An Inspiring Holocaust Story and Segal's Mission

In today’s episode of the ‘The World of Multiemployer Benefit Funds’ (Where experts share their insights and stories on busting myths about the labor movement). Today the host Traci Dority-Shanklin (Managing Partner at Sisu Partners) talks with David Blumenstein (President, and CEO of Segal. Segal provides various consulting services including actuarial health benefits, human resources, investment, fiduciary insurance, communication, and technology.) David Blumenstein is a frequent speaker at benefits, conferences, and other industry forums, and a published author on health care and retirement benefits topics. In the episode, David tells us about his family’s historical Holocaust story, and how he emerged in this career.

For more about David's Family Holocaust story, here are the links:

Regional Emmy Award and National Emmy Nominated Film - Finding Family 

https://vimeo.com/544128302 

The Cincinnati Holocaust and Humanities Center also produced a shorter "slide show" about David's father's life. 

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/0a1efdd9ac764f9eaefb19eea7c007e1 

David's father donated his trove of Holocaust material to a combination of the Cincinnati Holocaust and Humanities Center and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Here is a link to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum information.

https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn520490 

For the PDF book co-authored by David's father, which includes the 150 translated letters, David's grandmother wrote his grandfather during the war. Please email traci@multiemployerfunds.com.

This book gives an actual perspective of daily life as a refugee and the desperate struggle of a mother to find a way out of Europe. It includes the broader story of what happened to Jews during WWII and what the world was aware of as the exterminations were being carried out. 

Chapters

• 1:10 David has been with Segal since 1988, serving on Segal's Board of Directors, setting strategies for every aspect of the business, and leading the executive team.
• 3:15 David says that his personal story is directly connected to the work that he does.
• 5:10 While narrating the Holocaust story David reveals that his grandfather ended up in Cuba, his grandmother, and his father, who was three years old at the time were left in Vienna, and they were trying to figure out how they can reunite the family in a few
• 7:49 David’s grandmother decided to split from her eight-year-old son and to be hidden separately by the judge.
• 9:35 Every survival story of the Holocaust is amazing because very few Jews survived while 95% of the Jews were killed in the particular area.
• 11:20 David reveals that his father never actually forgave. He was a loving man, and a good father but he was clear about the existence of evil in the world and his views about that.
• 13:20 David says his father always talks lovingly about his childhood days as he survived the Holocaust. He still goes back and spends a lot of time in Holland with the family to whom he was handed over when he was eight years old, making those connections. Dav
• 15:20 When David’s grandparents came to this country and started to work, the only retirement plan they had was their savings, and they had nothing to start with.
• 16:55 At Segal, they are a mission, purpose, and value-driven organization. David loves working with clients because of the connection they have with the people that they serve.
• 18:40 Traci states that hearing David’s personal story Oprah says his legacy is every life you touch and your legacy, Siegel's ethos, and the labor movement are perfectly aligned and David has touched on that.
• 21:45 There are lots of different things that we do for multi-employer services, and that we provide for multi-employer plans.
• 24:00 David has said that the multi-employer plans don't get enough credit for what they have done to move the needle for all workers whether you have a plan or not.
• 27:20 When David was sick, he got the benefits from this particular entertainment fund, so he encourages people at Segal when they're walking around the world to see their business.
• 28:45 Traci says that her dad who was in the labor movement once said to her when she was in her early career to never forget whose money you're investing.