Send a text

Ep 486
Voices Illuminated with Judy Liman featuring Freida Rothman | hmTv

In this inspiring episode of Voices Illuminated on hmTv, host Judy Liman welcomes celebrated jewelry designer and entrepreneur Freida Rothman for a powerful conversation about creativity, identity, resilience, and purpose.

Freida shares the remarkable story behind building her globally recognized luxury jewelry brand, rooted in her upbringing in Brooklyn and inspired by the vibrant spirit of New York City. She reflects on how her heritage, family values, and personal experiences shaped both her artistic vision and her commitment to empowering women.

Throughout the conversation, Judy and Freida explore the intersection of art, culture, and perseverance, discussing the challenges of entrepreneurship, the importance of authenticity, and how meaningful design can tell stories that connect people across generations.

This episode shines a light on how passion, courage, and creativity can transform ideas into impact while reminding us that the most powerful voices are those that stay true to who they are.

A thoughtful and uplifting conversation about innovation, heritage, and the power of purpose.

Support the show

Send a text

Ep 485: Ordinary Heroes with Bernie Furshpan and guest Vivace Maxvictor

In this powerful episode of Ordinary Heroes on hmTv, host Bernie Furshpan sits down with Vivace Maxvictor to explore an extraordinary story of resilience, healing, and transformation.

Born into a Jewish family in Iran, Vivace grew up in an environment marked by fear, violence, and profound personal trauma. Despite these early hardships, she pursued a career in medicine and worked for twelve years as a surgical physician assistant. Yet professional success did not bring the fulfillment she longed for, prompting a deep personal reckoning about purpose, identity, and the true meaning of achievement.

In this candid conversation, Vivace shares how she confronted painful memories, navigated periods of deep despair, and ultimately discovered the power of self-awareness, personal responsibility, and inner grace. She discusses the difference between post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic growth, the importance of validating pain without surrendering to it, and the idea that each of us carries a “treasure box” of potential waiting to be opened.

Through honesty and reflection, Vivace offers an inspiring reminder that even the most difficult experiences can become the foundation for strength, purpose, and compassion.

This episode of Ordinary Heroes is a moving testament to the human capacity to transform pain into power and to live authentically with courage and hope.

Support the show

Send a text

In Episode 484 of Raised by Survivors on hmTv, host Bernie Furshpan welcomes his longtime friend Eti Znamirowski LeMoullec for a moving and deeply personal conversation about growing up as the daughter of two Holocaust survivors. Eti shares how Holocaust stories were part of everyday life in her home from her earliest memories, told not through fear, but through love, resilience, and the message that her parents had survived and built a family, making them the winners.

Together, Bernie and Eti reflect on the values passed down by survivor parents, including gratitude, family devotion, hard work, optimism, tzedakah, and the importance of never taking anything for granted. Eti recounts remarkable stories of her parents’ survival, including her father’s escape from Auschwitz, his role helping refugees after the war, and the extraordinary way her parents’ lives became intertwined through fate and courage.

The episode also explores how memory is carried forward across generations, the emotional impact of returning to Poland with survivor parents, and the lasting lessons young people can learn from those who endured unthinkable loss yet built lives rooted in love, generosity, and hope. With warmth, humor, and heartfelt remembrance, this episode is a tribute to survivor legacy and the enduring strength of family.

Support the show

Send a text

In Part 2 of "Inheriting Memory," host Rebecca Saparacio continues her conversation with Degi Ruben, a third-generation Holocaust descendant. Degi shares how the legacy of her grandparents’ survival, as well as her mother’s experiences as a child of survivors, has shaped her worldview, sense of responsibility, and commitment to Jewish education. They discuss how inherited trauma can subtly shape parenting, why teaching the Holocaust in its specificity remains crucial, and what gives her hope for preserving this history. With a focus on embracing Judaism as a living, joyful experience, Degi offers a heartfelt message on how to combat hate by actively celebrating and passing down Jewish identity. This episode is an inspiring reflection on resilience, legacy, and the power of education.

