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Ordinary Heroes | Ep. 722: Kelley Lynn, Finding Humor and Purpose After Loss | HMTC

Two months after her husband Don died suddenly at age 46, Kelley Lynn stepped onto the Metropolitan Room stage and told her first jokes about grief. The laughter did not diminish her loss. It helped her begin living forward.

On Ordinary Heroes, host Bernie Furshpan reunites with his longtime friend, comedian, author, speaker, and certified grief counselor Kelley Lynn. She explains how journal entries and honest Facebook posts became her book, My Husband Is Not a Rainbow, and how performing for widowed audiences through Camp Widow gave others permission to laugh again.

Bernie and Kelley discuss the absurdities surrounding loss, the healing power of storytelling, and why grief has no finish line. Kelley also reflects on purpose, love, and the responsibility to leave something meaningful behind. Her message is compassionate and practical: healing does not require leaving loved ones behind. We can carry their stories forward while making room for humor, connection, and new beginnings.

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

Learn more: aKelleyLynnLife.com

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CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
1:38 Finding Humor After Losing Don
2:15 The Metropolitan Room Show That Started It All
5:02 Writing My Husband Is Not a Rainbow
6:43 When Humor Belongs in Grief
10:22 Permission to Laugh
11:56 Bringing Comedy to Camp Widow
14:14 Bernie and Kelley’s Shared Connection to Loss
15:36 Turning Pain into Purpose
17:42 Choosing Love Over Hate
19:31 Grief Counseling and Current Work
22:06 Healing Has No Finish Line
23:28 Finding Kelley’s Book
24:27 Closing

HASHTAGS

#OrdinaryHeroes #GriefSupport #HealingThroughHumor #Resilience #HMTC

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Kibitz with Keren | Ep. 721: Daniel Paisner, Preserving Kristine Keren’s Story, Part 2 | HMTC

A conversation at a school bus stop helped preserve a Holocaust survivor’s voice for generations.

In Part 2 of Kibitz with Keren, host Doron Keren continues his conversation with journalist, novelist, podcaster, and ghostwriter Daniel Paisner. They revisit how Daniel came to collaborate with Doron’s mother, Kristine Keren, born Christina Chiger, on The Girl in the Green Sweater, her account of surviving 14 months in the sewers of Lwów during the Holocaust.

Daniel reflects on recovering memories after decades of silence and on how Kristine’s childhood perspective complements her father Ignacy Chiger’s memoir, Beneath the Lightless Sky. The conversation also turns to The Last Man Down, Daniel’s book with FDNY Battalion Chief Richard Picciotto about surviving the World Trade Center collapse on September 11.

Together, Doron and Daniel explore testimony, perspective, and the responsibility to carry personal stories forward. Their friendship shows how careful listening can transform memory into a lasting legacy.

Kibitz with Keren on hmTv | Host: Doron Keren | Guest: Daniel Paisner
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

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CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
1:56 What Gives Daniel Hope?
2:58 Memory and Responsibility
3:55 Preserving Christine Keren’s Story
5:28 The Bus Stop That Started the Book
7:06 Why Christine Stayed Silent
8:32 A Story at the Top of the Pile
10:02 Reconstructing Life in the Sewers
12:05 Two Honest Memories, Two Perspectives
13:35 The Piano Through a Child’s Eyes
14:50 Companion Accounts of Survival
15:32 The Last Man Down and September 11
18:22 Stories Daniel Still Hopes to Tell
20:07 Closing

HASHTAGS

#KibitzWithKeren #HolocaustTestimony #Memory #Storytelling #HMTC

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Kibitz with Keren | Ep. 720: Daniel Paisner, Writing in Someone Else’s Voice, Part 1 | HMTC

What does it take to tell someone else’s story while preserving the voice that makes it theirs?

In Part 1 of Kibitz with Keren, host Doron Keren welcomes friend and neighbor Daniel Paisner, a journalist, novelist, podcaster, and ghostwriter whose more than 80 books include 17 New York Times bestsellers. Daniel explains how he serves a subject’s vision while still challenging choices that may not strengthen the story.

With humor and candor, he reflects on working with Gilbert Gottfried, Daymond John, Ron Darling, Denzel Washington, John Kasich, and others. He also shares why values matter when choosing a project, how ghostwriting supports his own novels, and what inspired his podcast, As Told To.

