BOARD AND MANAGEMENT
BOARD MEMBERS
Board Chair - Deborah Hart
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Deborah has been the Centre chair since September 2019 and has extensive community involvement. She is passionate about growing the Centre and ensuring that every child learns about the Holocaust. Deborah is a NZ expert delegate to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
A former lawyer, Deborah has a governance career. She chairs UDL. She undertook the independent review of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme and chaired the independent review of New Zealand’s electoral laws. She is a Panel Member of the Human Rights Review Tribunal and former executive director of the Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of NZ. Deborah is mum to 3 adult boys. She lives in Auckland with her partner John. More information: www.deborahhartconsulting.co.nz |
Deputy Chair - Professor Dr. Giacomo Lichtner
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Giacomo Lichtner is a Professor of History at Victoria University of Wellington and the current Deputy Chair of the HCNZ Board. Giacomo teaches Holocaust history and has published widely on the representation of the Holocaust in cinema. His research focuses on how public narratives of the Holocaust are constructed not only through the media, but also through official commemorations, museums, monuments, and school curricula.
Since 2003, Giacomo has consistently contributed to HCNZ and other groups, offering lectures, film screenings, continuing education courses, and historical consultancy around the history of the Holocaust, antisemitism and their contemporary relevance, about which he regularly writes in the New Zealand media. |
Treasurer - Gil Salz
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Gil Salz, born in Israel, is married to Inbal and is a father of three children. Gil dedicated five years as an IDF Armor Combat Officer and volunteered in various community settings. Gil holds an MBA in Finance and Accounting and has demonstrated his financial skills in diverse roles, including serving as the CFO of Hadassah Academic College (HAC), a prestigious educational institution in Jerusalem with thousands of students and staff. At HAC, Gil successfully handled and managed a budget of over 100M NIS. He was responsible for banks, cash flow, investments, students' fees and wages, and various other financial activities.
During his secondment in New Orleans, Gil designed and implemented a finance and donations structure for a non-profit organization. For the past eight years, Gil has been based in Wellington, where he founded and currently manages Coffix Wellington. |
Nicole Greensides
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A History and Social Studies teacher who attended the 2015 Yad Vashem Seminar, Nicole believes strongly in the power of Holocaust education to teach about antisemitism, racism, democracy, and human rights. She lives in Whanganui with her husband, Peter.
A Board member since 2022, the strengths Nicole brings to the Board are knowledge and experience of the NZ curriculum and NCEA. She is willing to contribute to the Centre in multiple ways, including helping develop online ready-to-use teaching resources, to help it grow and affect change. She is passionate about the Centre’s mission and is committed to seeing its education, bearing witness, and advocacy work thrive. Nicole regards the work of the Centre, and in particular education, more vital than ever. |
Leora Hirsh
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Leora grew up in the Wellington Jewish community, with her parents and two brothers. She's a second-generation Holocaust survivor. Her father escaped Nazi Germany as a toddler, with his parents and brother. She currently live in rural South Auckland, with her husband and various animals. She has two adult children.
Professionally, Leora has always worked in either the not-for-profit sector or government. Currently she is a manager within an Internal Affairs business group that administers millions of Crown and New Zealand lottery grants funding. She has extensive experience in grant making and also in grant seeking. Leora's background is in youth and community development. She hold a postgraduate diploma in Not-for-Profit Management and a graduate certificate in Leading Change for Good. She has held governance roles here and in Australia, including as a board member for youth organisations, arts organisations, and a school Board of Trustees. Leora is very interested in the work of the Centre and welcomesthe chance to support the Centre by sitting on the Board. |
Ben Kepes
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A son of Holocaust survivors. Ben is a professional board member, a globally-recognized technology commentator, and an entrepreneur.
Ben has served on the boards of a number of non-profit, privately held and listed companies in New Zealand and the UK. He has won a number of accolades including being a recipient of the Sir Peter Blake Leadership Award in 2016 and being recognised as a Chartered Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Directors in 2021. |
Rachel Korpus
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Rachel has been involved in various community roles. Currently, she only serves on HCNZ.
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Sehai Schoenberger-Orgad
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Sehai Schoenberger-Orgad is a public sector leader with a background in policy, strategy, and operational delivery across local and central government. She has recently taken on responsibility for leading City Safety for Wellington, an area where outcomes matter, and where strong partnerships and a clear sense of purpose drive change. She stepped into that role from her position as Chief of Staff at Wellington City Council, bringing a track record of delivering results and navigating complexity.
This work is personal. She is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and the granddaughter of Egon Schoenberger, who fled Nazi-occupied Europe. Their legacy instilled in Sehai a deep commitment to justice, memory, and education. Sehai wants to strengthen the Centre’s position, so it remains resilient and relevant, with the resources, networks, and support it needs to operate in increasingly challenging times, both locally and in the broader international environment. |
MANAGEMENT
EDUCATION
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OPERATIONS
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PROJECTS
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OFFICIAL RECORDS
CONSTITUTION
ANNUAL REPORT
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