New Jersey names Colleen Tambuscio executive director of Holocaust Education Commission

TRENTON, N.J. — The New Jersey Department of Education has appointed longtime educator Colleen Tambuscio as executive director of the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education.

Tambuscio, a nationally recognized educator in Holocaust and genocide education, began serving in the role July 1. She succeeds Douglas Cervi, who is retiring after six years as executive director.

In her new position, Tambuscio will oversee the commission’s efforts to strengthen Holocaust and genocide education through curriculum development, educator training, community partnerships and public programming.

“Colleen Tambuscio has dedicated her life to ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust remain relevant and meaningful for future generations,” said Maud Dahme, chair of the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education. “Her extraordinary record of educational leadership, her commitment to students and teachers, and her vision for Holocaust education make her uniquely qualified to lead the Commission into its next chapter.”

Education Commissioner Dr. Lily Laux said Tambuscio’s experience will help support educators across the state.

“Colleen Tambuscio brings a wealth of experience in Holocaust education,” Laux said. “She has the knowledge and insight to ensure New Jersey’s educators have the tools they need to transform these events in history into powerful lessons learned for our students, and to elevate awareness in communities throughout the state. We are pleased to welcome her to the position.”

Tambuscio earned a bachelor’s degree in education of the hearing impaired from Trenton State College and a master’s degree in Jewish-Christian Studies and Holocaust Education from Seton Hall University.

She began her teaching career in 1984 with Bergen County Special Services, where she introduced Holocaust education to deaf students. From 2002 until her retirement in 2024, she taught special education and a social studies elective at New Milford High School, where she developed a semester-long Holocaust studies course and led students on educational trips to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., as well as Holocaust-related sites in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Tambuscio served as a member of the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education beginning in 2021 before stepping down to accept the executive director position. She also founded and serves as president of the New Jersey Council of Holocaust Educators and has worked with author Alexandra Zapruder to develop Holocaust education materials used by educators worldwide.

“I am deeply honored to serve as executive director of the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education,” Tambuscio said. “At a time when antisemitism, racism, and intolerance continue to threaten democratic values, Holocaust education remains essential. I look forward to working with educators, students, survivors, and communities across New Jersey to ensure that the lessons of this history continue to guide future generations.”

Additional information about the commission is available through the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education webpage.