The Upstander Ripple Effect

“We hear that in a lot of survivor stories... saying you're trained as something, that you're not, in a way, to survive.” - Trinity Johnson, Director of Holocaust Programs & Museum Experiences at the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center

This episode of our limited podcast series accompanies the upcoming exhibition Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away., opening October 2025 at Cincinnati Museum Center...

“Bias doesn’t just live in the people we don’t like. It lives in the mirrors that we look in every day in our homes.” – Kevin Aldridge 

Season 2 of The Upstander Ripple Effect kicks off with a powerful conversation about self-awareness—how recognizing our own biases, blind spots, and strengths shapes how we behave in our lives and communities.  

Hosts Jackie Congedo and Kevin Aldridge reflect on current events, the challenges of hone...

Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. opens at Cincinnati Museum Center in October 2025. For those who have never visited the camp, it represents an unparalleled learning opportunity. 

“The people are not present… but there are traces of them still in those buildings.” —Cori Silbernagel 

What can Auschwitz still teach us today? A visit to Poland made by two of our staff, Cori Silbernagel, Director of Collections & Exhibitions, a...

She said, "Will you take me as a sister?" And we said, "Yes, you will be our third sister.” And that's how we went through the war to be known as the three sisters." We were always holding hands together so we wouldn't be separated. 

- Rozalia Berke, Auschwitz survivor 

In Auschwitz, two sisters chose resistance — not with weapons, but with books, courage, and love. Roma and Rozalia Kaltman survived the ...

Step behind the scenes, into the archives of the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, in Union Terminal, to explore the lives of Henry Carter and Leo Wilich—Auschwitz survivors who rebuilt their lives in Cincinnati. 

“Henry didn't sit idly by in the ghetto. He, through acts that were both big and small, did what he could to resist, and he became involved in the underground movement. When I look at this photog...

A landmark collection of artifacts and photos from Auschwitz is coming to Cincinnati in October 2025.

“I've paid attention to it as it's been in different places, and talked to the curator and talked to partners who have had it, knowing that in the back of my mind, like that's something that needs to come to Cincinnati, and it clearly needs to be in this building for all the connections that you and I are go...

The last show of Season One is officially in the books! In this episode, we wrap up the first season of The Upstander Ripple Effect with gratitude, reflection, and—of course—inspiration. Jackie and Kevin dig into some of the headline-making moments shaping our world, from political hypocrisy to the challenges of breaking out of our echo chambers. Together, they explore what real resistance looks like, what it means to build (not ju...

Attacks on Jewish communities. Corporate retreats from Pride Month. Rhetoric heating up on all sides. What does it take to pause, reflect, and truly see the world through someone else’s eyes? 

In this episode of The Upstander Ripple Effect, hosts Kevin Aldridge and Jackie Congedo take on the character strength of perspective—not just as a virtue, but as a practical tool for navigating our turbulent world. Through personal ...

In this episode of The Upstander Ripple Effect, hosts Jackie Congedo and Kevin Aldridge dive deep into the idea of empathy—what it really means, why some people are questioning its value, and how it plays a powerful role in standing up for others. Along the way, they reflect on how empathy is often misunderstood as agreement, when really, it’s about connection and understanding. 

As Kevin puts it: 

 “Empathy is what helps bring us to...

Host Jackie Congedo, CEO at the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, joined this episode from her hotel in Jerusalem, where she was with leaders from Holocaust education centers around the world, studying and collaborating.  

“Their son had a knack for connecting with people, and for seeing the humanity in somebody else, and for caring enough about another human being with a different story to ask about that story...

“How can we all stand up for each other? Help each other more? Help each other thrive?...I believe that we're more resilient when we're building resilience together.” - Fatima Doman on being upstanders and becoming more resilient 

In this episode of The Upstander Ripple Effect, Fatima Doman joins the Center’s Director of External Strategic Engagement, Kara Driscoll, and explores the power of resilience and character streng...

“If fear is what's driving us right now, let's find out what people are afraid of, and let's have a conversation. Let's have a talk. Let's talk about that first. Let's lean into that courageously and have some honest conversations about, what is it that we're really all scared about right now, and how do we push past that, overcome that fear, to get us to a place of productivity.”  host Kevin Aldr...

This episode explores the evolving landscape of Holocaust remembrance with Dr. Sarah Crane, Visiting Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Cincinnati and Scholar in Residence at the Holocaust & Humanity Center. 

"The Holocaust gives us ways to answer deep questions about what it means to be human—but it’s going to keep evolving, and that’s why these conversations remain relevant." — Dr. Sarah...

What do we choose to remember and why? What memories should we work to keep alive? Jackie and Kevin explore that in this episode.  

“I think it's important for us to understand, too, why it's important to keep these stories, these legacies, alive... we all stand on the shoulders of the accomplishments and sacrifices of these individuals who've made our country, our world, a better place.” 
- Host Kevin Aldridge on...

One way we can be upstanders is to embrace our ability to be leaders. Dr. Gail Fairhurst has studied communication and leadership extensively, and joins us to share her best insights on how we can lean into leadership in our everyday lives.  

" A communication approach is going to look at how we together negotiate meaning about whatever is the task before us, whatever our identities are, or what our relationship is like togethe...

In this episode of The Upstander Ripple Effect, Jeff Bryan, co-founder of the Positivity Project, shares how his military background and studies in positive psychology inspired a nationwide initiative to teach character strengths in schools. 

“What do we need to do to be successful here? You’re looking at their character—are they honest, do they have integrity, are they humble?"
-- Jeff Bryan, co-founder of the Po...

This episode brings a heartfelt exploration of gratitude, fittingly marking the final episode of 2024.  

"Gratitude is the kinetic energy behind the ripple effect." – Jackie Congedo, host and CEO of the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center 

Hosts Jackie Congedo and Kevin Aldridge reflect on the year gone by, using the theme of gratitude as both a lens for reflection and a springboard for action. By closing...

Being the best version of ourselves, so we can be upstanders for the world around us, takes time and intention. Stacy Sims, Executive Director and Founder of The Well, joins us in this episode to help us understand the importance of mindfulness in an age of distraction.  

“If we don't have practices that allow us to be sort of old school - out in nature, walking around, reading books, playing games - we're just going to ke...

This episode tackles the daunting task of building community in a deeply divided post-election landscape head-on. 

"I think it is the essential project of this moment and it’s something I
think is going to be very hard for both sides to do.” - Jackie, on community building

Hosts Kevin Aldridge and Jackie Congedo acknowledge the challenges inherent in that task, but insist it's essential work. They explore historical mod...