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Influential Origins | Ep. 715: Andrea Bolender, Speaking Up Against Hate, Part 3 | HMTC

A routine visit to a local Facebook group exposed posts blaming Jews for community problems and calling for violence. Andrea Bolender decided silence was not an option.

In Part 3 of Influential Origins, host Alan Mindel speaks with Andrea about discovering antisemitic content on a neighborhood page that promised “no politics” and “no hate speech.” When she privately asked the administrator to remove it, objections were deleted, Jewish users were blocked, and the original posts remained. Andrea shared screenshots with community leaders and HMTC, helping prompt a public response and news coverage.

Their conversation examines how online propaganda turns stereotypes into scapegoating, why historical education and media literacy matter, and how local hate can damage trust among neighbors. Andrea and Alan emphasize accountability without violence, critical thinking, pride in identity, and solidarity with targeted communities. Their message is simple: hate must never become normal. Everyone can document, question, educate, speak up, and protect human dignity in their own backyard.

Influential Origins on hmTv | Host: Alan Mindel | Guest: Andrea Bolender
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

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CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
0:58 Discovering Antisemitism in a Local Group
2:18 A Page Promising No Politics or Hate
4:08 Asking the Administrator to Act
6:18 Objections Deleted and Residents Blocked
7:48 The Responsibility to Speak Up
8:07 Antisemitism, History, and Education
12:06 HMTC Responds
13:53 Media Coverage and Accountability
17:26 Education and Critical Thinking
24:18 Why Andrea Refused to Stay Silent
26:41 Protecting a Close Community
27:20 What Do We Do Now?
31:42 Closing

HASHTAGS

#InfluentialOrigins #AndreaBolender #Antisemitism #MediaLiteracy #HMTC

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Influential Origins | Ep. 714: Andrea Bolender, Returning to Poland, Part 2 | HMTC

Andrea Bolender returns to Poland not as a tourist, but as a daughter tracing the footsteps of a father whose childhood and family were stolen by the Holocaust.

In Part 2 of Influential Origins, host Alan Mindel speaks with Andrea about the March of the Living, meeting Dana Arschin Kraslow, and the urgency of documenting the remaining survivors. Andrea reflects on marching from Auschwitz to Birkenau and returning each year so the memory of what happened there remains alive.

Her journey leads to the POLIN Museum, her father’s hometown of Chizhev, the family butcher shop, their former home, and the train station where a curator hoped to create an exhibit about the town’s Jewish community. A visit to Babyn Yar further deepened her commitment.

Their conversation explores identity, rediscovered Jewish ancestry, changing relationships in Europe, visible Jewish pride, and contemporary antisemitism. Andrea’s message is clear: memory survives only when people return, document, teach, and refuse to hide who they are.

Influential Origins on hmTv | Host: Alan Mindel | Guest: Andrea Bolender
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

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CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
0:22 The March of the Living and Meeting Dana
2:51 Why Andrea Returns Each Year
3:18 Jewish History at the POLIN Museum
4:15 Identity and Inherited Prejudice
5:28 Returning to Her Father’s Hometown
7:41 Jewish Life and a Changing Europe
8:03 Babyn Yar and Memory in Ukraine
8:55 Faith, Antisemitism, and Visible Identity
10:04 Closing

HASHTAGS

#InfluentialOrigins #AndreaBolender #MarchOfTheLiving #JewishMemory #HMTC

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Influential Origins | Ep. 713: Andrea Bolender, The Burden of the Privilege, Part 1 | HMTC

Andrea Bolender’s father survived Auschwitz, forced labor in coal mines, a death march, and the murder of nearly his entire immediate family. Decades later, his recorded testimony revealed truths Andrea had never been able to hear.

On Influential Origins, host Alan Mindel welcomes Andrea, Chairman Emeritus of HMTC, for Part 1 of a deeply personal conversation. Andrea retraces her father Benik Bolender’s journey from prewar Poland and liberation at Theresienstadt to his arrival in America, marriage, and determination to rebuild the family the Holocaust destroyed.

She explains why she carries the Bolender name and her father’s number, and how genealogical discoveries reconnected relatives scattered across Israel, England, and the United States. Their conversation explores night terrors, silence, resilience, survivor friendships, and a daughter’s profound gratitude for her parents. Andrea calls this inheritance “the burden of the privilege,” capturing how preserving memory can be both a sacred gift and an enduring emotional responsibility.

