Pull Up A Chair

Join The Associated each month as we sit down and talk with members of our community. Hear the personal stories of Jewish Baltimore - from CEO’s to The Bagels Boys to Summer Camp Sweethearts. We’ll laugh, reminisce and learn a thing or two about what it means to build a strong community. Pull Up A Chair – You’ll feel like you’re sitting in the room with us.

Inbal Neun: From Kibbutz to The Myerberg 03/22/2023

Inbal Neun: From Kibbutz to The Myerberg "Pull Up a Chair" is a podcast by The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, which tells stories of building and being part of a strong Jewish community. In this episode, host Melissa Gerr talks to Inbal Neun, who was born in Ashkelon, Israel, but left as a toddler. Inbal is now the director of the Edward A. Myerberg Center and is making an impact on the lives of seniors. Recently, she has found her life come full circle as several of the programs she is involved in have direct ties to the city of Ashkelon. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/26308674

Baltimore’s Bagel Bunch 02/15/2023

Baltimore’s Bagel Bunch Howard and Ann Cornblatt both have fond memories of growing up in Baltimore, where family bonds and cultivating community were always a priority. They share their stories from their childhood days on Bellevue Avenue and Laurel Avenue and how membership at the Edward A. Myerberg Center has provided a community they've grown to consider like a second family. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/25941255

Pam Solomon: Starting a Second Career as a Teacher 12/12/2022

Pam Solomon: Starting a Second Career as a Teacher After 30 years in the retail industry, Pam Solomon takes on a second career as a lead pre-K teacher at the Stoler Early Learning Center at the Rosenblum Owings Mills JCC. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/25302318

Mark Newton Knows the Meaning of Mishpacha (Family) 11/08/2022

Mark Newton Knows the Meaning of Mishpacha (Family) In this episode, did you ever have a job that changed your life? Recently retired after working 23 years at the Weinberg Park Heights JCC print shop, Mark Newton remembers his first day of work. For this church-going African American man, working at the JCC all those years became a whole new world for him and a chance to learn from a different culture and build family and a sense of community. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/24899160

Ben Snyder: Baltimore Educator Gets Lesson of a Lifetime in Israel 08/30/2022

Ben Snyder: Baltimore Educator Gets Lesson of a Lifetime in Israel In this episode, a cultural exchange that starts in the classroom. Benjamin Snyder, a high school history teacher in Baltimore county, spent his summer teaching English to middle and elementary school-age students in Baltimore's partner city - Ashkelon, Israel. "We focused a lot on what it's like to be a young person today. Middle school has changed quite a bit - even just the presence of technology in kids' lives." Benjamin says that what he learned in the Israeli classroom, he has brought back to his Baltimore students as well. Pull Up A Chair and learn more! /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/24196350

Linda Miller and Karen Singer: Providing a Fresh Start for Those in Need 08/09/2022

Linda Miller and Karen Singer: Providing a Fresh Start for Those in Need In this episode of Pull Up A Chair, we sit down with Linda Miller and her daughter Karen Singer. Back in the seventies and eighties, Linda volunteered with HIAS - Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society - to help the Soviet refugees settle in Baltimore. She and her family helped them rent apartments and start a new life. And to get a break from the city, they invited them to their farm in Pikesville. Linda's volunteer work complimented her job as a social worker in Baltimore city schools where she was instrumental in launching the Project Fresh Start program, designed to provide assistance to eligible homeless families. Project FRESH Start still exists today in some form with Catholic Charities. Linda kept busy working and volunteering - all while raising her family, together with her husband Howard, on a sheep farm in Pikesville. Listen to learn more about life on the farm. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/23986026

Sam and Deborah Barsky: Finding Love at the JCC 06/22/2022

Sam and Deborah Barsky: Finding Love at the JCC In this episode, finding true love at the J! Yes, it's possible. Sam and Deborah are proof, but it took a few laps at the JCC pool to get there. Hear how these two met. Spoiler alert - Deborah's mom played a small role. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/23506274

Michael Klein: Harford County Family Closes Holocaust Gap 01/19/2022

Michael Klein: Harford County Family Closes Holocaust Gap Is it possible to teach empathy? The Klein family believes so. The Ralph and Shirley Klein Foundation has been supporting a special Holocaust program at The John Carroll School in Bel Air, Maryland for nearly three decades. The Kleins were one of just a handful of Jewish families who made their home in Harford county in the 1960s. Michael Klein, the middle of three sons, shares stories of growing up there and his family’s commitment to closing the gap on holocaust education. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/21830474

Jen Grossman: Mitzvah Maven 12/15/2021

Jen Grossman: Mitzvah Maven In this episode of Pull Up A Chair, we look at what connects us to community. For Baltimore transplant Jen Grossman, connection comes through service. Jen has been deeply involved in volunteering and served multiple years as chair of the Jewish Volunteer Connection, an agency of The Associated. But her arrival and Baltimore had a rocky start. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/21497960

For Ira Malis Charitable Giving is a Family Affair 12/07/2021

For Ira Malis Charitable Giving is a Family Affair In this episode, we talk with Ira Malis and Abigail Malischostak, father and daughter. Ira is the current chairman of the investment management committee at The Associated. And Abigail is the partnerships manager at the Jewish Volunteer Connection. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/21408800

Forever Friends: Alyson Friedman and Elise Rubenstein 11/17/2021

Forever Friends: Alyson Friedman and Elise Rubenstein In this episode of Season 2 of Pull Up A Chair, we examine what it means to be a best friend. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/21195899

From Learning Difficulties to Teacher: One Woman's Story 09/24/2021

From Learning Difficulties to Teacher: One Woman's Story For this episode of Pull Up A Chair, we meet, Batsheva. Batsheva grew up with a learning disability, but thanks to SHEMESH, an agency of The Associated, she earned a graduate degree and today teaches kindergarteners Hebrew and English at a Jewish day school. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/20594144

