hmTv at HMTC Podcasts

Send us a textIn Episode 389 of Ordinary Heroes on hmTv, host Bernie Furshpan sits down with Lisa Zaretsky, founder of the Zaretsky Wellness Center and a deeply trained clinician and educator with advanced expertise spanning education, social work, and cognitive science. Together they explore what “wellness” really means beyond buzzwords, why the subconscious mind drives so much of our behavior, and how patterns like anxiety, avoidance, and inherited family beliefs can keep people stuck in loops.The conversation takes a powerful turn as Bernie reflects on being a second-generation Holocaust survivor and asks how intergenerational trauma is passed down, even when families stay silent. Lisa explains trauma through a systems-based lens, discussing epigenetics, family dynamics, meaning-making, and therapeutic approaches that target root causes, including hypnotherapy and Rapid Transformational Therapy. She also unpacks neurodiversity and twice-exceptionality, challenging narrow definitions of “normal” and advocating for strength-based, psychologically safe learning environments.The episode closes with a timely message for young people facing rising intolerance and antisemitism: empathy requires connection, not polarity, and healing is strengthened through identity, purpose, and acts of service.Support the show

Send us a text(Ep 388)In Part 2 of Habits of a Whole Heart, host Arnie Herz continues his inspiring conversation with Mo Wolfe, founder of Evolution Pilates in Port Washington, New York. After sharing her powerful personal journey in Part 1, Mo returns to explore deeper themes of gratitude, wholeness, and what it truly means to live with intention.Mo reflects on her recent trip to Bhutan, a country known for measuring “Gross Domestic Happiness,” and shares how its calm, culture, and values reshaped her perspective on modern life, noise, and stress. From there, the conversation moves into the heart of Pilates as Joseph Pilates intended it: breath, control, alignment, and inner focus as a path to vitality.Arnie and Mo discuss the overlap between Pilates and physical therapy, the importance of agency, and how resilience is built not only in the body but also in the mind and spirit. Arnie shares personal testimony about how Pilates helped prepare him for open heart surgery and supported his recovery through major health challenges, including surviving overwhelming odds after a life-threatening brain bleed.This episode is a moving reminder that strength is built daily, gratitude is a practice, and community is healing. And as Mo says: if you have a body, you have a Pilates body.Support the show

Send us a textIn Episode 387 of Habits of a Whole Heart (Part 1) on hmTv, host Arnie Herz sits down with Mo Wolfe, founder of Evolution Pilates in Port Washington, New York, for a lively, eye-opening conversation about what Pilates really is and why it matters far beyond fitness.Mo shares her journey from magazine publishing to becoming a lifelong Pilates teacher and studio owner, and explains how Pilates became her “love affair” because it helps people get out of pain, rebuild strength, and reconnect with their bodies. Together, Arnie and Mo explore the surprising role of community in a practice that looks individual, the powerful link between physical health and happiness, and why Pilates can actually get harder as you improve (yes, that’s the point).They also talk about focus in a distracted world, “pattern recognition” in movement, and why Pilates is not about chasing an aesthetic goal, but about building a body that lets you live with more ease, energy, and joy.Stay tuned for Part 2, where they plan to dive deeper into Pilates as therapy, how to start without feeling overwhelmed, and the real-life stories of transformation that keep people coming back.Support the show

Send us a textIn this heartwarming and lively episode of The Dana Download, Dana welcomes two of her favorite people from her broadcast career, Fox 5 reporter Jodi Goldberg and photojournalist (and fire chief) Jimmy McLoughlin. What starts as a reunion quickly becomes a funny, deeply personal, and surprisingly moving conversation.They reminisce about chasing stories across Long Island, share behind-the-scenes moments with celebrities and community heroes, and talk about the power of storytelling in a world that desperately needs more light. Jodi opens up about balancing motherhood with the relentless pace of news, while Jimmy shares how surviving cancer reshaped his outlook on life and leadership.From newsroom laughs to life-changing lessons, this episode reminds us why relationships matter, why truth matters, and why hope always finds its way back in.If you love friendship, resilience, and a few good laughs along the way, you’re in the right place. Tune in.Support the show

Send us a textEpisode 385 of The Israeli Bond on hmTv features host Gal Swisa Cohen in a heartfelt and honest conversation with junior emissary Shaked Zazon about what it really means to grow up in Lod, a mixed Jewish Arab city in Israel’s social periphery.Shaked shares vivid memories of her childhood in a small, diverse school where Jews, Muslims, Christians, Ethiopians, and immigrants from across the world learned and celebrated together. She describes Lod as a living puzzle of Israeli society, rich with history and community pride, yet often stigmatized from the outside because of crime, poverty, and negative media coverage. The conversation explores the tension between her deep love for her hometown and the stereotypes she faces when she tells people she is from Lod.Gal and Shaked also revisit the trauma of Operation Guardian of the Walls in 2021, when riots and social media hostility from former Arab classmates shattered her sense of shared community and trust. Together they examine how that moment still shapes her feelings today, especially in light of the events of October 7. Despite the fear and complexity, Shaked insists on holding on to hope and to the possibility of Jews and Arabs living together again as neighbors, as she experienced in her childhood. The episode ends on a personal and playful note, with a quick question game that highlights the small things she misses from Lod and what she dreams of bringing back to Israel from her emissary work in the United States.Support the show

