Who The Folk?! Podcast

Society & Culture

About

This is the Podcast home of TC Jewfolk's Who The Folk?! Podcast. Hear from interesting Members of the Tribe from all over the Minneapolis and St. Paul area.

Episodes

  • Howie Milstein

    Host Lonny Goldsmith speaks with Howie Milstein about his book "You Don't Know Shit: The Joy of Bewilderment." Topics include the book's origins, defining good and bad leadership, and the importance of moving beyond personal silos and comf…

  • Abbe Blacker

    Abbe Blacker discusses founding the Minneapolis Mah Jongg Club, the historical link between Jewish culture and mahjong, and the increasing interest in the game.

  • Leah Temkin

    Leah Temkin, director of career services at Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minnesota, shares her experience in career counseling and how the field and job searching have changed over time. The discussion also covers ongoing collab…

  • Lacie Saltzmann

    Minnesota freshman gymnast Lacie Saltzmann joins the podcast with guest host Emma to discuss her first season, preparation for NCAA regional meets, and the significance of choosing a college with a strong Jewish community.

  • Nicole Baron

    This episode of the Who The Folk?! Podcast features an interview with wedding planner Nicole Baron. They discuss her career journey, the range of weddings she has planned and officiated, and the origin of her business name, Bridekick.

  • Rafa Kern

    This week I talk to Rafa Kern. We talk about his journey from a culturally Jewish family in Brazil to becoming an educator and scholar of Jewish texts, how he integrates theater, language, and tradition to explore identity, and his class a…

  • Alex Lubet

    This week I talk to Alex Lubet a professor of composition at the University of Minnesota School of Music. We talk about his class at the upcoming Engage! Annual Gathering of Jewish Learning, Contemplation, and Creativity, music crossing cu…

  • Sarajane Landun

    This week I talk to Sarajane Landun, an event planner and the owner of SJL Events. We talk about how she got into the event planning business, why she loves working with families to plan their Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebrations, and what some…

  • Dave Snyder

    This week I talk to longtime community organizer David Snyder. We talk about the work he’s doing to help the Twin Cities Immigrant communities, how he got his start in organizing, and how he connects his work to his Judaism and Jewish prac…

  • Chef David Fhima

    This week I talk to chef and restaurateur David Fhima. We talk about where his cooking roots come from, the eclectic array of cuisines at his restaurants, and his newest concepts coming this spring, on this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast. h…

  • Hannah MacKenzie-Margulies

    This week I talk to dancer and choreographer Hannah MacKenzie-Margulies. We talk about her new venture, Little Tanz Theater, trying to make it as a professional ballerina, and how she got into Lindy Hop dancing, on this week’s Who The Folk…

  • Adam Bohanan

    Welcome to this week’s Who The Folk?! Podcast, I’m Lonny Goldsmith the editor of TC Jewfolk. This week I talk to musician Adam Bohanan. We talk about the upcoming “A Very Funk Hanukkah Show” at the Cedar Cultural Center on Dec. 18, what hi…

  • Steven Mayer

    This week I talk social scientist and author Steven Mayer about his new book My Father Against The Nazis. We talk about tracing family history, what learned about his late father going through old documents, and inherited trauma, on this w…

  • Matt Goldman

    This week I talk to Emmy Award-winning TV Writer and novelist Matt Goldman. We talk about the fifth book in the Nils Shapiro crime series, Dark Humor, how he transitioned from comedy writing to novels, and what lies ahead in a busy 2026, o…

  • Jesse Jacobs

    This week I talk to urologist and comedian Jesse Jacobs. We talk about how he got started in both medicine and comedy, getting reps to get better at both jobs, and how he juggles comedy, medicine and family, on this week’s Who The Folk?! P…

  • Rachel Ganani

    This week I talk to Rachel Ganani, an attorney who currently serves as the Chief of Staff at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. We talk about what she does in her role, how she got interested in public interest law very early in her c…

  • Rav Michaela Brown

    This week I talk to Rav Michaela Brown, the Jewish chaplain at Carleton College and St. Olaf College, both in Northfield, Minnesota. We talk about what brought her to work on college campuses, what led her to rabbinic school, and the story…

  • Jack Shink

    This week I talk to Jack Shink. We talk how Jack overcame significant health challenges to start his own business, where his interest in working with technology came from, and how Jack’s Expert Technology has links to generations past, on…

  • Johanna Hyman

    This week I talk to Johanna Hyman, attorney, Jewfolk board member and a candidate for the Hopkins School Board. We talk about why she’s running for office, what she sees as the biggest issues the district faces, and how her Jewish backgrou…

  • Aaron Black

    This week I talk to Aaron Black, a candidate for the Golden Valley City Council. We talk about what led him to run for office, the work he’s done on the city’s Human Services Commission, and how his Judaism drives his service, on this week…

  • Molly Rosenblatt

    This week I talk to Molly Rosenblatt, Jewfolk’s new journalist and audience engagement editor. We talk about Molly’s start in journalism, traveling the country covering local news, and how Oct. 7 helped her connect more with the Twin Citie…

  • Susie Kaufman

    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…

  • Lawrence Badzin

    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 connecte…

  • Eric Mandel

    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 J…

  • Stephanie Iskhakov

    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…

  • Ryan London Levin

    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?! P…

  • Miles Lerner

    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 com…

  • Marissa Bader

    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 th…

  • Alyssa Golob

    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 ril…

  • Sami Saltzman Savin

    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…

  • Sarah Routman

    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 crea…

  • Rabbi John Carrier

    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?!…

  • Jared Kaufman

    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 p…

  • Melissa Rappaport Schifman and Jim Schifman

    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…

  • Geoff Sudit

    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 expe…

  • Janessa Prawer

    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 h…

  • Katie Kline

    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 amazi…

  • Jon Geffen

    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,…

  • Adam Garen

    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…

  • Simon Glaser

    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.…

  • Cole Hanson

    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 Jewis…

  • Andrew Rosendorf

    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…

  • Freddie Weisberg and Char Cohodes

    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-s…

  • Susan Geller

    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…

  • Henry Karpovas Lisak

    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, compari…

  • Sara Lynn Newberger

    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 pla…

  • Howard Sinker

    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…

  • Alyssa Engelson

    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 Wh…

  • Andi Murez

    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 af…

  • Stephanie Chauss

    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…