Podcasts by Cleveland Schmooze

Cleveland Schmooze

A bi-weekly podcast about the people who make up Jewish Cleveland.

Further podcasts by Rachel and Robin Rood

Podcast on the topic Judentum

All episodes

Cleveland Schmooze
Early Childhood Director Dr. Rebekah Dorman from 2021-10-29T11:00

This week we are talking to Dr. Rebekah Dorman, the president of B'nai Jeshurun Congregation, and Director of the Cuyahoga County Office of Early Childhood as well as Invest in Children. We...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Librarian Dr. Rafi Simon from 2021-06-21T16:00

This week we are talking to Dr. Rafi Simon, the librarian at B'nai Jeshurun Congregation, and a longtime public school educator. We asked Rafi about what brought him to library science, and...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Funeral Director Bart Bookatz from 2021-04-23T15:00

This week we are talking to Bart Bookatz, who has been a funeral director for over 50 years. Bart is a principle of Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel. We talk to him about what got him sta...

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Cleveland Schmooze
The Brodskys from 2021-03-12T12:00

This week we are talking to Jerry and Cindy Brodsky, who are two active members of B'nai Jeshurun Congregation. Jerry is the president of the Men's Club and Cindy is on the board of th...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Therapist Joanna Hardis from 2021-02-12T14:00

This week we are talking to Joanna Hardis, a therapist who specializes in anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. She tells us about her complicated relationship to her Jewish faith and about...

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Cleveland Schmooze
End of Year Chat with Shaina Rood from 2021-01-01T14:00

This week we brought the first Rood daughter into the mix for a fun end of year chat. She turns the tables and asks the hosts a few questions about the making of this podcast and the year ahead....

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Cleveland Schmooze
College Senior Emily Einhorn from 2020-11-30T18:00

This week we are talking to Emily Einhorn, a senior philosophy major at DePaul University. She is spending her last semester of school back home in Cleveland due to the pandemic. She tells us...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Rabbi Josh Foster from 2020-10-16T12:00

This week we are talking to Rabbi Josh Foster at B'nai Jeshurun Congregation. He oversees the congregation’s Youth & Learning Center and Bessie Hershey Religious School. He tells us abo...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Family Doctor Michael Rabovsky from 2020-06-05T18:00

This week we are talking to Dr. Michael Rabovsky, a family physician with the Cleveland Clinic. He tells us about how he came to become a doctor, and shares his thoughts on the pandemic. We tape...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Tikkun@Home with Rabbi Hal Rudin-Luria from 2020-05-22T10:00

This week we are talking to Rabbi Hal Rudin-Luria of B'nai Jeshurun Congregation about this year's community-wide Tikkun Leil Shavuot, which has gone virtual this year due to the pande...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Business Owner Estra Grant from 2020-05-08T15:00

This week we are talking to the co-owner of Stone Oven Wholesale Bakery, Estra Grant, who runs the business with her husband James. She told us about having a bat mitzvah at age 40 and how her f...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Philanthropist Barbara Kupps from 2020-04-24T10:00

This week we are talking to philanthropist Barbara Kupps, who calls herself a promoter of positivity. She told us about her work supporting organizations like the Friendship Circle of Cleveland ...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Social Worker Leslie Robbins from 2020-04-10T16:00

This week we are talking to Leslie Robbins, a social worker with University Hospitals. She told us about growing up in an interfaith home and getting married to an interfaith partner. She also d...

