” met nationally at the First Conference on Children of Holocaust Survivors, which generated the creation of support groups all over the United States.

Many members of the “second generation” have gone beyond the suffering they experienced as children of Holocaust survivors, to proactively commemorate the lives and way of life lost during the Holocaust. They do historical research on Jewish life in pre-war Europe and on the Holocaust itself; educate people about the Holocaust and combat Holocaust denial, racism, and Antisemitism; revitalize Yiddish culture; become politically active, whether with regard to finding and prosecuting Nazis, or by taking up some Jewish or humanitarian cause; and creatively explore the effect of the Holocaust on themselves and their families through art, literature, and theater.

We would like to thank all our members, volunteer presenters, and the following organizations for their help and assistance with our programs over the years:

Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education

Jewish Federation of Greater Portland

Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon

Jewish Family & Child Service

Congregation Beth Israel 

        Havurah Shalom

        Eastside Jewish Commons

 

Next Generations Group 2024 Executive Committee: Naomi Derner, Estelle Golden, Richard Lazere, Diana Lindemann, Debbi Montrose, Deb Mrowka, Tanya Weber, Sue Wendel.

Honored Advisors: Evelyn Banko, Jill Slansky, Eva Aigner

Do explore the pages of this is site to learn about what we do  For related news and announcements please visit us on Facebook at Next Generations Group.

To donate to the Next Generations Group: Online

There is no membership fee for NGG and all of our educational and social programs are volunteer, passion driven and free. Coordinators, get-together speakers, event facilitators, and helpers all operate on a  100% volunteer basis. Donations support our programming, help offset cost of members attending a conference and allows us to make donations to related organizations and causes as well.

How to donate: To make a much appreciated donation to the Next Generations Group Fund, that supports our mission-related activities, please click here (https://www.ojmche.org/product/next-generations-group-fund/ ).

You can also mail a check to OJMCHE, 724 NW Davis Street
Portland, OR 97209 — in memo line please designate Next Generations Group Fund;  or call OJMCHE 503.226.3600 to make a gift to NGG over the phone and designate to the NGG Fund. Thank you!

For more information, or to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the email list for Next Generations Group monthly email announcements, please contact Diana Lindemann, Next Generations Group co-coordinator, at Diana2504@msn.com, or call 503-312-2530. Our website is nextgenerationsgroup.wordpress.com. Find us on Facebook at “Next Generations Group.”

Next Gen Topic contacts:

Social group email list — Receive occasional info about fun outings, books, webinars and more, and volunteer opps, please email Sue at suemwendel@gmail.com to be put on the Next Gen social group list. Once you are on the group list, you can send relevant event info to the group as well.

Survivor liaison — Next Generations Group includes Holocaust survivors and Jewish refugees too. Please contact our survivor liaison Debbi Montrose at debbirm@aol.com.

Reparations: to learn about reparations for survivors, refugees, child survivors, even in some cases a 2g, please contact contact Jewish Family & Child Service.

Calling all 3gs! — If you are a 3g and want more information about the new group 3GNorthwest, please contact Naomi Derner at 3GNorthwest@gmail.com. 

If you are interested in starting a 2nd Generation Discussion/Support Group please contact Diana2504@msn.com, or call Diana at 503-312-2530. Jewish Family and Child Service offers counseling services. Contact Missy Fry at MissyFry@jfcs-portland.org for more information. 

Are you interested in sharing your Portland-area immigrant family story? Please contact Linda Kelley genportland972@gmail.com, Jewish Genealogy Society of Oregon  about submitting a 1-page history to KehilaLinks. She is the volunteer local manager for the JewishGen website (https://www.jewishgen.org/)that houses this international Jewish community history page  (https://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/).

Do you have a family story to share, or want to develop? We are here to help! Contact Sue Wendel, NGG co-coordinator at suemwendel@gmail.com.

We support our member’s interests through social, educational and volunteer projects; we support  3GNorthwest, the Oregon Holocaust Memorial, the OJMCHE Speakers Bureau, the JGSO  KehilaLinks project, Holocaust education in Oregon, and more.  

3/20/20 Wise pandemic words from member Rosalyn Kliot:

I admit to being an optimist but also a realist. This is a golden opportunity to discover yourself, to go inward, and find the great companion and friend to yourself…… you. Re-discover your childhood passions……. they are still within you. If you don’t play music or do art, then listen to music and look at art. These simple acts have almost the same positive effects on the brain.

Exercise, meditate, read, connect with friends and family in healthful ways, eat well……. and take good care of your mental state. Stress and anxiety lower resistance, and impact the immune system. Nothing lasts forever……. keeping a joyful attitude will get us through this crazy time somewhat less scathed. We are resilient.

Attitude is everything. And if you are seeking a few excellent films, check out ‘A Bag of Marbles’, and the making of Fiddler on the Roof, both on Kanopy.
Stay well.