Who The Folk?! Podcast

Episode 300!! This week I talk to Cole Hanson, who’s a candidate in the Ward 4 special election for the St. Paul City Council. We talk about what inspired him to run, the work he’s done in the Hamline-Midway neighborhood, and how his Jewish values are infused in his candidacy, on this week’s Who The Folk Podcast. But before we hear from Cole, a quick word from our sponsors this week.Cole's website: https://www.coleforward4.org/Sponsors: Minneapolis Jewish Federation and MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger.

This week I talk to Andrew Rosendorf, the new director of Wellsprings and new play development at Six Points Theater. We talk about what inspired to join Six Points in this role, how he got his start as a playwright, and what he’s looking for in new shows to help develop on this week’s Who The Folk Podcast."The Messenger" at SPT: https://www.sixpointstheater.org/the-messengerAbout Wellsprings: https://www.sixpointstheater.org/wellspring

This week I talk to Freddie Weisberg and Char Cohodes, the founders of Old School Jewish Matchmaking, which TC Jewfolk is very exciting to be playing a part in. We talk about what led them to starting this, how their backgrounds are well-suited for this project, and the early feedback they’re getting, on this week’s Who The Folk Podcast.Old School Jewish Matchmaking, or email matchmaking@jewfolk.com.

This week I talk to Susan Geller, the new executive director of Adath Jeshurun Congregation. We talk about the winding path that brought her to Adath, how the different types of non-profit work help inform her work, and how synagogues and individuals grow and change over time, on this week’s Who The Folk Podcast.

This week I talk to Henry Karpovas Lisak, a University of Minnesota sophomore and Minnesota Hillel’s vice president for campus relations. We talk about how his volunteer role has nothing to do with his major but he loves it anyway, comparing the Minnesota Jewish community to the one he came from in Brazil, and competing on the U’s crew team, on this week’s Who The Folk Podcast.

This week I talk to Sara Lynn Newberger, the founder of Hineni, the adult Jewish education program at Talmud Torah of St. Paul. We talk about how she reluctantly got into teaching, starting a cross-river, cross-denominational education platform. how Jewish education has evolved,  on this week’s Who The Folk Podcast.https://ttsp.org/hineni/

This week I talk to Howard Sinker, a long-time Star Tribune editor and faculty at Macalester College. We talk about how journalism has evolved in his more than four decades in journalism, how teaching future journalists has changed, and a post-mortem on the Vikings season, on this week’s Who The Folk Podcast.Subscribe to Howard's newsletter: https://www.thedailyagenda.com/newsletters

This week I talk to Alyssa Engleson, the program director for youth, teen and camping at the Minnesota JCC. We talk about the increased interest in BBYO, what motivates teens, and the always exciting start of camp season, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.Sponsored this week by Hennepin Arts, presenting Parade at the Orpheum Theatre Jan. 21-26. https://minnesotajcc.org/summer-camp/

This week I talk to Andi Murez, a psychiatry resident at Mayo Clinic and the flag-bearer for Team Israel at the 2024 Summer Olympics. We talk about participating in her third Olympics, what it was like representing Israel in first games after Oct. 7, and the transition to moving to Rochester, on this week’s Who The Folk? Podcast. Sponsored this week by Hennepin Arts, presenting Parade at the Orpheum Theatre Jan. 21-26.

This week I talk to Stephanie Chauss, the new-ish CEO of the Minnesota JCC on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast. We talk about various transitions she has made since getting involved in the JCCs, her style of leadership, and how long does she get to be considered new in the job, on this week’s Who The Folk? Podcast.

This week I talk to Adam Kersch, the new congregational administrator at Mayim Rabim Congregation as well as a Rabbinic student at ALEPH, the ordination program of Renewal Judaism. We talk about the winding road that brought Adam to the Twin Cities, an equally winding road of a Jewish journey, and a what led him to rabbinic school, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.https://www.mayimrabim.org/

This week I talk Emily Boskoff, the new executive director of Minnesota Hillel. We talk about her move back to the Midwest, getting used to working with college students again, and this week’s Hillel Big Ten Challenge, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.https://give.hillel.org/minnesota24

This week I talk Michael Greenberg, film director, writer and producer about his new short film “The Combination”. We talk about taking a deep-dive into some of the less-savory parts of Minneapolis Jewish history, what drew him to filmmaking, and the Twin Cities as a place where great movies can be made, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.Trailer: https://youtu.be/FOhT2vr0hg0Limited Tickets for the premiere on 11/9: https://www.trylon.org/film/the-combination/

This week I talk to Barbara Brooks, the founder and producing artistic director of Six Points Theater. We talk about milestone of reaching it’s 30th anniversary season, why she started the theater in the first place, and an exciting first to open the new season, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.Six Points Theater: https://www.sixpointstheater.org/

