This episode with John Reed is the second installment of a two-part mini series. If you have not already listened to ‘The Responsibility and Weight of Legacy’ with Deborah Zylberstein Reed, John's mother, it might be a good idea to go back and listen to that wonderful discussion.

John was born in Houston, Texas to Thomas Reed and Deborah Zylberstein Reed. He moved to Melbourne at the age of 10 but has since returned to the US pursuing a career in the performing arts in New York City as a dancer, actor, singer and musician. He has appeared in a range of roles with his two most recent being a Yiddish performance of Fiddler on the Roof in Los Angeles and an original piece about his grandparents’, Jacob and Sara, experience post-holocaust at a theatre festival in New York City. John is also a trained teacher. 

Today’s podcast really put into perspective the purpose of Their Stories Unbroken. The stories of Jacob and Sara did not end with their deaths. Additionally, the stories of their family members killed in the Holocaust did not end there either. Their legacy has remained through John, his sister Sara and their extended family who live on today with a life of contribution and creativity. It was so amazing to hear about the full circle moments John is living out each and every day, helping to not only keep memory alive but to bring it to life. 

In Part 1 of the podcast we discuss John’s early life.

In Part 2, John shares the stories of his grandfather from his perspective.

In Part 3 John discusses his most recent pursuits in the arts and how he is enabling the memory of his grandparents to live on.

Please share the podcast with family and friends, subscribe on your podcast player of choice and leave a review. If you would like to get in touch you can reach me on [email protected]

https://www.johnreedactor.com/

Whale Dream | The Only Ones: A Dance Double Bill

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1485181

Introduction – 0:00 - 2:11

Part 1 – 2:12 - 32:14

Part 2 – 32:15 - 57:42

Part 3 – 57:43 - 88:12

Outro – 88:13 - 90:00

Bialik College - https://www.bialik.vic.edu.au/

Bialik College Parents Association - https://www.bialik.vic.edu.au/community/parents-association

Bialik College Foundation - https://foundation.bialik.vic.edu.au/

Yad Vashem - https://www.yadvashem.org/

Gandel Foundation - https://gandelfoundation.org.au/

Adam Starr - https://www.starrmusic.com.au/

If you enjoyed Their Stories Unbroken:

Subscribe on your favourite podcast app

[email protected]

Podcast by Matthew Sortino

Thanks for joining me in the first of a two-part mini series exploring the legacy of Jacob Zylberstein and Sara Szor Zylberstein, who survived the horrors of the Holocaust while the majority of their families devastatingly did not. To help us bear witness to their lives and to share in the continuation of their stories unbroken, I am joined in conversation with their daughter, Deborah Zylberstein Reed, who has had an amazing life in her own right. I will also be speaking to her son, John, in the next release of the podcast. 

In Part 1 of the podcast, Deb reflects on her formative years and how her early identity was shaped by two worlds - that of Melbourne’s idyllic South Eastern Suburbs with a loving family contrasted by revelations of her parents' history that merged through Deb's early life. 

In Part 2, Deb shares her Fathers story of survival during the Shoah. Jacob’s story is one of incredible resilience and twists and turns that are equally horrific and heartbreaking but also highlight the limitlessness of the human spirit.

Part 3 of the podcast details Deb’s mother Sara’s story of life before, during and after te Holocaust. Sara’s story is equally incredible with not only her survival to 1945 but the way she lived her life to its fullest for her entire life.

In Part 4, Deb discusses her adult life and how the choices she made and continues to make lead to a difficult balancing act between bearing the responsibility and weight of her family history while also forging a new and independent path.

Deb currently works as Head of Student Services at Bialik College and is the Chair of the Special Education Network of Jewish Schools in Melbourne. She is the proud and dedicated mother of John and Sara who are forging wonderful careers in performing arts spaces in Australia and abroad. This love of the arts and performing surely stemmed from Deb’s work as a drama teacher and community theatre director. Deb has a rich and varied life that spans continents.

Introduction – 0:00 - 2:56

Part 1 – 2:57 - 26:54

Part 2 – 26:55 - 54:57

Part 3 – 54:58 - 72:29

Part 4 – 72:30 - 96:12

Outro – 96:13 - 98:07

Special thanks to:

Bialik College - https://www.bialik.vic.edu.au/

Bialik College Parents Association - https://www.bialik.vic.edu.au/community/parents-association

Bialik College Foundation - https://foundation.bialik.vic.edu.au/

Yad Vashem - https://www.yadvashem.org/

Gandel Foundation - https://gandelfoundation.org.au/

Adam Starr - https://www.starrmusic.com.au/

If you enjoyed Their Stories Unbroken:

Subscribe on your favourite podcast app

Contact us anytime:

Podcast by Matthew Sortino

Adele Stowe-Lindner is Executive Director or an organisation which trains charity boards and leaders in leadership and ethical governance. With 20 years experience in not-for-profit leadership in London and Melbourne including the homeless, refugee and educational disadvantage sectors, she is passionate about building strong communities. Adele has a Masters of Community Work and a Masters of Leadership. Adele has previously sat on the board of her synagogue and currently sits on the boards of Zionist Federation Australia and Maccabi Tennis Club. She has two children and a husband currently at Bialik College. 

