UNC Charlotte professor tells the story of how one man helped liberate Ukraine from the Nazis in WWII

UNC Charlotte professor tells the story of how one man helped liberate Ukraine from the Nazis in WWII

From Charlotte Talks With Mike Collins by WFAE

June 2, 2026 · 50 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the story of Moshe Gildenman, a man who helped liberate Ukraine from the Nazis during WWII, as told in a new book by James Grymes.

Moshe Gildenman was a civic leader and musician in a small Ukrainian town until — one day in 1942 — Nazis murdered 2,000 Jews in his village, including his wife and daughter. He escaped with his son, carrying a revolver, a handful of bullets and a Yiddish songbook. His story of resilience, resistance and revenge is told in a new book by UNC Charlotte musicologist James Grymes.

People in this episode

Host: Mike Collins

Guest: James Grymes

Topics covered

  • history
  • resilience
  • World War II
  • Ukraine
  • musicology
  • civic leadership

Keywords

  • Moshe Gildenman
  • James Grymes
  • Ukraine
  • Nazis
  • WWII
  • resilience
  • Yiddish songbook
  • civic leader

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: UNC Charlotte

Places: Ukraine

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