This week I talk to Rabbi Julie Schwarzwald, the Fiterman B-Mitzvah Program & Ritual Director at Beth El Synagogue. We talk about her mid-career decision to go to rabbinic school, what she’s looking forward as she starts working with a new group of learners, and coming back to the Midwest, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.Sponsored by TC Jewfolk's SukkotGiving. Tickets are now on sale. Learn more at: bit.ly/sukkotgiving

This week I talk to Rabbi Jill Avrin, the founder of YourJewish. We talk about her transition from pulpit rabbi to non-profit founding director, Packers Football, and YourJewish being a part of TC Jewfolk’s Sukkot Giving on November 3, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.Sukkot Giving: https://bit.ly/sukkot-givingYourJewish: https://yourjewish.org

A special edition of the Who The Folk?! Podcast! St. Louis Park native Peter Himmelman was back in Minnesota for one night only to talk with TC Jewfolk Editor Lonny Goldsmith about his new book Suspended by no String: A Songwriter’s Reflections on Faith, Aliveness, and Wonder. We have a wide-ranging conversation about the book, the writing process, and hear Peter read some selections from the book.(Watch the interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGHYw1GF9p8)Buy Peter's book! Sponsored by TC Jewfolk's SukkotGiving on November 3. Learn more here: https://tcjewfolk.com/event/tc-jewfolks-sukkotgiving/

This week I talk to Rabbi Eva Cohen, newly ordained and now the spiritual leader of Or Emet: The Minnesota Congregation for Humanistic Judaism. We talk about what humanistic Judaism is, what led her to the pulpit, and what it’s like leading a congregation that’s known her for almost 30 years, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.Sponsored by TC Jewfolk's SukkotGiving. Tickets are now on sale. Learn more at: bit.ly/sukkotgiving

This week I talk to musican and technologist Lee Zukor. We talk about his wonderful band The Long Honeymoon, who are playing TC Jewfolk’s SukkotGiving on Nov. 3, his evolution as a songwriter, and how elements of his day job and his hobby co-exist, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.Lee's Band: https://thelonghoneymoon.com

This week I talk to attorney Elliot Ginsburg. We talk about his legal specialties of beverage and cannabis law, how he found this niche to practice, and what drew him to the law in the first place, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.

We're back from a little late-summer hiatus to talk to Ron Krebs, a Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Professor of Political Science at the University of Minnesota. We talk about what it’s like to teach about global political and military events as they are happening, what led Ron to academia, and what could be a challenging start to the school year on campus, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.U Regents vote on divestment protest policies: https://tcjewfolk.com/2024/08/27/u-of-m-regents-reject-israel-divestment/

This week I talk to Rabbi Sammy and Cantor Heather Seid, the new associate rabbi and Jewish educator, respectively, at Adath Jeshurun. We talk about each of their winding roads to joining the clergy, the good fortune of finding a synagogue for both of them, and the importance of ice cream, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.

This week I talk to artist and teacher Avigail Manneberg. We talk about what led her to becoming an artist, her father’s I told-you-so moment, and creating art on stage in front of an audience at the Rimon Annual Gala on Aug. 22, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast. Avigail's work: https://www.avigailmanneberg.com/Rimon Annual Gala: https://jewishminneapolis.tfaforms.net/77?mc_cid=d80f38369e&mc_eid=826b54511a

This week we are doing something completely different for Who The Folk. On July 20, five of us came together to taste six different bagels for what has become the every-six-year TC Jewfolk Minnesota Bagel Showdown. The episode gets you inside the dining room as we taste, banter, question and laud some of the best bagels in Minnesota.The 2024 Great Minnesota Bagel Showdown is sponsored by City Girl Coffee. City Girl Coffee is a sustainable and responsible coffee company who is working to bring awareness and equality to the women of the coffee industry. It’s also a TC Jewoflk fan favorite. Learn more about City Girl Coffee here.

This week I talk to Abby Gore, the director of youth and young adult engagement at Mount Zion Temple. We talk about what brought her to St. Paul, why working in the youth engagement space is appealing, and how she came to be the student speaker at her recent graduation from Hebrew Union College, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.Read Abby's Speech! https://huc.edu/wp-content/uploads/Abby-Gore-Graduation-Student-Perspective_ADA.pdf

This week I talk to Rabbi Samantha Thal, the new associate rabbi at Bet Shalom Congregation. We talk about what was appealing about coming to Bet Shalom, the roots of her Jewish community leadership, and what she’s looking forward to as she starts her first post-ordination pulpit, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.

