Join us as we meet Arnie Adler aka the Bread Baker of Riverdale. He is a born and bread (pun intended) New Yorker.

Arnie grew up in Queens and graduated from high school just across the border in Elmont, Long Island. As an adult, he moved from downtown Manhattan to Inwood and ultimately to Riverdale, where he has lived for the past 27 years.

Arnie had dreamed of being a photographer since his early teens. He realized that dream when he began assisting other photographers before becoming the first New York staff photographer for Crain Communications. While there, he shot primarily for industry bible, Advertising Age Magazine, as well as other Crain publications including Crain’s NY Business, one of the first hyper-local publications of its kind.

Arnie was on staff at Crain's from 1984 to 1988. He left to become a freelance photographer and made a name for himself shooting for Fortune 500 companies, and national publications. Not long after, he expanded his base to include weddings and bar mitzvahs, keeping him busy and fulfilled.

When the pandemic came, Arnie found himself without any photo assignments.

While government stipends covered his living expenses, they didn’t fill the hole left by a lack of work. He had time and energy, but no place to expend them.

Arnie is the proud father of adult daughters Jennifer and Emily. It was during the pandemic that daughter Emily offered him some of the sourdough starter she happened to make during her free time.

While he was always the family chef, baking was new to him “I love jam bands,” he says comparing his music aesthetic to his kitchen style. An amateur drummer and banjo player who has jammed with other Riverdalians, Arnie says, “I cook in the same loosey goosey way that I play. But baking is more like classical music, you need to play the score (the recipe) precisely if you want good results.”

No one was more surprised than Arnie that he found the discipline of baking to his liking. Soon he was baking far more bread than any one person could eat and decided to donate his loaves to the Friendly Fridge at 242 Street and Broadway.

He was becoming justifiably proud of his breads. The satisfaction of bringing fresh baked bread to folks who were food insecure made Arnie doubly committed to continuing his journey. He decided to expand. He posted on the Riverdale Facebook page that he was willing to swap his bread for whatever folks wanted to share. The response was amazing.

Arnie traded for artwork (including his one-of-a-kind logo by Nina Seugenfeld Velazquez), crafts, clothing, and an assortment of delicious home-made food items from all over the world. Soon his swappers were swapping with one another and getting to know their neighbors.

Before long, Arnie started getting messages from folks who felt they had nothing to swap. Could they buy a loaf? Without planning it, Arnie found himself elbow deep in the micro bread-baking business.

Articles in the Riverdale press helped expand his network of swappers and purchases. Naveen Dhaliwal of WABC eyewitness did a segment on him, followed by an appearance on the Kelly Clarkson show which came with a generous $1000 prize.

Three years later, Arnie is still baking and taking photos, combining his two passions: food and making people look good.

Join us as we meet Council Member Eric Dinowitz. Eric was born and raised in the Northwest Bronx, and is raising his family in the district he grew up in. Eric is a community activist, former special education teacher and Chapter Leader for the United Federation of Teachers and former Aging Chair of Bronx Community Board 8.

Eric attended Bronx’s public schools and has a personal investment in the success of our students. As a special education teacher for thirteen years in our community, he taught and counseled the students who needed the most support. Council Member Dinowitz made sure each of them had a fair shot to succeed and gave them the tools that they needed to do it.

As a Democratic District Leader, Council Member Dinowitz worked to make voting easier and more accessible. He also fought for transit accessibility by joining together a coalition of local advocates and elected officials to bring an elevator to the Mosholu Avenue subway stop. He looked out for seniors as Chair of the Aging Committee on Bronx Community Board 8, and spent hundreds of hours getting critical services to our older adults throughout the pandemic.

Join us as we meet Katrina Albert. She/They is a 35 year old educator who resides in the Bronx with her partner, cat, and two dogs. Originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania, she has been living, and teaching middle school, in NYC since 2015.Katrina is passionate about advocating for all marginalized voices, and this, along with her lived experience in a fat body, led Katrina to begin Fat Femmes NYC this past summer. Fat Femmes NYC is an organization for fat femmes and thems in NYC that focuses on building community, advocacy, and fat liberation.

Thank you for all 2023 has provided us, can't wait for what 2024 has in store for the 4 Bronx Project.

