The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous (JFR) selected 25 middle and high school teachers and Holocaust center staff from 10 states and Poland as 2025 Alfred Lerner Fellows. The group participated in the JFR’s Summer Institute for Teachers, an intensive five-day course, delving into the complex history of the Holocaust and discussing new teaching techniques for introducing the subject of the Holocaust into their classrooms.
The conference took place at the Hilton Newark Airport in June, and opened with a lecture on the history of anti-Judaism and antisemitism. The seminar closed with a lecture on contemporary antisemitism.
The program is a high-level, intensive academic seminar in which participants were exposed to noted Holocaust scholars, including Sheryl Silver Ochayon of Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center; Doris Bergen of the University of Toronto; Benjamin Carter Hett of Hunter College and the CUNY Graduate Center; Lawrence R. Douglas of Amherst College; Steven Field of New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine; Rebecca Erbelding of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; Avinoam Patt of New York University; Richards Plavnieks of Florida Southern College; Robert Jan van Pelt of the University of Waterloo; Edward B. Westermann of Texas A&M University; renowned Holocaust historian and exhibition curator Paul Salmons; renowned author Alexandra Zapruder; Christine E. Schmidt of the Wiener Holocaust Library and American Jewish Committee U.S. Director for Combatting Antisemitism Holly Huffnagle.
The seminar is designed to allow participants to meet in small groups following each lecture, address the specific aspect of the Holocaust that is presented, share teaching concepts and develop approaches for introducing the subject matter to their students.
Teachers selected for the program must be English or social studies teachers at the middle or high school level, have taught for at least five years, are at least five years from retirement and currently teach the Holocaust in their classroom.
“The three primary goals for the JFR’s Summer Institute are to provide teachers with a graduate-level course on antisemitism and the Holocaust; to empower educators to develop pedagogical connections with other teachers; and to equip these teachers with additional resources to bring back to their classrooms,” said Stanlee Stahl, the group’s executive vice president.
The 2025 Lerner Fellows are:
• David Meola from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Ala.
• Mary Ely from Liberty Park Middle School in Vestavia Hills, Ala.
• Kelli Parramore from RC3–Riverchase Career Connection in Hoover, Ala.
• Kendra Tallent from Glen Rose High School in Malvern, Ark.
• Risa Dela Rocca from Spanish River Community High School in Boca Raton, Fla.
• Rachael Kelly from Loggers Run Community Middle School in Boca Raton, Fla.
• Micaela McNiff from the School District of Palm Beach County in West Palm Beach, Fla.
• Rani Wright from the School of Arts and Sciences in Sarasota, Fla.
• Charles Dickens from the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Chrissy Hoerlein from Simon Kenton High School in Independence, Ky.
• Richard Shrock from Notre Dame de Sion High School in Kansas City, Mo.
• Nicole Kepner from Branchburg Central Middle School in Branchburg, N.J.
• Stephen Miller from Northfield Middle School in Northfield, N.J.
• Paul Stanko from Sterling High School in Somerdale, N.J.
• Kerry Verrone from Montclair Kimberley Academy in Montclair, N.J.
• Haley Watson from Memorial School in Union Beach, N.J.
• Katelyn Scesney from Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust and Humanity Center in Cincinnati, Ohio
• Meg Frank from Riverside Beaver County High in Ellwood City, Pa.
• Hallie Leach from St. Therese School in Munhall, Pa.
• Betina Roher from Abington Senior High School in Abington, Pa.
• Abbi Green from Pleasant Knoll Middle School in Fort Mill, S.C.
• Kristi Ugland from Bishop England High School in Daniel Island, S.C.
• Eric Tanner from Caney Creek High School, Conroe Independent School District in Conroe, Texas
• Joanna Jedrzejczak from I Liccum Ogolnoksztalcace in Szamotuly, Poland
The nationally acclaimed Fellowship program is named in memory of Alfred Lerner, the founding chairman and chief executive officer of MBNA Corporation, who died in October 2002.
Lerner was a longtime adviser and supporter of JFR programs and activities. His deep commitment to the work of JFR and his special interest in the field of Holocaust education led to the seminar being endowed in his name.