hmTv at HMTC Podcasts

Send us Fan Mail

Many Voices, One Community | Ep. 732: Peter Suchmann - Making Students Unstoppable | HMTC

Peter Suchmann believes students and teachers can create ripples that grow into lasting change.

On Many Voices, One Community, host Gaitley Stevenson Mathews welcomes the retired science educator, environmental advocate, magician, and author of Unstoppable: A 2026 Guide to Environmental Activism for Students and Teachers. Peter reflects on being born in England to parents who escaped Austria through the Kindertransport, immigrating to Queens, and building a 25-year career in Great Neck schools.

He explains how creativity, curiosity, magic, music, and hands-on projects can make environmental education engaging and practical. His book series gives middle and high school students vetted resources, workbooks, and tools to launch projects, form clubs, and find their “swarm” of collaborators.

Peter also shares his vision for intergenerational climate action, bringing students, educators, scientists, artists, and older adults together. His message is hopeful and direct: one person can create a ripple, but a connected community can transform it into a wave.

Many Voices, One Community on hmTv | Host: Gaitley Stevenson Mathews | Guest: Peter Suchmann
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

🔗
ecoactus.org
hmtcli.org

🎧
buzzsprout.com/2449781

📺
youtube.com/@hmTv-hmtc

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
0:19 Meet Peter Suchmann
2:12 From Kindertransport family to science educator
3:52 Magic and creativity in the classroom
6:53 Environmental education made practical
12:25 Finding your swarm
14:01 A magic lesson about unseen change
18:19 Building a climate action community
23:50 Intergenerational collaboration
28:15 Final reflections
28:47 Closing

HASHTAGS

#ManyVoicesOneCommunity #EnvironmentalEducation #YouthLeadership #Community #HMTC

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Many Voices, One Community | Ep. 731: Margaret Myhan - Serving Long Island with Dignity | HMTC

For Margaret Myhan, service begins with a simple belief: every person deserves to be treated with dignity.

On Many Voices, One Community, host Gaitley Stevenson Mathews welcomes the Executive Director of Nosh Delivers and Molloy University alumna for a conversation about family heritage, volunteerism, food insecurity, and community care on Long Island.

Margaret traces her commitment to service to her Irish immigrant grandparents and parents, then reflects on a career spanning advertising, education, and nonprofit leadership. She explains how Nosh Delivers supports 750 families through its Glen Cove pantry, home deliveries, food drives, and a volunteer network of roughly 400 people. Gaitley shares why his weekly delivery route has become one of the most meaningful hours of his week.

Their conversation also explores Molloy University’s tradition of service and its 70th-anniversary gala supporting student scholarships. Together, they show how compassion becomes sustainable when people give their time, skills, and respect.

Many Voices, One Community on hmTv | Host: Gaitley Stevenson Mathews | Guest: Margaret Myhan
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

🔗
noshdelivers.org
hmtcli.org

🎧
buzzsprout.com/2449781

📺
youtube.com/@hmTv-hmtc

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
0:18 Meet Margaret Myhan
2:12 Irish roots and family history
4:10 A commitment to giving back
6:33 From advertising to nonprofit leadership
9:27 Delivering food with dignity
11:45 Molloy’s spirit of service
14:41 How Nosh Delivers supports families
19:46 Molloy University’s 70th-anniversary gala
25:54 Final reflections
26:24 Closing

HASHTAGS

#ManyVoicesOneCommunity #FoodSecurity #Volunteerism #Community #HMTC

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Habits of a Whole Heart | Ep. 730: Liora & Roni - Reaching Youth Where They Are, Part 2 | HMTC

A young person in crisis may never walk into a center or ask for help. ELEM reaches out first.

In Part 2 of Habits of a Whole Heart, host Arnie Herz continues his conversation with Liora Attias Hadar, CEO of American Friends of ELEM, and Roni Moskovich, manager of ELEM’s youth center in Safed, Israel.

They explore ELEM’s digital clinic and anonymous chat support, which help trained teams identify and respond to young people facing self-harm, exploitation, bullying, or acute distress. Roni describes the Good People program, where volunteers create safe spaces at festivals and remain available for continued support. Liora also explains how community-based outreach in East Jerusalem connects young people with trusted local staff.

The episode closes with a broader challenge: replace “What do I need?” with “Where am I needed?” For Liora and Roni, success begins whenever a young person feels seen, imagines a future, or takes one step toward safety and stability.

