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Send us Fan Mail Episode 153: Ordinary Heroes with Bernie Furshpan featuring Deborah Lauter In Episode 153 of Ordinary Heroes , host Dr. Bernie Furshpan sits down with Deborah Lauter, Executive Director of the Olga Lengyel Institute (TOLI), at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County. Deborah shares insights into TOLI’s remarkable mission—educating educators about Holocaust stu...

Send us Fan Mail Legacy Chronicles Ep 152: Carrying the Torch with Linda Orgel In this powerful episode of Legacy Chronicles , host Zachary Graulich sits down with Linda Orgel, a dedicated second-generation Holocaust survivor and docent at HMTC. Linda shares her family’s harrowing history—from her father’s incredible survival story in Nazi-occupied Poland to the profound impact it has had on her l...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 151 of Ordinary Heroes on hmTv features an inspiring conversation with Holocaust survivor and activist Sami Steigman. Sami shares his harrowing childhood experiences in Transnistria, surviving Nazi medical experiments, and the profound impact of his family’s history. He reflects on the importance of educating the next generation to combat hatred, anti-Semitism, and intoler...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 150 of Ordinary Heroes on HMTV features an inspiring conversation with Sami Steigman, an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor, activist, motivational speaker, and educator. Sami shares his remarkable journey from surviving the Holocaust, serving in the Israeli Air Force, and immigrating to the United States, to becoming a passionate voice against Jew hatred and a powerful advoca...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 149 - The Upstander Responsibility Join host Ella Ben-Hamo and her advisor Nechama Ester in this inspiring episode of The Upstander Responsibility on hmTv. Together, they delve into the teachings of Pirkei Avot , exploring the timeless wisdom of the forefathers and how it applies to modern life as young leaders. Ella and Nechama discuss the importance of being an upstander...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 148 of Ordinary Heroes , Dr. Bernie Furshpan welcomes Professor Ranelle Wolf—chair of Fine Arts at Suffolk County Community College—to explore Modern Sacred Realism , her signature fusion of spirituality and meticulous craft. They discuss how art ignites healing and empathy, the role of technology (like QR-enhanced storytelling) in visual literacy, and the power of recl...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Ordinary Heroes , Bernie Furshpan sits down with publicist, journalist, and community advocate Joseph Wolkin to explore how one person can amplify vital voices in today’s polarized media landscape. From his early days leading Hillel at Stony Brook to building award-winning PR campaigns for NASCAR and nonprofit organizations in Israel, Joseph shares the strategie...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 146 of Many Voices One Community, host Gaitley Stevenson-Mathews welcomes Bob Freeland, Commander of Henderson-Marino VFW Post 1819 in Port Washington and Kiwanis leader, to discuss how local veterans and service clubs unite to honor the next generation of enlistees, support families in need, and strengthen our shared community. From the Ben Farnin scholarship ceremony...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 145 of Many Voices One Community, host Gaitley Stevenson-Mathews sits down with Christine Rice—Executive Director of the Glen Cove Senior Center and Chairwoman of NOSH Delivers—to explore how her upbringing as one of ten siblings in Garden City inspired a lifetime of service. They discuss NOSH Delivers’ origins at the start of the pandemic, the growth of its food pantry...

Send us Fan Mail  In Episode 144 of Many Voices One Community , host Gaitley Stevenson-Mathews sits down with Dr. Sharon Harris, Executive Director of SAFE (Substance Abuse Free Environment), to explore how a Bronx-born only child grew into a community leader, the origins and evolution of SAFE’s drug-awareness programs—like Red Ribbon Week, medication-disposal drives, and youth outreach—and the po...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 143 of Raised by Survivors , Dr. Bernie Furshpan welcomes Sid Waxman, a dedicated museum educator and second-generation Holocaust survivor, to explore how Sid transformed his own family’s silent past into a mission of education and empathy. After years of “hiding” his background, Sid shares what finally inspired him to delve into his parents’ experiences—piecing togethe...

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Send us Fan Mail Echoes of the Past – Episode 140 Podcast Description: In this episode, Assistant Director of Education Zachary Graulich and Director of Education Donna Rosenblum examine a chilling artifact from HMTC’s 1930s Germany collection—a sign declaring “The Jews are our misfortune.” Through thoughtful dialogue, they explore how everyday communities enforced hateful legislation, the ripple...

