hmTv at HMTC Podcasts

Send us a textEpisode 321: Dr. Rick Lucash — Medicine, Memory, and Moral CourageIn this riveting episode, host Dana sits down with Dr. Rick Lucash — board-certified surgeon, artist, author, and husband of a second-generation Holocaust survivor — for a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation about healing, legacy, and the responsibility to remember.Dr. Lucash shares how his medical career and artistic calling intersect with history, including his powerful portraits of Holocaust survivors and the profound influence of his wife's Auschwitz-survivor parents. He also recounts the remarkable story of his father, world-renowned medical examiner Dr. Leslie Lucash, who played a pivotal role in identifying the remains of Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele in Brazil.This episode explores resilience, moral leadership, the power of testimony, and how ordinary individuals can rise to moments of extraordinary purpose. It is a celebration of memory, humanity, and the quiet strength of those who carry history forward with dignity and truth.A moving conversation that honors the past and challenges all of us to stand up for what matters.Support the show

Send us a textOrdinary Heroes Ep. 320Guest: Jill Santiago, Director, Center for Social Justice & Human Understanding, Suffolk County Community CollegeIn this powerful episode of Ordinary Heroes, host Bernie Furshpan sits down with educator and advocate Jill Santiago, a fierce champion for Holocaust education, tolerance, and human dignity at Suffolk County Community College.Together, they explore the responsibility we share to confront rising hate, teach empathy through survivor testimony, and inspire young people to become upstanders in a world that desperately needs moral courage. From the importance of civic duty to the dangers of apathy, propaganda, and modern misinformation, this conversation connects history’s lessons to today’s urgent realities.Jill and Bernie remind us that while hatred spreads quickly, kindness and humanity can move faster when we choose to act. Ordinary people have always held the power to change history—and the next generation holds that power now.Listen, reflect, and feel inspired to do your part. Because extraordinary heroes aren’t born… they rise when the moment calls.Support the show

Send us a textHistory Repeats Ep. 316 (Part 1)In this powerful episode of History Repeats, host Liam Carballal sits down with educator, historian, and veteran Rich Acritelli to peel back the layers of Forrest Gump and examine the real history behind one of America’s most beloved films.From the deep-rooted rise and fall of hate movements in the United States to the realities of Vietnam, cultural innocence, and the civil rights struggle, Liam and Rich connect Hollywood storytelling with true historical context and lived experience. They explore Forrest’s journey as a lens into American character, courage, cruelty, and compassion — and how a single film still teaches us about prejudice, patriotism, and the everyday acts of humanity that shape history.Rich shares personal stories from his military service, classroom perspective, and research, reminding us how memory and truth move through generations. This episode is equal parts reflection, cultural critique, and heartfelt tribute to those who served and those who stood up for justice.History does not just repeat — it echoes. Join us for Part 1 of a candid, insightful, and humbling two-part conversation that reminds us why understanding our past is essential to shaping a better future.Support the show

Send us a textHistory Repeats Ep. 317 (Part 2)In Part 2 of this powerful History Repeats conversation, host Liam Carballal and historian Rich Acritelli continue their deep dive into Forrest Gump and the real history behind one of America’s most iconic films.This episode takes us beyond the battlefield and into the emotional terrain veterans faced when they came home. Rich brings history to life with insight shaped by military service, decades of teaching, and personal reflection.From the psychological scars carried by Vietnam soldiers to the rise of protest culture, the AIDS crisis, generational trauma, and the quiet heroism of resilience, this episode reminds us that history is not just dates and timelines — it is human struggle, memory, and healing.Forrest’s journey becomes a window into America's fractured eras and the way ordinary acts of loyalty and dignity can outshine violence and chaos.If Part 1 showed us the battlefields of history, this episode explores the battles people fight long after the shooting stops.A thoughtful, emotional, and grounding conversation that underscores why understanding our past is essential to building a more empathetic future.Support the show

Send us a textThe Fog of War and Humanity with Rich Acritelli & guest Vanessa Pino LockelIn this thoughtful and inspiring episode, host Rich Acritelli sits down with Vanessa Pino Lockel, Executive Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension Suffolk County, to explore community service, resilience, and the growing support network for Long Island’s veterans.Vanessa shares her remarkable journey from growing up in New York City to working on Wall Street, serving in state government during major recovery efforts, and ultimately helping lead one of the region’s most impactful community organizations. She discusses the powerful role of the Suffolk County Farm as a space for healing, learning, and emotional recovery, especially for veterans and their families.The conversation dives into:• The mission and impact of Cornell Cooperative Extension • The emotional value of open space, animals, and community connection • How Suffolk County is expanding mental-health and support services for veterans • Vanessa’s unforgettable 66-mile walk across Long Island alongside veterans and advocates • The quiet strength and unseen battles faced by those who servedThis episode reminds us that honor is not just something we speak—it is something we show through action, compassion, and presence. Vanessa’s work reflects the best of public service and the power of community to lift up those who have carried our nation.A grounded, moving conversation that celebrates service, resilience, and the belief that healing grows where community invests in humanity.Support the show

