When Shani Abramowitz and Ben Freed took their first jobs as rabbis in Lexington and Louisville, they got one question from their classmates and friends: There are Jews in Kentucky? The short answer is yes! The long answer is right here, in your podcast feed. Every month, you'll hear a deep dive into upcoming holidays and their meanings, and kibitz with a Jewish Kentuckian who has a great story. And each episode wraps up with a L'Chaim of the Month — a toast to a person or group making our world a better place (bourbon in a kosher dill jar optional... bu...
Latest episodes
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50 min
Nisan: Jewish Athletes in Kentucky and Beyond
March Madness is at a fever pitch, and baseball season has just begun. We couldn't think of a better time to talk about the many contributions of Jewish folks to all levels of spor…
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1 h 25
Adar: A Jewish history of Louisville, Kentucky
A couple episodes ago we explored Lexington's Jewish history, and now it's Louisville's turn! Join us for a deep dive with historian and museum consultant Carol Ely, author of "Jew…
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57 min
Sh'vat: Let's schmooze about the linguistic heritage of Jews
This month we're kibitzing with Dr. Raphael Finkel, a Yiddish scholar and educator who taught for almost 40 years at the University of Kentucky. We talk about the links between ide…
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1 h 14
Tevet: A Jewish history of Lexington, Kentucky
This month on the Schmooze, Ohavay Zion legend Mike Ades takes us on a deep dive into the history of Jews in Lexington, and how Jewish life changed and evolved along with the city…
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52 min
Kislev: Finding community on campus
Going away to college is an exciting and sometimes scary time, especially for Jewish students at schools where there aren't large Jewish populations. This month, we reminisce about…
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1 h 06
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 call…
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1 h 06
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 historia…
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1 h 29
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 interview…
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1 h 18
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 synagogu…
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1 h 37
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 ov…
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1 h 20
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 journe…
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18 min
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…
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1 h 08
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…
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1 h 32
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…
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1 h 02
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…
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1 h 03
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 Ci…
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1 h 08
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. B…
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1 h 14
Tevet: A delicious dialogue about food and resilience
This month, we’re breaking down kashrut, or kosher — the dietary laws governing what Jewish people do and don’t eat. They cover both the food itself, how it can be combined, and ho…
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1 h 07
Kislev: Hanukkah, Teddy Abrams and music, oh my!
It’s Kislev! That means time for Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. We’ll tell you the story, and the history of why the story itself is told the way it is. And we kibitz with Louis…
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1 h 19
Cheshvan: The value of rest and reconnection
On today’s episode we’ll kibitz with University of Kentucky President Dr. Eli Capiluto. Capiluto shares his experiences of growing up as a Sephardic Jew in Montgomery, Alabama, dur…