Send us Fan Mail  In this engaging episode of Raised by Survivors , host Bernie Furshpan welcomes longtime Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center educator Meryl Menashe. Together, they discuss their unique upbringing as children of Holocaust survivors, reflecting on cherished family traditions, cultural identity, and resilience shaped by their parents’ experiences. Bernie and Meryl explore heartf...

Send us Fan Mail Join Bernie Furshpan on Episode 139 of Raised by Survivors , as he sits down with second‐generation survivor Ethel Greenberg Oppenheimer to explore growing up in a tight-knit community of Holocaust survivors outside New Haven, Connecticut. From childhood memories of family traditions and Yiddish conversations to the moment Schindler’s List inspired her parents to share their stori...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode of Ordinary Heroes , host Bernie Furshpan sits down with Andy Zeidman, a dedicated maxillofacial surgeon and passionate community activist. Andy shares his journey from a successful medical career to becoming a vital force in supporting the Jewish community, Holocaust survivors, and families affected by recent crises. Together, they discuss the rise of ant...

Send us Fan Mail In this deeply personal episode of Raised by Survivors , host Bernie Furshpan sits down with David Richman to explore the untold story of David’s father, a Holocaust survivor from France. Discover how decades of silence were broken through a trove of forgotten documents, photographs, and letters that revealed a harrowing journey of imprisonment, escape, and survival during one of...

Send us Fan Mail In this heartfelt episode of Raised by Survivors , host Dr. Bernie Furshpan sits down with docent Debbie Cohn to explore their shared experiences growing up as children of Holocaust survivors. Debbi shares intimate stories of her family’s journey—from her mother’s courageous escape and hiding in Nazi-occupied Holland to her father’s arrest and survival in Dachau, followed by his s...

Send us Fan Mail In this heartfelt episode of Legacy Chronicles on hmTv, host Donna Rosenblum sits down with second-generation survivor and educator Meryl Menashe to explore the powerful legacy of Holocaust survivors and the enduring importance of education. Meryl shares intimate stories from her family’s history—from her father’s journey through wartime Poland and Siberia to Palestine—and reflect...

Send us Fan Mail  In Episode 133 of History Repeats on hmTv, host Liam Carballal welcomes back historian Richard Acritelli for a powerful and sobering conversation about the treatment of American and Filipino POWs in the Pacific during World War II. Together, they trace the evolution of Japanese military culture—from humane practices in earlier wars to the rise of extreme nationalism and brutality...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 134 of History Repeats , host Liam Carballal continues his in-depth conversation with guest Richard Acritelli as they explore the harrowing realities of the Bataan Death March and the brutal treatment of American and Filipino soldiers during World War II. They discuss the stark differences in the concept of “unconditional surrender,” the horrific conditions POWs endured...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 131 of The Fog of War and Humanity on hmTv, host Rich Acritelli welcomes Mike McClure, a United States Army Special Forces veteran. Mike shares compelling insights from his early life on Long Island to his entry into the Army at the end of the Vietnam War. He vividly recounts his training experiences at Fort Leonard Wood and Fort Belvoir, service during the tense Cold W...

Send us Fan Mail In this compelling second part of Episode 132 of The Fog of War and Humanity on hmTv, host Richard Acritelli continues his insightful conversation with Michael McClure, a veteran of the United States Army Special Forces. Mike vividly recounts his rigorous training experiences at Fort Bragg, the demanding physical and mental preparation needed to earn the prestigious green beret, a...

Send us Fan Mail Join Gaitley Stevenson-Mathews on Episode 130 of Many Voices One Community as she sits down with Sergeant Evelyn Kandell—a pioneering female Marine, Nassau County’s former poet laureate, celebrated art educator, and lifelong community leader. In this heartfelt conversation, Evelyn reflects on: Her unexpected journey from Westchester high school graduate to Marine Corps recruiting...

Send us Fan Mail In this uplifting installment of Many Voices One Community , host Gaitley Stevenson-Mathews sits down with Father Panteleimon “Father P.” Papadopoulos of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Resurrection in Glen Cove. Together, they explore how a simple Greek festival—complete with gyros, baklava, and old-world hospitality—has become a vibrant gathering point that unites neighbor...