About the Authors

Itka Frajman Zygmuntowicz is a survivor of the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Since 1970, she has shared her experiences at universities, schools, and religious organizations as a member of the Speaker’s Bureau of the Jewish Community Relations Council. Itka is a member of the Memorial Committee for the Six Million Jewish Martyrs & the Association of Holocaust Survivors. She has shared her story in documentaries such as: Eye On – The Lessons of the Holocaust:; From Pain Comes Knowledge (1978) and the Israeli production, From Out of the Ashes (1981). Itka’s stories have also appeared in Four Centuries of  Jewish Women’s Spirituality (Beacon Press). Her visual history testimony is available through the USC-Shoah Foundation, and it is also featured in the Anti-Defamation League’s Echoes and Reflections Teacher Resource Guide.Itka bears witness so that the Holocaust will never be forgotten or repeated. She writes both prose and poetry, expressing her deepest messages and feelings. Her poetry gives voice to the pain and longings, as well as the joy, that is so powerful within her. Her two poetry books, You Only Have What You Give Away (2008) and The Power of Words and Deeds (2014), are available on Amazon.com. Her poems touch upon her horrifying experiences but also convey an uplifting message of love, hope and tolerance. Today, Itka, a former fashion  designer, splits her time between Philadelphia, PA, and Atlantic City, NJ.

Jennifer L. Goss teaches history at a local high school in Staunton, Virginia, where she has lived since 2012. In addition to her traditional courses, she currently teaches a Holocaust & Genocide elective. Prior to her relocation to Virginia, Jennifer taught for ten years at Fleetwood Area High School in Fleetwood, PA, where she taught two Holocaust electives. While at Fleetwood, Jennifer produced the award-winning, Emmy-nominated documentary film, Misa’s Fugue (2012) with her colleagues and her students.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Jennifer is a United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) Teacher Fellow and member of the USHMM Regional Education Corps (REC). She also works as a trainer for the Anti-Defamation League’s Echoes and Reflections program and is an Alfred J. Lerner Fellow for the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous. Jennifer holds a Master’s degree in Holocaust and Genocide Studies from West Chester University of Pennsylvania.