Screening and Discussion
The Weight of Memory: I Am Bernie Furshpan
Thursday, December 17th at 7:30 PM
Featuring a discussion with Bernie Furshpan, Vice Chair of the Board, and Head of Marketing, Public Relations & Media for The Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County
$18 Public | $11 Members

Directed by Christiane Arbesu, The Weight of Memory: I Am Bernie Furshpan follows Dr. Bernie Furshpan, a second-generation Holocaust educator and son of Holocaust survivor Moshe Furshpan, as he shares his parents’ Holocaust experiences with students and communities.

This is a second-generation Holocaust film because it examines how the consequences of persecution reach beyond those who survived it. Through Bernie’s perspective as the son of two survivors, it explores inherited trauma, resilience, identity, and the responsibility of preserving testimony as living witnesses become fewer. He speaks to schools, libraries, universities, and community organizations about how prejudice takes hold, how to listen across differences, and what it takes to stand up when someone is targeted. His encounters with young people bring these questions into everyday life: Who gets excluded? Who remains silent? Who chooses to help?

At its heart, The Weight of Memory asks what we will do with the history entrusted to us. Remembering honors those who were lost. Turning remembrance into action helps protect those who come next. (USA, 2025, 80 mins, English | Dir. Christiane Arbesu)