USC Shoah Foundation Names Mollie Bowman Managing Director of Living Links

The USC Shoah Foundation and Living Links have named Mollie Bowman Managing Director of Living Links, the first national organization created to engage and empower third-generation (3G) descendants of Holocaust survivors.

An estimated 1 million grandchildren of Holocaust survivors live in the United States. At a time when the number of Holocaust survivors is dwindling and antisemitism is on the rise, 3Gs are uniquely qualified to offer personal accounts about how unchecked hate led to the Holocaust.

In her role, Bowman has overall strategic and operational responsibility for building the new organization and meeting three core programmatic goals: advancing the 3G movement nationwide, developing educational programming and partnerships, and supporting 3G networks in responding to events that impact targets of hate and bigotry.

“Mollie brings professional experience with leading nonprofits and corporate entities, as well as excellence in strategic thinking and program management to Living Links,” said Catherine E. Clark, USC Shoah Foundation Senior Director of Programs. “The USC Shoah Foundation brings 30 years of educational and organizational expertise to this visionary partnership and a strong commitment to help build Living Links. We are proud to work closely with Mollie at the helm to develop the first nationwide organization devoted to empowering 3Gs and helping them bring their compelling family experiences into the public discourse.”

Bowman assumes her role as the USC Shoah Foundation marks its 30th anniversary and continues to strengthen connections with descendants of Holocaust survivors. The grandchildren of survivors are the last living links to their grandparents’ eyewitness accounts of a dark chapter in history. By sharing these stories, especially in classrooms, 3Gs have a tangible means to educate and mobilize against hatred.

“We are thrilled to have Mollie as our first executive hire,” said Jennifer Loew Mendelson, Living Links co-founder and co-president. "Mollie’s track record building communities and coordinating national fundraising efforts, along with her personal connection to our mission, make her the right leader to drive the strategic direction of Living Links and propel our growth. The Holocaust is more than history for descendants of survivors. That period still shapes who we are, our insights, and how we perceive the world. When we share the personal history of our families, we connect with people and open minds in classrooms and communities around the country.”

A grandchild of Auschwitz survivors, Bowman’s 3G legacy has directly influenced her advocacy and public service career path. Before Living Links, she was the chief of staff and director of external affairs for More Perfect, a coalition of presidential foundations, industry leaders, and 100+ nonprofit organizations dedicated to securing America's democratic future.

“I took for granted that my grandmother would always be around to tell her story and that in my lifetime, I would never experience the democratic backsliding she warned about,” Bowman said. “Against the unraveling of our social fabric, storytelling creates space for shared humanity and reminds us there are real people at the center of historical events. By sharing our grandparents' stories, 3Gs honor their legacies and can help build a more inclusive future rooted in empathy and compassion.”

Living Links currently has 14 affiliates – 13 established groups in the U.S. and one in Toronto.   Four new U.S. affiliates are expected to join the organization in the coming months. With organizational expertise and guidance from the USC Shoah Foundation, Living Links will increase the number of 3G affiliates and expand the speaker training program founded by 3GNY in 2010 to teach 3Gs to share their family stories in classrooms and with communities to counter antisemitism, bigotry and hate.

A lead gift of $1 million was pledged toward a program budget of $5 million over the next three years.

 

Living Links, formed in 2023, is an organization for grandchildren (3Gs) of Holocaust survivors and all victims of Nazi persecution. We believe 3Gs and a growing number of 4Gs have an essential voice in countering hate and keeping the history of the Holocaust relevant in today's world. Living Links is partnering with the USC Shoah Foundation to empower descendants of Holocaust survivors to create enduring communities devoted to preserving and sharing their families' legacies.

For more information, go to https://www.wearelivinglinks.org