The Avrum Rosensweig Show

Episode 40 - Joseph Pusuma: A Hungarian Roma once in sanctuary in a Toronto Church...today an ordinary, free Canadian!

This is a big one folks, an important show!  Episode 40 of HatRadio! features JOSEPH PUSUMA, a Hungarian Roma, who spent three years in sanctuary, in two different Toronto churches, together with his wife and child, Lulu. They were locked up. They could not leave. They were denied their freedom by Immigration Canada, until they were freed. With that in mind, at the core of this show then, is one courageous man's true and clear appreciation of FREEDOM to go where he wants, and live life the way he determines. It's riveting.  

 

In 2009, Joseph was a human rights investigator, travelling throughout Europe documenting terrible abuse levied at his fellow Roma, such as the stabbing death of a 16-year old boy by a cashier in a food store, 'because he didn't like the Roma'.

Local neo-Nazis didn't appreciate Joseph's work and decided one day beat the shit out of him and his wife, Timea. Lulu, their toddler, at the time, was saved because Joseph lay across her while the thugs beat him with a bat. 

A short while later, the Pusumas came to Toronto claiming refugee status. After having experienced hell back in Hungary, they were scammed here by an immigration lawyer, whose shoddy work ensured the Pusumas would be deported.

Luck! When does it come, and too whom? 

The Pusumas, were offered and accepted sanctuary in two different churches. Their 18-month stay at Windermere Church, through the generosity of Minister Alexa (Episode 4, HatRadio!), and congregation, was the most significant time however. It was there, the Pusuma story really took on a life of its own, within the church, through the media and across the nation.

Throughout this interview, Joseph shares his narrative with us including what it was like to live in one room with his family, and be without a shower for the first three months. He says his life was "abnormal". It was painful watching free Canadians walk past the church, people who were unaware of the Pusumas within its walls. Joseph tells us about the challenge of having to repeat his story over and over to visitors to their room, essentially being in a fish bowl. At one point however, Joseph states how important it was, to be visited by a Holocaust survivor who had been hidden throughout the war as well. "She understood", Joseph said. 

The Pusumas had many people of all religions and backgrounds fighting for their freedom. Ultimately, they secured it and became residents of Toronto. Joseph said, today he is ordinary man, with an apartment, a car, a job. He is someone, like you and I, who  visits Niagara Falls, walks through parks --all of this with his family, all of whom embrace their freedom.

And, Joseph is an awesome chef hoping to open his own Canadian-Gypsy restaurant. I know he will.

Joseph Pusuma says he loves life and wants to enjoy every day. About Timea, Joseph says she is an amazing woman who helped him through their ordeal. He loves her dearly. About Lulu: she is acing school, is wise beyond her years and is now teaching her parents English instead of the other way around. 

For a special treat listen to Joseph's mesmerizing, almost mystical Gypsy music, which he plays beautifully on his Fender acoustic guitar. The songs can be heard at: 32:56, 36:47, 1:02:58.  

"I would like to forget," Joseph told me, "but I cannot". How does one forget such a difficult personal history. So instead, Joseph moves forward with those memories, strengthening himself, and his family, knowing that the freedom they now have is the most significant gift of their lives. This episode is a story about a courageous and inspirational family man who fought for his fellow Roma, Timea, Lulu and himself so that one day he could be a regular guy, walking the streets of Toronto, tilting his head toward the daylight, and loving every day,  every minute, every second. Have a listen. You will love Joseph and his story and so appreciate what it means to be free. 

HatRadio! The show that schmoozes.  

 

 

                                                                                                                                                             

 

Episode 39 - Steve Kowch: A Radio Legend with Heart & Soul

Welcome to Episode 39 of HatRadio! with radio legend, Steve Kowch. 

Anyone who knows anything about talk radio has heard of Steve Kowch or knows his work. Steve spent close to a half century in media, most of it in radio. He oversaw programming on major stations in Quebec, Ontario and nationally, and the kicker was, he hired Marty Galin and I, to be the Food Guys on CFRB1010, one of the highlights of our lives. 

Steve was born in Montreal, Quebec. Like many people who evolve into superstars, his childhood was difficult. Steve was bullied at school, a lot. His dad was an alcoholic and his  mom was unhappy and not encouraging of Steve. "My parents taught me what not to be," Steve said. At times his mom would send him to bed without dinner because he was 'a bad boy'. Really there was no food for in the house. "We were poor", Steve stated. The family was on welfare. (55:02 mark) His bed was in the kitchen. 

 

One day, 17-year-old Steve answered an ad for an 'office boy' with the Montreal Star newspaper. He sat on a wooden bench, ready to get on-air folk a coffee and do what was ever required in that crazy Quebec media world. His pay? $50 a week, enough to help out at home, and eventually to buy a Bulova watch. Steve was a star even then and his bosses saw that glitter in his eye and willingness to fly. Soon enough, at 18 years old, the young man was on the crime beat hanging out with cops, pimps and crooks.

