“Because it was brought here to Cincinnati, I think it also gives way to this idea that, you know, the Holocaust is, is international history, right? It's European history, global history, but it's our local history too.”

– Director of Collections & Exhibitions Cori Silbernagel on the suitcase that Holocaust survivor Werner Coppel carried from Europe to Cincinnati

Werner Coppel was just 19 when he survived a death march from Auschwitz, only to open the newspaper decades later and be faced with outright Holocaust denial in Cincinnati - the city where he had rebuilt his life and now considered home. He chose to fight back by using his voice and speaking his truth. He began telling his story and shared his personal experiences with audiences until his death in 2016. “My dad realized if he didn’t speak up, he’d be a bystander and he couldn’t do that. He had to stand up. He had to be an upstander,” said his son, Steve Coppel. This episode takes you into our archives to learn about some very important artifacts – not frequently seen publicly - that help tell Werner’s incredible story. You can learn more about Werner’s life both in the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center and in the exhibition Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. The exhibition opens in October, 2025. Link to tickets below.

The opportunity to bring this exhibition to Cincinnati has been generously supported by Rhonda and Larry Sheakley, the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, the Ohio Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission and

H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Jacob G. Schmidlapp Fund, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Helen G., Henry F., Louise Tuechter Dornette Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Western & Southern Financial Group

Les and Renee Sandler

The Kanter/Knue Family

The Neil Bortz Family

Rosenthal Family Foundation

Beth and Louis Guttman

To Bear Witness: Stories from Auschwitz to Cincinnati is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Family Center for Storytelling.

Special thanks to Julie and John Cohen for their support of this series.

Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. was created by Musealia in cooperation with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. Presented by NEON.

Musealia https://www.musealia.net/

Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum https://www.auschwitz.org/en/

NEON https://www.neonglobal.com/en/

Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. ticket info, additional resources for both adults and students, travel itineraries and more https://www.cincymuseum.org/auschwitz/

Visit the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/

Send us a text

“We hear that in a lot of survivor stories... saying you're trained as something, that you're not, in a way, to survive.” - Trinity Johnson, Director of Holocaust Programs & Museum Experiences at the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center

This episode of our limited podcast series accompanies the upcoming exhibition Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away., opening October 2025 at Cincinnati Museum Center. We share the powerful local stories of two survivors: Henry Meyer, a violin prodigy from Dresden whose musical gift became his lifeline, and Bella Ouziel, a young woman from Salonika who endured loss but found strength in camp sisterhood and spiritual resistance. Their journeys of survival and rebuilding in Cincinnati illuminate the resilience of the human spirit.

The opportunity to bring this exhibition to Cincinnati has been generously supported by Rhonda and Larry Sheakley, the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, the Ohio Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission and

H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Jacob G. Schmidlapp Fund, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Helen G., Henry F., Louise Tuechter Dornette Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Western & Southern Financial Group

Les and Renee Sandler

The Kanter/Knue Family

The Neil Bortz Family

Rosenthal Family Foundation

Beth and Louis Guttman

Interviews of Roma Kaltman, Rozalia Berke, Henry Meyer, and Bella Ouziel

are from the archive of the USC Shoah Foundation – The Institute for Visual History and Education

For more information:

http://sfi.usc.edu/

To Bear Witness: Stories from Auschwitz to Cincinnati is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Family Center for Storytelling. Special thanks to Julie and John Cohen for their support of this series. Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. was created by Musealia in cooperation with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum.

Presented by NEON.

Musealia

https://www.musealia.net/

Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum

https://www.auschwitz.org/en/

NEON

https://www.neonglobal.com/en/

Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. ticket info, additional resources for both adults and students, travel itineraries and more

https://www.cincymuseum.org/auschwitz/

Visit the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/

Send us a text

“Bias doesn’t just live in the people we don’t like. It lives in the mirrors that we look in every day in our homes.” – Kevin Aldridge

Season 2 of The Upstander Ripple Effect kicks off with a powerful conversation about self-awareness—how recognizing our own biases, blind spots, and strengths shapes how we behave in our lives and communities.