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Cleveland Schmooze
FTC Regional Director Jon Miller Steiger from 2020-03-27T14:00

This week we are talking to Jon Miller Steiger, Director of the Federal Trade Commission's, East Central Region. He told us about his career in consumer protection, including during the cor...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Katz Family Reunion from 2020-03-09T17:00

This week we are talking to two branches of the Katz family, who recently held a large reunion in Cleveland. We met with Deborah Katz and Elise Norman Cundiff who are both descendants of the ...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Cantor Aaron Shifman from 2020-02-21T17:00

This week we are talking to Cantor Aaron Shifman, who’s been with B'nai Jeshurun for over two decades. He is a sixth generation cantor and we talk to him about growing up in South Africa an...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Child Life Specialist Allie Kneitel from 2020-02-07T11:00

This week we are talking to Allie Kneitel, a certified Child Life specialist at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital. She tells us about working with children and the...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Jewish War Veterans Ladies Auxiliary from 2019-11-22T09:00

Last episode, we spoke to Sid Wakser, about his role with the Jewish War Veterans Paul A Rosenblum Post 44. This week, we talk to three women who are part of that post's Ladies Auxiliary. B...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Jewish War Veteran Sid Wakser from 2019-11-08T16:00

This week we are talking to Sid Wakser about his role with the Jewish War Veterans Paul A Rosenblum Post 44. He tells us about his time in the military and how the group gives resources to veter...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Opioid Crisis Educator Sheryl Hirsh Part 2 from 2019-10-25T14:00

This week is the second part of our conversation with Sheryl Hirsh, Assistant Director of Jewish Lifelong Learning at Case Western Reserve University. Last episode we learned that Sheryl lost he...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Opioid Crisis Educator Sheryl Hirsh Part 1 from 2019-10-11T17:00

This week we are talking to Sheryl Hirsh, Assistant Director of Jewish Lifelong Learning at Case Western Reserve University. Sheryl lost her daughter to the opioid crisis in 2013 and has made it...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Bialy's Bagels Co-Owner Rachel Gross from 2019-09-27T13:00

This week we are talking to Rachel Gross, who, along with her sister, Sarah, is the new owner of Bialy's Bagels in University Heights. She tells us about her path to bagels, which funny ...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Medical School Dean Dr. Isaac Kirstein from 2019-09-13T12:00

This week we are talking to Dr. Isaac Kirstein, dean of the Cleveland campus of Ohio University's Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. He tells us about his path to becoming dean and h...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Pittsburgh Native Marsha Aronovich from 2019-06-14T16:00

This week we are talking to Marsha Aronovich, a physical therapist at the Cleveland VA. She tells us about her upbringing in Pittsburgh and how she found her Jewish community in Cleveland. We sa...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Mahjong Enthusiast Cathy Randall from 2019-05-31T10:00

This week we are talking to Cathy Randall who loves games, especially mahjong. She tells us how she got interested in playing and about how the game bonds her with her family. We sat down with C...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Holocaust Educator Louise Freilich from 2019-05-17T16:00

This week we are talking to Louise Freilich, outgoing director of the Face to Face Holocaust Education Program. She tells us why teaching young people about the holocaust is more important no...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Family Doctor Mark Rood from 2019-05-03T11:00

This week we are keeping it in the family by talking to Robin's husband and Rachel's dad, Dr. Mark Rood. We ask Mark about what it's like being a family physician who has served N...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Tikkun Organizers Harriet Rosenberg Mann&Rabbi Hal Rudin-Luria from 2019-04-19T09:00

This week we are talking about an all-night study session of Jewish learning, called Tikkun Leil Shavuot, with organizers Harriet Rosenberg Mann and Rabbi Hal Rudin-Luria. Tikkun has been held a...

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Cleveland Schmooze
The Davis Bakers from 2019-04-05T00:00

This week we are talking to Stu and Jay Davis, whose family has owned Davis Bakery since 1939. Anyone in Northeast Ohio knows you can't match the bakery's Jewish rye bread, coconut bar...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Park Synagogue's Allison Solomon from 2019-03-18T00:00

This week we’re talking with Allison Solomon, Membership Director for Park Synagogue. She tells us about raising a family today in the Cleveland Jewish community and her role at a synagogue cele...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Maltz Museum's Dahlia Fisher from 2019-03-01T00:00

This week we’re talking with Dahlia Fisher, director of external relations at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage. She’s also a writer who wrote a children’s book in coordination with the Museum...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Sports Medicine Doctor Aaron Wolkoff from 2019-02-15T00:00

This week we’re talking about sports with Sports Medicine Doctor Aaron Wolkoff. He tells us about his love of playing soccer and helping his community become healthy and active. 