Well, his mom didn't like that, not one bit, and asked the editor to take him off that beat and put him on entertainment. That didn't happen. Soon enough Steve was covering riots and the FLQ crisis (11:25 mark of show). He was bonked in the head by a rioter and had a shot gun stuck in his face by a soldier with a threat to shoot him if he didn't retreat his position. He moved.

Steve's career was beginning to take off.      

At some point my guest switched over to radio and ultimately took charge of news and programming at two of Canada's largest talk radio stations: CJAD in Montreal and CRFB1010 in Toronto. He was also the national director of the news talk format for Astral Media's six talk stations. He loved it and spent forty years as a program director mentoring Canadian radio icons like John Moore, Bill Carroll, Mark Elliot and Jim Richards.  

Steve was a professor at The School of Media Studies & Information Technology at Humber College and The School of Communications Arts, Seneca at York. To his class he'd stressed the 25% rule - the importance of being among the 25% of media people who work hard, are diligent, shoot for greatness and have an unending drive to find something special within each story they cover. The other 75% watch the clock. 

Today, Steve is retired and can take three hours shopping for groceries, because he's a storyteller at heart and therefore finds a yarn to weave wherever he goes, including the check-out line. He's the author of 'Making it Big in the Media'. And Steve is nuts about his wife, Liz and their two daughters.  

Have a listen to Episode 39 with Steve Kowch. He puts himself out there, unabashedly, so that you get a real true sense of this man's character, pockmarks and all. Steve Kowch is a beautiful human being who has always been intent on helping others grow and rising above the challenge’s life has presented him with. Enjoy!  Share the link and consider subscribing. 

HatRadio! The show that schmoozes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Episode 38 - Shawn Kendal/Shawna Ackerman: Their Dream. A Camp for Teens and Young Adults with Autism

 

Episode 38 of HatRadio! is a show about a loving couple, two people who built upon their relationship, to the extent that they launched a dream together, this past summer - a camp for teens and young adults with autism. 

My guests for this show are Shawn Kendal and Shawna Akerman - affectionately called 'The Shawns'. I have known Shawn for 30 years and recently interviewed his father, Dr. Saul Kendal on episode 32 of HatRadio!. I only met Shawna prior to the show (although she says we once met), and quickly determined she is a fireball, committed to developing her own soul and those of others. They are a special couple. At mark 14:12 of the show, Shawna said, with tears in her eyes, that Shawn is the man of her dreams.'

There is much to say about the Shawns. Like all of personkind, they have had their challenges. Shawn lost two brothers, one to a car accident and the second to illness. Shawna's brother took his own life at age 27. Shawn has a daughter, Talia at Laurier and Rachel, 21, who is non-verbal and on the autistic spectrum. Shawna has two children who are profoundly deaf and use cochlear implants. 

But here's the thing, and you'll hear this during the interview. Both of them are incredibly positive about life. While Shawn says he has moments of bitterness about having a daughter who has never uttered a word to him, at the 29:59 mark of the show, he said, "she's incredible", and added he and his daughter understand each other in other ways, in very beautiful ways. My dear friend, Shawn, also said at 38:00, "Rachel is a pure soul".  Shawna responded at 34:30 mark, when I asked her if she ever felt her children were lacking, 'absolutely not' and said proudly her daughter is a dancer and cheerleader and an incredible artist, and her son is a deaf DJ. Both my guests agreed that their children have brought a lot in life, to many. Now that is very cool!

The camp the Shawns started from scratch is called THE KARMA COUNTRY CAMP (www.karmacountrycamp.com). They described it as affordable, and a combination of unstructured activities in a structured environment. What they mean is their campers - about 40 this summer between 12 and 21 - were presented with activities from sports, science, coding, cooking and board games and were allowed to do choose they wanted. The idea was to socialize the participants, encourage their interactions and friendships. This can be a challenge with people who have autism, however, when worked at, as the Shawns did, change can happen. And indeed, it did.

Shawn said the campers made them laugh their heads off. One young man only spoke a word at a time, and from time to time would run into the activity area and yell, 'scotch'. Whatever that meant, it came out funny and the campers and staff roared. Shawna explained that she, Shawn and the staff would look for the “thing” they could uncover, the mystery of their camper's soul, that when understood could help the camper enjoy themselves and relax. One such mystery was recognizing in a male camper that he would push himself hard (in play etc.) for two hours and then would just drop with exhaustion. They became aware of his timing of when he'd stop and needed rest. Recognizing that helped him and the staff cater to his biorhythm and his needs overall.

