Ep 371: Legacy Chronicles with Zachary Graulich and guest Susanne Seperson on hmTv

Ep. 371

Legacy Chronicles | hmTv
Host: Zachary Graulich
Guest: Dr. Susanne Bleiberg Seperson

In this powerful episode of Legacy Chronicles, host Zachary Graulich sits down with Dr. Susanne Bleiberg Seperson, a second-generation Holocaust survivor, scholar, and global advocate, to explore how memory becomes mission and legacy becomes action.

Dr. Seperson reflects on her parents’ survival during the Holocaust, including her mother’s imprisonment in Auschwitz and her later role as a beloved educator at the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center. She shares how growing up surrounded by absence, resilience, and an unwavering belief in education shaped her life’s work.

The conversation traces Dr. Seperson’s journey from academia to international advocacy, including her groundbreaking course on the Sociology of the Holocaust and her leadership at the United Nations combating antisemitism and promoting peace. Together, they examine why Holocaust education remains urgently relevant today, how historical truth is challenged and distorted, and why hope, perseverance, and moral responsibility must guide future generations.

This episode is a moving testament to the power of education, the importance of intergenerational storytelling, and the enduring responsibility to protect truth and humanity in an increasingly complex world.

Legacy Chronicles is produced by the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center and streamed on hmTv.

Transcript

Legacy Chronicles – Episode 371

With Zachary Graulich and Guest Dr. Susanne Bleiberg Seperson

hmTv | Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center

Zachary Graulich:
Hello and welcome to another episode of Legacy Chronicles. My name is Zachary Graulich, and I’m the Assistant Director of Education here at the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center.

Today, I’m honored to be joined by second-generation Holocaust survivor, educator, scholar, and advocate, Dr. Susanne Bleiberg Seperson. Susanne, thank you so much for being here.

Dr. Susanne Bleiberg Seperson:
Thank you for having me. It’s a pleasure to be here.

Zachary:
You’ve been connected to this museum for a long time, largely through your family. To begin, I’d love for you to share a bit about your parents, where they came from, and their stories of survival.

Dr. Seperson:
Of course. My mother, Annie Bleiberg, was a survivor of Auschwitz and later became a docent here at the museum. She was an extraordinary speaker who shared her story around the world.

Both of my parents were born in Poland. My father survived by hiding in the woods with the help of Christian neighbors. They grew up in the same small town and knew one another before the war, but they reconnected afterward as survivors. Their shared experiences shaped everything that came next.

Zachary:
I’ve only been at HMTC a few years, but your mother’s name comes up constantly. Even those of us who never met her feel her presence here. It’s clear she left an indelible mark.

Dr. Seperson:
Thank you. Sadly, my father passed away young and never saw the museum established. But both of my parents were deeply committed to education and community. My father, who lacked formal schooling, believed fiercely in education. His dying wish to me was that I finish my dissertation—and I did, in his honor.

My mother always said that education was something no one could ever take from you. She believed it helped her survive.

Zachary:
Growing up, did you always know you were a second-generation survivor, or was that something you came to understand over time?

Dr. Seperson:
I didn’t have the language for it as a child. I didn’t know the word “Holocaust,” but I knew the word milhama—war. It was always present.

What I felt most acutely was absence. No grandparents. Few relatives. Holidays felt different. I couldn’t articulate it then, but I lived with that loss every day.

Zachary:
When your mother began speaking publicly—here and in schools across Long Island—what was that like for you to witness?

Dr. Seperson:
It was eye-opening. I remember taking her to speak at a synagogue with a thousand people. You could hear a pin drop. They were completely captivated.

Another time, I heard her being interviewed on the radio by Congressman Steve Israel. I called her afterward and asked why she hadn’t told me. She said, “Why? Do I have to tell you everything?” That was my mother—sharp, independent, and entirely her own person.

Zachary:
Did seeing her speak inspire your own path into Holocaust education?

Dr. Seperson:
Not immediately. My family was focused on becoming American. Holocaust discussions belonged to my parents’ generation.

What changed things for me was a research grant that took me to Yad Vashem. There, I found my mother’s intake document from Auschwitz. Seeing that record—seeing her reduced to data—changed me.

That experience led me to create a college course called The Sociology of the Holocaust. I wanted to understand how an educated society could descend into mass dehumanization.

Zachary:
How did students respond to that course?

Dr. Seperson:
The classes were small, but the impact was enormous. My mother came to speak near the end of each semester. Students—many of whom weren’t Jewish—were deeply affected.

That’s when I knew education mattered. Even on a small scale, it could change lives.

Zachary:
Your work eventually expanded to the United Nations. How did that happen?

Dr. Seperson:
I became involved through UN committees on aging and intergenerational relations. That led me to the caucus of Jewish NGOs, formed in response to the “Zionism is racism” resolution.

Eventually, I helped establish a standing committee, and today I serve as Chair of the Committee on Ending Antisemitism and Promoting Peace. It hasn’t been easy, but perseverance matters.

Zachary:
How does your family feel about the work you’re doing now?

Dr. Seperson:
My children grew up knowing my mother’s story. My grandchildren are learning it in age-appropriate ways. Some are too young now, but the legacy is there.

What matters most to me is that this story doesn’t fade. History disappears if we stop telling it.

Zachary:
As we close, why do you believe Holocaust education is so critical today?

Dr. Seperson:
Because truth is under threat. The Holocaust is a universal story, but it happened to the Jews—and that must not be erased.

Perpetrators are guilty. Their descendants are not. There are good and bad people in every group. That belief guided my parents and guides me still.

We’re seeing history distorted again, including events happening in our own time. Education is how we resist that. Hope is how we survive it. And each of us has an obligation to do our part, no matter how small.

Zachary:
Thank you, Susanne, for your honesty, your courage, and your unwavering commitment to truth and humanity. It’s been an honor.

Dr. Seperson:
Thank you. I’m grateful for this conversation.