This week I talk to Hunter Wengersky, the J-Pride program coordinator at Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Minneapolis. We talk about the upcoming Pride weekend and what J-Pride has in store for the festival, how the presence at Pride has evolved, and how their diverse background works well in creating programming opportunities, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.Links to stuff we discussed:https://jfcsmpls.org/j-pride-celebrates-pride-month/Yiddish book club: https://qlibrary.org/event/queer-jewish-folklore-book-club/ TC Pride Shabbat: https://jfcsmpls.org/event/twin-cities-pride-shabbat-2/TC Pride Parade: https://jfcsmpls.org/event/twin-cities-pride-parade/GALA: https://galachoruses.org/festival-2024/

This week I talk to Stacey Dinner-Levin about her role in the upcoming Minnesota Mammalehs: Stories From the Tribe event on June 24. We talk about what it’s like to perform in a storytelling event, how the theater is central to her family, and that one time she wrote a play, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.Buy tickets now: http://bit.ly/mammalehs

This week I talk to recently retired State Representative Frank Hornstein. We reflect on his 22 years in the state legislature, his love for transportation policy, and what he’s looking forward to next, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.After the end credits, you can listen to Frank’s retirement speech from the floor of the House on May 20, with thanks to Barry LaGrave and Mike Cook from the Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services. Or you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge9jrmDoUfQSponsors this week: Hodroff-Epstein: https://hodroffepsteinmemorialchapels.com/MN Mammalehs Stories from the Tribe: http://bit.ly/mammalehs

We have a special edition of this week’s show: This week I talk to Haviv Rettig-Gur, who will be the featured speaker at the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas annual event on June 2.Haviv Rettig Gur is a veteran Israeli journalist who serves as senior analyst for The Times of Israel and is also a frequent guest on the Call Me Back and The Times of Israel podcasts. He has covered Israel’s politics and foreign policy since 2005, reported from over 20 countries, served as director of communications for the Jewish Agency for Israel, Israel’s largest NGO, and taught at prestigious premilitary academies. We’ll have the links to Haviv’s work and how to get tickets to the JCRC’s event in the show notes.Haviv and I talk about what he’s observing in the state of mind of Israelis, how politicians in Israel and the United States are getting plenty wrong in the war, and the misconceptions many have about the war – and Israeli-Palestinian relations – on this week’s Who the Folk?! Podcast.JCRC Annual Event: https://minndakjcrc.org/event/2024-annual-event/Haviv on Twitter: https://x.com/havivrettiggurhttps://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/haviv-gur/

This week I talk to Mia Nosanow, author of the new book The College Student’s Guide to Mental Health: Essential Wellness Strategies for Flourishing in College. We talk about what led to write this book, how long it took, and some of the challenges facing college students and adolescents, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.More info on the book: https://mianosanow.com/Sponsors this week: Hodroff-Epstein Memorial ChapelsMN Mammalehs: Stories from the Tribe

Welcome to this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast, I’m Lonny Goldsmith, the editor of TC Jewfolk. This week I talk to Andrew Miller, the chief operating officer of the Minnesota Vikings. We talk about how he got his start working sports, what brought him to Minnesota, and how his job works in concert with the football side of the business, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.This week’s podcast is brought to you by TC Jewfolk’s, MN Mammalehs: Stories From The Tribe event on June 24 at Beth El Synagogue. Stories From The Tribe is a live, on-stage summer show featuring 12 true and original stories somehow threaded to being (or having!) a mammaleh -- the good, the bad, the golden, and the hilarious. Tickets to the public go on sale on May 13. Get tickets at bit.ly/mammalehs

This week I talk with Jacob Rapport, the creator of The Chanted Torah. We talk about what this project is all about, where his inspiration came from, what his next steps with the project are, and most importantly, where you can find the work, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast. Make sure you stay until the end for a sample!https://www.thechantedtorah.com/

This week I talk with Yedidya Yasu, the Israeli shaliach, or emissary, to St. Paul from Israel. We talk about his arrival delay and dramatic change in plans, getting to know the St. Paul community, and what he’s looking forward to experiencing in his next couple of years in Minnesota, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.Links we discussed:https://open.spotify.com/album/2Nw64QpMhYavDrNEo9rGR6?si=rU3FGJMmQpyzVeIB0cv3Vwhttps://tcjewfolk.com/event/yom-hashoah-2024-5784-holocaust-remembrance-day/https://tcjewfolk.com/event/twin-cities-erev-yom-hazikaron/https://tcjewfolk.com/event/yom-haatzmaut-celebration/

This week we talk to advocacy associate Naomi Breazeale and development and annual event coordinator Nina Afremov of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas. We talk about the vital work that the pair are doing, how they got their starts in the organization, and we talk about the JCRC’s annual event on June 2, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.Sponsored this week by Ethan Roberts Photography: https://ethanrobertsphotos.comhttps://minndakjcrc.org/event/2024-annual-event/

This week I talk to Lily Smith, the newest on-air talent at KS95. We talk about what goes into training to be on air at the station, the pivot to working in entertainment from her original path, and how Herzl Camp started her on her journey, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast. Lily's jobs!https://www.ks95.com/https://chanhassendt.com/stevierays/https://arb.umn.edu/Sponsored this week by The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, presenting "Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive" on April 19 and 21. For tickets and more information, go to The Ordway website.

