Who The Folk?! Podcast

What does working for Minneapolis Jewish Federation, Temple Israel and a grave marking company have in common? Laura Taple knows. Laura talks about taking over as vice president of Katzman Monument Company, connecting with people, and the idea of legacy, In this week's Who The Folk?! Podcast.

What are you doing at 22 years old? Imani Jackson is running the catering at Minnesota Hillel, has already been the head chef at the Lumber Exchange Events Center, and has big plans for what's next. A student at MCTC, Imani is planning to transfer to the U soon. On today's podcast, Imani talks about what her life in food, embracing the African-American and Jewish sides of her heritage, and ALL kinds of food – including what makes the perfect hummus, on this week's Who The Folk?! Podcast.

Marty Chester found the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas as the perfect agency for him to get involved in as someone who was a political science and Jewish studies major in college. At the Oct. 11 annual meeting, Marty will become the new president of the organization's board.
We talk about the importance of the JCRC to both Marty and to the community, his family's ties to the organization, and his constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago – trust me, you'll want to stick around for that story – in this week's Who The Folk Podcast.

Catching him right before his first Rosh Hashanah as part of Temple's clergy team, Rabbi Jason Klein talked about the winding road that got him into the rabbinate, his first State Fair trip, and what "being welcoming" and privilege means as a white, Jewish, gay man, in this week's Who The Folk?! Podcast.

"Comedy is tragedy plus time,” says David Harris, who doesn’t like to call himself an artist (for fear of sounding pretentious), but nonetheless he is one. Behind a joke can stand hot air, or the catharsis of facing personal pain, and everything in between. For Harris, this is both the terrifying and fascinating part of the world he inhabits, one he brings to the stage with him.
Like most art forms, like pottery or theatre, a look behind the curtain gives a deeper appreciation for the journey that Harris brings his audiences on. From the tragedy that inspires him and the conflict between his magic and stand up (one is about being secretive and the other about revealing), to the advice he has for young magicians and comedians today, we covered a lot of ground in this week’s podcast.

And once you've listened, don't forget to catch Harris on Sept. 7 and 8 as he headlines at the Royal Comedy Theater (https://tcjewfolk.com/royal-comedy-theatre/)

There are challenges of becoming a grown up in a new place, and Judah Druck is learning many of those. But the attorney who moved here two years ago is figuring it out. We talk on this week's podcast with Judah, and you get the opportunity to hear from him before his firs article for us runs this week. But we chat about what it's like to be a newcomer to Minnesota, and adjusting to Jewish life here compared what he left on the East Coast, on this week's Who The Folk?! Podcast.

What's it like to go from a career largely on the pulpit to running a supplemental Hebrew school program? Hazzan Jeremy Lipton is about to find out. Lipton is settling in as the new Head of School at Talmud Torah of Minneapolis, but he tells us that going from being a hazzan on the pulpit to running a school isn't too much of a stretch.

While the younger Rabbi Miller, wasn't in St. Paul when his father was, he has already met many people who remember him fondly. Miller talks about that, what it's like to take a first pulpit job and the path that led him to the family business on this week's Who The Folk?! Podcast.

Nicole Rabinowitz did what so many from the Twin Cities did after high school – move away for college. But after more than a decade away, she's back and working as the kitchen director for Jewish Housing and Programs, more commonly known as J-HAP.
It's an interesting proposition because there's no kitchen – yet – at J-HAP; there will be soon. Also, she acknowledges that she has no kitchen skills to speak of. That's ok, because she isn't needed to cook. She is putting together a fantastic program that will not only provide a café for residents to eat at, it will give local food entrepreneurs a kitchen space to rent to produce their product.
We talk about the first business to come on board, what's it's like to be back home after more than a decade away, and more, in this week's Who The Folk?! Podcast.

Minneapolis native Isaiah Breen was looking for a way to move back home from Washington, D.C., last year when he met Jewish Community Action Executive Director Carin Mrotz. Then the press secretary for Rep. Keith Ellison, Breen joined JCA as the communications director last fall and is passionate about the agency's mission. Breen talks passionately about a lot of things – including his very fun Twitter feed and Star Wars (which thanks to the power of editing, I've spared you much of) – on this week's Who The Folk?! Podcast.

When you’re a part of the Heilicher family in Minneapolis, there are responsibilities that come with it, and Andrew Wieberdink has learned that quickly. Wieberdink is the great-grandson of Amos Heilicher and grandson of Lisa Heilicher, and talks openly about what that means. He also talks about his incredible passion for Israel – we caught up with him between two summer trips to Israel – and what being a community leader means, no matter how old you are.

Derek Wiebke just graduated from the University of Minnesota last month, and before he heads to graduate school, he's joining TC Jewfolk as our new summer intern. Derek's Jewish journey has just recently gotten started, which he touches on today (but will also write more about soon). He also talks about life as a collegiate athlete for the Gophers, where he was a second-team All-American runner and four-time Academic All-Big Ten, and also a fantastic piece he wrote for Outsports (https://www.outsports.com/2018/4/10/17223190/gay-minnesota-derek-wiebke-big-ten-track-field-runner) about finding acceptance as a gay athlete regardless of the results.

Taking a break from preparations for their appearance as the opening act of the Common Sound Festival, Amanda and Berek Awend talk about the craft of making music, "Jewish Americana," and preview a song from their upcoming album.

After struggling as a music producer, learn about how Dan Schlissel started Stand Up! Records in this week's Who The Folk?! Podcast.

We're back! We sit in the Minnesota Twins dugout this week with Corey Baker, the team's Assistant Advance Scout/Replay Coordinator to talk about his Minor League Baseball career, pitching for Team Israel, and life with an MLB club. Photo Courtesy Margo Sugarman

This week we sit down with Jodi Rankin, who started the marketing company Fun 2 Raise, but may be better know for the Twin City Mitzvah Guide that gets published each year to help families get through the bar and Bat Mitzvah process. Jodi tells how she got started and why it was important to her to start a business model that gives money back to the Jewish community.

We chat with musician Dan Israel about his new album, "You're Free," and he goes in-depth his recent evolution to a full-time musician, Israel, religion, family, fitting in and how it all comes together.

We go 1-on-1 with Ali Kaplan the newest -- and first female -- editor of Twin Cities Business Magazine, in this week's Who The Folk?! Podcast

In our first ever Who The Folk?! Podcast, we sit down and chat with WCCO meteorologist Matt Brickman to talk family, food, getting blamed for blizzards, and the obscene hour of the morning he gets up to go to work.