Rhonda Fink-Whitman

“It wasn’t my choice to write this story…it was my responsibility.” ~ Rhonda Fink-Whitman

Rhonda Fink-Whitman is a veteran TV and radio personality as well as an award-winning screenwriter, longtime Jewish educator, Holocaust education advocate, and the daughter and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors.

She is the author of 94 Maidens – a novel inspired by the true events of how her mother survived the Holocaust, which is used, along with it’s free downloadale teacher’s guide, in middle and high school classrooms across the U.S. to teach about the Holocaust. She’s also authored Mrs. Graceland – a light-hearted fictional romantic comedy about love, second chances, and what matters most, and most recently has published her first graphic novel, Daughters of the Holocaust. All three books are available on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback.

Rhonda is the director, producer, and host of The Mandate Video on YouTube, which helped convince Pennsylvania legislators to enact a law requiring Holocaust and Genocide education in all public, charter, and cyber schools in the Commonwealth. Rhonda was present as her governor signed the bill into law on June 26, 2014, historically changing the landscape of education in her home state of Pennsylvania.

Her work in PA paved the way for other states to mandate Holocaust and genocide education. Since Rhonda’s video went viral, and with her support and guidance, states including Michigan and Rhode Island in 2016, Kentucky and Connecticut in 2018, Oregon and Texas in 2019, Colorado, Delaware, and New Hampshire in 2020, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Maine, Arizona, and North Carolina in 2021, and Nebraska, Missouri, and Oklahoma in 2022 successfully passed similar legislation. Rhonda has been credited with starting the recent wave of renewed interest in mandating Holocaust education and has helped increase the number of mandated states from five, when she first got involved, to 23 and counting. Rhonda currently advises advocates who are working toward mandates in several of the other 27 states.

Rhonda has received both Congressional and State recognition for her work and her commitment to Holocaust education, the B’nai B’rith Educators Unit Hatikvah Circle of Hope Youth Services Award, and certificates of appreciation from several chapters of Hadassah. She is on the board of the Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center of Philadelphia and was honored by the museum for her work at its annual fundraising gala in Nov. 2021.

In addition to promoting mandated Holocaust education, Rhonda facilitates programs bringing Holocaust survivors to speak at schools and other organizations.

Rhonda lives near Philadelphia with her loving and supportive husband, two cool cats, and one giant gem of a pup. She has two grown children who fill her heart with pride and joy every single day. She’s been a USO volunteer, and during the height of Covid-19 delivered weekly meals to the needy with her son. Rhonda loves the simple things in life like a strong cup of tea in the morning, spending as much time as possible with her beloved mother who inspires her tireless work, and an ocean view any time of day.

Ms. Fink-Whitman is available for live in-person and virtual speaking engagements, as well as book club appearances.

Contact her at [email protected].