“The Weight of Memory: I Am Bernie Furshpan,” a film by Christiane Arbesu, follows Dr. Bernie Furshpan, the son of Holocaust survivors, as he travels across the country to share his family’s powerful story and inspire a new generation.
Through personal testimony and historical facts, Bernie encourages young people to reject hate, embrace empathy, and take action. This project serves not only as a documentary but also as a movement focused on remembrance, moral understanding, and our common humanity.
“When I first heard Dr. Bernie Furshpan speak at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, I was struck not only by his words, but by the urgency behind them. Just weeks earlier, I had read a report noting that antisemitic violence in 2022 had reached its highest levels since World War II. That statistic haunted me. And when I heard Bernie speak, I felt a profound responsibility to act, to help share his story, and by extension, the story of his family, his pain, and his purpose,” said Arbesu.
Filmed across schools, communities, and intimate family settings, the documentary traces Bernie’s work as an educator and public speaker at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center, where his connection captivates students and moves audiences. The film follows Bernie beyond the museum into his home and history as he retraces his father Moshe’s miraculous escape from the Nazis, and honors his maternal grandmother’s desperate search for her family.
Bernie issues a call to action: we must remember not just for remembrance’s sake, but to change the present and safeguard the future. “I Am Bernie Furshpan” offers a blueprint for healing and hope.
The film will screen at the Avram Theater in Southampton on June 26 at 5 PM. For tickets, visit iambernie.com/events.