Join us as we meet with Diego Leon. Diego was born and raised in the Bronx, he devotes mush of his time to supporting causes and businesses in the Bronx. His devotion to menswear began in the world of early childhood education where, as a preschool teacher, he dressed well every day so that his students would feel comfortable in the uniforms they were required to wear. His interest in menswear was further piqued by the positive impact his fashion had on his students, so he dove into Tumblr, Instagram, and various blogs to learn more about menswear past and present. Soon he’d be inspired to influence the future of menswear as well.

Delving into the world of men’s fashion started simply enough: by slowly documenting his new style and getting feedback from others. It wasn’t long before he’d move from dressing this way in his professional life to his social life as well, which included local electronic music shows. His fashionable reputation grew in those communities, especially when his new friends noticed he could mosh even while wearing a tailored suit.

Dressing well at social events led to further inspiration: Diego soon met Nathaniel Adams, an electronic musician who identified as a dandy . Several conversations and hours of independent research later, Dandy In The Bronx was born.

Instagram proved to be an effective showcase for this new identity. As Diego shared more of his style, he found like-minded people and businesses and decided to pursue this passion full-time.

Dandy In The Bronx attaches his work to brands and causes that he believes in, and he encourages others to support those brands. He displays projects and pieces that are worth an investment: clothing that strikes the perfect balance of price and class. Quality may come with cost, but one should always consider value. This balanced approach makes Dandy In The Bronx accessible to a wide clientele, bringing high end material to the struggling communities he’s always worked with.

A storyteller at heart, Diego is interested in the narratives behind brands and causes: where their work came from, why they do it, who they serve, and how long they’ve been following their passion.

At its core Dandy In The Bronx is about bringing the best of the world to the Bronx and bringing the best of the Bronx to the world. It is a project of substance as much as it is of style.

Join us as we meet Cara Kagan, writer and musician. Cara has contributed to many national magazines, including W, Self, Shape, Town & Country, Fitness, Glamour, Real Simple, InStyle, Harper’s Bazaar, and The New York Post Alexa section. She got her start writing style and beauty in the trenches as an editor for the fashion and beauty bible "Women's Wear Daily," and then went on to become beauty and fitness director for both YM and Mode magazines. She is most proud of creating Girl magazine, the first multi-cultural and multi-size fashion and beauty magazine for teens. Despite her wild hair, sensible shoes, and decidedly “basic” fashion sense, she also served as the Beauty and Fitness Director of Elle magazine for several years. In 1990, her Grandma Ruth Appelbaum insisted on inviting Andrew Kagan to her 90th birthday party completely against her wishes. They married in 1992. They have two grey and white rescue kitties, Mouse and Clyde, and live in The Bronx. While she still mainly sings and plays guitar for her cats and guitar teacher, she hopes that one day soon, she will finally get up the nerve to perform at an Open Mic.

Join us as we meet Susan Chavez, President of the Riverdale Art Association.

Susan was born and raised in the Bronx with 2 older sisters, had a hard working mom, her father passed away in his early 40s. She is now mom and grandma, with diversified interests: (previously) an educator in several states in the USA (and UFT rep); a hypnosis practitioner, a Schervier community gardener, a hiker, traveler, artist, (combining these interests as an active participant with NYCurbansketchers plein air sketchers) reader, museum and theater goer, volunteer with Westchester Arts, and President of the Riverdale Art Association (exhibiting her own artwork in solo and group shows), and more recently plant based cooking creations.

"Retirement" has afforded Susan the time to take classes of interest and to explore and enjoy the many pleasures of being alive! Older adults are often put in a box based on age. Her attitude has allowed her to feel as young as the folks she hangs out with. Keeping herself in good health, remaining active, learning new things (she's zip-lined, tried the trapeze, and trampoline), eating well, and socializing has helped her feel younger than her chronological number might suggest. Being positive, creating "happy mistakes" out of what could be negative impacts has kept her strong through life's mishaps. The question she answers is, "what can I learn from this experience?" Never one to sit still too long, she eagerly looks toward the next adventure. Susan would like to thank Laura for the opportunity of this interview and has been noted on her personal checklist.

Join us as we meet Yuval Dekel, owner of Liebman's Deli.

