STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The DEI Committee of the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com, along with senior leadership and newsroom staff, will host a panel discussion, “Conversation with Community Giants – History, Humanity, and Hope: A Holocaust Survivor’s Story,” on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, from 2–3 p.m.
The event will be held in person with a virtual attendance option and will be broadcast live on the Advance/SILive.com Facebook platform.
The panel aims to deepen public understanding of the Holocaust, exploring its history and profound human impact through survivor testimony, and to inspire a more inclusive society guided by the lessons of history.
Discussions will also highlight ways participants can use their platforms—whether in journalism or community engagement—to promote dialogue, awareness, and action, while advancing representation, access, and equity in local communities.
* * * To tune in on Monday, Dec. 15, please click here at 2 p.m.
Panelists include:
Arthur Spielman, Holocaust survivor, who grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in Krakow, Poland.James Merlino, Wagner College student and Holocaust Center internDr. Lori R. Weintrob, founding director, Wagner College Holocaust Center, and professor of history
Arthur Spielman’s wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, sister, nieces, and nephews celebrate his 90th birthday at a surprise party in the Staten Island Jewish Community Center. (Photos by Shira Stoll)Advance/SILive | Shira Stoll
Scheduled attendees include Caroline Harrison, CEO of Advance Local and publisher of the Staten Island Advance; Brian Laline, executive editor; and Gail Lubin, senior content director.
The DEI Committee hopes the discussion will offer an opportunity to better represent the communities the Advance serves, foster inclusive relationships, and exchange ideas about challenges faced by underrepresented groups and opportunities for growth.
The hour-long event, which will take place at Advance/SILive.com headquarters in Bloomfield, is a call to action for inclusive storytelling, equitable resource allocation, and transformative change.
Dr. Lori Weintrob, an Advance Woman of Achievement, is pictured with her family at the Woman of Achievement Luncheon, when she wad honored. (Courtesy Dr. Lori Weintrob)Courtesy Dr. Lori Weintrob
Conversations with Community Giants is brought to you by Staten Island Social Care Network: Connecting Medicaid members to FREE social care services like food, housing, transportation, and more. Contact them to see if you are eligible at statenislandpps.org
ABOUT THE PANELISTS
Arthur Spielman, 97, grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in Krakow, Poland. During World War II, he was forced into the Krakow ghetto, separated from his grandparents, and smuggled across borders to Slovakia and Hungary under a false identity.
After the war, he immigrated to the United States in 1949. A veteran of the Korean War, Spielman has shared his story with thousands of students through the Wagner College Holocaust Center and is featured in the Emmy Award-winning PBS film “Where Life Leads You.”
James Merlino, standing fourth from right, was recognized at the 26th annual Staten Island Community Days Awards at Wagner College for his leadership and compassion. (Courtesy Dr. Lori Weintrob)Courtesy Dr. Lori Weintrob
James Merlino, a third-year student at Wagner College, is pursuing a master’s degree in Physician Assistant studies with a minor in history. Merlino was recognized at the 26th annual Staten Island Community Days Awards at Wagner College for his leadership and compassion.
A lifelong Staten Islander, he has interned at Wagner’s Holocaust Center, served as a research assistant on local history exhibitions, and presented at museum exhibitions, including those highlighting the history of Seaview Hospital.
Dr. Lori R. Weintrob is the founding director of the Wagner College Holocaust Center and a professor of history. Over the past decade, she has connected Holocaust survivors with more than 30,000 students. She serves on the Mayor’s Interfaith Council for Peace and Against Hate and the Staten Island Hate Crimes Task Force.
In 2019, she was named a Staten Island Woman of Achievement and serves on the board of Staten Island Women, Inc. Her latest book, “Heroines of the Holocaust: Reframing Courage and Resistance in Genocide,” examines women’s leadership during genocide.
The 2025 DEI Committee of SILive/Staten Island Advance is comprised of Kelli DeSantis, left, Jason Paderon, Dr. Gracelyn Santos (chairwoman), Felicia Torres, and Shane DiMaio (Advance/SILive.com)Advance/SILive.com
CHECK OUT PAST ‘COMMUNITY GIANTS’
The event follows on the success of the DEI committee’s past discussions:“Conversation with Community Giants: Celebrating Black History”(March 2024);“Women’s Heart Health,”(May 2024);“Celebrating Pride”(July 2024);“Celebrating Women in Leadership”(Sept. 2024);“Building Strong Foundations and Inclusive Boards,”(Oct. 2024).
Also: “Women, Work and Wealth” (Jan. 2025); “Celebrating Diverse Abilities” (March 26); “Breaking the Silence of Staten Island Food Insecurity” (June 2025); “Bridging Critical Stroke Care Disparities” (Aug. 2025); ‘Women Leaders Driving Equity and Impact’ (Sept. 25, 2025).