Hear about Shawn's beautiful work on a job-fair, to assist individuals to secure employment. 86% of people with autism are unemployed.  At 1:07:55 hear which great people in history had autism. Dan Aykroyd and Seinfeld are two Hollywood examples.  Susan Boyle is another, as is Albert Einstein. Shawna says that's not surprising because he was able to hyper-focus, as people with autism are able, and therefore come up with very special discoveries.

1:17:26 Shawn said, "I used to care about other people.... we’d go into the mall and she'd (Rachel) would make loud noises....I don't give a shit anymore!"   1:18:10 Shawna said, people often say to her daughter, 'you shouldn't work because you are deaf'. Her daughter responds, "I can work anywhere I want. I'm just like you."

At 1:19:55. I talk about Judaism, "especially before Rosh Hashanah" to enlighten my listeners about my religion/people, so if any of them are harboring stereotypes or even are anti-Semitic, they might understand us more so and minimizes their negative or hateful thoughts and bring unity to our world. I talk about Judaism and love. 

What I took out of this show is, how important it is to find one's passion in life. Hit your stride. Do that thing which makes you happy. You will grow, if you do, a lot, in ways, you had no idea you could.  Similarly, I discovered through Shawn Kendal and Shawna Ackerman - the Shawns that diligent and consistent work on a relationship can create something magical. Similarly, the two represent what the fulfillment of a dream can make - personal and collective satisfaction.  Isn't that what we all want? I think so. 

Enjoy Episode 38 of HatRadio! Let me know your thoughts and please, share the link.

HatRadio! The show that schmoozes.   

 

 

Episode 37 -- Sharon Hart-Green: The Soul of a Writer

Episode 37 of HatRadio! stars Toronto born novelist, professor of Hebrew literature, Sharon Hart-Green.

I didn't know Sharon prior to this interview. We discussed the blank-slate aspect of this schmooze; you know getting to know one another on the run. When doing such interviews, one hopes they’ll like their guest, or at least be interested in them. I was fortunate. I experienced both with Sharon Hart-Green and I had a sense she was okay with me.

From our time together, it became clear that reading copious amount of literature and writing books and short stories has turned Sharon into an exuberant, curious person, with an old soul who served tea to her University of Toronto Hebrew-literature students. (Or perhaps it was the other way around. Maybe she was drawn to literature because of those character traits. Hard to say). 

Regardless, the interview tells a lot about my guest.  At the 4:00 minute mark she defines writing versus painting and drawing and composing music. About the latter she says they are ‘instinctive’, pure art, whereas writing is indeed instinctual, but “when you’re going through the editing process it is highly intellectual, where the scholarly aspect comes in.”  It appears, Sharon sees herself as a person who works both from the heart and the mind.  

Sharon continues, a writer never really gets over rejection. “You have to be able to take it…. or you’ll neve be able to continue. You’re going to be rejected 100 times….,” she said. But Sharon has a technique to handle rejection. She has thought through this challenge. Whenever she is rejected, she tries twice or three times as hard. When they tell her no, she pursues yes’s all over the place.  Sharon is tenacious.

Later, around 30 minutes we talked about her love of books, especially first edition. Sharon has collected “beautiful” children’s books and poetry books.  She says she loves beauty (and will therefore not read Russian literature at this stage of life).  

Finally, around the 48:00-minute mark, we talked about Shmuel Yosef Agnon, a Nobel Prize winner for literature? One day while perusing the shelves of a used book store, Sharon came across a book by this brilliant writer. She flipped through the pages. Bought the book. Went home and read voraciously, in awe of Agnon’s ability to weave a plot, to be keenly linear in his short stories. She wondered why at nineteen years old she hadn’t heard of him. Why was she so sheltered in her Jewish upbringing? Why hadn’t she been exposed to this modern Jewish writer of short stories and books, a master of so many obscure texts’, who brilliantly juxtaposed the realities of the secular and the religious, someone who took Judaism seriously? Why hadn’t she known about Agnon’s character’s, Hershel Horowitz, or his short stories including, Agunot and Tehilla? Where had he been? Where had she been?

Once hooked, Sharon read anything she could get her hands on by this lover of Israel, a Zionist - Agnon. Over time, Agnon, unbeknownst to him, directed Sharon. She ended up writing her Ph.D thesis on him, and later on teaching his writings and that of other Jewish literary giants at a university level. Quite a whirlwind of a discovery.

At 55:28 Sharon tells how she was teaching a course at university called, ‘Faith and Doubt in Modern Jewish Poetry’ and included poems from Chava Pinchas Cohen. One day, while in Israel Sharon met Chava at a friend’s house by happenstance and ultimately became Chava’s translator. Sharon ended up translating and compiling one hundred of Chava’s poems, called, ‘Bridging the Divide’. She read, ‘The Veil and The Crown’, one of Chava’s poems, on the show. We discussed the arduous challenge of translating literature and/or poetry from one language to another. Fascinating!  