Send us a textEp. 384: The Fog of War and Humanity — Sgt. Timothy Gene Molnar, Part 3In this powerful continuation of his story, Sgt. Timothy Gene Molnar opens up about life on the road in Iraq, where every convoy meant uncertainty, discipline, and a constant pulse of adrenaline. Tim walks us through near-misses with IEDs and RPGs, the challenge of staying alert in brutal desert conditions, and the strange mix of fear and focus that becomes second nature in a combat zone.But the conversation goes deeper. Tim shares the reality of coming home: the quiet that felt too quiet, the anger that surprised him, the habits that crept in, and the long road toward counseling, healing, and finding purpose again. With honesty and humility, he talks about PTSD, the importance of support, and why veterans should never feel ashamed to ask for help.Host Richard Acritelli guides the conversation with insight and respect, highlighting the sacrifices made by service members and the human cost that continues long after the uniforms come off. It’s raw, reflective, and hopeful — the kind of conversation that reminds us why listening matters.Support the show

Send us a textEpisode 383: The Fog of War and HumanityGuest: Sgt. Timothy Gene Molnar — Part 2In this powerful continuation, Sgt. Timothy Gene Molnar returns with host Richard Acritelli to walk through the moment the world changed on 9/11 and how it reshaped his life and military path. From delivering beer on Long Island to suddenly preparing for war, Tim shares the emotional whiplash, the call back to active duty, and the reality of training for a mission no one fully understood yet.He opens up about being cross-leveled into a new unit, heading to Fort Drum, and deploying to Kuwait and Iraq at the very beginning of the conflict, when armor was scarce, training was evolving in real time, and mistakes could cost everything. Tim recounts sandstorms, tent cities, convoy training, water deliveries, his first days in Iraq, and a devastating vehicle rollover that ended with a medevac and a fast return to duty.This is not Hollywood. It is grit, uncertainty, humor where you can find it, and the quiet courage of ordinary people thrown into extraordinary circumstances.A conversation about war, yes — but more importantly, about resilience, responsibility, and the very human cost behind headlines.Support the show

Send us a textEpisode 382: The Fog of War and Humanity with Richard Acritelli and guest Timothy Gene Molnar, Part 1In this episode, Richard Acritelli sits down with longtime friend and fellow service member Timothy Gene Molnar to trace the path of an ordinary American kid who grew up to shoulder extraordinary responsibilities.From East Islip athletics to long hours practicing saxophone, Tim describes how discipline first took root in his life. He shares why he chose the Army Reserves after graduation, what it was like entering basic training as the Cold War ended and the Gulf War ignited, and how driving heavy military vehicles eventually led him to real-world careers back home.Tim also opens up about:• learning teamwork and resilience through sports • using music as therapy and purpose • life at Fort Leonard Wood • field exercises near the Korean DMZ • the influence of Vietnam and Desert Storm veterans on young soldiers • balancing civilian jobs with military dutyIt is a grounded, human conversation about service, identity, humor, pressure, and the reality of growing up fast when history refuses to sit still.Lean in, listen closely, and take something forward from Tim’s story. Life doesn’t come with a pause button. It comes with choices.Support the show

Send us a textLegacy Chronicles Ep 381: A Daughter’s Journey Through Memory with Barbara MurrayIn this powerful episode, host Donna Rosenblum sits down with longtime HMTC volunteer and Second Generation speaker, Barbara Murray, to explore what it means to grow up as the child of Holocaust survivors.Barbara opens her heart about her parents’ incredible path from Poland to Paris, to Soviet labor camps, to displacement, and finally to America. She reflects on childhood memories shaped by trauma, identity, silence, resilience, and the unspoken bond shared among survivors.We follow Barbara’s transformation from a young woman who avoided her story, to an educator and storyteller committed to preserving memory for future generations. Her work collecting testimonies, volunteering in the HMTC library, and speaking with students reveals how one person’s voice can change how history is understood.This conversation reminds us why these stories must continue to be told. Not to dwell in tragedy, but to light the path forward with empathy, truth, and courage. No sugar-coating it: forgetting is easy. Learning takes effort. And yet, listening is how we build something better.Tune in, lean in, and carry the memory forward.Support the show

Send us a textEp 380 • The Fog of War and HumanityRichard Acritelli with Sgt. Joe Cognitore • Part 4In this final chapter of their conversation, Richard Acritelli sits down once more with Sgt. Joe Cognitore to explore what happens after the uniform comes off. Joe opens up about the shock of returning home from Vietnam, trying to build a teaching career, the stigma veterans faced, and the long shadow of PTSD that often goes unnamed but never truly disappears.From classrooms to Coca-Cola boardrooms, from quietly carrying his story to becoming a powerful advocate through the VFW, Joe traces the journey from silence to service. He shares how care packages, community, and honest conversations keep veterans from slipping through the cracks, and why today’s support systems, while imperfect, are finally moving in the right direction.It’s real, thoughtful, sometimes tough to hear, and deeply human. If you care about veterans, healing, and what resilience actually looks like, this episode will stay with you. And yes, Joe proves once again that leadership doesn’t always mean being the loudest voice. Sometimes it means showing up, year after year, and refusing to leave anyone behind.Support the show