Habits of a Whole Heart on hmTv | Host: Arnie Herz | Guests: Liora Attias Hadar and Roni Moskovich
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

🔗
hmtcli.org

🎧
buzzsprout.com/2449781

📺
youtube.com/@hmTv-hmtc

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
0:18 Reconnecting with ELEM
2:00 Digital support and proactive outreach
4:59 The Good People program
10:44 Community outreach in East Jerusalem
14:48 Why supporting young people matters
18:55 Asking “Where am I needed?”
23:13 Stories of success
25:17 Closing

HASHTAGS

#HabitsOfAWholeHeart #YouthSupport #MentalHealth #Purpose #HMTC

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Habits of a Whole Heart | Ep. 729: Liora & Roni - A Lifeline for Youth at Risk, Part 1 | HMTC

A hot meal, a trusted adult, and a place to belong can change a young person’s path.

On Habits of a Whole Heart, host Arnie Herz welcomes Liora Attias Hadar, CEO of American Friends of ELEM, and Roni Moskovich, manager of ELEM’s youth center in Safed, Israel. In Part 1, they introduce ELEM’s work with young people ages 11 to 26 across Jewish, Arab, Druze, LGBTQ+, immigrant, religious, and secular communities.

Liora explains how shelters, drop-in centers, outreach vans, and festival safe zones meet young people wherever they are. Roni describes the Safed center’s patient approach: offering food, consistency, and acceptance before asking anyone to share their story. They also explore ELEM’s programs in Akko, where education, art, cooking, chess, and street outreach help young people build practical skills and renewed agency.

Their conversation shows why lasting support begins with trust, cultural understanding, and adults who keep showing up.

Habits of a Whole Heart on hmTv | Host: Arnie Herz | Guests: Liora Attias Hadar and Roni Moskovich
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

🔗
hmtcli.org

🎧
buzzsprout.com/2449781

📺
youtube.com/@hmTv-hmtc

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
0:18 Habits of a Whole Heart
2:50 ELEM’s mission and reach
9:35 Serving every community
10:43 Inside the Safed youth center
18:23 Programs for young people in Akko
22:15 Volunteers and community trust
24:22 Looking ahead to Part 2
25:12 Closing

HASHTAGS

#HabitsOfAWholeHeart #YouthSupport #MentalHealth #Community #HMTC

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

The Butterfly Effect | Ep. 728: Listening Across Difference and Rejecting Groupthink | HMTC

Four people can witness the same car accident from four corners and honestly tell four different stories. The disagreement does not mean one person is lying. It means each person saw only part of the picture.

On The Butterfly Effect, co-hosts Gilad Avrahami and Bernie Furshpan examine how fear, social-media algorithms, groupthink, and repeated talking points can narrow perspective and accelerate hatred. They ask what educators and individuals can do when difficult conversations seem impossible.

Bernie argues that empathy is strength and that listening must come before persuasion. Gilad explores how dialogue can move beyond passive understanding toward shared values and constructive action.

Their conversation offers a practical starting point: approach another corner, ask what the other person sees, and share your own perspective without dismissing theirs. Listening may not resolve every conflict, but it can weaken isolation, restore independent thinking, and remind us that we belong to one human family.

The Butterfly Effect on hmTv | Hosts: Gilad Avrahami and Bernie Furshpan
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

🔗 hmtcli.org
🎧 buzzsprout.com/2449781
📺 youtube.com/@hmTv-hmtc

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
1:36 Seeing the World Through What We Follow
2:58 Fear, Framing, and the News Cycle
5:02 Anger, Disinformation, and Algorithms
6:44 The Butterfly Effect of Groupthink
10:05 Four Corners, Four Perspectives
13:15 Empathy as Strength
14:06 Courageous Conversations and Democracy
16:14 The Bigger Human Picture
18:53 Reaching People Who Refuse to Listen
21:46 Open Hearts Before Changing Minds
24:36 Listening Before Sharing Another View
26:58 Moving Beyond Zero-Sum Thinking
32:23 Closing

HASHTAGS

#TheButterflyEffect #CriticalThinking #Empathy #Dialogue #HMTC

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Influential Origins | Ep. 727: Wazir Ali, A Dream Built Through Work and Resilience | HMTC

At eight years old, Wazir Ali boarded a plane from Guyana with a stranger, carrying another person’s passport and little understanding of where he was going. After arriving in the United States, he spent two months in a children’s detention center before beginning a new life with relatives.