At 1:04:48 my guest and I read a short story she wrote called, ‘The Sign’. We discussed it.  I commented on how I enjoyed her slices of life, the nuances in the story, such as the protagonists joy at staring in the window of a fish store and seeing the the silent fish and their perfection in death. Have a listen to our rendition of the story. Doing this reading with Sharon, was enjoyable. I like readings on HatRadio! It adds pizzazz, dimension.   

At 1:21:31, Sharon and I, a mother of three boys, discussed ‘Come Back for Me’, the novel she wrote. It took us a while to get there, but once we did our tete-a-tete was compelling. We talked about the Holocaust survivor in the novel, and a young girl in Toronto who lost her uncle, a second father to her, also a Holocaust survivor. Within our discussion, Sharon said she was not sure whether she would be a ‘righteous Jew’ in a time of war – i.e. save a non-Jewish family at the risk of her own life or her family’s life.  I asked her, how it is that Holocaust survivors are able to go on, celebrate life, after everything they had experienced. Sharon said, “that question haunted her”. In fact, it compelled her to write the book.

 

Episode 37 with Sharon Hart-Green was comfortable, insightful and enjoyable.    She is a lovely person. We could be friends. She is tenacious, head-strong and refuses to turn away when the agents and literary outlets tell her, ‘not good enough’. Have a listen. Learn about Agnon and Chava Pinchas Cohen. Take in her short story, ‘The Sign’. What do you learn from it? Wonder  how it is that Sharon created the characters in her book, 'Come Back for Me'. Where in her mind did they come from? Or was it her heart? 

But mostly, discover the soul of this writer, the spirit of this word smith and the wonderment of this lover of books and the word itself. Discover Sharon Hart-Green. Enjoy!  

Hatradio! The show that schmoozes.

 

 

Episode 36 - Michael Soberman: On Burying His Son's Foreskin

Welcome to Episode 36 with Michael Soberman, a Jewish community leader, a serious camp guy, a lover of Israel and a supreme storyteller. This folks, is one fascinating schmooze!

Michael is a riveting character. The volume of his speech is loud, his words pour out quickly with very few ums, he says he has an opinion about everything, and he craves being in the spotlight (but once there he performs very well).  Michael's very bright yet still does not view himself as an adult (neither do I. Do you?). Michael studied law and teaching, but never really practiced either much to the chagrin of his parents. We all know guys like that, right?

Our time together was enlightening and exciting. Here are some of the highlights:

1) At the 30:00 minutes mark, Michael states categorically his biggest fear was being a parent of kids who didn't like camp. Happily, that is not the case. His two kids love Camp Kadimah just as Michael does. At 30:55 Michael quotes the sociologist, Erving Goffman, who says camp represents the ultimate dependent independence. Campers enjoy a sense of freedom for being on their own, but the environment is a secure one. He explains how camp is an immersive environment as reflected through four categories: a) there is one central control; b) it's a communal setting; c) camp has a tight schedule; d) everyone is there for a common purpose. Interestingly, Goffman uses these same categories for jail. 

Michael talks about his camp buddies like Little Bubbs, Curly, Meathead and Squish. He concludes the camp piece saying, "“people have fierce loyalty for their camp...there is something about Kadimah that is so unique and special."

2) At 15:17, I asked Michael if he ever misses strangers. In response, Michael tells a beautiful story about becoming friends with a stranger, a member of Air Canada concierge service. His name was Paul.  Unfortunately, Paul died at 49. Michael went to his funeral. The concierge crew couldn't believe Michael came. Later, at the airport he was upgraded to business class because Paul's friends and colleagues were so impressed Michael had honored Paul through that act of kindness. Michael is a good man. 

3) Michael talks about Israel a lot. He's been there 80 times. At 38:05 he says:  "I have an entire infrastructure in Israel. I could pick my life up here, move to Israel and not be lonely.... I’m definitely a Tel- Aviv Jew. I don’t like going in the ocean, but I like being by the ocean.”

4) Okay, here's a great one. Go to 52:24 and hear Michael's story about his son's foreskin. In short, the mo'el handed Michael the little foreskin in a plastic bag and said 'as father of this boy you have one more task. You have to bury it, anywhere you like.' Michael stuff the foreskin in his pocket, took it home and put it in his passport for safe-keeping. One day, flying to Israel,  he shocked the woman at an airport check-in counter as the foreskin fell out of this important document. She said, 'sir you cannot transport fruit over international borders.' She then adjusted and stated, 'you are not able to transport organs. “ Anyway, the foreskin got through. Michael looked for a tree in Israel to bury the foreskin under, as his spiritual leader told him, that fable has it, burying it under a tree means your son will grow tall. He found a suitable tree, buried the foreskin and called it the Joshua tree. One day, he saw an enormous Sephardic family picnicking under the Joshua tree......well have a listen. It's a delightful story  

5) 1:03:34: Putting on tefillin at Birkenau is one of the most touching points of this episode. Michael and I read a piece he wrote, about the actual time when he was on one of his many March of the Living trips and stood shivering in a Birkenau bunker, putting on his phylacteries.  All this time he was memorializing Hugo Lowey. Hugo Lowey was beaten to death by a Nazi on the Birkenau platform for refusing to give up his tallit and tefillin. This story is terribly sad. It is also hopeful. (Howard Pasternack, HatRadio!'s production guy, did a wonderful job of producing this piece. Take a moment to hear it. Grow.)  