The conversation becomes personal when Daniel discusses helping Christine Keren’s story reach a wider audience. Part 1 reveals that successful collaboration begins with trust, careful listening, and respect for the person behind the name on the cover.

Kibitz with Keren on hmTv | Host: Doron Keren | Guest: Daniel Paisner
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

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📺 youtube.com/@hmTv-hmtc

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
1:58 What Gives Daniel Hope?
2:58 Writing in Someone Else’s Voice
4:10 Gilbert Gottfried and Memorable Clients
5:08 Values, Worldviews, and Deal-Breakers
6:23 Creative Partnerships with Daymond John
7:48 Athletes, Actors, and Storytelling
11:08 Finding the Person Behind a Public Voice
12:27 Christine Keren’s Story Reaches John Kasich
14:28 Life as a “Hardly Read Novelist”
16:29 A Novel About a Ghostwriter
18:10 Why Daniel Started As Told To
20:01 Collaboration, Referrals, and Lost Work
22:22 Closing

HASHTAGS

#KibitzWithKeren #Ghostwriting #Storytelling #Writing #HMTC

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The Fog of War and Humanity | Ep. 719: Tony Nassisi, More Than a Meal, Part 3 | HMTC

At nearly 90, Navy veteran Tony Nassisi remains fiercely independent. A weekly delivery from Cooking for Long Island Veterans gives him more than prepared food. It saves difficult shopping trips, reduces the work of cooking, and connects him with people who care.

In Part 3 of The Fog of War and Humanity, host Rich Acritelli continues his conversation with Tony and nonprofit founder Rena Sylvester. They explain how Tony discovered the program through a veterans’ luncheon and what arrives in each delivery, from complete meals and fresh bread to salads, drinks, and desserts.

Rena shares stories of other veterans, including those facing isolation, limited mobility, or empty refrigerators. She emphasizes that assistance is not only about income. Age, health, transportation, and the effort of preparing food can create real barriers.

Tony also reflects on managing diabetes, maintaining his independence, and the children and grandchildren who make him proud. The episode shows how food, friendship, and gratitude strengthen a community.

The Fog of War and Humanity on hmTv | Host: Rich Acritelli | Guests: Rena Sylvester and Tony Nassisi
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

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CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
2:28 How Tony and Rena Met
2:51 Tony’s First Meal Delivery
4:17 Favorite Meals and Friendly Competition
5:08 Tony’s Love of Cooking
7:09 Serving Veterans with Different Traditions
8:19 The Veterans Behind the Mission
9:50 Outreach and New Community Connections
10:45 Veterans Who Still Need Help
12:05 More Than Food
12:42 Keeping Deliveries Fresh
13:29 Diabetes and Independence
14:33 Family, Pride, and a New Generation
17:08 Closing

HASHTAGS

#TheFogOfWarAndHumanity #TonyNassisi #CookingForLongIslandVeterans #Veterans #HMTC

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The Fog of War and Humanity | Ep. 718: Tony Nassisi, Building a Life After the Navy, Part 2 | HMTC

Tony Nassisi left the Navy in 1960 ready to build a family, a career, and a home on Long Island. The work ethic guiding him began with immigrant grandparents who helped build America.

In Part 2 of The Fog of War and Humanity, host Rich Acritelli continues his conversation with Tony and Rena Sylvester. Tony recalls his final Cold War service aboard a destroyer escort, watching for Soviet submarines, Caribbean swim calls, and returning home to his wife and newborn daughter.

He traces his family from Turin and Sicily, including a grandfather who worked on the Empire State Building. After the Navy, Tony delivered milk to Queens apartments, hauled lumber, and found a 24-year career maintaining Hicksville schools.

That work carried hidden costs. Tony describes cleaning boilers and working around asbestos without modern protective equipment, followed years later by serious health problems. His story honors a generation whose service continued after military life through family, labor, community, and quiet perseverance.

