Meet the Student Docents
The Student Docent program for the HBI exhibition in the Brandeis Kniznick Gallery, Who Will Draw Our History? Women’s Graphic Narratives of the Holocaust, 1944-1949 give students opportunities to assist in all aspects of mounting and presenting an art exhibition. Student docents have helped with publicity, captioning, labels, framing, hanging art, staffing the gallery and giving tours.
Alyssa Wu (she/her) is a freshman at Brandeis University pursuing a double major in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE) and Business. She is a member of the Mock Trial team and a Features Editor for The Justice which published her exhibition review, Surviving Through Art: Graphic Narratives at the Kniznick Gallery Show How Holocaust Survivors Documented Their Experiences Through Art on February 10, 2026. She became a docent for the Kniznick Gallery because she values the work that goes into art exhibitions and wants to learn more about how art can communicate important messages.
Elizabeth Cross (she/her) is a junior at Brandeis, pursuing a major 
in sociology. In addition to being a gallery docent, she is also a research assistant with HBI, investigating sexual abuse of Haredi women. She is interested in historical women's narratives, with a research focus on the culture of domesticity and gender-based violence, and hopes to pursue her senior thesis next year. Outside of school, she enjoys reading and volunteering with children. She is incredibly inspired by the commitment of the HBI team to the preservation of these graphic narratives, and is thrilled to be working on this critical exhibition.
Esther Bistricer (she/her) is a senior at Brandeis University studying Psychology and Public Health. She enjoys visiting art galleries and museums and became a docent with the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute to work more closely with the artworks presented in their exhibitions. Esther is also on HBI’s event staff. Esther is interested in exploring Holocaust history through art and helping visitors connect with these powerful stories.
Grace Mwiza Gondwe (she/her) is a senior at Brandeis pursuing a double major in Sociology and History. Having developed a keen interest in research during her time at Brandeis, Grace finds learning about various cultures and histories fascinating. Pairing this with her passion for the creative arts, she finds her work as a student docent in the Kniznick Gallery to be an insightful learning opportunity. Grace is also part of HBI’s event staff.
Casey Tan (she/her) is a senior with a major in neuroscience and a minor in legal studies. Outside of class, Casey also serves as the culture show coordinator for the Brandeis Asian American Student Association. Casey has been working at the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute since her sophomore year as a student docent and part of the event staff. Her favorite part about working as a student docent is engaging with artists and curators and learning about how their personal and family histories influence their work.
Tal Pemstein (they/them) is a senior at Brandeis studying Anthropology, Art History, and CAST. In addition to their work as the Kniznick Gallery's Weinberg Arts Intern, Tal is a Student Docent at the Rose Art Museum and runs the Gallery of Trans Joy, a personal project that they can't stop talking about. When they aren't making, sharing, or learning about art, Tal can be found bouldering with the Brandeis Climbing Team, volunteering at Memory Cafés with Companions to Elders, or perfecting their trail mix recipe for long hikes. After Brandeis, Tal is excited to continue working in museum education and access, reading lots of books, and decorating their next apartment — wherever it may be.
Sadie Lentzner (she/her) is a sophomore at Brandeis University pursuing a major in psychology. She is specifically interested in the clinical aspect of the field and plans to attend graduate school to become a licensed counselor. She is the Vice President of the Brandeis chapter of Sharsheret as well as the Jewish Feminists Association of Brandeis. Growing up with parents who own an art gallery, Sadie was surrounded by art from a very young age. Her family has taught her to value art as a critical means for expression and communication. Sadie is very excited to be working with HBI on their new exhibit, Who Will Draw Our History?, and encourages all who can to come see these important works of art.
Gabi Chiquiar-Rabinovich (she/her) is from Brookline, MA, and is currently a junior at Brandeis, where she is majoring in English and Near Eastern Judaic Studies. She has served on the boards of the Brandeis Organization of Sephardic Students, the Brandeis Orthodox Organization, the Brandeis Judaic Studies Journal, and Shira Chadasha, the partnership minyan at Brandeis. Chiquiar-Rabinovich was an HBI Gilda Slifka intern in the summer of 2024, where she worked with Dr. Rivka Neriya-Ben Shahar on her project on Amish and Ultra-Orthodox women’s relationships with media, and completed her own research project, “Barren Mothers in Biblical Narratives: A Look at Infertility in Tanach Through a Disability Studies Lens.” She has also worked with various other HBI researchers on their projects. She loves spending time at the HBI, and this year is working as the student office assistant and gallery docent.