Influential Origins on hmTv | Host: Alan Mindel | Guest: Andrea Bolender
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

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CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
0:54 Auschwitz, Loss, and the Coal Mines
8:30 Returning to Poland and Tracing Family History
9:54 Liberation and the Journey to Prague
11:54 Testimony, Illness, and a Daughter’s Questions
15:04 Marriage, Children, and Rebuilding Family
16:26 Growing Up in Brooklyn
17:22 Life in a Survivor Household
19:02 Loss, Grandparents, and Finding HMTC
22:38 Survivor Friendships as Family
26:00 The Numbers on His Arm
27:10 Signs, Israel, and Family Memory
30:00 The Burden of the Privilege
31:54 Closing

HASHTAGS

#InfluentialOrigins #AndreaBolender #HolocaustSurvivor #SecondGeneration #HMTC

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Influential Origins | Ep. 712: Kim Keiserman, Leadership and Public Service, Part 3 | HMTC

What does responsible leadership look like when affordability, public safety, antisemitism, and community trust all demand attention?

In Part 3 of Influential Origins, host Alan Mindel speaks with New York State Assembly candidate Kim Keiserman about challenges facing Long Island’s North Shore. They examine housing, utility and health care costs, local planning, infrastructure, water protection, and the pressures affecting seniors, young families, and working people.

The conversation also addresses consent laws, campus safety, free speech, the IHRA definition of antisemitism, and the responsibility to protect every community from hatred and collective blame. Kim describes an approach to leadership grounded in precise language, evidence, dialogue, and accountability. She also responds to campaign attacks and explains why using accusations of antisemitism as a political weapon can weaken the fight against genuine hate.

The series concludes with a challenge for public officials: listen across differences, defend human dignity, pursue practical solutions, and become upstanders when courage carries a political cost.

Influential Origins on hmTv | Host: Alan Mindel | Guest: Kim Keiserman
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

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CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
0:47 Long Island’s Affordability Crisis
3:27 Housing Diversity and Local Planning
9:26 Utility Costs and Data Centers
12:24 Health Care Costs and Access
17:25 Consent and Legal Protections
23:47 The IHRA Definition and Antisemitism
34:28 Precise Language and Constructive Dialogue
41:45 Education Against Hate and Harassment
47:55 Jewish Voters and Local Politics
54:59 Water, Infrastructure, and the Aquifer
56:41 Campaign Attacks and Antisemitism
1:01:28 The Responsibility of Upstander Leadership
1:05:20 Closing

HASHTAGS

#InfluentialOrigins #KimKeiserman #PublicService #Antisemitism #HMTC

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Influential Origins | Ep. 711: Kim Keiserman, Teaching History After 9/11, Part 2 | HMTC

Kim Keiserman had lived in Port Washington for only two months when September 11 changed her new community forever.

In Part 2 of Influential Origins, host Alan Mindel continues his conversation with Kim about moving from the South to New York, embracing cultural and religious diversity, and finding a home in Port Washington’s vibrant civic life.

Kim recalls starting a new teaching position two days before the attacks and discovering her community through grief, first responders, and families whose lives were permanently changed. Alan shares the story of firefighter and musician Christopher Pickford, who died after running into the second tower.

Their conversation asks how schools should teach September 11 and other difficult histories. Kim advocates rigorous, age-appropriate instruction centered on facts, courage, and multiple perspectives while rejecting victim-blaming and collective blame. She explains how media literacy, critical thinking, project-based learning, and respectful collaboration can help students recognize misinformation, resist hatred, and translate historical understanding into civic responsibility.

Influential Origins on hmTv | Host: Alan Mindel | Guest: Kim Keiserman
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

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CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
1:22 From the South to New York
3:36 Faith and Cultural Diversity
6:48 Civic Life in Port Washington
9:12 A Newcomer Experiences September 11
10:28 First Responders and the Lasting Impact
14:42 Remembering Christopher Pickford
16:23 How Should Schools Teach September 11?
19:21 Misinformation and Media Literacy
20:51 Rejecting Collective Blame
23:56 Teaching History and Ideology
25:13 Leadership After September 11
29:08 Rigorous History and Student-Centered Learning
31:24 Closing

HASHTAGS

#InfluentialOrigins #KimKeiserman #September11 #MediaLiteracy #HMTC

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Influential Origins | Ep. 710: Kim Keiserman, Education and Civic Responsibility, Part 1 | HMTC

Moving between ten addresses and eight schools before graduation taught Kim Keiserman how deeply community, education, and belonging shape a young person’s life.

