Ep 217: Raised by Survivors with Bernie Furshpan and guest Alan Locher on hmTv

Ep 217 – Raised by Survivors with Alan Locher

In this powerful episode of Raised by Survivors on hmTv, host Bernie Furshpan sits down with Alan Locher, the son of two Holocaust survivors, to share a deeply personal and inspiring story of resilience, memory, and activism.

Alan reflects on his parents’ harrowing survival stories—his mother hidden by a courageous farm family who risked eleven lives to save her, and his father navigating forests, the underground, and a fateful reunion that defied the odds. Together, Bernie and Alan explore what it means to be raised by survivors, the lasting effects of trauma, and the extraordinary courage of upstanders who risked everything for others.

The conversation also dives into Alan’s journey—from working in television and film publicity to creating The Locher Room podcast, where he brings people together for meaningful conversations about antisemitism, racism, and social change on Conversations with Alan.

At its heart, this episode is a reminder of the importance of speaking out, listening, and carrying forward the legacy of those who endured humanity’s darkest chapter.

Transcript

Raised by Survivors – Ep 217
Host: Bernie Furshpan | Guest: Alan Locher

Bernie:
Welcome to Raised by Survivors. I'm your host, Bernie Furshpan, here at hmTv at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center on Long Island, New York. Thank you for joining me today. I have a very, very special guest—also a second-generation Holocaust survivor—who has some incredible and harrowing stories about his parents, their survival, and his own experience here in the United States as a child of survivors. His story is one of influence, resilience, and the deep impact of memory. I’d like to welcome Alan Locher. Thank you so much for joining me.

Alan:
Thanks for having me.

Bernie:
You traveled across state lines to be here, and I really appreciate that. Hearing your story, and your parents’ stories, is so meaningful. We need to keep telling them because the world too often forgets. Not only about the darkest chapter in human history, but about how easily societies can be manipulated when we grow complacent—how good people can be coerced into doing bad things. What’s your take on that?

Alan:
I mean, all of that is so true. Growing up, I didn’t really grasp the full story. I don’t know if it was being a child of survivors, but I think part of me hid that story. I didn’t openly say I was Jewish. It wasn’t denial, but if someone asked me when I was a teenager, I’d say, “Guess.” And most never did—because of my darker skin tone from my mother’s Portuguese blood, people assumed I was Italian or Spanish. That gave me comfort, maybe because antisemitism was real in the ’70s and ’80s. And being gay, hiding that too—it was a lot. But it really took Charlottesville, Virginia, for me to want to finally speak up.

Bernie:
So Charlottesville triggered something in you?

Alan:
Yes. Watching young men march with tiki torches chanting, “Jews will not replace us,” lit a fire under me. It pushed me into activism—into speaking up, into educating. I thought of my mother—what it would have done to her to see that. It was a whole new level of antisemitism I hadn’t witnessed before.

Bernie:
And sadly, after October 7th, more people felt that same push. More documentaries, films, and campaigns are being made now. We wonder—where is the common sense in society? We’re all immigrants here. We’re all different, and yet all one at the same time.

Alan:
Exactly. It’s discouraging, but also motivating. It makes us want to make a difference.

Bernie:
You grew up with two Holocaust survivors. What was that like?

Alan:
I don’t remember them speaking much about it when I was little, but when Schindler’s List came out and Spielberg launched the Shoah Foundation, my sister and I convinced them to record their testimonies. Sitting there, listening to my parents’ interviews, was eye-opening. My mother especially wanted to honor the family who hid her and my grandmother for two years during the war. They risked 11 lives to save them.

Bernie:
That’s extraordinary. People who stood up, took risks, and did the right thing. My father had a similar story—helped by a Protestant farmer in Poland who risked everything. These are acts of true courage. Tell us about your mother’s rescuers.

Alan:
My mom and grandmother were first hiding under a tree in the forest. A young man, only 17, convinced his parents to take them in. They risked the whole family—nine children plus themselves. My grandmother never left the house, but my mom, with her darker skin, was able to pass as a cousin. She went to school and church with the family. Years later, in 1996, we visited the farm together. The welcome she received was like a sister returning home.

Bernie:
That’s incredible.

Alan:
Yeah. They became her family. And when my grandmother got older, that same family even cared for her later in life. Consistently good people.

Bernie:
And your father?

Alan:
He was older, a teenager during the war. The scars on him were heavy. He lost his sister, who refused to go into hiding. His family was separated, moving through forests and safe houses. At one point, he was reconnected with his parents in an extraordinary twist—because someone recognized him on a train, knew it was his birthday, and realized he was their son.

Bernie:
That gives me chills. And eventually your parents met in the Netherlands, fell in love, and moved to New Jersey.

Alan:
That’s right. That’s where I was born and raised.

Bernie:
When did you realize being “raised by survivors” made your upbringing different?

Alan:
Pretty young. My mother especially—she smoked constantly. Cigarettes were her crutch. She had to know where we were every second of the day. It was control born out of trauma. She lost her father in a concentration camp. My dad lost his sister. Trauma shaped everything.

Bernie:
Same with my mother—sugar was her crutch. It killed her. Survivors always carried something.

Alan:
Yes. And their influence pushed my sister and me toward education. My dad didn’t get past fifth grade, my mom maybe high school. But she learned English watching As the World Turns and Guiding Light. That actually led me into my career—I ended up working on those very shows.

Bernie:
That’s full circle.

Alan:
It is. I started as an ABC page, then PR at Disney, worked on over 200 films. One of my biggest events was the world premiere of Pocahontas in Central Park for 100,000 people. Later I worked with Regis and Kathie Lee, and now, I host my own podcast.

Bernie:
Let’s talk about The Locher Room.

Alan:
When the pandemic hit, I thought about reuniting actors from the shows I worked on. It started as one Instagram Live and has grown into over 550 episodes. From that, I launched Conversations with Alan, focusing on antisemitism, racism, and socially relevant issues. My biggest takeaway: we can all learn from each other—if we just listen.

Bernie:
Amen. The world would be different if people just listened. Before we close, tell me—what would your parents say if they were here today?

Alan:
They’d be proud, but shocked. Shocked at what’s happening in the world. They never thought antisemitism would resurge to this degree.

Bernie:
I agree. But people like you, sharing these stories, honoring your parents—Fifi and Carl Locher—make a difference. Alan, thank you so much for joining us today.

Alan:
Thank you for having me.

Bernie:
And thank you to our listeners for joining us on Raised by Survivors. I’m your host, Bernie Furshpan, here at hmTv. Until next time.