Hosts Jackie Congedo and Kevin Aldridge reflect on current events, the challenges of honest self-reflection, and the importance of “knowing ourselves accurately.” Later, guest Carrie McCarthy shares how Pleasant Hill Middle School in Cincinnati is embedding character strengths and upstander values into the heart of its culture, inspiring students to see themselves—and each other—as capable of creating positive change.

This episode is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Center for Storytelling. Subscribe here https://www.youtube.com/@holocaustandhumanity

Find us on social media

https://www.facebook.com/CincyHHC/ https://www.instagram.com/holocaustandhumanity/ https://www.tiktok.com/@holocaustandhumanity

Episode Resources

Kevin’s Op-Ed

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/columnists/2025/08/19/cincinnati-brawl-viral-race-white-black-people-downtown/85656149007/

The Key to Critical Self-Awareness by Arthur C. Brooks (subscription required)

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/04/know-yourself-socrates/682458/

Upstander curriculum resources

https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/resources/upstander-activities/

Action Reconciliation Service for Peace

https://us.asf-ev.de/

From Nazism to Never Again by Richard Evans (subscription may be required)

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/western-europe/2017-12-12/nazism-never-again

Send us a text

Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. opens at Cincinnati Museum Center in October 2025. For those who have never visited the camp, it represents an unparalleled learning opportunity.

“The people are not present… but there are traces of them still in those buildings.” —Cori Silbernagel

What can Auschwitz still teach us today? A visit to Poland made by two of our staff, Cori Silbernagel, Director of Collections & Exhibitions, and Trinity Johnson, Director of Holocaust Programs & Museum Experiences, may help shed some light on that question. They share powerful moments from behind-the-scenes spaces like Block 10 and an unpreserved barrack, where the fingerprints of Soviet POWs remain in the brick mortar.

80 years after liberation, the world may think it knows most everything about the space and history of Auschwitz. Cori and Trinity’s conversation shows us that we are never really done learning, and that Auschwitz still holds lessons for us today.

Those who visit Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. will not just see the same exhibition shown around the world. They will also get in-depth local stories of Auschwitz survivors who immigrated to Cincinnati. During WWII, the historic train station where this exhibition will be shown saw millions of American servicemen come through its doors. But there was another group of travelers whose lives would be impacted by Union Terminal. More than 1,000 Jews who survived the Holocaust immigrated to Cincinnati, arriving in the very building where the public will be able to view Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.

The opportunity to bring this exhibition to Cincinnati has been generously supported by Rhonda and Larry Sheakley, the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, the Ohio Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission and

H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Jacob G. Schmidlapp Fund, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Helen G., Henry F., Louise Tuechter Dornette Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Western & Southern Financial Group

Les and Renee Sandler

The Kanter/Knue Family

The Neil Bortz Family

Rosenthal Family Foundation

Beth and Louis Guttman

To Bear Witness: Stories from Auschwitz to Cincinnati is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Family Center for Storytelling. Special thanks to Julie and John Cohen for their support of this series. Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. was created by Musealia in cooperation with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. Presented by NEON.

Musealia https://www.musealia.net/

Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum https://www.auschwitz.org/en/

NEON https://www.neonglobal.com/en/

Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. ticket info, additional resources for both adults and students, travel itineraries and more https://www.cincymuseum.org/auschwitz/

Visit the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/

Send us a text

She said, "Will you take me as a sister?" And we said, "Yes, you will be our third sister.” And that's how we went through the war to be known as the three sisters." We were always holding hands together so we wouldn't be separated.

- Rozalia Berke, Auschwitz survivor

In Auschwitz, two sisters chose resistance — not with weapons, but with books, courage, and love. Roma and Rozalia Kaltman survived the Holocaust by clinging to each other and forming a chosen family with a third girl in the camps, Danka. Together, they became "the three sisters," and stayed alive despite dehumanization and death marches.

Cori Silbernagel, Director of Collections & Exhibitions is joined by Trinity Johnson, Director of Holocaust Programs & Museum Experiences to explore the stories of these incredible women by sharing a few minutes of them in their own words. Even though Roma and Rozalia are gone, their lives continue to move and inspire us.

This episode is part of a limited series, created to enrich the experience of visitors planning to attend the exhibition Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. Coming to Cincinnati Museum Center in October, 2025.