Episode 36 is bursting with Michael's stories, memories and colorful thoughts. He does indeed have an opinion about everything and shares them freely. A couple of things to thing about when you listen to the show: Do you know someone like Michael who absolutely swears by the camp experience? Have you ever performed an act of kindness for someone dead or alive like Michael did for Paul? What did you do with your son's foreskin? 

Have a listen. Share the link. Take some time to learn through and from Michael Soberman, and then please share the link.  

HatRadio! The show that schmoozes. 

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Thank you David Nefesh, for the HatRadio! song, and to Howard Pasternack for his post-production work. Great job guys. Yisha ko'ach (Yiddish for 'way to go') 

Credit for background music in story: https://filmmusic.io
"Parting of the Ways - Part 1" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

 

 

Episode 35 - Robert Pal: Triumphing over Adversity. On Becoming an ADHD Coach

Episode 35 of HatRadio! features Robert Pal, an ADHD Coach as my guest. Robert is generously giving away his online course - taking charge of your ADHD - for FREE, simply for listening to this show. You can secure the course until the end of September and then study it when ever you like. To get the course go to his website - robertpal.com and click 'online course' at the top of the homepage.  Once you've done that the site will walk you through the rest. At some point you'll be asked for a coupon number to receive it for free. Input 90219 and you're ready to go.

Thanks Robert. Good luck to all!

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No doubt, you've been faced by an overwhelming challenge in life, one you weren't sure you'd prevail over. Well, Robert Pal was you at the turn of the millennium and he looked fear, financial destruction, and defeat straight in the eye. It was an iffy time.  In episode 35 of HatRadio! at the 1:00:21 mark, you'll hear Robert's story about a substantial jewelry business he had built, which allowed for a beautiful life with his family, and a very decent living. Then one lovely day, Revenue Canada (called that at the time) arrived at his company's doorstep. They challenged Robert on an archaic statue, and a prolonged 4-year battle with this government body ensued. 

You know the day when that phone call comes, or the email arrives, the one you've been dreading, or perhaps hoping would pull you out of the muck? Well, Robert got exactly that, and he discovered....he'd lost. This entrepreneur who had always run a clean shop, had no choice but to declare bankruptcy.

What do you do on days like that? Crawl into bed? Worse - consider ending things.  Robert, got into his car, sped along the highway at too high of a speed in disbelief and sadness....and then......images of his two little girls, twins popped into his head. He slowed the Lexus down, went home, picked up his 3-year old’s and offered them a day of their own, wherever they'd like to go. They chose the CNN Tower. Robert had a stark realization of what was really important in life. 

Life had changed for Robert Pal, as it does for all of us. Over time this dismal time in his life, what seemed like a defeat, proved to be a victory.  

Listen to Episode 35 of HatRadio! a show about you and me, an hour and a half schmooze about responding to tremendous adversity, standing tall and and committing to LIFE!  

At 22:35, listen to a tool Robert shares called the GRATITUDE VISIT. He did so with his cousin Ronny. It's fascinating and something you may want to do with an individual in your life whose been good to you. 

At 41:40, hear my schmooze with Robert about age,as we're both about to turn 60. He is developing a plan for his 60th decade, where he wants to go, what he wants to do. Again, a compelling idea and positive approach to life.

1:29:00, learn about the FUCK-YOU ALL tool. This motivated Robert. It could do for you too.

Everyone has those awful times in life, the part of our personal narrative that makes us wonder about our very existence. Robert did in the form of bankruptcy, a total change of life, and the need to redefine himself. Out of all of that craziness, this very thoughtful and pensive fellow became an ADHD coach. He decided to help others through his experience. You'll hear all about his encouraging journey in Episode 35.

Grow through Robert Pal's life. Identify with his struggle and his win!  Enhance your life and that of your family's through this marvelously positive schmooze. 

HatRadio! The show that schmoozes.  

 

Episode 34 - Christian Pritchard: A British-Canadian-Italian Joyful Chef and Human Being

While I was doing the interview with Christian Pritchard, I heard a lot of what he said. I also missed some it. Why? Because I was thinking about the next question. That is an occupational hazard of any interviewer, something we look to correct. But following the actual interview itself, I listened to the show in its entirety to determine what i should edit out. It was then I heard Christian clearly on HatRadio!, and the frequent gems he espoused on HatRadio! It was then I embraced my guest fully and appreciated him to the fullest.