On Influential Origins, host Alan Mindel traces Wazir’s journey through Queens schools, Florida, ROTC, DACA, hospitality work, family caregiving, and an accounting career earned through years of persistence. Wazir recalls the disappointment of learning that his immigration status prevented him from joining the military and the uncertainty now surrounding his pending DACA renewal.

The conversation asks listeners to look beyond political labels and consider the person inside an immigration story. Wazir’s life reflects responsibility, loyalty, determination, and an enduring belief in the American dream. His story challenges us to approach complex public questions with facts, empathy, and an understanding of individual circumstances.

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

🔗 hmtcli.org
🎧 buzzsprout.com/2449781
📺 youtube.com/@hmTv-hmtc

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
0:59 Childhood in Guyana
2:09 Leaving for America at Age Eight
3:03 Arrival, Detention, and Family Contact
6:06 Learning, Adapting, and Finding His Stride
13:14 ROTC and the Dream of Military Service
15:49 Reuniting with His Mother and Brothers
17:32 DACA and His First Jobs
20:08 Learning the Hotel Business
27:26 An Opportunity in Accounting
31:15 Family Responsibility and the American Dream
33:29 A DACA Renewal in Limbo
40:53 A Question for the Audience
43:21 Closing

HASHTAGS

#InfluentialOrigins #ImmigrantStories #Resilience #AmericanDream #HMTC

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Putting the Brakes on Bullying | Ep. 726: Bob Policastro, Angela’s Legacy of Care | HMTC

After losing his daughter Angela, Bob Policastro made a promise: families caring for medically fragile children should never have to face the same lack of support alone.

On Putting the Brakes on Bullying, host Samantha Sosnik speaks with the founder and executive director of Angela’s House about transforming grief into advocacy, specialty homes, nursing care, family programs, and practical help for more than 700 children across Long Island. Bob also explains the need for pediatric palliative care in a home environment and why planning ahead protects children, parents, and siblings.

Samantha shares her own experience helping her daughter Avery transition into a supported residence and preparing for her future. Together, they discuss Medicaid, guardianship, family decision-making, sibling needs, and the dignity of people with disabilities.

The conversation offers a hopeful reminder that compassion becomes powerful when it is organized into action. Angela’s legacy continues through every family that receives guidance, community, and care.

Putting the Brakes on Bullying on hmTv | Host: Samantha Sosnik | Guest: Bob Policastro
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

🔗 hmtcli.org
🎧 buzzsprout.com/2449781
📺 youtube.com/@hmTv-hmtc

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
1:09 Angela’s Story and the Beginning of Angela’s House
3:38 Turning Grief into Advocacy
5:50 Helping Families Find Their Way
8:50 Planning Ahead for Future Care
12:08 Medicaid and Community-Based Support
13:20 A New Chapter for Avery
14:33 Why Medicaid Matters
16:37 The Emotional Side of a Diagnosis
19:18 Angela’s House Today and Pediatric Palliative Care
22:25 Supporting Siblings and the Whole Family
26:28 Building Compassion and Community
28:19 Gratitude, Kindness, and Human Dignity
33:52 Closing

HASHTAGS

#PuttingTheBrakesOnBullying #AngelasHouse #DisabilityInclusion #Compassion #HMTC

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Kibitz with Keren | Ep. 725: Amy Israel Pregulman and John Pregulman, Dignity for Survivors | HMTC

A nearly empty refrigerator changed the course of Amy and John Pregulman’s lives. A 94-year-old Holocaust survivor had used her grocery money to repair her air conditioner and planned to buy food the following month.

On Kibitz with Keren, host Doron Keren speaks with the founders of Kavod about transforming John’s survivor photography project into a national effort addressing unmet needs with dignity. John has photographed nearly 1,700 survivors, while Kavod and its partners have helped fill more than 180,000 emergency needs.

Amy and John explain why gift cards preserve independence, how small requests can restore comfort and joy, and why remembrance must be joined by action. They also discuss survivor poverty, collaboration across Jewish service agencies, and the future of their work.

Their message is direct: honoring survivors means seeing them, preserving their stories, and ensuring that they can live their remaining years with respect, connection, and kavod.

