MSHEF Names Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh Director Emily Loeb as 2026 Voice of Kindness Award Recipient

Annual award recognizes leaders who use their platforms to inspire empathy, compassion, and courageous action

LIVINGSTON, NJ, UNITED STATES, March 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation (MSHEF) today announced that Emily Loeb, Director of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, has been named the recipient of its 2026 Voice of Kindness Award.

The award honors individuals who use their voice and platform to champion empathy, understanding, and human dignity. Past honorees include Holocaust survivor Mark Schonwetter, comedian Claudia Oshry, WABC7 Eyewitness News anchor Michelle Charlesworth, and author and advocate Aija Mayrock.

“Emily represents exactly what the Voice of Kindness Award is all about,” said Isabella Fiske, MSHEF Co-founder. “She uses her family’s story and her role at the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh to help people feel the human impact of the Holocaust — and then asks, ‘What will you do with what you’ve learned?”

Honoring a Granddaughter of Survivors Whose Work Turns Remembrance Into Action
As the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, Emily Loeb has dedicated her career to ensuring that remembrance leads to action and that the lessons of the Holocaust help people see one another’s humanity across differences.

Emily first became involved with the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh in 2018 as a Generations Speaker, sharing her family’s story with students and community groups to help them confront antisemitism and build empathy. In 2023, she joined the staff of the Holocaust Center, a program of The Tree of Life, and now serves as the Holocaust Center’s Director, guiding public programs, education initiatives, and community engagement. Most recently, Emily played a pivotal role in bringing the new Holocaust Education Girl Scout patch to life; mentoring its development and helping shape a curriculum that empowers young people to learn, reflect, and take action.

Her leadership extends beyond the Center. Emily has led the Gendler Grapevine Project, a sunset initiative honoring the legacy of Rabbi Everett Gendler by supporting projects at the intersection of Jewish tradition, social justice, and environmental stewardship. She also founded the Shattering Glass Ceilings Scholarship to support first-generation college women.

“My grandparents’ experiences in the Holocaust taught me that remembering is not enough — we have to let those memories change how we show up for one another,” said Emily Loeb. “I am deeply honored to receive the Voice of Kindness Award and to partner with MSHEF to ensure more students hear these stories, confront antisemitism, and understand the power they have to choose kindness over indifference.”

Loeb will be honored at MSHEF’s Journey For The Living Kickoff event on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at 11 AM ET at the Livingston Oval in Livingston, NJ. Journey For The Living is MSHEF’s annual fitness challenge and Walk-A-Thon, which raises funds to support Holocaust education programs in schools nationwide.


About the Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation
The Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation (MSHEF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting respect, kindness, and anti-hate through Holocaust education. MSHEF provides funding to educators and schools for a variety of educational initiatives, including field trips to Holocaust museums, classroom materials, guest presentations by Holocaust survivors, and more. These programs are designed to foster empathy, historical awareness, and a deeper understanding of the consequences of hatred and intolerance.

To learn more, visit www.mshefoundation.org or contact the foundation directly at connect@mshefoundation.org.

Isabella S. Fiske
Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation
+1 973-747-7822
email us here

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