The Upstander Ripple Effect

“We make mistakes, and we will continue to make mistakes. The beauty of that is that we get to fix it, you know. But how we atone for that, how we move forward is what matters.”  - Shawnee Turner  In this episode of The Upstander Ripple Effect, hosts Jackie Congedo and Kevin Aldridge welcome Shawnee Turner, Vice President of Education and Interpretation at the National Underground Railroad Freedom...

“It is an interesting time to think about how these two days are established to remember and honor separate histories, but in so many ways, separate histories that are so interconnected, that have so many shared themes and shared lessons.”  - Kevin Aldridge, co-host In this episode, Jackie Congedo and Kevin Aldridge sit down with historian and civic leader Dan Hurley to talk about interconnectedne...

“In a time that feels very dark and hopeless, they're finding hope in the humanity of others, not just what they're doing, but what they see communities doing to help.”   - Lucy May, Cincinnati journalist, on one of the stories of the year that brought her hope    “I'm thinking about the ripple effect and the fact that you know, who started this? It was one person who said, ‘Geez, y...

As artificial intelligence of the future is applied to events of the past, how do we make sure truth and authenticity is the focus?  “We remove the human element out of it when we say, robot, go do this for me.”  - Jackie Congedo, on relying on AI to interpret history  Hosts Jackie Congedo and Kevin Aldridge welcome guest Steve Coppel to discuss his father, Werner’s, story—now part of the powerful...

When political division and violence dominate the headlines, how can we hold on to our shared humanity? Host Jackie Congedo is joined by guest Sean Comer, Vice President of the Leadership Center at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber and founder of Beyond Civility: Communication for Effective Governance . Together, they explore how empathy, humility, and connection can counter polarization and str...

“Because it was brought here to Cincinnati, I think it also gives way to this idea that, you know, the Holocaust is, is international history, right? It's European history, global history, but it's our local history too.”   – Director of Collections & Exhibitions Cori Silbernagel on the suitcase that Holocaust survivor Werner Coppel carried from Europe to Cincinnati  Werner Coppel wa...

“We hear that in a lot of survivor stories... saying you're trained as something, that you're not, in a way, to survive.” - Trinity Johnson, Director of Holocaust Programs & Museum Experiences at the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center This episode of our limited podcast series accompanies the upcoming exhibition Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. , opening Oct...

“Bias doesn’t just live in the people we don’t like. It lives in the mirrors that we look in every day in our homes.” – Kevin Aldridge  Season 2 of The Upstander Ripple Effect kicks off with a powerful conversation about self-awareness —how recognizing our own biases, blind spots, and strengths shapes how we behave in our lives and communities.   Hosts Jackie Congedo and Kevin Aldridge reflect on...

Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. opens at Cincinnati Museum Center in October 2025. For those who have never visited the camp, it represents an unparalleled learning opportunity.  “The people are not present… but there are traces of them still in those buildings.” —Cori Silbernagel  What can Auschwitz still teach us today? A visit to Poland made by two of our staff, Cori Silbernagel, Directo...

She said, "Will you take me as a sister?" And we said, "Yes, you will be our third sister.” And that's how we went through the war to be known as the three sisters." We were always holding hands together so we wouldn't be separated.  - Rozalia Berke, Auschwitz survivor  In Auschwitz, two sisters chose resistance — not with weapons, but with books, courage, and love. R...

Step behind the scenes, into the archives of the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, in Union Terminal, to explore the lives of Henry Carter and Leo Wilich—Auschwitz survivors who rebuilt their lives in Cincinnati.  “Henry didn't sit idly by in the ghetto. He, through acts that were both big and small, did what he could to resist, and he became involved in the underground...

A landmark collection of artifacts and photos from Auschwitz is coming to Cincinnati in October 2025. “I've paid attention to it as it's been in different places, and talked to the curator and talked to partners who have had it, knowing that in the back of my mind, like that's something that needs to come to Cincinnati, and it clearly needs to be in this building for all the connect...