Support the show

Send a text

Ep 482: Inheriting Memory (Part 1)
Host: Rebecca Saparacio
Guest: Degi Ruben

In this episode of Inheriting Memory on hmTv, host Rebecca Saparacio speaks with Degi Ruben about what it means to grow up as a third-generation descendant of Holocaust survivors and how family history continues to shape identity across generations.

Born in Israel and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Degi shares the story of her family’s journey, beginning with her mother, a second-generation daughter of Holocaust survivors, and the powerful legacy passed down through their family. She reflects on growing up in a household where the Holocaust was openly discussed yet woven naturally into everyday life.

Degi recounts the remarkable stories of her grandparents, including her grandmother’s survival in a brutal slave labor camp where she courageously attempted to sabotage bullets being manufactured for the Nazi war effort. Through these stories, listeners gain insight into the resilience, courage, and determination that allowed survivors to rebuild their lives after the war.

Part one of this conversation explores how memory is inherited through family stories, humor, openness, and education, and how these experiences shaped Degi’s understanding of history, identity, and responsibility.

A thoughtful and moving discussion about generational memory, resilience, and the enduring impact of Holocaust history on families today.

Support the show

Send a text

Ep 481: Putting the Brakes on Bullying
Host: Samantha Sosnik
Guests: Allan and Janice Katz

In this powerful and deeply moving episode of Putting the Brakes on Bullying on hmTv, host Samantha Sosnik welcomes Allan and Janice Katz for an extraordinary conversation about resilience, gratitude, and the life-changing impact of human kindness.

Allan shares his remarkable journey of surviving pancreatic cancer and later receiving a life-saving kidney transplant. Together, Allan and Janice recount the emotional and complex experience surrounding the transplant, including the profound generosity of an organ donor and the powerful moment they met the donor’s family.

Beyond survival, this experience reshaped their lives. Allan transitioned from a high-level career on Wall Street to working with the Hanley Foundation, helping people struggling with addiction and mental health challenges. Janice, inspired by her own experiences and the support she received through therapy, returned to school to become a mental health counselor.

This episode is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the incredible impact that compassion, generosity, and purpose can have on others. Through their story, Allan and Janice remind us that even in the darkest moments, kindness and connection can lead to hope, healing, and a renewed commitment to helping others.

A powerful conversation about gratitude, perspective, and why choosing kindness can change lives.

Support the show

Send a text

Ep 480: Raised by Survivors with Bernie Furshpan and guest Sandy Pensak

In this deeply personal episode of Raised by Survivors on hmTv, host Bernie Furshpan sits down with fellow second-generation Holocaust survivor Sandy Pensak to reflect on what it was like growing up as the child of parents who endured the unimaginable.

Sandy shares the story of her parents, who survived multiple forced labor camps during the Holocaust and later rebuilt their lives in America, operating a small luncheonette in Queens while raising their family. Like many children of survivors, Sandy explains that the trauma of the Holocaust was rarely spoken about during her early years, yet it shaped her childhood in powerful and lasting ways.

The conversation explores the quiet signals that revealed their parents’ past, the moment Sandy’s mother first spoke openly about her experiences for a school project interview with her granddaughter, and the emotional legacy carried by the second generation. Bernie and Sandy also reflect on the values instilled by their survivor parents: resilience, gratitude for life’s simplest blessings, and a deep commitment to education.

As a longtime educator and former school principal, Sandy discusses the importance of Holocaust education in today’s world and the responsibility of younger generations to continue remembering and teaching these stories. Together, Bernie and Sandy honor the lives of their parents while emphasizing why the lessons of the Holocaust remain urgently relevant.

This moving conversation is a tribute to the strength of survivors, the gratitude of their children, and the enduring hope that education and remembrance can help build a more compassionate future.

Support the show

Send a text

Ep 479: Ordinary Heroes with Bernie Furshpan and guest Adam Mazo

In this episode of Ordinary Heroes on hmTv, host Bernie Furshpan speaks with filmmaker and educator Adam Mazo, co-founder of the Upstander Project, about the importance of standing up against injustice and the power of storytelling to inspire change.