Part 1 - Adele’s early life, her interest in community, connection and identity, Jewish education and empowerment, and the impact of Adele’s maternal grandparents Anna and Emanuel Strzelecki and paternal grandparents Wanda and Rafal Lindner on her life.

Part 2 - Adele shares the stories of her grandparents' survival during the Shoah and how has impacted daily parenting choices and the need to find meaning for every hour of every day. She said “That others survived for us, against the odds and through unfathomable traumatic actions, so it is a compulsion to make every second count while we are alive”. 

Part 3 - Adele’s career, work ethic and values and how these were influenced by her parents and grandparents. We also discuss antisemitism and life post-October 7.

Introduction – 0:00 - 3:31

Part 1 – 3:32 - 27:31

Part 2 – 27:32 - 54:25

Part 3 – 54:26 - 92:10

Outro – 92:11 - 93:52

Special thanks to:

Bialik College - https://www.bialik.vic.edu.au/

Bialik College Parents Association - https://www.bialik.vic.edu.au/community/parents-association

Bialik College Foundation - https://foundation.bialik.vic.edu.au/

Yad Vashem - https://www.yadvashem.org/

Gandel Foundation - https://gandelfoundation.org.au/

Adam Starr - https://www.starrmusic.com.au/

If you enjoyed Their Stories Unbroken:

Subscribe on your favourite podcast app

Contact us anytime:

Podcast by Matthew Sortino

Guest

Stephen has worked as a lawyer for over 50 years, specialising in criminal defence cases, with a particular interest in securing best possible sentencing outcomes for his clients found guilty or pleading guilty. He sees this as being for the benefit, not just for those he represents, but for the good of the community they live in. Stephen was one of the first volunteers at Fitzroy Legal Service, a precursor to Victoria Legal Aid. He is a supporter of legal aid for defendants who would otherwise be unrepresented in court. When a group of asylum-seekers were charged with rioting in a detention centre in Nauru, Stephen was one of a group of lawyers from Australia sent to represent them. He is also a proud father and is a grandfather to two Bialik students, whom he adores.

Stephen was born in 1946 in Lodz, Poland to parents Rafal and Wanda, two Polish-Jews who were the only members of their families to survive the Holocaust. 

Part 1 - Stephen’s early life as a new Australian and how he and his parents navigated starting over in Melbourne. 

Part 2 - Stephen reflects on his long career in criminal defence law and his commitment to social justice.

Part 3 - Stephen tells the story his parents’ wartime experiences and how they survived the Holocaust. 

Introduction – 0:00 - 2:39

Part 1 – 2:40 - 30:59

Part 2 – 31:00 - 55:49

Part 3 – 55:50 - 88:37

Outro – 88:38 - 89:43

The Brothers Who Found Their Story - https://www.theage.com.au/national/the-brothers-who-found-their-story-20031101-gdwnih.html

Melbourne Holocaust Museum - https://mhm.org.au/

Courage to Care - https://couragetocare.org.au/

Special thanks to:

Bialik College - https://www.bialik.vic.edu.au/

Bialik College Parents Association - https://www.bialik.vic.edu.au/community/parents-association

Bialik College Foundation - https://foundation.bialik.vic.edu.au/

Yad Vashem - https://www.yadvashem.org/

Gandel Foundation - https://gandelfoundation.org.au/

Adam Starr - https://www.starrmusic.com.au/

If you enjoyed Their Stories Unbroken:

Subscribe on your favourite podcast app

Contact us anytime:

Podcast by Matthew Sortino

Guests:

Principal of Bialik College in Melbourne, Australia, since 2012

Originally from the UK and was Founding Headteacher of Jewish Community Secondary School, London

History teacher, renowned school and community leader

Fellow of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders

Board member of several not-for-profits

Amanda Castelan-Starr

Assistant Principal & Director of Jewish Life at Bialik College

Over 25 years teaching Jewish Studies

Former curriculum leader at Mount Scopus Memorial College

Graduate of the Senior Educators Program at Hebrew University

Studied extensively at Yad Vashem

Deeply connected to Holocaust education, both professionally and personally

We introduce the podcasts purpose to explore how the Holocaust has shaped Jewish Australian families across generations.

Together, we discuss:

Bearing Witness Through Storytelling

Intergenerational Trauma & Resilience

Education & Pedagogy

History of Bialik College

Complex Definitions of Survivor

Memory and Legacy

Confronting Antisemitism

Resistance and Hope

Why Study the Holocaust?

Introduction – 0:00 to 9:07

Part 1 – 9:08 to 32:34

Part 2 – 32:35 to 54:19

Outro – 54:20 to 55:29

Special thanks to:

Bialik College - https://www.bialik.vic.edu.au/

Bialik College Parents Association - https://www.bialik.vic.edu.au/community/parents-association

Bialik College Foundation - https://foundation.bialik.vic.edu.au/

Yad Vashem - https://www.yadvashem.org/

Gandel Foundation - https://gandelfoundation.org.au/

Adam Starr - https://www.starrmusic.com.au/

If you enjoyed Their Stories Unbroken:

Subscribe on your favourite podcast app

Contact us anytime:

Podcast by Matthew Sortino