Meet the Team
Executive Director, Holocaust Resource Center
Dr. Adara Goldberg (she/her/hers) is the Executive Director of the Holocaust Resource & Education Center and Human Rights Institute (Union, NJ). Since earning her doctorate in Holocaust History at Clark University (2012), Dr. Goldberg has held an Azrieli Foundation fellowship at Hebrew University, a Post-doc fellowship at Stockton University, and served as education director for the Vancouver Holocaust Education Center. Recipient of the Marsid Foundation Prize at the 2016 Western Canada Jewish Book Awards, Dr. Goldberg’s book, Holocaust Survivors in Canada: Exclusion, Inclusion, Transformation, 1947–1955 (2015), represented the first comprehensive analysis of the resettlement and integration experiences of 35,000 Holocaust survivors and their families in postwar Canada. Recent contributions include: "Making Present the Past: Canada's St. Louis Apology and Canadian Jewry's Pursuit of Justice," in Kuehne and Rein, eds., Agency and the Holocaust: Essays in Honor of Debórah Dwork (2020), and “‘He’ll make a good companion for my son:’ War Orphan Adoption in Postwar Canada,” in Kangisser Cohen and Ofer, eds., Starting Anew: The Rehabilitation of Child Survivors of the Holocaust in the Early Postwar Years (2020). She has also contributed to the publications Never Far Apart (2015) and Too Many Goodbyes: The Diaries of Susan Garfield (2019), and edited the memoir, Always Remember Who You Are (2017). Dr. Goldberg served as a consultant for the Azrieli Foundation, and is a featured historian for the Montreal Holocaust Museum virtual exhibition, Building New Lives. Her current research projects explore the phenomenon of post-genocidal familial reconstruction, and the role of national apologies in collective memory. At Kean University, she also teaches the undergraduate course ID 1800 Holocaust, Genocide, and Modern Humanity, and graduate courses History of the Holocaust I and II, Holocaust Genocide Research, and Jewish Survival Strategies.
Managing Assistant Director, Holocaust Resource Center
Sarah Coykendall (she/her/hers) is the Managing Assistant Director of the Holocaust Resource & Education Center and Human Rights Institute, where she also received her M.A. (2018) in Holocaust and Genocide Studies. She received her B.S. in History and B.A. in Anthropology (2015) from SUNY Oneonta. Her graduate research examined the Holocaust using the historical and personal consciousness of third generation Holocaust survivors and American-Jewish millennials. Sarah is a leading educator on the Holocaust, contemporary antisemitism, human rights and inclusion. She gives presentations for students, teachers, and community members across the state and teaches undergraduate courses at Kean University on the Holocaust, justice and human rights, civil rights, and the transfer student experience. In 2019, she received the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association Top 30 Under 30 Award. She is a 2022 Jewish Foundation for the Righteous Alfred Lerner Fellow. She attended the 2023 & 2025 JFR Advanced Seminars and the 2023 JFR European Study Program. She attended the Leo Baeck Summer University for Jewish Studies at the Humboldt-Universität of Berlin and was a student of German Language at the Julius-Maximilians Universität Würzburg. She interned at the Holocaust Museum and Center for Tolerance and Education in Suffern, NY and worked as the Assistant to the Director of the Jewish Studies Program at Kean University. Her latest endeavors include Goal Leader for the Engagement Subcommittee of the Sustainability Task Force, Advisor on the Interfaith Council, Content Area Subcommittee Lead for the Task Force on Advising, and Secretary of the NTLC Committee.
“I am a team member at the Holocaust Resource Center... because I believe everyone should have access to education on the Holocaust and social justice. Working here allows me to contribute to society as an advocate dedicated to a world without bias, prejudice, and hate.”
Research Assistant, Holocaust Resource Center
Megan Olsen (she/her/hers) is the research assistant of the Holocaust Resource Center of Kean University, where she earned her Master (2023) in Holocaust and Genocide Studies. She received her B.A. in History and Minor in Judaic Studies (2020) from Portland State University, Portland, Oregon. Her research focuses on the international definitions of rape and sexual violence and their hindering of justice for genocidal rape women and girl survivors in the 1992-1995 Bosnian Genocide and 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. She currently works as a social studies at Immaculate Heart Academy in the Township of Washington, New Jersey, where she seeks to instill an appreciation of global perspectives and empathy into her students.
"I firmly believe that Holocaust and genocide education is essential to understanding, acknowledging, and responding to today’s atrocities—genocides, wars, refugee crises, mass sexual violence, political regimes. Without a foundational understanding of the past and our irreparable mistakes as humans, we cannot better ourselves and our societies—especially for those vulnerable to violence and future generations."