When Yuval's father passed in 2002, he took over Liebman's Deli. It was an unexpected pivot for the then 24-year old who made a living as an artisan baker by day, and as a drummer in a heavy metal band named “Irate” by night, but one that he embraced.

In a nod to his former life, he utilizes his baking experience, baking fresh challah breads every Friday, plus he regales patrons with the dulcet sounds of Iron Maiden, Metallica, Guns & Roses, as well as 40s & 50s classics, as they bite into their pastrami sandwiches and slurp their matzo-ball soup.

Join us as we meet Bronx Borough President, Vanessa L. Gibson.

On November 2nd, 2021, Vanessa L. Gibson was elected to be the 14th Bronx Borough President to serve the over 1.4 million residents and families that call the Bronx home.

A native New Yorker, Ms. Gibson began her career serving the people of the west Bronx. In January 2001, while a student at the University at Albany, Ms. Gibson joined the New York State Assembly Intern Program and was assigned to then-Assemblywoman Aurelia Greene. As an Intern, she worked on legislation for the Assemblywoman, attended meetings and met with constituents and community groups on behalf of the office.

Upon graduation, Ms. Gibson served as Legislative Aide, and then advanced to District Manager, overseeing the Bronx office. In this position, she was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the district office, supervising the staff and all administrative and constituent services. Ms. Gibson would serve as the District Manager for several years until Assemblywoman Aurelia Greene resigned from office in May 2009 after twenty-eight years in the Assembly. With community and family support, Ms. Gibson decided to run for the New York State Assembly and was elected to this position in a special election on June 2, 2009 to represent the residents and families of the 77th District in the Bronx.

Ms. Gibson served for two terms in the NYS Assembly and then ran for an open seat in the New York City Council in 2013, to replace the term-limited Council Member Helen Diane Foster. Ms. Gibson was elected to the New York City Council in November 2013.

As a Council Member, Ms. Gibson was a leader in education, affordable housing, public safety and criminal justice reform. Ms. Gibson was also an advocate for alternatives to incarceration, tenant protections, increased training for our police officers and held the distinction of being the first African-American woman chair of the New York City Council Public Safety Committee.

In 2017, she joined then-Council Member Mark Levine in passing the landmark Right to Counsel Legislation, which provides free legal representation for income-eligible tenants facing eviction in Housing Court. Ms. Gibson has also championed legislation mandating the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy create a ten-year food strategy for the City of New York that identifies food policies, access to healthier food opt ions, using community gardens, urban agriculture and access to Health Bucks to address food deserts.

In 2020, she announced her run for Bronx Borough President with a mission to move the Bronx forward with a focus on public safety, food equity, housing insecurity, health and wellness, gender equity, support for the LGBTQIA+ community and a myriad of other issues. Ms. Gibson won her primary election in June, the general election in November, and now proudly represents the borough of the Bronx as the first woman and African-American Bronx Borough President. Despite several challenges during the beginning of her first term, Ms. Gibson is optimistic for better days ahead in the Bronx, and is honored and thankful for the opportunity to serve in elected office for such a time as this.

Join us as we meet Rachel Miller Williams, the founder of Midtown Physical Therapy. Rachel Miller Williams’ goal as a physical therapist is to provide empathetic, personalized, hands-on physical therapy. She supports each patient as an individual to help them return to their optimal state of wellness and function. Rachel is experienced in treating patients with a variety of dysfunctions of the upper and lower extremities including orthopedic, post-surgical, vocational, geriatric, pediatric, cervical and spinal dysfunction, postural related dysfunction, complex pain syndromes, and sports related injuries. Rachel pioneered a manually based, functional style to physical therapy utilizing a variety of treatment approaches called human touch physical therapy HTPT to help balance patients wellness as a whole. Rachel is an expert level John F. Barnes Myofascial Release (MFR) therapist. Her patients are treated as a whole. Rachel began her career when she earned her Masters degree in Physical Therapy from Columbia University in 2002. Her background in high school and college sports led her to an initial interest in further researching why women are more prone to ACL injury than men. Her Masters thesis research studied the effects that the menstrual cycle has on ACL laxity. Rachel earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychobiology from SUNY Binghamton. Outside of her love for teaching and facilitating healing and wellness, Rachel enjoys inner development, strength training, weekly yoga practice, scuba diving and enjoying quiet time with her rescue ex-racing greyhound, Wizard.