Those who visit will not just see the same exhibition shown around the world. They will also get in-depth local stories of Auschwitz survivors who immigrated to Cincinnati. During WWII, the historic train station where this exhibition will be shown saw millions of American servicemen come through its doors. But there was another group of travelers whose lives would be impacted by Union Terminal. More than 1,000 Jews who survived the Holocaust immigrated to Cincinnati, arriving in the very building where the public will be able to view Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.

The opportunity to bring this exhibition to Cincinnati has been generously supported by Rhonda and Larry Sheakley, the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, the Ohio Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission and

H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Jacob G. Schmidlapp Fund, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Helen G., Henry F., Louise Tuechter Dornette Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Western & Southern Financial Group

Les and Renee Sandler

The Kanter/Knue Family

The Neil Bortz Family

Rosenthal Family Foundation

Beth and Louis Guttman

Interviews of Roma Kaltman, Rozalia Berke, Henry Meyer, and Bella Ouziel are from the archive of the USC Shoah Foundation – The Institute for Visual History and Education

For more information: http://sfi.usc.edu/

To Bear Witness: Stories from Auschwitz to Cincinnati is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Family Center for Storytelling. Special thanks to Julie and John Cohen for their support of this series. Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. was created by Musealia in cooperation with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. Presented by NEON.

Musealia https://www.musealia.net/

Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum https://www.auschwitz.org/en/

NEON https://www.neonglobal.com/en/

Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. ticket info, additional resources for both adults and students, travel itineraries and more https://www.cincymuseum.org/auschwitz/

Visit the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/

Send us a text

Step behind the scenes, into the archives of the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, in Union Terminal, to explore the lives of Henry Carter and Leo Wilich—Auschwitz survivors who rebuilt their lives in Cincinnati.

“Henry didn't sit idly by in the ghetto. He, through acts that were both big and small, did what he could to resist, and he became involved in the underground movement. When I look at this photograph of Henry, I can see - I can see that courage within his face.”

• Cori Silbernagel, Director of Collections & Exhibitions at the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center

You’ll hear how Henry risked everything to resist Nazi rule from inside the Krakow ghetto, and how he later adopted a child orphaned by the Holocaust. We also explore Leo’s ritual of putting on his camp uniform during hard times—reminding himself that he had already survived the worst. We share these stories ahead of a landmark collection of artifacts and photos from Auschwitz, coming to Cincinnati in October 2025. In this limited series, we’ll add insight and local context to this internationally renowned exhibition.

Those who visit will not just see the same exhibition shown around the world. They will also get in-depth local stories of Auschwitz survivors who immigrated to Cincinnati. During WWII, the historic train station where this exhibition will be shown saw millions of American servicemen come through its doors. But there was another group of travelers whose lives would be impacted by Union Terminal. More than 1,000 Jews who survived the Holocaust immigrated to Cincinnati, arriving in the very building where the public will be able to view Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.

The opportunity to bring this exhibition to Cincinnati has been generously supported by Rhonda and Larry Sheakley, the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, the Ohio Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission and

H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Jacob G. Schmidlapp Fund, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Helen G., Henry F., Louise Tuechter Dornette Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Western & Southern Financial Group

Les and Renee Sandler

The Kanter/Knue Family

The Neil Bortz Family

Rosenthal Family Foundation

Beth and Louis Guttman

To Bear Witness: Stories from Auschwitz to Cincinnati is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Family Center for Storytelling. Special thanks to Julie and John Cohen for their support of this series. Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. was created by Musealia in cooperation with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum.

Presented by NEON.

For more information, please visit:

Musealia

https://www.musealia.net/

Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum

https://www.auschwitz.org/en/

NEON

https://www.neonglobal.com/en/

Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. ticket info, additional resources for both adults and students, travel itineraries and more

https://www.cincymuseum.org/auschwitz/

Visit the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/

Send us a text

A landmark collection of artifacts and photos from Auschwitz is coming to Cincinnati in October 2025.

“I've paid attention to it as it's been in different places, and talked to the curator and talked to partners who have had it, knowing that in the back of my mind, like that's something that needs to come to Cincinnati, and it clearly needs to be in this building for all the connections that you and I are going to talk about today.”

- Elizabeth Pierce, CEO Cincinnati Museum Center, on Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.