Graduate Assistant, Holocaust Resource Center
Julia Mitchell, Master in Holocaust and Genocide Studies
"I work at the Holocaust Resource Center because I am passionate about Holocaust and human rights education! I am here at Kean for my Master’s in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and the HRC gives my classmates and I amazing educational and archival resources. Most of all, I love the work we do with the Kean and surrounding communities on commemoration and remembrance of the Holocaust and other genocides."
Student Worker, Holocaust Resource Center
Marylyn Madu, Forensic Psychology
Marylyn uses she/her/hers pronouns.
"Working with the Holocaust Resource Center has provided me with the sense of empowerment and community that I truly value in the workplace. I appreciate being able to contribute to meaningful experiences, especially through our involvement of preserving history, education, and supporting human rights."
Student Worker, Holocaust Resource Center
Heather Gonzalez, Psychology and English
Heather uses she/her/hers pronouns.
Heather Gonzalez has been a student assistant at the Holocaust Resource Center since Fall 2021. She is currently a Psychology and English standard undergraduate at Kean University. She has worked on many opportunities in her time, and has had many opportunities to create both personal and professional growth. She is passionate about education, human rights, student advocacy, poetry, and volunteer work.
"I started working here when given an opportunity to grow as an individual, a professional, and as a student. It didn’t take long to understand all the good work we do here for our community and want to be an active participant in the process of moving our department forward and reaching broader audiences. This office is not only educational, it opens doors for cultural appreciation and understanding as well as the commemoration of the past and present. Here, I am able to be an advocate for change, education, remembrance, and an ally to all."
Student Worker, Holocaust Resource Center
Midina Jean-Philippe, Psychology and Business Management Minor
Midina uses she/her/hers pronouns.
"Since working at the Holocaust Resource Center, I’ve found a sense of belonging. I’ve also been able to expand my knowledge on history, civics, and human rights over all. It was from my working here that I realized I want to pursue a career as a school psychologist and I’m provided the resources to enable that dream."
EngageNJ AmeriCorps VISTA
Renee Rocha, Exercise Science Pre-Athletic Training
Renee Rocha (she/her/hers) entered the Holocaust Resource Center during the Fall 2024 semester as an EngageNJ VISTA. She is in her last semester of her undergraduate degree, studying for her Bachelors of Science in Exercise Science. She is actively engaged on campus, previously serving as the Vice President of Programming for Kean University’s Student Government Association, being a part of the Kean New York Red Bull Mentorship Program, working as a Senior Orientation Leader for New Student Orientation, and other student leadership positions. She is a part of two national honor societies and plans on continuing her education for a Masters in Athletic Training after graduation. She is looking forward to working in the Holocaust Resource Center to support both her personal development and the continuation of an inclusive learning environment. She will interact with people of all backgrounds and stand up for voices that aren't often heard. She plans on work towards actively creating a welcoming campus community by working on projects that advance equity and understanding.
"I am entering my first year with Kean University... I chose to work here because I wanted to support both my personal development and the continuation of an inclusive learning environment. I will develop key skills like empathy, leadership, and communication in my position while interacting with people of all backgrounds and standing up for voices that aren't often heard. It's a chance for me to absorb knowledge from others, and form deep connections. I will work towards actively creating a welcoming campus community by working on projects that advance equity and understanding."
Student Assistant, Holocaust Resource Center
Faith Taylor, Criminal Justice
Faith uses she/her/hers pronouns.
"As a criminal justice major, it is my foundation to support human rights. This position allows me to express that foundation by spreading awareness and advocating for human rights. Understanding and learning from our past is crucial as we work towards a better future."
Student Assistant, Holocaust Resource Center
Ashley Acevedo, Art Education
Ashley uses she/her/hers pronouns.
"This is my first year working with Kean University’s Holocaust Resource Center. I wanted to work with the HRC to be able to connect with others, learn about different historical events, and grow as a student, worker, and individual."
Intern, Multimedia Journalist
Esther Gonzales, Master in Holocaust and Genocide Studies
Esther Gonzales (she, her, hers) is a multimedia journalist at the Holocaust Resource Center of Kean University to highlight the HRC’s key initiatives, keynote speakers, and the impact of these events on students and educators. She is a graduate student in the Master’s of Holocaust and Genocide Studies and has a background in journalism. Her research focuses on youth resiliency in times of armed conflict, rescuers of the Holocaust motivated by faith, and the American response to refugees during WWII. In the past, Esther has worked with the International Rescue Committee, aiding refugees in their resettlement process.
“The HRC has given me a place to combine my love for human rights and journalism, to highlight the stories that are so important in educating the next generation. I am so thankful to work with incredible scholars, educators and directors who are passionate about Holocaust education.”