The Fog of War and Humanity on hmTv | Host: Rich Acritelli | Guests: Rena Sylvester and Tony Nassisi
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

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CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
1:14 Tony’s Final Day in the Navy
1:41 Cold War Service on a Destroyer Escort
2:51 Caribbean Swim Call
5:01 Building a Home on Long Island
6:35 An Immigrant Family Helps Build America
8:37 Family Roots in Sicily
9:47 Life as a Milkman
11:18 Working at the Lumberyard
13:03 Joining the Hicksville School District
14:29 Groundskeeping and School Maintenance
15:41 A 24-Year Career
16:28 Boilers, Asbestos, and Health Consequences
18:14 Closing

HASHTAGS

#TheFogOfWarAndHumanity #TonyNassisi #NavyVeteran #LongIslandHistory #HMTC

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The Fog of War and Humanity | Ep. 717: Tony Nassisi, A Navy Life at Sea, Part 1 | HMTC

At 89, Navy veteran Anthony “Tony” Nassisi still remembers Bronx neighborhoods, Yankee Stadium bleacher seats, the engine room, and the friendships formed at sea.

On The Fog of War and Humanity, host Rich Acritelli welcomes Rena Sylvester and Tony, one of the veterans served by Cooking for Long Island Veterans. In Part 1, Tony traces his Italian American upbringing, 1956 Navy enlistment, boot camp in Cambridge, Maryland, and service as an engineman and throttle watch aboard a ship patrolling from the Azores to Greenland.

He reflects on camaraderie that transformed shipmates into brothers, the loneliness of the Atlantic, mail and movie drops, training at Guantanamo Bay, liberty in Montego Bay, and surviving a hurricane that damaged the ship.

Tony also remembers his 63-year marriage to Ursula, a dedicated nurse whose education he promised to support. The episode honors the everyday memories behind military service: family, food, humor, friendship, and bonds that endure long after the uniform is put away.

The Fog of War and Humanity on hmTv | Host: Rich Acritelli | Guests: Rena Sylvester and Tony Nassisi
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

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youtube.com/@hmTv-hmtc

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
1:41 Cooking for Long Island Veterans and Meeting Tony
3:00 Growing Up in the Bronx
4:10 A Lifelong Yankees Fan
6:45 From High School to the Navy
8:12 Boot Camp and Lifelong Friendships
9:46 Marriage, Family, and Ursula’s Nursing Career
12:03 Working in the Engine Room
13:29 Life at Sea and Mail Call
14:49 Training at Guantanamo Bay
15:36 Patrolling the North Atlantic
17:15 Surviving a Hurricane at Sea
18:17 Visiting Cuba Before the Revolution
19:20 Closing

HASHTAGS

#TheFogOfWarAndHumanity #TonyNassisi #NavyVeteran #Veterans #HMTC

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The Fog of War and Humanity | Ep. 716: Rena Sylvester, Cooking for Veterans | HMTC

What began with boxes of movies, popcorn, hand warmers, and letters to service members in Iraq became a lasting mission to feed Long Island veterans.

On The Fog of War and Humanity, host Richard Acritelli welcomes Rena Marie Sylvester, retired educator and founder of Cooking for Long Island Veterans. Rena traces her path from classroom community service to supporting deployed Marine units and continuing that work through personal relationships with service members and their families.

Today, her nonprofit repurposes donated restaurant and catering food, prepares meals in certified kitchens, and delivers to veterans at home and at VFW and American Legion posts. Rena describes the financial and logistical realities of pickups, storage, insurance, transportation, volunteers, and preventing food waste.

Her vision includes sustainable funding, more volunteers, and a certified kitchen closer to home. At the center is a simple conviction: a nourishing meal is more than food. It reminds veterans that their service is remembered and their community still cares.

The Fog of War and Humanity on hmTv | Host: Richard Acritelli | Guest: Rena Sylvester
A production of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

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youtube.com/@hmTv-hmtc

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
1:08 Long Island Roots and a Teaching Career
4:13 Community Service Begins
5:08 Sending Care Packages to Iraq
8:17 Supporting the Darkhorse Marines
9:27 Camaraderie, Loss, and Coming Home
11:19 Fundraising and Requested Supplies
14:35 The Cost of Running the Charity
16:31 How Many Veterans Receive Meals?
17:32 Serving Posts and Finding Volunteers
20:14 The Meals Veterans Love Most
23:37 A Future Kitchen and Sustainable Growth
26:04 Serving New Generations of Veterans
29:11 Closing

HASHTAGS

#TheFogOfWarAndHumanity #RenaSylvester #Veterans #CommunityService #HMTC

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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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youtube.com/@hmTv-hmtc

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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