hmTv at HMTC Podcasts

Send us Fan Mail Episode 165: Serving With Heart — A Conversation with Glen Cove Police Chief Bill Whitten Join host Gaitley Stevenson Matthews as he sits down with Glen Cove Police Chief Bill Whitten to explore the journey from local roots to leading a trusted police force. Chief Whitten shares what inspired his career in law enforcement, the innovative ways his department engages with the commun...

Send us Fan Mail Raised by Survivors — Ep 164: Healing from the Holocaust Legacy with Dr. Burt Roshelson In this deeply moving episode of Raised by Survivors , host Bernie Furshpan sits down with Dr. Burt Roshelson, a Long Island physician and son of Holocaust survivor Eli Gersian Roshelson. Burt shares his father’s remarkable journey—from enduring brutal discrimination and imprisonment in Nazi co...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 163: Ordinary Heroes with Bernie Furshpan and Daniel Frankel Get ready to be inspired by Daniel Frankel — a man who blends the power of sports, music, and deep Jewish values to uplift communities and heal hearts. From his journey as a college golf star to directing youth golf programs for veterans, Daniel shares how golf offers hope and escape to those who need it most. Pl...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 161: Caring for Our Veterans — Inside the Long Island State Veterans Home with Fred Sganga Join host Rich Acritelli as he sits down with Fred Sganga, the longtime Executive Director of the Long Island State Veterans Home at Stony Brook University. With over 25 years leading this unique 350-bed skilled nursing facility, Fred shares insights on caring for generations of vete...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of The Fog of War and Humanity , host Rich Aretelli sits down with Fred Sganga, Executive Director of the Long Island State Veterans Home, for a no-nonsense look at what it really takes to care for our aging heroes. They unpack the decades-long fallout of Agent Orange, reveal how Stony Brook Medicine’s “teaching nursing home” model trains tomorrow’s geriatric exper...

Send us Fan Mail Ep 158: The Fog of War and Humanity – Vietnam Veteran Frank D’Aversa Shares a Life at Sea and Service Join host Rich Acritelli for a captivating conversation with Vietnam veteran Frank D’Aversa, who takes us from his childhood fishing near the Whitestone Bridge in Queens to his decades-long Navy career aboard aircraft carriers during pivotal moments like the Cuban Missile Crisis a...

Send us Fan Mail The Fog of War and Humanity | Ep 159 Host Rich Acritelli continues his conversation with Vietnam Navy veteran Frank D’Aversa, diving deep into life aboard aircraft carriers during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War. From intense training and relentless flight operations to close calls with combat and the long-lasting impact of Agent Orange, Frank shares vivid stories of...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 160 of The Fog of War and Humanity , Rich Acritelli sits down with Vietnam veteran and lifelong advocate Frank D’Aversa for a heartfelt conversation about military service, resilience, and community. Frank shares his journey from Navy mechanic to veteran mentor, his decades-long commitment to the reserves, and his pivotal role in Suffolk County’s Veterans Treatment Cour...

Send us Fan Mail History Repeats Ep. 157 | Iran, Israel & The Middle East Today Join Liam Carballal and Richard Acritelli on History Repeats as they unpack the complex and high-stakes relationship between Iran and Israel. From the legacy of the Shah and the Iranian Revolution to the modern-day nuclear tensions and proxy conflicts, this episode dives deep into the geopolitical chessboard shapin...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 155: Raised by Survivors — A Conversation with Shelly Piekny Smolar Join host Bernie Furshpan on Raised by Survivors as he sits down with dear friend and fellow second-generation survivor Shelly Piekny Smolar. Born in a displaced persons camp and raised in Brooklyn’s tight-knit survivor community, Shelly shares candid memories of growing up in a household shaped by trauma,...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 156 of Disrupting Hate on HMTV, host Ken Schachter sits down with Eva Rosenstein, founder of the Lilian Wilder Center for Communication Excellence. Eva shares her fascinating journey from the high-tech world to coaching some of the most influential Israeli and American communicators. Together, they explore the power of propaganda as a weapon of war and a tool of populat...

Send us Fan Mail In this deeply moving episode of Raised by Survivors , host Bernie Furshpan sits down with Patti Edelstein to explore her family's incredible journey of survival and resilience. Patti shares the harrowing story of her father’s narrow escape from Nazi Germany in 1941, the challenges her family faced, and how their legacy shapes her life today. Together, they reflect on the imp...

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...