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Episode 88 – Carrying the Torch: Gail Kastenholz on Building Holocaust Education for the Future

Second–generation survivor, educator, and longtime HMTC volunteer Gail Kastenholz sits down with host Dr. Bernie Ferspan to trace a remarkable life spent turning family trauma into public service. Born to two Polish survivors who rebuilt their lives in Brooklyn and Queens, Gail explains how a single comment—“you don’t look like a 2G”—pushed her to found one of Long Island’s first children-of-survivors groups, collect testimonies with Yale’s Fortunoff Archive, and create pioneering programs that now train every Suffolk–Nassau police cadet and scores of nursing students in ethical decision-making.

From memories of Coney Island beaches and Yiddish card games to the hard facts of DP camps, lost relatives, and post-war silence, Gail reveals why Holocaust education has shifted from graphic footage to empathy-driven storytelling—and why today’s middle-schoolers may be the most engaged generation yet. If you’re curious how museums, 2G/3G activists, and October 7th have reshaped the conversation, this episode delivers a front-row seat.

Listen for:

The birth of Long Island’s 2G movement
Behind-the-scenes of the cadet and nursing-ethics seminars
Tips on fostering Jewish pride and moral courage in a restless world

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