Ep 577: Ordinary Heroes with Bernie Furshpan and guest Rena Kesten on hmTv

Send us Fan MailIn this powerful episode of Ordinary Heroes on hmTv, host Bernie Furshpan welcomes Rena Kesten for a moving conversation about her grandfather, Naum Markovich Sekunda, a Jewish colonel in the Soviet Army who helped lead forces into Berlin during the final days of World War II. Rena shares extraordinary family stories, photographs, and artifacts that reveal her grandfather’s journey from an orphanage in Ukraine to military school, and ultimately to the Battle of Berlin. She recounts how he helped save his family as the German invasion began, led soldiers out of danger during the chaos of war, and became one of several Jewish commanders involved in the Soviet advance into Berlin.Together, Bernie and Rena reflect on the bravery of Jewish soldiers in the Soviet Army, the trauma endured by families fleeing the Nazis, the forgotten stories of Russian Jews during World War II, and the urgent need to teach history honestly to younger generations.This episode honors a remarkable man whose courage, leadership, and survival stand as a reminder that ordinary people, when faced with extraordinary circumstances, can become true heroes.Support the show