Ep 595: It's All About the Children with Carin & Sami and guest Melanie Shiraz P1 on hmTv

Ep 631: The Israeli Bond with Gal Swisa Cohen and guest Dagan Cohen P2 on hmTv

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449781/fan_mail/new] In Part 2 of this special conversation on The Israeli Bond, host Gal Swisa Cohen continues her discussion with her husband, Dagan Cohen, senior emissary for the Jewish Agency’s delegation on Long Island and Director of the Randy W. Molinsky Center for Israel at Sid Jacobson JCC. As Dagan prepares to conclude his three-year mission, he reflects on what it truly means to serve as a shaliach and build a living bridge between Israel and the Jewish community. He shares how arriving just weeks before October 7 transformed his role, forcing him to choose between returning to Israel for reserve duty or remaining on Long Island to support, educate, and strengthen the community during an unprecedented crisis. The conversation explores the creation of the Long Island Jewish Coalition, the expansion of the Israeli delegation, the importance of investing in people and relationships, and the development of lasting partnerships between Long Island and communities in Israel. Dagan also discusses the lessons he will carry home, including his belief that shlichut is a two-way street. Just as Diaspora Jewish communities learn about and support Israel, Israelis must better understand their connection to Jewish life around the world. This heartfelt episode is a reflection on leadership, responsibility, resilience, Jewish unity, and the people who transformed Long Island from an assignment into a second home. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449781/support]

Ep 630: The Israeli Bond with Gal Swisa Cohen and guest Dagan Cohen P1 on hmTv

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449781/fan_mail/new] In Part 1 of this special two-part episode of The Israeli Bond on hmTv, host Gal Swisa Cohen sits down with her husband, Dagan Cohen, Director of the Randy W. Molinsky Center for Israel at Sid Jacobson JCC and the Jewish Agency’s head of the Israeli delegation on Long Island. As Dagan prepares to complete his three-year mission on Long Island, he reflects on the experiences that shaped his identity and leadership. He shares memories of growing up on a kibbutz near Israel’s border with Lebanon, living under the threat of Katyusha rockets, and learning the power of community, resilience, responsibility, and service. Dagan also discusses his transformative gap year working with children removed from abusive homes, his service as an officer in the IDF’s Maglan special forces unit, and the lessons he learned about leadership, education, and being meaningful in the lives of others. This deeply personal conversation explores the idea of shlichut—living with a mission and serving something greater than oneself—and reveals how Dagan’s lifelong commitment to Israel, community, and human connection prepared him to become a living bridge between Israel and Long Island. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449781/support]

Ep 620: Legacy Chronicles with Donna Rosenblum and guest Alex Teplish on hmTv

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449781/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Legacy Chronicles on hmTv, host Donna Rosenblum welcomes author, digital innovator, and third-generation Holocaust descendant Alex Teplish for a powerful conversation about family memory, education, and the evolving ways we preserve survivor testimony. Alex shares the story behind Survivor: Aaron’s Story, an illustrated memoir and multimedia Holocaust education project based on his grandfather’s survival during World War II in Ukraine. He discusses growing up surrounded by Holocaust survivors, discovering his grandfather’s Shoah Foundation testimony, and transforming that history into a graphic novel, multimedia presentation, interactive virtual museum, and upcoming animated miniseries. Donna and Alex also explore the importance of making Holocaust education accessible to younger generations, the role of technology in preserving memory, and the responsibility of descendants to carry these stories forward. The conversation highlights how personal testimony can help students understand history, challenge antisemitism, and become thoughtful, compassionate upstanders. This episode is a moving reminder that survivor stories do not end with one generation. They continue through education, creativity, and the choices we make about how memory is carried into the future. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449781/support]

Ep 628: It's All About the Children with Carin & Sami and guest Gwen Jones-Cintron P2 on hmTv

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449781/fan_mail/new] In Episode 628 of It’s All About the Children, hosts Carin and Sami continue their conversation with retired New York City public school teacher and Zion Lioness author Gwen Jones-Cintron about education, language, identity, and the responsibility to challenge harmful narratives. In Part 2, the discussion explores how emotionally charged words such as “genocide,” “equity,” and “inclusion” can be misused or weaponized—especially when educators and public institutions fail to define them accurately. Sami reflects on the gaps between mandated Holocaust education and what students actually receive, while Gwen and Carin share firsthand experiences confronting bias, fear, political messaging, and the absence of open debate in schools and community institutions. The conversation also examines Jewish representation, civic identity, critical thinking, the silencing of moderate voices, and the growing importance of social media as the “Eighth Front.” Gwen explains how Impact is helping older adults become digital defenders and empowering people to use their voices online to challenge antisemitism and amplify truthful, constructive messages. The episode concludes with a direct appeal to parents: stay involved, ask what your children are learning, verify the facts, encourage honest discussion, and never underestimate the influence one informed and courageous voice can have on the next generation. It’s All About the Children is an hmTv production of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, where humanity matters. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449781/support]

Ep 627: It's All About the Children with Carin & Sami and guest Gwen Jones-Cintron P1 on hmTv

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449781/fan_mail/new] In Episode 627 of It’s All About the Children, hosts Carin and Sami welcome Gwen Jones-Cintron, retired New York City public school teacher and author of the Substack Zion Lioness, for Part 1 of a powerful conversation about education, antisemitism, identity, and the influence of ideology in schools. Drawing on more than three decades in special education, Gwen reflects on what she witnessed inside the New York City public school system and how experiences dating back to the early 1990s began to take on new meaning after October 7. She discusses the gradual introduction of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish narratives into educational spaces, the limitations placed on open discussion, and why she now feels compelled to speak out. The conversation also examines DEI, equity, indoctrination, foreign influence in universities, the power of language and propaganda, and the difficulty many parents face when challenging school curricula. Sami brings his perspective as a Holocaust survivor, warning that history’s greatest tragedies often begin with words, images, denial, and the belief that “it cannot happen here.” Together, Carin, Sami, and Gwen explore the need for critical thinking, honest education, Jewish pride, and the courage to question narratives that divide rather than unite. It’s All About the Children is an hmTv production of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, where humanity matters. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449781/support]