The Bluegrass Schmooze Season Finale

Cheshvan: If I am only for myself, what am I?

We’re nearing the finish line of an unpredictable election season in the United States, so this month, we’re talking about the importance of civic engagement, and why Jews are called to live out our values by participating fully and enthusiastically in democracy. Our guest, Kentucky State Senator Dr. Karen Berg, says her political work is bolstered by a famous quote from Rabbi Hillel the Elder, a Jewish leader from the first century BCE: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” November is also Transgender Awareness Month, and Dr. Berg shares memories of her son Henry, and what she learned from him. “He was willing to share himself and his identity because he thought it would help create a better world,” she says. She also reminisces about growing up Jewish in Louisville, describes what it’s like to have your baby teeth used in art, and pushes back very passionately against one of our lightning round questions! We hope you get as much from this conversation as much as we did… and we hope you vote! (To see a picture of Dr. Harold Berg's mosaic in Keneseth Israel, visit our instagram @bluegrassschmooze)

Tishrei: In appreciation of Jewish food

There are foods everyone thinks of as Jewish — matzo ball soup, bagels and lox, you get the idea — but there's no one way to define Jewish food. Our guest this month, food historian Avery Robinson, says that because Jews have lived all over the world, "we are culinary chameleons." After Avery gives us some historical and cultural context, we zoom into the bluegrass state, and talk with chefs Sasha Chack and Amy Messer about creating Jewish cuisine with a Kentucky flair.

Elul: The one with our spouses (and a live audience!)

This is it, folks: the last episode in our first season! And it’s a pretty special one. The tables have turned, and our spouses, Ariane Barrie-Stern and Joseph Eskin, are interviewing US, in a conversation we had live at Ohavay Zion Synagogue in Lexington. We laughed, we almost cried, and Joseph broke some very big personal news… about Ben and Ariane. We can’t wait for you to hear it. But first we’ll talk about the month of Elul. Before we get caught up in the High Holidays, Elul reminds us to be strong and courageous, and ready ourselves to turn towards G-d. We’ll cover it all as we say goodbye to season one and turn towards season two!

Av: A place where you can make a Jewish life

This month on The Bluegrass Schmooze, we learn about Tu B’av, the Jewish day of love. And we’ll kibitz with Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky, a Kentuckian who moved away to lead a synagogue in New York City. Stick around for the end of this episode, when we share a big announcement about the future of our show!

Tamuz: Women repairing the world

Tikkun olam. It's a Hebrew phrase that means "repairing the world." And our guests on this episode say it's the principle that compelled them to sue the Commonwealth of Kentucky over its near-total abortion ban. We'll talk about that lawsuit, and how the law affects people trying to become parents through IVF. And we'll learn about the month of Tamuz, a rather sleepy month that hits just when the summer heat has us feeling ready for a nap.

Sivan: The many roads to revelation

We’ve been counting up to it for seven weeks, and it’s finally here: Shavuot, in the month of Sivan! On Shavuot, we celebrate receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai after a long journey through the desert. We’ll learn all about it this episode. And we’ll meet some Kentuckians who had revelations of their own. Hal Forbess and Ken Shuck are both Jews by choice, and they share their journeys with us, and with you.

Bonus: How Ira Glass learned to tell stories from Broadway and the bimah

When Ira Glass created "This American Life" in 1995, he wanted to expand on traditional news reporting and tell stories in new ways. Same thing in 2014, when he and members of his production team brought "Serial" to life and changed the podcasting world. But while he's known for innovation, he traces his own storytelling roots to older influences he experienced growing up in a Jewish community in the 1960s and '70s. Ira joined us for a conversation ahead of his appearance in Louisville on June 1. Find show details at LPM.org/ira

Iyyar: Our story is ancient, but still unfolding

We talk a lot on our show about old times. Like, reeeally old times, from many thousands of years ago. But this month, Iyyar, we explore three holidays that commemorate more recent moments in Jewish history: Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, Yom Ha’atzma’ut, Israel’s Independence Day, and Yom HaShoa, Holocaust Remembrance Day. And we kibitz with three Kentuckians who help educators teach about the Holocaust in ways that are ethical and engaging: —Janice Fernheimer is Zantker Charitable Foundation Professor of Jewish Studies, Professor of Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies, and James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits Faculty Fellow at the University of Kentucky, and co-director of the University of Kentucky Jewish Heritage Fund Holocaust Education Initiative. —Karen Petrone is Professor of History and co-director of the UK-JHF Holocaust Initiative and a specialist in Russian and Soviet History. —Alice Goldstein has published widely on demographic studies focusing on population mobility in reaction to modernization, and on contemporary American Jewry. Alice is the author of Ordinary People, Turbulent Times, in which she tells the story of her own family’s resilience and escape from Nazi Germany. If you’re a middle or high school teacher in Kentucky, you can learn more about the University of Kentucky Jewish Heritage Fund Holocaust Education Initiative and sign up to participate at holocausteducation.uky.edu.

Nisan: Passover, and a new understanding of God

It’s Nisan, and that means time for Pesach! You might know it as Passover. With a nod to Charlton Heston and "Prince of Egypt," we'll explore the real story and why it's one of our favorite holidays. Then we'll kibitz with animator and theatre artist Yehuda Jai Husband, who converted to Judaism as an adult. "I didn't really understand God when I was growing up, and I was given a version of God that didn't quite gel with me," he says. His journey to Judaism started at a Jewish funeral, the first time he heard a cantor's voice. "It was life changing." He talks about what it’s like to be a Black queer Jewish dad in Kentucky — and though he's often the only Black person in Jewish spaces and the only Jewish person in Black spaces, he finally feels like he's where he belongs.

Adar II: Toasting for Purim with The Bourbon Rabbi, Chaim Litvin

It's Adar! Wait, didn't we already have Adar? We sure did, but since this is a leap year, we're making it a double. Adar II contains the holiday Purim, which is the perfect time to raise a glass. So on this episode, we're kibitzing with Rabbi Chaim Litvin, also known as The Bourbon Rabbi. He has his own line of spirits and is an expert in kosher law, particularly as it pertains to creating Kentucky's favorite beverage.

Adar Rishon: Ariel Elias and comedy's power to make us feel seen

Two rabbis and a comedian walk into a bar... ok, we're still workshopping the punchline. But this month we're kibitzing with Jewish comedian Ariel Elias! Ariel lives in New York City, she’s been on Jimmy Kimmel Live and featured in Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, and Good Morning America… and she grew up right here in Kentucky. And we’ll talk about the month of Adar Rishon, or, Adar One. This year there are two of 'em, because it's a leap year — a phenomenon that happens seven out of every 19 years. We'll explain it all in This Month in Judaism, and we won't make you do any math.

Sh'vat: On being an American Jew and a Jewish American

This month in Judaism, Tu BiShvat reminds us to be thankful for the natural world, and hold onto hope for springtime. And we meet Leon Wahba and Captain Promotable Jordan Disney. Both served at Ft. Knox — Leon in the 1960s and Jordan, currently. They kibitz about Army life, whether the kosher meals are edible, and how being Jewish impacts military service... and we ask them where the gold is.

The Bluegrass Schmooze Season Finale

Hosts Ben Freed and Shani Abramowitz reflect on their work as rabbis, and raising Jewish kids in Kentucky.