Kibitz with Keren on hmTv | Host: Doron Keren | Guests: Amy and John Pregulman
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

🔗 hmtcli.org
🎧 buzzsprout.com/2449781
📺 youtube.com/@hmTv-hmtc

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
2:53 What Gives Amy and John Hope?
6:14 Photographing Holocaust Survivors in Color
9:07 How Amy and John Met
12:48 Discovering the Unmet Need
14:33 Creating Kavod
16:35 When Remembrance Is Not Enough
18:08 Small Requests With a Big Impact
25:12 Building a National Emergency Fund
29:52 Expanding the Mission Beyond Survivors
30:36 What Future Generations Should See
33:36 Resilience, Connection, and Life Lessons
38:02 Memory Comes With Responsibility
40:20 Closing

HASHTAGS

#KibitzWithKeren #Kavod #HolocaustSurvivors #Dignity #HMTC

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

The Dana Download | Ep. 724: Eitan Barokas, Stories Beyond the Numbers | HMTC

Artist Eitan Barokas traveled to Israel expecting to spend three weeks documenting stories. He stayed for two months, listening to survivors, residents of communities near Gaza, and families of hostages whose lives had changed on October 7.

On The Dana Download, host Dana Arschin speaks with the Israeli American artist and storyteller about the journey behind his first book, October 7th: The Day Life Changed. The 420-page collection brings together 17 stories and interviews, accompanied by photographs.

Eitan describes how his earlier Small Town USA project prepared him to approach strangers with curiosity and respect, and why listening became the foundation of his work. Dana connects his mission with her own efforts to preserve Holocaust survivor testimony.

Their conversation examines the responsibility of transforming firsthand accounts into an enduring record. By helping readers encounter individuals rather than statistics, Eitan hopes to preserve memory, deepen understanding, and ensure that future generations can connect with the people behind the history.

The Dana Download on hmTv | Host: Dana Arschin | Guest: Eitan Barokas
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

🔗 hmtcli.org
🎧 buzzsprout.com/2449781
📺 youtube.com/@hmTv-hmtc

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
1:57 Eitan’s Israeli American Identity
3:03 From Artist to Storyteller
5:13 Creating the Small Town USA Project
6:33 Carrying Family History Through Art
7:32 A Creative Project Comes to a Halt
9:34 The Night Everything Changed
11:38 Planning a Journey to Document Stories
15:10 Finding and Interviewing Survivors
16:36 Dana’s Work Preserving Testimony
18:15 Creating October 7th: The Day Life Changed
21:58 People Beyond the Numbers
23:40 Becoming a Witness to Testimony
26:03 Closing

HASHTAGS

#TheDanaDownload #Testimony #Storytelling #Remembrance #HMTC

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Ordinary Heroes | Ep. 723: Gal Swisa Cohen, Finding Home Between Israel and America | HMTC

When Gal Swisa Cohen moved with her family from Israel to Long Island in August 2023, she expected to support her husband’s three-year mission while building a new life. Less than two months later, their plans changed, and connecting Israel with the Long Island Jewish community became a family purpose.

On Ordinary Heroes, host Bernie Furshpan welcomes Gal, former host of The Israeli Bond, to reflect on returning home, raising two children across cultures, and discovering how the experience strengthened her Jewish identity. Gal shares how the podcast preserved stories, introduced American audiences to Israeli voices and innovation, and created connections that continued beyond the studio.

Their conversation honors the openness of Long Island’s Jewish community and the courage required to begin again. Gal returned to the same apartment, but as a different person, carrying new friendships, a broader understanding of American Jewry, and a renewed sense that Israel and the Diaspora are connected through people, stories, and shared responsibility.

Ordinary Heroes on hmTv | Host: Bernie Furshpan | Guest: Gal Swisa Cohen
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

🔗 hmtcli.org
🎧 buzzsprout.com/2449781
📺 youtube.com/@hmTv-hmtc

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
0:45 Joining from a Safe Room in Israel
1:45 Moving to Long Island as a Family
3:35 Becoming Host of The Israeli Bond
5:15 Expanding a Mission Through Podcasting
7:15 Returning Home After Three Years
10:00 Favorite Episodes and Preserved Stories
12:30 The Ripple Effect of New Connections
13:25 Israeli Innovation and Start-Up Nation
14:25 Recognition for The Israeli Bond
15:55 Lessons from Long Island’s Jewish Community
17:30 Courage, Opportunity, and Gratitude
18:30 What Home Means After Living Abroad
19:05 Closing

HASHTAGS

#OrdinaryHeroes #TheIsraeliBond #JewishIdentity #Community #HMTC

Support the show