BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Seven Palm Beach County educators have been selected for prestigious international Holocaust education programs, underscoring the school district’s commitment to ensuring students receive historically grounded, impactful instruction on one of history’s darkest chapters.
Six educators — Bradd Weinberg, Micaela McNiff, Julie Gates, Sheri Crowley, Mary Ellen Richichi, and Krystal Lamb — have been invited to participate in the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous Study Program in Poland. The opportunity is exclusively available to Alfred Lerner Fellows, a distinction that reflects the educators’ already high level of commitment to Holocaust instruction. The program takes participants to some of the most significant and sobering historical sites in the world, including Auschwitz and Treblinka, where they will engage with leading Holocaust scholars in an immersive learning environment that goes far beyond traditional classroom study.
Separately, educator Kimberly Coombs has been selected to participate in the Echoes & Reflections Advanced Learning Seminar in Israel, scheduled for July 7 through July 17, 2026. Echoes & Reflections is considered a premier Holocaust education program nationally, and Coombs was chosen from a small, highly selective cohort of educators from across the country. During the seminar, she will visit significant historical and cultural sites, work alongside leading scholars, and collaborate with fellow educators from across the United States.
Both programs are designed to equip teachers with advanced content knowledge and stronger instructional tools, with a focus on Holocaust history, Jewish identity, moral courage, and the ongoing fight against antisemitism. The Poland program is fully funded through a grant from inSIGHT Through Education and sponsored by the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, making participation available at no cost to the district. The Israel seminar similarly represents a professional development opportunity that brings real-world historical context directly into the classroom and requires no payment by the school district.
The programs are expected to be approved at Wednesday’s Palm Beach County School Board meeting.
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