Paul Lurie: Taking Maccabi Gold 08/13/2021

Paul Lurie: Taking Maccabi Gold For this episode of Pull Up A Chair, we meet Paul Lurie, chief operating officer for the Jewish Community Centers in Park Heights and Owings Mills. Paul rose to that position by way of his work in the JCC Maccabi games. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/20138321

From Baltimore With Love 07/20/2021

From Baltimore With Love In this episode of Pull Up A Chair, we talk with Baltimore born and bred, Linda Hurwitz, a very active member of The Associated family. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/19874441

The Sibels - Three Generations of Family Giving 06/04/2021

The Sibels - Three Generations of Family Giving In this episode of Pull Up A Chair, we meet Bean, Steve and Lauren — three generations of the Sibel family. They represent what is possible when we teach our children the importance of giving. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/19358096

Sharing Nine Decades of Life in Jewish Baltimore 05/19/2021

Sharing Nine Decades of Life in Jewish Baltimore Rae Rossen was raised in East Baltimore, the youngest of five siblings. She graduated at the age of 16 in 1946 from Patterson Park Senior High School. In this episode of Pull Up A Chair, Rae shares her memories of growing up in Jewish Baltimore and life during the Depression. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/19166576

Lessons of the Shoah (Holocaust) 04/07/2021

Lessons of the Shoah (Holocaust) For this episode, we commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day through a unique lens. You'll hear stories from two students and a faculty member at The John Carroll High School, a Catholic preparatory school in Bel Air, Maryland. Decades ago, a program was started to immerse students in the study of the Holocaust that included a trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. and later connected students with Holocaust survivors for a new program called "Lessons of the Shoah". /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/18635516

BDS on Our College Campuses 03/31/2021

BDS on Our College Campuses The BDS Movement, first launched in 2005, has caused significant tensions at a number of colleges and universities over the years. In this episode of Pull Up A Chair, we talk with 2019 UMD graduate Jenn Miller and the Deputy Director of the Israel Action Network, Stephanie Hausner. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/18559718

Bookworms - Sharing the Gift of Reading 03/12/2021

Bookworms - Sharing the Gift of Reading For this episode, we celebrate the power of reading ... and the magic that happens from delving into a book that expands your mind and your world. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/18302249

Building Bridges 02/03/2021

Building Bridges In this episode of Pull Up A Chair, community members Tikvah Womack and Dee Evans share their experiences participating in CHAI's "Community Conversations: Creating a Diverse Mosaic" program. As part of a larger cohort, the group, made up of African-American and Orthodox women living in Northwest Baltimore, meet regularly to break down barriers and build bridges. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/17807093

Local Students Take Action for Change 01/20/2021

Local Students Take Action for Change In this episode of Pull Up A Chair, we talk with Reuben Danyali and Carsyn Levitt, two local teens who recently participated in one of 4Front's signature programs. Through STAC, Students Taking Action for Change, teens develop an understanding of the political process, gain real life skills in lobbying and public speaking and work to advocate for change in our community and beyond. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/17626619

Camp Memories Last a Lifetime 12/05/2020

Camp Memories Last a Lifetime In this episode of Pull Up A Chair, we talk with long time camper and counselor Shelby Dorich and her mother, Susan Sirkis, as they share memories of their summers spent working and attending Camp Milldale. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/17076083

One Survivor's Story 11/10/2020

One Survivor's Story For this episode of Pull Up A Chair we take a close look at a very delicate topic...domestic violence in our community. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/16754135

Big Bro. Little Bro. 10/06/2020

Big Bro. Little Bro. When Jared Raitzyk was seven years old, his mother reached out to the Jewish Big Brother Big Sister program overseen by Jewish Community Services. Now more than 25 years later, his big brother, Seth Katzen, remains an important member of his family. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/16290887

Addressing Food Insecurity in Our Own Backyard 09/21/2020

Addressing Food Insecurity in Our Own Backyard Access to food is a social justice issue. Even before the coronavirus disrupted our lives, millions of people nationwide struggled with being able to afford adequate amounts of nutritious food. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/16098485

Opening Our Hearts and Homes 08/21/2020

Opening Our Hearts and Homes Learn about some of the deep connections that Baltimore shares with Ashkelon, its partner city in Israel. We talk with Harriette Wienner and Dixie Leikach who both hosted two of Baltimore's first Shinshinim (18-year old Israeli emissaries) and share their experiences all these years later. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/15704138

Starting Over 06/23/2020

Starting Over What happens when a family leaves everything behind to escape antisemitism in the former Soviet Union, and in the process of starting over, discovers a new best friend? /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/14936930

Reducing Social Isolation with Voice Activated Technology 03/20/2020

Reducing Social Isolation with Voice Activated Technology /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/13631741

You Never Know Where You'll Find Your Beshert 02/12/2020

You Never Know Where You'll Find Your Beshert On this episode, love and romance. Elise and David Saltzberg actually found each other thanks to The Associated. They talk about how it was actually diamonds and deception that ultimately drew them together, but it's not what you think. Pull Up a Chair to have a listen and find out how they met their beshert. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/13111313

Isaac "Bougie" Herzog 01/19/2020

Isaac "Bougie" Herzog In this episode of Pull Up A Chair, Associated President Marc B. Terrill sat down with JMore’s Gary Stein and Isaac 'Bougie' Herzog, Chairman of the Executive at The Jewish Agency for Israel. They talk about the state of global jewry, the rise in antisemitism, local Jewish heroes, The Associated's Centennial…they cover it all. /episode/index/show/pullupachair/id/12754838

Pull Up A Chair

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