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Cleveland Schmooze
Rabbi Hal Rudin-Luria from 2019-02-01T00:00

We're back from holiday break! This week we’re bringing you an interview with Rabbi Hal Rudin-Luria of B'nai Jeshurun Congregation. We talk about his journey to becoming a rabbi and ho...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Entrepreneurs Kay Greenwald and Natalie Winer from 2018-11-16T18:00

This week we’re bringing you an interview with another mom and daughter team, Kay Greenwald and Natalie Winer. They are co-owners of Cake Bites and Other Delights, and we talk to the duo about w...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Archivist Sean Martin from 2018-11-02T00:00


This week we’re bringing you an interview with archivist Sean Martin, who’s not Jewish, but he is the Associate Curator for Jewish History at the Western Reserve Historical Society. Martin ...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Chef Doug Katz from 2018-10-19T00:00


This week we’re bringing you an interview with acclaimed local chef, Doug Katz. He’s the owner of Fire food and drink at Shaker Square and caters all around Northeast Ohio. Chef Katz tells ...

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Cleveland Schmooze
The Partingtons from 2018-10-05T00:00

We’re bringing you an interview with conservation activists, Dave Partington and Barbara Zaas Partington. Their mission is to preserve the Geauga Parks and get the greater community engaged with...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Instructor Brian Amkraut from 2018-09-14T00:00

We bring you a conversation with someone with a passion for continuing education, Brian Amkraut. He’s the Executive Director of the Laura and Alvin Siegal Lifelong Learning Program, which is par...

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Cleveland Schmooze
The Stulbergs from 2018-06-15T00:00

We talk with Bernie and Carolyn Stulberg about the string competition created in honor of Bernie’s father Julius, and how it’s grown from its humble origins in Kalamazoo, Michigan to become an i...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Entrepreneur Paul Fierman from 2018-06-01T00:00

We talk with entrepreneur and kitchen manager of Bnai Jeshurun Congregation, Paul Fierman. Paul is currently working to become a chef at Cuyahoga Community College and is hoping to get his horse...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Playwright Faye Sholiton from 2018-05-18T00:00

We talk with Faye Sholiton, a standout writer and director in the Cleveland theater scene, and the founding artistic director of Interplay Jewish Theatre.

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Cleveland Schmooze
Rabbi Stephen Weiss from 2018-05-04T00:00

We talk to Rabbi Stephen Weiss about his road to Jewish Cleveland, and his thoughts on social activism as well as the state of Israel turning 70.

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Cleveland Schmooze
New Jew Kelly Fedak from 2018-04-23T00:00

We talk to young professional Kelly Fedak about her decision to join the Jewish faith through conversion. 

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Cleveland Schmooze
Hosts Rachel and Robin Rood from 2018-03-24T00:00

Cleveland Schmooze hosts Rachel and Robin Rood walk you through the conception of this podcast and why they wanted to learn more about Jewish Cleveland. 

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Cleveland Schmooze
LGBT Rights Activist Gregg Levine from 2018-03-09T00:00

We talk to Gregg Levine about his work fighting for LGBT equality in Cleveland not only in the secular community, but in the Jewish community as well. And we'll learn about his own journey ...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Historian Jeff Morris from 2018-02-18T00:00

We chat with historian Jeff Morris about his recently published book, Haymarket to the Heights, which tracks the movement of Synagogues from Downtown to the East side, and discuss where the popu...

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Cleveland Schmooze
Historian Jeff Morris from 2018-02-18T00:00

We chat with historian Jeff Morris about his recently published book, Haymarket to the Heights, which tracks the movement of Synagogues from Downtown to the East side, and discuss where the popu...

Listen
Cleveland Schmooze
Historian Jeff Morris from 2018-02-18T00:00

We chat with historian Jeff Morris about his recently published book, Haymarket to the Heights, which tracks the movement of Synagogues from Downtown to the East side, and discuss where the popu...

Listen