The Bluegrass Schmooze

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 our own formative years in school. And we kibitz with Justin Sadle from the university of Kentucky about the value of helping Jewish students find and build community on campus.

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)

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.

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.