Drawing from the lessons of the Holocaust and other historical injustices, Bernie and Adam explore the difference between bystanders and upstanders and why ordinary people have the ability and responsibility to act when they witness hate, bullying, or discrimination. Adam shares how the Upstander Project began, how documentary films such as Coexist and Dawnland illuminate hidden histories, and why film can be such a powerful tool for building empathy and awareness.

The conversation also reflects on the legacy of Holocaust survivors, the dangers of silence in the face of injustice, and practical ways educators, communities, and young people can cultivate courage, compassion, and responsibility.

At a time when the world often feels divided, this episode reminds us that even small acts of courage can make a meaningful difference. Becoming an upstander does not require extraordinary power. It simply requires the willingness to care for others and to speak up when something is not right.

Listen to this thoughtful and inspiring discussion about history, humanity, and the everyday choices that shape a more just and compassionate world.

Support the show

Send a text

Ep. 478: Antisemitism and the United Nations and in Society with Dr. Suzanne Bleiberg-Sepperson and Jonathan Harounoff

In this compelling episode of Antisemitism and the United Nations and in Society on hmTv, host Dr. Suzanne Bleiberg-Sepperson speaks with Jonathan Harounoff, international spokesperson and senior communications advisor for Israel’s mission to the United Nations and author of Unveiled: Inside Iran’s Women Life Freedom Revolt.

Drawing on his unique background as a British-Iranian journalist with Israeli roots, Harounoff shares personal reflections on growing up between cultures, witnessing the persistence of antisemitism in Europe, and navigating today’s complex global political landscape. The conversation explores the surge of antisemitism on university campuses, the role of social media in shaping misinformation, and the challenges of confronting anti-Israel narratives in academic and diplomatic arenas.

Harounoff also offers a rare inside perspective on Israel’s engagement at the United Nations, explaining why maintaining a presence within the UN system remains strategically important despite ongoing criticism and political tensions.

The discussion concludes with an important message about the people of Iran, highlighting the distinction between the Iranian population and the Islamic Republic’s leadership. Through the stories behind his book, Harounoff emphasizes the courage of Iranian citizens, especially women, who continue to fight for freedom and reform.

This thought-provoking conversation sheds light on antisemitism, diplomacy, media narratives, and the human stories behind some of the most urgent issues shaping the Middle East today.

Support the show

Send a text

Ep. 477: The Israeli Bond with Gal Swisa Cohen and Omri Goshen

In this urgent and timely episode of The Israeli Bond on hmTv, host Gal Swisa Cohen speaks with Israeli security researcher and IDF reserve officer Omri Goshen to unpack the rapidly evolving war between Israel and Iran. Recorded just days after a coordinated U.S.–Israel military offensive against Iran, the conversation explores the dramatic shifts unfolding across the Middle East and what they mean for Israel, the United States, and the broader global order.

Gal and Omri examine the strategic reasoning behind the joint military campaign, launched amid long-standing tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear ambitions, ballistic missile program, and regional proxy networks. The offensive marks one of the most significant escalations in decades and has triggered retaliatory strikes across the region, intensifying fears of wider instability. 

Drawing on his work as a researcher at the David Institute for Security Policy, Omri offers insight into Israel’s evolving national security doctrine, the geopolitical interests of the United States, and the complex web of regional actors including Hezbollah, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. He also describes daily life in Israel during the conflict, where civilians navigate constant alarms and missile threats while maintaining a strong sense of national resilience.

The episode explores the broader implications of the war: shifting alliances, economic corridors connecting Asia and Europe, the potential for regime change in Iran, and the long-term security challenges facing Israel.

This conversation provides listeners with a deeper understanding of one of the most consequential geopolitical moments of our time and the human realities behind the headlines.

Listen as The Israeli Bond connects the events unfolding in Israel today with the global forces shaping tomorrow.

Support the show