So what did I hear? I heard that Christian is seriously committed to life, love, his family, cooking, music and his other passions. He is a man, with boyish tendencies. He therefore spoke in  mature terms, except when he didn't. It was then the high volume of his 47 year-old voice increased and he essentially roled around in that proverbial playground, acting and talking silly, the way many guys do, including myself.

As a man, Christian talked about his appreciation for his parents and how it made him proud to be the son of CFNY's (a once iconic station in northern Toronto) first program director, and a friend of Frank Zappa. The man side of him was completely comfortable telling me he cried, sobbed, last year upon hearing about some questionable health issues. Christian became quite serious, and somewhat misty eyed when he relayed the point, that his son, 11, still holds his Dad's hand.

And of course the boy side of this chef and entertainer shared with us, the content of the birthday card he sent to his Mom stating, 'your tits are sagging'. The boy side of Christian comes out too when he failed  the Jewish food quiz i gave him. He failed miserably!

Christian is not politically correct, and that is why he made such a beautiful guest.

He's one of those guys we want to be, at least that very free side of him. At some point in the show, Christian said without hesitancy after being asked if he had to work on becoming Italian in order to do his current job well (working for Aurora Foods, an Italian food distributor):  "I know who I am". In other words, 'no', he didn't end up adjusting his very WASP accent or utilizing that Italian sort of street grunt we'd hear from Rocky or Tony Montana in Scar face.  Christian said he already talks with his hands so that wasn't a stretch. 

Episode 34 is compelling because it's an in-depth story of a decent man who lives in Brooklyn, Ontario, and is a highly accomplished culinary pro,  is truly in love with his accordion-playing wife and has a blast with her. It's a moving episode, especially at times when he spoke about his fatherhood, the fact he is a 'dance-Dad', and his belief that he is a great dad, with a lot to learn. 

We schmoozed about food and more specifically the four fundamental ingredients needed to make great Italian food. And we shared information about the many regions of Italy where locals straddling one area can be very jealous and angry at others living in another region, claiming to have the best pizza. We talked about his bass playing, and the contest he's about to be part of, going up against an Italian mother to determine who can cook better.

We covered a ton of ground. Fortunately both he and I seem to be ADHD, so the frenetic nature of the show worked well. 

So when I listened to the show, I discovered, my guest, Christian Pritchard, is a very decent fellow, someone i could hang out. I quite liked him, felt his warmth and delighted in his sense of humor. 

Have a listen to Episdode 34 with Christian Pritchard, a good man who enjoys life (like food people do) and more so, experiences love in a very beautiful and special way. 

HatRadio! The show that schmoozes.

 

Episode 33 - Devora Mason: A Beautiful Citizen of Our World

Devora Mason is regular folk. Not that her way is mundane or even average, quite the opposite. Devora is colorful and fancy. She's one of 7.7 billion people in this world who travel through life  working arduously on growth, try to raise their children to be upstanding citizens and who struggle to make a decent living so she can afford to make thing right for all those she support.

That's Devora...with a healthy smidgeon of 'unique'. 

Episode 33 is a schmooze with my niece, Devora Mason who is a beautiful and vivacious personality with a beaming smile- a Rosensweig smile.  It became clear to me, after a few years of not really hanging out with her, that Devora has evolved into a wise forty-something woman with cogent thoughts and opinions. 3:12 She has adopted our family's way, and that is to smile and say hello to people, strangers, she meets along the road, something anathema to Israeli culture. So that's Devora!

Devora lives in Efrat, a town near Jerusalem. Terrorist attacks are perpetrated regularly along the road outside of Efrat where her children travel to get to school and work. My niece has five children, four boys and a girl - the boys are religious, her daughter is not.

1:17:41 Devora is a single Mom. You can imagine the worry. 1:19:07 Devora makes a prayer before making a big decision for her children.  Listen to the interview at 51:44 where Devora talks about her life in the context of raising her kids, and how she just knows pain and suffering will come her way, so she does everything to minimize it. That is very Israeli. Not a single Israeli ducks the pain of living in the Middle East and being surrounded by enemies.

Devora's life is dynamic. 7:42 Shes speaks extensively at the beginning of the show about her love for her parents, Jack and Etti (my sister), and how special they are, allowing their children to grow up according to their nature. At the 10:43 mark Devora schmoozes about her sister who is a Breslower Chasid - a person who adheres to the very strict and conservative lifestyle of previous generations. When her sister and children visit, the I-pads goes away and the TV stay off. No movies. And Devora loves her to bits as she loves all her five siblings.

Devora Mason, my guest on episode 33, is friends with Jews of all denominations, Christians, Muslims and people of all backgrounds. She seems to thrive off the diversity in her life. When I asked her if she's religious (all our family grew up that way), she responded, "I'm spiritual", and shares with me her trek to 55:57 become a yoga instructor. 

