Bea Lurie

Bea Lurie

Author: Shirley Wachtel January 5, 2026 Duration: 54:33

Bea Lurie is the daughter of two child Holocaust survivors, her father, Sol, and her mother, Evelyn Rebecca Lurie, whose parents escaped from Poland with two toddlers. Bea learned by her parents’ actions the importance of helping those in need and devoted her career to making a difference in the lives of others as a leader of nonprofit organizations and government agencies, and as an owner of two businesses. Bea also is an active volunteer in her community and at her local synagogue. LIFE MUST GO On is the remarkable story of Sol Lurie, a child survivor of six concentration camps during the Holocaust, who continues to be a beacon of hope. After a bucolic childhood in Kovno, Lithuania, Sol was just eleven when the Nazis invaded and he and his family were forced to move into the Kovno Ghetto. The Kovno Ghetto was one of the only ghettos to later become a concentration camp, and Sol was among just a few Jewish survivors from Kovno. In this inspiring story of tenacity, character, faith, love, and forgiveness, we follow young Sol through heartbreak and fear, torment, and torture. Through Sol's eyes, we learn the history of the communities in Eastern Europe, especially Lithuania, which has in the wider history of the Holocaust. Along the way, we meet the righteous few who helped save young Sol's life. After being imprisoned in six other concentration camps for a total of four years, Sol was liberated from Buchenwald on his 15th birthday. To this day, he still joyfully celebrates every year the day he was born and liberated. Miraculously, Sol’s three brothers and his father also survived the Holocaust. Her inspiring story was written with Dr. Steven Leonard Jacobs, also a child of survivors and genocide scholar.


You might pass them on the street or sit next to them in a cafe, never knowing the depth of their journey. EXTRAordinary PEOPLE is built on a simple, powerful idea: remarkable stories are held by everyday individuals. Host Shirley Wachtel sits down with people from all walks of life-entrepreneurs, artists, community organizers, teachers, and quiet heroes-who have chosen to leverage their unique talents to impact the world around them. This isn't about celebrity; it's about the substance of lived experience. In each conversation, guests share their narratives in their own words, detailing the specific hardships and obstacles they faced and, more importantly, the resilience and choices that allowed them to rise and create change. Listening to this podcast feels like being part of an intimate, revealing dialogue where vulnerability meets triumph. Shirley guides these discussions with empathy, drawing out the nuanced lessons within each story. The result is a collection of authentic accounts that collectively explore themes of perseverance, innovation, and human connection across society, business, and personal growth. Tune in not just for inspiration, but for a genuine sense of what it means to contribute something meaningful, and how ordinary moments can build an extraordinary life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 44

EXTRAordinary PEOPLE
Podcast Episodes
Rabbi Larry Brandspiegel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:57
Larry I. Brandspiegel joined the East Brunswick Jewish Center in August 2018 as Cantor and Director of Education before being ordained as a rabbi. Affectionately known as Rabbi/Cantor Larry, the spiritual leader now serv…
Kate Lancaster [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:50
Kate Lancaster is in her ninth year working as a middle school teacher at Jamesburg Public Schools. She is also a certified Reading Specialist and was recognized as an Exemplary Educator for the 2023-2024 school year for…
Aparna Parthasarathy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:25
Aparna Parthasarathy is a high school senior passionate about remedying structural inequalities, closing educational gaps and representing Generation Z’s values to shape legislation with elected officials. Aparna is a li…
Marc Korpus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:13
Marc Korpus, having had a fascination with maps since youth, took up the creation of of them as an occupation at age 42. He found that mapmaking is now one facet of the discipline of "geographic information systems" (GIS…
Rosa Lowinger [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:59
Rosa Lowinger is a Cuban-born American writer and art conservator. The author of Tropicana Nights: The Life and Times of the Legendary Cuban Nightclub (Harcourt, 2005) and Promising Paradise: Cuban Allure American Seduct…
Neil Lawner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:41
Neil O. Lawner’s interest in photography began when he served in the Air Force on Guam from 1966-1968. During that time, Japanese cameras such as Nikon and Pentax were being manufactured and were available at the Base Ex…
Shirley Wachtel talks about her novel, A CASTLE IN BROOKYN [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:46
SHIRLEY RUSSAK WACHTEL is an author, college professor, and host of the podcast, EXTRAordinary People. In December, just before the launch of her successful novel, A Castle in Brooklyn (Little A), she appeared on the pod…
Steve Cohen - The Rising Sport of Rugby [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:16
Steve Cohen has over 50 years of involvement in rugby. He has been the catalyst in developing player safety, refereeing, and promoting the game at the grassroots level. USA Rugby Eagle, Steve Hiatt, has said that “No con…
Corey Caplan - Talking About Cryptocurrency [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:23
Corey Caplan is the co-founder of Dolomite, a decentralized cryptocurrency exchange (DEX for short). Prior to co-founding Dolomite, Corey graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in Computer Science and Business. C…
AnnMarie Karczmit, a passion for volunteering [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:00
AnnMarie Karczmit has a passion for volunteering. A general manager at NJBIZ, a business to business newspaper, she is a wife and mother of a 21- year- old son. She started volunteering when she was 13 years old working…