Send us a textRaised by Survivors with Bernie Furshpan and Dr. Larry AltschulIn this compelling episode of Raised by Survivors, host Bernie Furshpan sits down with Dr. Larry Altschul, whose family escaped Austria at the moment history turned dark. Larry shares the remarkable story of his father, who recognized danger the day Hitler marched into Vienna, secured visas before the world closed its doors, and led his family across the Alps to safety. He later returned to Europe as a U.S. Army intelligence soldier to fight the very forces they fled.Larry’s story is one of clarity, courage, and moral conviction. From the childhood crush who survived bombings in London and tuberculosis before becoming Larry’s mother, to the deep values of gratitude and duty carried into the next generation, this conversation brings to life the choices that define survival and humanity.This episode reminds us that silence is dangerous, freedom is fragile, and ordinary people can make extraordinary decisions when they refuse to look away. It is a powerful testament to acting early, standing for what is right, and passing on compassion and strength to future generations.Support the show

Send us a textLegacy Chronicles— Episode 314 Host: Zachary Graulich Guest: Consolee Nishimwe Produced by: Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center / hmTvIn this deeply moving episode, Assistant Director of Education Zachary Graulich sits down with genocide survivor, author, and global human rights advocate Consolee Nishimwe. At just 14 years old during the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda, Consolee endured unimaginable loss, violence, and betrayal. She survived thanks to the courage of neighbors who risked their lives to protect her and her family.Consolee shares her childhood in Rwanda, the murder of her father and siblings, the terror of hiding, and the sexual violence she endured. Through profound resilience, her mother’s strength, and later the support of therapy and writing, she rebuilt her life. Her journey brought her to the United States, where she transformed grief into purpose and became a powerful voice for survivors and for human dignity around the world.This conversation explores survival, healing, faith, identity, and the moral duty to bear witness. Consolee reminds us that storytelling is not only remembrance. It is resistance — and a call to honor the past while safeguarding the future.A conversation that challenges, inspires, and reaffirms the strength of the human spirit.For more on Consolee and her memoir Tested to the Limit, visit HMTC.org.Support the show

Send us a textEchoes of the Past – Episode 313 Guest: Consolee Nishimwe Host: Zachary Graulich Produced by: Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County (hmTv)In this powerful episode of Echoes of the Past, host Zachary Graulich sits down with Consolee Nishimwe, a survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.At just 14 years old, Consolee’s life was forever changed as her family faced unthinkable violence, loss, and displacement. In this first part of her story, she shares memories of her joyful childhood in Rwanda, the growing signs of discrimination that preceded the genocide, and the harrowing first days after the violence began.Through her courage and faith, Consolee offers not only testimony of survival but also a message of love, resilience, and the importance of remembering humanity in the face of hatred.“Even when everything was taken away, my mother reminded us: pray. Keep your faith.”Tune in for an intimate, moving conversation that honors the memory of those lost and reminds us of the enduring strength of the human spirit.🕊️ Content Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence and loss related to genocide, which may be distressing for some listeners.Support the show

Send us a textRaised by Survivors — Episode 315 Guest: Gayle Saks Host: Bernie Furshpan Produced by HMTC / hmTvIn this powerful episode of Raised by Survivors, host Bernie Furshpan sits down with writer, counselor, and mental-health advocate Gayle Saks, the daughter of a hidden child Holocaust survivor from Belgium. With honesty, humor, and unflinching courage, Gayle opens up about her mother’s trauma, her struggles with mental illness, and the legacy of silence and survival that shaped her childhood.Gayle shares how inherited trauma intersected with her own life journey — from growing up in Roslyn, to supporting individuals battling addiction, to sitting across from people with swastika tattoos while working in re-entry counseling. She talks about grief, depression, humor as medicine, raising a compassionate daughter, and her mission to help children who have lost parents to addiction through her grief camp.This conversation moves between memory and laughter, pain and purpose, reminding us that being raised by survivors means more than carrying trauma — it means carrying resilience, compassion, and responsibility forward.A raw and uplifting exploration of legacy, healing, mental health, and what it means to find light where others only see darkness.Support the show

Send us a textEpisode 312: Humanity in the ArtsIn this soulful and intellectually rich episode of Humanity in the Arts, host Ranelle Wolf sits down with Rabbi Josh Franklin of the Jewish Center of the Hamptons for a journey through faith, creativity, and the search for meaning.Recorded at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center, this conversation explores how art and spirituality shape moral imagination, community, and courage in challenging times. Rabbi Franklin reflects on interfaith study, the power of Torah as a mirror for personal growth, and the surprising beauty within the Jewish diaspora experience. Together, they examine the creative calling, the deeper meaning of Lech Lecha (“go to yourself”), and how artists like Marc Chagall bridged tradition and modernity to express suffering, hope, and transcendence.At its heart, this episode calls us to know ourselves, honor difference, build bridges, and create beauty in a fractured world. Whether you are an artist, a seeker, or someone trying to live with purpose, this conversation will inspire you to see your life as a canvas and your values as your greatest work of art.Tune in. Reflect deeply. And go to yourself.Support the show