Who The Folk?! Podcast

This week I talk with Susie Kaufman, who is running for a seat on the St. Louis Park School Board. We talk about why she’s running for office, her advocacy work with Moms Demand Action, and quickly finding a Jewish community when she moved to Minnesota a decade ago, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast. Susie's campaign website: https://www.susieforslp.com/ Article referenced on open enrollment d...

this week we have a special episode with Lawrence Badzin, a Minneapolis native who made Aliyah to Israel in 2002 but is helping bring the exhibit Through Their Eyes: the story of Kfar Aza, to his hometown. We talk about how he got connected with the kibbutz in southern Israel, the importance of bringing Oct. 7 survivors to Minnesota for the opening of the exhibit, and growing his family’s business...

This week I talk to Eric Mandel, an attorney and candidate for the Hopkins School Board. We talk about what inspired Eric to run for office, what challenges he sees the district facing, and how his upbringing informs his politics and his Judaism, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.  Eric's campaign site: https://ericmandel4hopkins.com/ Sponsored by: Kickernick Gallery The Who The Folk?! Podcast...

This week I talk to Stephanie Iskhakov. We talk about her work at Chabad on Campus at the University of Minnesota, how the organization helped forge her Jewish identity as a first-generation American, and a very interesting road not taken in her career, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.  The Who The Folk?! Podcast is part of the Jewfolk Podcast Network, a product of Jewfolk, Inc. Episodes are...

This week I talk to Actor Ryan London Levin. We talk about his role in the upcoming presentation of Treasure Island at Children’s Theatre Company, the Jewish mob, and trying to break through as a playwright, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.  Treasure Island at Children's Theatre Company: https://childrenstheatre.org/whats-on/treasure-island/ 'American Golem: The Kid Cann Story' at History Th...

This week, I talk to Miles Lerner, a city council candidate in St. Louis Park's Ward 3. We talk about what inspired him to get into the race, what he’s learned about city politics through his business, and his family’s deep ties in the community, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.  Sponsored by: TC Jewfolk/PJ Library Shabbat In The Park Contact Miles: miles@shukrentals.com The Who The Folk?! P...

This week we talk to award-winning children’s book author Marissa Bader. We talk about her new children’s book ‘Saturdays with Gramps,’ the role her family plays in her books, and how she pivoted from journalist and blogger to author on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.  https://tcjewfolk.com/2025/05/08/another-devastating-step-in-the-year-of-firsts/ https://tcjewfolk.com/2024/10/02/mn-mammalehs...

This week we talk Alyssa Golob, the executive director of Helping Paws. We talk about her organization was touched by tragic assassination of a beloved Minnesota politician, how she’s transitioned to secular non-profit work, and joy of riling up dogs, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast. Website: helpingpaws.org Sponsor: Minneapolis Jewish Federation Global Experiences The Who The Folk?! Podcast...

This week I talk with educator Sami Saltzman Savin. We talk about her work at the Jewish non-profit Sacred Spaces , finding opportunities that combine her various passions, and the family ties to the St. Paul Jewish community, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast. Sponsor: TC Jewfolk and PJ Library Shabbat in the Park The Who The Folk?! Podcast is part of the Jewfolk Podcast Network, a product of...

This week we talk with author, artist and laugh-enthusiast Sarah Routman. We talk about her book “Discover the Power of Laughter,” which she co-authored with her twin sister Rachael Siegelman, what laughter yoga is, and channeling her creative energy, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast. www. LaughHealthy.com   www. ThroughSarahsEyes.com - look for the paint pouring page: https://www.throughsara...

This week I talk with Rabbi John Carrier. We talk his journey from to both Judaism and the rabbinate, why he tends to enjoy being an educator vs. on the pulpit, and if the book he wrote in 2018 still holds up, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast. Sponsor: TC Jewfolk's Stories from the Tribe storytelling show. Stuff we discussed:  Rabbi Benay Lappe's ELI Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBWI...

Welcome to this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast, I’m Lonny Goldsmith, the editor of TC Jewfolk. This week I talk to journalist, cheesemonger and printmaker Jared Kaufman. We talk about how he got interested in writing about food, where his passion for cheese started, and how he infuses his Judaism into his art, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast. Website: https://jaredkaufman.com/ Zamler Press ht...

This week I talk with Melissa (Lissie) Rappaport Schifman and Jim Schifman, the husband-and-wife team behind Project Hive Pet Company. We talk about what led them to start their business, how their individual backgrounds mesh well for the venture, and creating a company with a social mission while also being a capitalist, on this week’s Who the Folk?! Podcast.  Plus, for a limited time, when you o...

This week I talk with Geoff Sudit, an orthodontist and owner of Mint Orthodontics in in the Linden Hills neighborhood of Minneapolis. We talk about the challenges of starting your medical practice, finding ways to innovate the patient experience, and starting A List Entertainment, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast. Mint Orthodontics   Sponsored this week by: MAZON: A Jewish Response To Hunger...

This week I talk with Janessa Prower, who is returning to be a storyteller in the second annual Minnesota Mammalehs: Stories From The Tribe show. Janessa gives a little behind-the-scenes glimpse into the show, her work in the business of health care, and starting her home business, Tiny Art With Heart, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast. Tiny Art With Heart: https://tinyartwithheart.com/ Janess...

This week I talk with Katie Kline, the senior director of Jewish arts and culture at the Minnesota JCC. We talk about settling into the new role, the challenge of curating this fall’s Twin Cities Jewish Film Festival, and some of the amazing Jewish arts and culture programming to come, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast.  Sponsored: TC Jewfolk's storytelling show, Stories From The Tribe, on Jun...

This week we talk with attorney Jon Geffen about the remarkable law firm/education program he leads called The Legal Revolution . We talk about his journey towards starting this new type of practice, working with an underserved population, and finding brilliant legal minds in prison, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast. The Legal Revolution: https://www.allsquarempls.com/the-law-firm/about This...

This week, I talk to Financial adviser and Jewish community volunteer at-large Adam Garen. We talk about his journey back to Minnesota and his current line of work, the importance of his volunteer work with Maayanot, the egalitarian Mikveh here in the Twin Cities, and how Mount Zion helped his father come to Minnesota 77 years ago, on this week’s Who The Folk Podcast. The Who The Folk?! Podcast is...

This week I talk to teacher and political candidate Simon Glaser. We talk about what inspired him to run for office, how he addressed his candidacy with students, and the big issues he’s focusing on, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast. Learn more about Simon: https://www.simonglaser.com/ Sponsored this week by Minneapolis Jewish Federation: https://www.youtube.com/@MJFOffical/videos The Who The...

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 websit...

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-messenger About Wellsprings: h...

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...

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. The Who The Folk?! Podcast is part of the Jewfolk Podcast Network, a product of Jewfo...

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. The Who The Folk?!...

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/ The Who The Folk?! Podcast is part of the Jewfolk Podcast...