On Influential Origins, host Alan Mindel welcomes educator and community leader Kim Keiserman for Part 1 of a conversation about the experiences that shaped her commitment to public education and civic responsibility. Kim traces her journey from studying government and history at William & Mary to teaching social studies at St. Peter’s Prep, developing curricula, and leading service projects.

She explains how literature, faith, family conversations, and exposure to different communities strengthened her belief in freedom of conscience, critical thinking, and democratic participation. Kim also describes designing classrooms around “respectful curiosity” and helping students learn across differences. Their conversation closes with a vital lesson: people can learn to become perpetrators or bystanders, but through education and action, they can also learn altruism, courage, and responsibility for others.

Influential Origins on hmTv | Host: Alan Mindel | Guest: Kim Keiserman
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

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CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
0:57 Childhood Across Ten Addresses
1:53 Government, History, and Civic Engagement
3:46 How Moving Shaped Connection and Curiosity
6:06 Public Education and Community Support
9:35 Faith, Human Dignity, and the Golden Rule
12:24 Freedom of Conscience and Democracy
14:21 A William & Mary Family Story
16:24 Choosing Education and Public Service
18:03 Teaching at St. Peter’s Prep
22:19 Service Learning in Practice
23:33 Curriculum Design and Respectful Curiosity
25:19 Perpetrators, Bystanders, and Rescuers
28:03 Closing

HASHTAGS

#InfluentialOrigins #KimKeiserman #PublicEducation #CivicEngagement #HMTC

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The UN, Society, and Antisemitism | Ep. 709: Ofir Dayan, Reclaiming the Narrative | HMTC

Why did Israel shift in the Western imagination from vulnerable underdog to alleged oppressor?

On The UN, Society, and Antisemitism, host Dr. Susanne Seperson speaks with Israeli researcher and author Ofir Dayan about her new book, Intifada Globalized: Why Young Westerners Are Turning Away from Israel.

Drawing on her service in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, five years at Columbia University, and current research on antisemitism and the delegitimization of Israel, Ofir examines how campus activism, social media, political polarization, and distorted historical narratives shape attitudes toward Israel and Jewish identity.

She argues that the Jewish community must reclaim the right to define Zionism, unite around a coherent story of Indigenous return and self-determination, and build stronger representation across universities, civil society, media, and government. Her central message is practical and hopeful: everyone can contribute, publicly or privately, and there is a place for every person willing to act.

The UN, Society, and Antisemitism on hmTv | Host: Dr. Susanne Seperson | Guest: Ofir Dayan
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

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CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
1:42 From the IDF to Columbia University
4:46 Growing Up in Ma’ale Shomron
7:34 Yad Vashem and Holocaust Inversion
10:25 Reclaiming the Zionist Narrative
15:30 Betar, Identity, and Jewish Belonging
17:46 Columbia After October 7
20:44 Unity Around Jewish Self-Determination
22:26 Why Israel Stopped Being the Underdog
28:06 Politics and University Leadership
30:56 Title VI and Institutional Accountability
35:53 Organizing for the Next Five Years
38:07 A Place for Every Person to Contribute
39:29 Closing

HASHTAGS

#TheUNSocietyAndAntisemitism #OfirDayan #CampusAntisemitism #JewishIdentity #HMTC

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It's All About the Children | Ep. 708: Sheikh Musa Drammeh, Building Bridges, Part 2 | HMTC

In Part 2, Sheikh Musa Drammeh challenges extremist interpretations of Islam and explains why he believes the Quran affirms religious freedom, shared Abrahamic traditions, and the Jewish connection to the Holy Land.

Carin Bail and Sami Steigmann continue their conversation with the educator and interfaith leader, tracing the path from the Muslim school he and his wife opened in the Bronx on September 11, 2001, to a curriculum built around peacebuilding.

Sheikh Musa introduces STEM’d Up, an educational model combining science, technology, engineering, mathematics, financial literacy, diversity, unity, and peace. He describes programs that bring Muslim and Jewish children together to learn, socialize, and challenge prejudice before hatred takes root.

The discussion also addresses October 7, antisemitism, political leadership, and the responsibility to educate young people. His central argument is clear: strong academic preparation must be matched by humanity, moral courage, and sustained relationships across communities.

