hmTv at HMTC Podcasts Ep 331: The Dana Download with Dana Arschin and guests Arnie Podgorsky & Laura Bakst on hmTv
Ep. 331
The Dana Download with Dana Arschin
Guests: Arnie Podgorsky & Laura Bakst
In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Dana sits down with two dear friends — attorney and 3G author Laura Bakst (The Shoemaker’s Son) and Masorti Foundation chair Arnie Podgorsky — to unpack their emotional return trip to Poland and the article they co-wrote for Moment Magazine: “Travel and Teshuva: Our Tour Through Poland’s Contradictions.”
Together, they explore the complex legacy of Jewish history in Poland, the meaning of teshuva as a spiritual return, and the tension between inherited trauma and modern reconciliation efforts. With honesty, vulnerability, and a surprising amount of laughter, the trio dives into what it means for 3G descendants to walk the same streets their families fled — and how to hold space for both heartbreak and hope.
You’ll also hear the lighter side of their journey: airport reunions, unexpected water-hose ambushes, Star-of-David fashion statements in Krakow, and the joy of encountering Jewish life flourishing in places once marked only by loss.
A conversation about history, healing, courage, and the power of shared stories — this episode is a reminder that even the heaviest journeys can be carried together.