Cleveland Schmooze

This week, we are talking to Daniel Horowitz, a genealogy expert at My Heritage. He lives in Israel but was recently in town as a speaker for the Jewish Genealogy Society of Cleveland's 40th anniversary kick-off event. We recorded this conversation with Daniel Horowitz at the Orange Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library. We'll also be taking our summer break. See you in the fall!

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 Rabbi Josh Foster at B'nai Jeshurun Congregation. He oversees the congregation’s Youth & Learning Center and Bessie Hershey Religious School. He tells us about how he became a Rabbi and how the pandemic has impacted religious education and the high holy days. We recorded this conversation with Rabbi over Zoom. And just a note that for the time being, we'll be recording these episodes on a monthly basis. We hope to resume bi-weekly episodes in 2021.

This week we are talking to Leslie Robbins, a social worker with University Hospitals. She told us about growing up in an interfaith home and getting married to an interfaith partner. She also discussed what it's been like working in a hospital setting during the coronavirus. In keeping with social distance guidelines, we spoke with Leslie virtually through Facetime.

This week we are talking to Sheryl Hirsh, Assistant Director of Jewish Lifelong Learning at Case Western Reserve University. Sheryl lost her daughter to the opioid crisis in 2013 and has made it her mission to educate the community by sharing her story. Sheryl has become an advocate for education and discusses opioid addiction and what is being done to help slow down the problem. Because Sheryl’s story is so powerful, we have decided to share it over the next two episodes. We spoke to Sheryl Hirsh at Siegal Lifelong Learning Program in Beachwood.