This week I talk to Julie Dean the founder of Twin Cities Mussar. We talk about what Mussar is, where her passion for the practice comes from, and how the interest is growing in the Twin Cities has increased – particularly since October 7, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast. Twin Cities Mussar: https://www.twincitiesmussar.org/Sponsored this week by: Ethan Roberts Photography, for headshots, senior photos, weddings, events, parties and more. Sponsored this week by The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, presenting "Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive" on April 19 and 21. For tickets and more information, go to The Ordway website.

This week I talk to Daniel Rubinyi, an artist and the creator of the website autismandoils.com. We talk about how his autism helps him as an artist, where his passion for art comes from, and the importance of his family, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast. Sponsored this week by The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, presenting "Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive" on April 19 and 21. For tickets and more information, go to The Ordway website.

This week I talk to Iola Kostrewski, the new Minnesota Engagement Director for the ADL. We talk about the opportunity to help restart the ADL’s presence in Minnesota, her unique family story, and the generational trauma, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.Sponsored this week by The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, presenting "Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive" on April 19 and 21. For tickets and more information, go to The Ordway website.

This week I talk to Sharyn Jackson, a food writer at the Minneapolis Star Tribune. We talk about the awesome food scene in the Twin Cities, what trends may be headed our way, and her quest for a really good Challah, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.Sponsored this week by The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, presenting "Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive" on April 19 and 21. For tickets and more information, go to The Ordway website.

This week I talk to Kiel Majewski, the development director of the Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School. We talk about some take aways from his first trip to Israel last month, working at a small-town Holocaust museum, and deciding why he and his family picked Judaism, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.

This week I talk to Shana Eisenberg, a songleader and actor who stars in “The Moneylender’s Daughter” at Six Points Theater starting March 2. We talk about how she’s approaching this well-known character, playing the title character in a world premiere, and how songleading helped strengthen her Judaism, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.tickets: https://www.sixpointstheater.org/the-moneylenders-daughterTCJ Merch!: https://tcjewfolk.com/store

This week I talk to Liba Herman, the owner of Studio Inside Out in St. Louis Park. We talk about her inheriting her mother’s love of art, the importance of art in society, and what her process for creating art is, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.https://www.studioinsideout.org/TCJ Merch! https://tcjewfolk.com/store

This week I talk to Gail Rosenblum, former Star Tribune columnist and the founder of Man Plans God Laughs Entertainment. We talk about what led her to start this new non-profit, the inspiration she found from the young adult novel “Milkweed,” and the changing nature of journalism, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.https://www.mpglentertainment.org/https://milkweedthemovie.com/

This week I talk to Rabbi Jason Rodich, the new director of Communications at Temple Israel. We talk about the transition from pulpit rabbi to synagogue employee, the evolution of Judaism, and how he considers communications to be a pulpit of its own, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.https://templeisrael.comTCJ Merch! https://tcjewfolk.com/store

This week I talk to Tic Treitler, an actor who is making their professional debut in “Survivors” at Six Points Theater. We talk about how they got their start in theater, juggling acting and being a student at the University of Minnesota, and the personal connection they have to the topic of this show, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.https://www.sixpointstheater.org/survivorsmerch: https://TCJewfolk.com/store

This week I talk to Keith Shifrin, the owner of School of Rock in the Mac-Groveland neighborhood of St. Paul. We talk about what got him out of the corporate world and into franchise ownership, the power of music, and how being in a band can unite a group of people, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.St. Paul School of Rock: https://www.schoolofrock.com/locations/stpaulThis week's episode is sponsored by Twin Cities Metro Public Library and the Twin Cities Metro eLibrary on the Libby App. www.melsa.org/libby/

This week I talk to Tommy Hoffman, the new executive director of Herzl Camp. We talk about how working at camp decades ago changed his life, why now was the time to make the move to a non-profit, and looking for purpose-driven work, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.Sponsored this week by Ethan Roberts Photography

This week I talk to Gabriel Flaum, the creator of the TC Curator Instagram account for buying and selling a variety of art work. We talk about how he got his business started, the advantage of getting out of the corporate, 9 to 5 world, and following familial footsteps in helping people, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.https://www.instagram.com/thetccurator

This week I talk to Liz Sawyer, the police and public safety reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. We talk about the importance of her beat at the paper, what led her to journalism, and what it was that led her to convert to Judaism on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.