Devora adores Israel. Listen to the 24:24 mark of the show when she describes her work running an innovation centre inside the Tower of David Museum. Every day she'd go to work, go to her office in one one of the towers that King Herod built. She'd go up to the balcony and have a 360 degree view of Jerusalem. 

Devora has difficulties with Israel. She has no expectations of making a lot of money as that simply won't happen. She says there is a lot of hardship in Israel/Jerusalem 27:43, and she's frustrated with the government 42:34 and says the people are really directing the country and the government is out of step. "I feel the country is the people today, not because of the leaders but inspite of them." 

1:22:16 "My focus in life is to reach bliss."  This is Devora Mason, a multi-faceted woman, a citizen of our very complex and simple world, working hard to understand herself, to raise her children, frequently challenged by the many pitfalls of life.

Beautifully and appropriately, my Devora completes the schmooze at 1:33:11 singing the classic Yiddish song, "Ofyn Pripetchick', followed by 'The Picnic Song', this in memory of her Boobie (grandmother), and in honor of the life she leads.

Listening to the show, and writing this blurb I feel so lucky Devora is my niece. She truly is a gem of a human being, someone to emulate and one of us regular folk.

Hatradio! The show that schmoozes. 

 

 

 

 

Episode 32 - Doctor Saul Kendal: An 83 Year-Old Dentist, a Friend & a Courageous Man!

Episode 32 features Dr. Saul Kendal, an octogenarian who has been practicing dentistry for fifty-nine years. He's my dentist and when we began the interview on Tuesday, August 13th, I was partially drooling from my mouth as it had been frozen, so Saul could put a crown in my tooth. I love this man and couldn't wait to release the interview to my listeners.  

Saul was born in Toronto. He was an only child. His parents were Louie and Annie. He was athletic and  played basketball (a guard) for his high-school, Harbord Collegiate. Saul excelled at rebounding because he was a big kid. His Dad, was a barber and told a story of how one day while working in a hospital cutting patients hair, he entered a room and found a man sleeping. He figured, 'okay, I'll cut his hair anyway'. And he did. Upon exiting the room a nurse asked him what he was doing. He resonded 'I was cutting the patients hair while he slept.".  The nurse responded, "he's not sleeping. He's dead!" Oy!!!  Saul loves that story. Me too! 

38:00 In this interview, Saul dad was what was called a felsher/barber, a part time 'doctor'/barber. It's an old time thing.  With that in mind, Saul and I schmoozed about a Yiddish folk remedy his dad practiced called bankus (cupping). Louie would heat up glass cups and place on his customers back, to alleviate pain and help with their conditions. They'd create a suction of sorts. "Did it really help," I asked. Saul answered, "They seemed to think it helped them". There is something even more intense than bankus -- ge'hakta bankas. Oy! Check them out around the 40:39:00 minute mark.  By the way, the red in the pole outside a barber represents bloodletting. Also oy! 

Early on the show Saul talks about his six decades as a dentist, giving us good insight into that doctor we all hate going to. 14:08 He loves the job and says it's a respected profession but adds that people don't like coming to the dentist. The first thing many of his patients tell him is that. Saul says, "it's not that they don't like us, but they don't like what we do." And he adds, "why should they?" This clearly adds to the stress of being a dentist. Thinking about it it's true. I dread going to the dentist. How must our dentist feel knowing that? At 15:32 Saul talks about his wife's sister's son, who is responsible for Saul's worst experience ever as a dentist. Have a listen. 

The tough part about my schmooze with Saul started at the 48:00 minute mark. Saul and his dear wife, Yetta, are parents to five children, two of whom have passed away. I knew, if I was going to do an interview with my dear friend we'd have to talk about the death of Darren and Neil. It's heartbreaking to hear about the car accident Darren was in on August 19, 1982. Saul identified his body, saw a chip on his front took, kissed him on the forehead and said, "good-bye". Saul then said without me asking, "Avrum, you go on with your life.The pain never goes away". 

Later on, 53:20, we talked about Saul's son, Neil, who died on May 20, 2014. Neil was Susan's husband, a dad, and he was Saul's partner in the Dentist office. They worked together for thirty years and at 54:05 Saul says with great pride, "we never had an argument". Every day, Saul goes into the office and sees Neil's scribbly script on patient's charts. "Brings back memories."  

"I never had a strong relationship with God, but after 'Darren' and after 'Neil', I lost it for sure."  Saul doesn't pray. But Yetta wants him to go to shul (synagogue) on the High Holidays, so he does. 

I asked Saul, after the death of his second son, what he was thinking. He said, "why us. Why did it happen to us. 55:16 We're not bad people. " Listen at 57:20 when Saul tells a story about going to a psychic, and telling her about a redbird that appeared at their house for about a month after Neil's death, and would repeatedly wack its beak against their window. The psychic said it was Neil. 

