hmTv at HMTC Podcasts Ep 411: Ordinary Heroes with Bernie Furshpan and guest Dan Holtzman on hmTv
Podcast Description – Ep 411: Ordinary Heroes with Bernie Furshpan & Dr. Dan Holtzman
What happens when education, music, and moral responsibility meet on a global stage?
In this powerful episode of Ordinary Heroes, host Bernie Furshpan sits down with Dr. Dan Holtzman, Assistant Superintendent of the Great Neck Public Schools, to reflect on their life-changing experience at the Day of Hope event at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.
Together, they explore how the arts are more than performance. They are a force for unity, healing, and shared human responsibility. Dr. Holtzman shares insights from leading a student roundtable alongside journalist and performer Kelly Wright, where young musicians spoke about their belief that artists carry a responsibility to make an impact beyond the stage.
The conversation moves from Jerusalem to Long Island, as Dr. Holtzman describes how the experience sparked an educational epiphany. He explains how diversity, vulnerability, storytelling, and the performing arts can transform school communities into models of empathy and belonging. From “Unity Day” initiatives to the idea of bringing global leaders together through the arts, this episode asks a bold question: If we can agree on what is beautiful together, what else could we agree on?
This is an episode about leadership, courage, education, and the quiet heroes who build bridges every day.