It's All About the Children on hmTv | Hosts: Carin Bail and Sami Steigmann | Guest: Sheikh Musa Drammeh
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

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CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
0:26 Religious Freedom and Islamic Interpretation
2:26 How Religious Beliefs Become Distorted
2:54 Hadith, Politics, and Extremism
6:40 Shared Abrahamic Foundations
9:56 Introducing STEM’d Up
11:14 Opening a Muslim School on September 11
18:54 Interfaith Education Through Children
19:13 Teaching October 7
22:18 Why Young People Must Be Educated
22:35 Leadership and Civic Responsibility
23:42 Expanding STEM’d Up in Schools
26:40 Closing

HASHTAGS

#ItsAllAboutTheChildren #InterfaithDialogue #PeaceEducation #STEMEducation #HMTC

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How can we teach children to respect one another, take responsibility, and challenge hatred? It begins with the example we set and the conversations we are willing to have.

In Part 1 of this conversation, hosts Carin Bail and Holocaust survivor Sami Steigman welcome educator, imam, and community organizer Sheikh Musa Drammeh. Born in The Gambia and raised in Senegal, Sheikh Musa shares his journey to New York in 1986 and the commitment to service that has shaped his life.

His story begins at age nine, when he organized a neighborhood cleanup to put his religious values into practice. Years later, helping fellow West African immigrants find housing led him into real estate. A desire to expand financial opportunities for his community brought him to Wall Street, where he built a career and met his future wife.

Throughout the conversation, one principle stands out: when you see a problem, take responsibility for helping solve it.

Reflecting on his participation in the March of the Living at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Sheikh Musa recalls a challenge that continues to guide his work: after witnessing the worst of humanity, return home and demonstrate its best.

Sami explains why Holocaust education must extend beyond remembrance to teach what hatred can do to a person, a community, a nation, and the world. He calls for interfaith dialogue that brings Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Holocaust survivors together to listen, learn, and disagree respectfully.

The discussion also explores Sheikh Musa’s Sufi upbringing, cultural identity, civic engagement, and access to services for people with disabilities. In the closing minutes, he shares his perspective on cultural dress and the connections among Islamic, Jewish, and Christian traditions, beginning a discussion of religious interpretation that continues in Part 2.

Topics include:

• Turning personal values into community action
• Immigration, opportunity, and civic responsibility
• Holocaust education and the consequences of hatred
• Teaching young people accountability and respect
• Understanding cultural and religious differences
• Building relationships through interfaith dialogue

Join us for Part 2 as Carin, Sami, and Sheikh Musa continue the conversation.

hmTv at HMTC | Humanity Matters
Produced at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County.

Explore. Listen. Engage. Subscribe and share to help these conversations reach more people.

#hmTv #HMTC #HumanityMatters #ItsAllAboutTheChildren #SheikhMusaDrammeh #HolocaustEducation #InterfaithDialogue #CommunityLeadership

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The UN, Society and Antisemitism | Ep. 706: Itay Ken-Tor, Preserving October 7 Testimony | HMTC

DESCRIPTION

Two days after the October 7, 2023 attacks, filmmaker Itay Ken-Tor began helping survivors preserve their firsthand accounts. The result is Edut 710, an archive containing more than 2,100 filmed testimonies created with trauma-informed listening, ethical safeguards, and future generations in mind.

On The UN, Society and Antisemitism, host Dr. Susanne Seperson speaks with Itay about the documentary work that prepared him for this mission, including productions for Yad Vashem and A Film Unfinished, an examination of manipulated Nazi footage from the Warsaw Ghetto.

They explore how visual media constructs narratives, why truth requires multiple perspectives and corroborating sources, and how artificial intelligence makes media literacy increasingly urgent.

Itay also explains Edut 710’s searchable digital archive and its commitment to making full testimony accessible. His closing message is both practical and deeply human: listen carefully, question sources, seek different perspectives, and preserve authentic voices before they are lost.

The UN, Society and Antisemitism on hmTv | Host: Dr. Susanne Seperson | Guest: Itay Ken-Tor
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

🔗
Explore the testimony archive at edut710.org.

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CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
2:17 Itay’s Path to Documentary Filmmaking
3:32 Founding Edut 710 After October 7
7:48 The Meaning of Edut 710
9:28 Trauma-Informed Listening and Testimony
13:10 Preservation, Tradition, and Progress
15:48 A Film Unfinished and Visual Manipulation
20:02 Facts, Memory, and Multiple Perspectives
23:37 Testimony in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
27:00 Trust, Ethics, and the Viewer
28:07 Preserving Memory Amid Current Events
30:20 Social Media, Education, and Antisemitism
33:05 The Essential Takeaway: Listen
34:31 Closing

HASHTAGS

#TheUNSocietyAndAntisemitism #Edut710 #October7Testimony #MediaLiteracy #HMTC

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