Episode 32 is a story about a couageous man, a dentist of six decades, a dad who stood tall while faced with extreme adversary.  The interview with Saul is highly inspirational. He reminds us you have to keep on living. And he does, together with his beautiful wife Yetta, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren - - they should all live long lives. Saul is funny, a storyteller and he is all about friendship. I am grateful to Saul for doing this interview and  showing us he is still joyful. I commend him for his courage to talk about the tough stuff.

Have a listen folks, This man really is a gift to all of us! Hatradio! The show that schmoozes. 

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Thank you to Howard Pasternack for his handy work on Audacity.com and ability to do magic in post-production. Thank you too to my old bud, David Nefesh, who lends an intro and extro to each episode through his original score, the HatRadio! song! 

Credit for music in commercial:
"Slow Burn" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Episode 31 - Miriam Borden: A Yiddishist, Third Generation Survivor & A Baker!

Welcome to Episode 31 of Hatradio!  My guest is Miriam Borden, a vivacious person, full of verve and a zest for life. Miriam is Lynda Kraar's daughter, whom I schmoozed with on Episode 11. You'll notice the two share a certain melody in their speak and a certain speed to their delivery, generally reserved for those who think a lot. Like mother, like daughter.

I so enjoyed this schmooze. It was full of sun! Full of light! 

And indeed, Miriam is a thinker. She is Ph.d student. Her major is Yiddish and throughout the show we speak about her passion for this medieval, 9th century Jewish language, including some of the quirky, uncomfortable, but to-the-point sayings. Check this one out: in response to the question of 'how are things' --  mi shlukt yiddin (1:03:35), Jews are being attacked (with a little shrug). Interestingly, Miriam laughs a lot and she laughed at this expression. Why? I think it has to do with her deep love for the Jewish people, and Judaism, which she calls "very rich", and an acceptance of our plight in history. Despite the fact Jews have been so persecuted, we've managed to develop an entire culture, a certain intellect and a major spiritual body of work.

Miriam gets that!  

At the 24:50 mark of the show, Miriam responds to the question: 'Why Yiddish?'. She says, "I study Yiddish because it yet another way to inhabit my Jewishness.  I study Yiddish for exactly the same reason I studied Gemarah (Talmud)....history...and that I love Jews...it's all part and parcel of the same landscape. It's the same reason I want to educate my kids in a Jewish way." Interestingly, she's married to a non-Jew. I asked her how that works? Miriam answered freely. 

Herring! At 52:28, I asked Miriam what her relationship is to herring, as she wrote a 2,000 word article, front page for the Canadian Jewish News (CJN). Well, apparently, the article started out as a joke with friends, and eventually Miriam was encouraged to offer it up to the CJN. In the article, and in this interview, we learn about  'herring anti-Semitism'; schmaltz herring versus marinated herring; and of course, the many centuries of this small fish as part of the Jewish menu.

Miriam speaks a lot about food. And she's a baker with some special and sweet insight into the character of air kicklach otherwise known as 'nothings',  and tsimis,  a traditional Jewish sweet stew. It's fascinating how she ties these foods into the Jewish pscyhe.   

1:00:56:  Miriam talks about being third generation Holocaust Survivor. She accepts the responsibility that comes with it especially as Survivors are dying off. Miriam says we are now the "keepers of that knowledge. We are the living legacy of 'those people' ". Listen to her wonderfully crafted description of her relationship with her Boobie and Zaidy, which was very special and a tad wonky.  When asked what she would do to continue the discussion about the Holocaust, she responded, "I  think I'm doing it." 

1:06:57:  A 5-minute play I wrote called: "Whether to to Save or Not, Jews in our Barn, in the town of Auschwitz'. I did so, in response to the question of: 'would you be a righteous Jew/Gentile?'. Miriam and I voiced the play. Howard Pasternack, produced the show afterward, brilliantly!!! Listen to this podcast-theatre about the quandary of rescuing a life at the peril of one's own life, the lives of one's children.  

Miriam was a wonderful interview. She was because of her celebration of life, her laughter, her full embrace of her Jewishness and her life. In episode 31, we learn about Miriam's deep love for her family, her husband and really for all person-kind. And she is having fun.

Enjoy this show. It is truly inspiring, thoughtful and full of meaning.  Lynda did a great job with her daughter. Miriam did a splendid job with her Mom. I have hope in our existence, our world, because of their effervescence and commitment to the beautiful spirit that lies within all of us.

Well done, Miriam! And thank you for a fine schmooze. 

Hatradio! The show that schmoozes. 

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Thank you David Nefesh for the Hatradio! song, and to Howard Pasternack for his brilliant post-production stuff. The make the show very special. 

Music from https://filmmusic.io
"Measured Paces" and "Despair and Triumph" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Credit for music in commercial:
"Slow Burn" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/