Ep 662: Raised by Survivors with Bernie Furshpan and guest Oleg Frish on hmTv

Send us Fan MailRaised by Survivors | Guest: Oleg FrishTitle: Raised by Survivors | Ep. 662: Oleg Frish: From Soviet Ukraine to the American Stage | HMTCBefore Oleg Frish performed on celebrated New York stages, American music gave a young boy behind the Iron Curtain a window into another world. His childhood fascination with records eventually became a remarkable career spanning singing, broadcasting, cultural commentary, and interviews with legendary entertainers.In Episode 662 of Raised by Survivors, host Bernie Furshpan reunites with Oleg, a longtime friend, former client, and son of a Holocaust survivor.Born in the Ukrainian region of the Soviet Union, Oleg grew up in a musical family. His father was a prominent conductor and People’s Artist of Ukraine, while his mother was a pianist and music teacher. As a child, Oleg spent his money on records and studied the names of composers, musicians, and performers printed on every album cover.Oleg reflects on growing up with limited discussion of his Jewish roots and beginning to understand his Jewish identity more deeply after immigrating to the United States. He discusses the Yiddish words taught by his grandmothers, the changing character of Brighton Beach, and the importance of recognizing the distinct identities found across the former Soviet Union.The conversation explores Oleg’s lifelong love of the Great American Songbook, his performances in multiple languages, and his rendition of “Hello, Dolly!” in more than 130 languages. He also recalls meeting and interviewing legendary artists, including Tony Bennett, James Brown, Keely Smith, Bobby Rydell, Claire Barry, Dudu Fisher, and Lalo Schifrin.Oleg and Bernie also discuss the war between Russia and Ukraine, young people whose lives have become defined by waiting, and the human cost of conflict. Oleg’s position is deeply personal and direct: he opposes people killing one another, regardless of nationality, religion, or political identity.The episode becomes a warm reunion between two entertainers whose paths crossed at New York’s Metropolitan Room. Together, they reflect on inherited memory, Jewish identity, immigration, friendship, cultural connection, and the power of entertainment to bring people together.Raised by Survivors on hmTv | Host: Bernie Furshpan | Guest: Oleg FrishExecutive Producer and Director: Bernie FurshpanA production of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County🌐 hmtcli.org🎙 buzzsprout.com/2449781▶️ youtube.com/@hmTv-hmtc🎵 youtube.com/olegfrish─── CHAPTERS ───0:00 Opening0:18 Welcome and guest introduction1:11 Oleg’s first visit to HMTC2:32 Bernie and Oleg remember working together3:32 A musical childhood in Soviet Ukraine4:46 Collecting thousands of records and recordings6:07 Family migration from Ukraine7:09 Jewish identity in the Soviet Union8:38 Discovering his Jewish roots in America9:48 American music behind the Iron Curtain10:57 Interviewing legendary entertainers12:16 Recording Soviet songs with a jazz orchestra13:03 Connecting cultures through music13:25 Singing “Hello, Dolly!” in more than 130 languages14:17 Foreign languages and the fading of Yiddish15:30 How Brighton Beach has changed17:51 Russian, Ukrainian, and Soviet identities19:04 Oleg’s feelings about the war in Ukraine21:26 Jewish communities around the world22:05 Lalo Schifrin’s unexpected journey to Argentina23:15 Performing for international Jewish audiences23:49 Remembering the Metropolitan Room25:14 Could the Metropolitan Room return?26:08 Bernie’s transition to tolerance education26:54 Oleg’s authenticity and humor onstage27:38 Television, digital media, and Oleg’s archive28:29 How inherited history shaped Bernie and Oleg29:44 Future performances and an English-language podcast30:19 Performing at Rabbi Pearl’s marathon31:08 Friendship, family, and closing reflections31:54 hmTv outro──────────────────#RaisedBySurvivors #OlegFrish #BernieFurshpan #GreatAmericanSongbook #JewishIdentity #SovietUkraine #Yiddish #HolocaustLegacy #ImmigrantStories #MusicAndMemory #CulturalConnection #HMTCSupport the show