In this limited series, we’ll add insight and local context to this internationally renowned exhibition. In this episode, Jackie Congedo, CEO of the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, sits down with Elizabeth Pierce, CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center, to talk about partnering to bring the exhibition to Cincinnati.

Those who visit will not just see the same exhibition that has been shown around the world. They will also get in-depth local stories of Auschwitz survivors who immigrated to Cincinnati. During WWII, the historic train station where this exhibition will be shown saw millions of American servicemen come through its doors. But there was another group of travelers whose lives would be impacted by Union Terminal. More than 1,000 Jews who survived the Holocaust immigrated to Cincinnati, arriving in the very building where the public will be able to view Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.

It is a special layer of meaning and context that we think will give visitors an even more extraordinary experience.

The opportunity to bring this impactful exhibition to Cincinnati has been generously supported by Rhonda and Larry Sheakley, the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, the Ohio Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission and

H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee
Jacob G. Schmidlapp Fund, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee
Helen G., Henry F., Louise Tuechter Dornette Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Western & Southern Financial Group

Les and Renee Sandler

The Kanter/Knue Family

The Neil Bortz Family

Rosenthal Family Foundation

Beth and Louis Guttman

To Bear Witness: Stories from Auschwitz to Cincinnati is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Family Center for Storytelling.
Special thanks to Julie and John Cohen for their support of this series.

Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. was created by Musealia in cooperation with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. Presented by NEON.
For more information, please visit:

Musealia
https://www.musealia.net/

Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum
https://www.auschwitz.org/en/

NEON
https://www.neonglobal.com/en/

Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. ticket info, additional resources for both adults and students, travel itineraries and more
https://www.cincymuseum.org/auschwitz/

Visit the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center
https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/

Learn more about Werner Coppel, one of the Cincinnati survivors whose life will be featured in the exhibition
https://youtu.be/bUKLrd3XsXs

Send us a text

The last show of Season One is officially in the books! In this episode, we wrap up the first season of The Upstander Ripple Effect with gratitude, reflection, and—of course—inspiration. Jackie and Kevin dig into some of the headline-making moments shaping our world, from political hypocrisy to the challenges of breaking out of our echo chambers. Together, they explore what real resistance looks like, what it means to build (not just tear down), and how upstanders can center shared humanity in times of crisis.

We also celebrate the 2025 Upstander Awards—highlighting everyday heroes like Mitch Morris, who’s bringing hope to Cincinnati’s youth and communities impacted by gun violence. Plus, hear about celebrity host Jesse Eisenberg, who made this year's Upstander Awards truly special.

Tune in for one last dose of courage and curiosity this season!

This episode is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Center for Storytelling. Subscribe here https://www.youtube.com/@holocaustandhumanity

Email us podcast@cincyhhc.org

Find us on social media

https://www.facebook.com/CincyHHC/

https://x.com/cincyhhc

https://www.instagram.com/holocaustandhumanity/

https://www.tiktok.com/@holocaustandhumanity

Episode Resources

Visit the Center in person or online

https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/

Kevin’s award-winning commentary on Sunlite Pool https://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/columnists/2024/03/13/cincinnati-symphony-orchestra-coney-island-sunlite-pool-closing/72932938007/

“I study the resistance against the Nazis. Here’s what the US left can learn from it.” by Luke Berryman https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/22/democratic-resistance-trump

“Op-Ed: You Don’t Get To Burn It Down If You’ve Never Built A Damn Thing” by Eric K. Ward https://newsone.com/6203638/palestinian-israel-op-ed/

“Cognitive Dissonance in Politics: How Conflicting Beliefs Shape Political Behavior” by the NeuroLaunch editorial team https://neurolaunch.com/cognitive-dissonance-in-politics/

Read more about Upstander Award winner Mitch Morris https://www.saveouryouthcincinnati.com/

Coverage of Jesse Eisenberg’s visit to Cincinnati

https://www.wlwt.com/article/jesse-eisenberg-hosts-upstander-awards-at-humanity-center/65149012

https://www.cincinnati.com/picture-gallery/entertainment/2025/06/23/jesse-eisenberg-hosts-holocaust-humanity-center-upstander-awards-2025/84321693007/

Free educational webinar series HHC is participating in

https://ahecinfo.org/what-history-teaches-the-rise-of-nazism/

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