Who The Folk?! Podcast

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.

This week I talk to Mitch Chargo, an attorney and the founder of the Institute for Holocaust Research and Education. We talk about the IHRE’s first event on Nov. 28, what led a busy lawyer to start this organization, and how he finds time to be the lead singer in Stereo Kitchen on top of all of THAT, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.IHRE: https://theihre.org/IHRE Nov. 28 event: https://tcjewfolk.com/event/unpacking-antisemitism-post-october-7-with-ihres-mitch-chargo-james-kirchick/Stereo Kitchen: https://www.stereokitchenrocks.net/TC Jewfolk Hanukkah merch: https://tcjewfolk.com/store

This week I talk to Rabbi Matt Goldberg, the new associate rabbi at Beth El Synagogue. We talk about the transition from interning at the synagogue to being a full-time rabbi, the a-ha moment that led him to rabbinic school, and what he’s enjoying about Minnesota so far, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.TC Jewfolk merch!: https://tcjewfolk.com/store

This week I talk to Peter Grendle, the senior director of Jewish arts and culture at the Minnesota JCC. We talk about how he got his start in the arts, what type of programs he’s hoping to bring, and the deep Jewish connection to the arts, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast. TC Jewish Film Festival: https://minnesotajcc.org/art-culture/jewish-film-festival/TC Jewfolk Hanukkah merch: https://tcjewfolk.com/store

This week I talk to Laurel Hood, a candidate for the school board in St. Anthony-New Brighton Independent School District 282. We talk about what led her to run for office, what she’s heard from her potential constituents, and how her Judaism helped bring her to this moment, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.Learn more: https://www.electlaurelhood.com/Jewfolk merch: https://tcjewfolk.com/store