The last show of Season One is officially in the books! In this episode, we wrap up the first season of The Upstander Ripple Effect with gratitude, reflection, and—of course—inspiration. Jackie and Kevin dig into some of the headline-making moments shaping our world, from political hypocrisy to the challenges of breaking out of our echo chambers. Together, they explore what real resistance looks l...

Attacks on Jewish communities. Corporate retreats from Pride Month. Rhetoric heating up on all sides. What does it take to pause, reflect, and truly see the world through someone else’s eyes?  In this episode of The Upstander Ripple Effect, hosts Kevin Aldridge and Jackie Congedo take on the character strength of perspective—not just as a virtue, but as a practical tool for navigating our turbulen...

In this episode of The Upstander Ripple Effect , hosts Jackie Congedo and Kevin Aldridge dive deep into the idea of empathy—what it really means, why some people are questioning its value, and how it plays a powerful role in standing up for others. Along the way, they reflect on how empathy is often misunderstood as agreement, when really, it’s about connection and understanding.  As Kevin puts it...

Host Jackie Congedo, CEO at the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, joined this episode from her hotel in Jerusalem, where she was with leaders from Holocaust education centers around the world, studying and collaborating.   “Their son had a knack for connecting with people, and for seeing the humanity in somebody else, and for caring enough about another human being with a dif...

“How can we all stand up for each other? Help each other more? Help each other thrive?...I believe that we're more resilient when we're building resilience together.” - Fatima Doman on being upstanders and becoming more resilient  In this episode of The Upstander Ripple Effect, Fatima Doman joins the Center’s Director of External Strategic Engagement, Kara Driscoll, and explores the powe...

“ If fear is what's driving us right now, let's find out what people are afraid of, and let's have a conversation. Let's have a talk. Let's talk about that first. Let's lean into that courageously and have some honest conversations about, what is it that we're really all scared about right now, and how do we push past that, overcome that fear, to get us to a plac...

This episode explores the evolving landscape of Holocaust remembrance with Dr. Sarah Crane, Visiting Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Cincinnati and Scholar in Residence at the Holocaust & Humanity Center.  "The Holocaust gives us ways to answer deep questions about what it means to be human—but it’s going to keep evolving, and that’s why these conversation...

What do we choose to remember and why? What memories should we work to keep alive? Jackie and Kevin explore that in this episode.   “I think it's important for us to understand, too, why it's important to keep these stories, these legacies, alive... we all stand on the shoulders of the accomplishments and sacrifices of these individuals who've made our country, our world, a better p...

One way we can be upstanders is to embrace our ability to be leaders. Dr. Gail Fairhurst has studied communication and leadership extensively, and joins us to share her best insights on how we can lean into leadership in our everyday lives.   " A communication approach is going to look at how we together negotiate meaning about whatever is the task before us, whatever our identities are, or w...

In this episode of The Upstander Ripple Effect, Jeff Bryan, co-founder of the Positivity Project, shares how his military background and studies in positive psychology inspired a nationwide initiative to teach character strengths in schools.  “What do we need to do to be successful here? You’re looking at their character—are they honest, do they have integrity, are they humble?" -- Jeff Bryan...

This episode brings a heartfelt exploration of gratitude, fittingly marking the final episode of 2024.   "Gratitude is the kinetic energy behind the ripple effect." – Jackie Congedo, host and CEO of the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center  Hosts Jackie Congedo and Kevin Aldridge reflect on the year gone by, using the theme of gratitude as both a lens for reflection and...

Being the best version of ourselves, so we can be upstanders for the world around us, takes time and intention. Stacy Sims, Executive Director and Founder of The Well, joins us in this episode to help us understand the importance of mindfulness in an age of distraction.   “If we don't have practices that allow us to be sort of old school - out in nature, walking around, reading books, playing...

This episode tackles the daunting task of building community in a deeply divided post-election landscape head-on.  "I think it is the essential project of this moment and it’s something I think is going to be very hard for both sides to do.” - Jackie, on community building Hosts Kevin Aldridge and Jackie Congedo acknowledge the challenges inherent in that task, but insist it's essential...