Cleveland Schmooze

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 started in the funeral business, some of the traditions surrounding Jewish mourning and what the last year has been like, dealing with the uncertainty of the pandemic. We recorded this conversation with Bart Bookatz over Zoom.

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 enough, involved starting a cream cheese business. We sat down with Rachel Gross at Bnai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike.

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 sat down with Marsha at Bnai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike.

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 Cathy Randall at Bnai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike.

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 called, “Ari & Abigail’s Passport to Israel,” which goes along with their new exhibit, “Israel: Then and Now.”