The Juice with Jeff #112

On this episode of the podcast, Sarah Trone Garriott conducts/co-produces an excellent interview with me in person.

 

Sarah and I had a very free flowing chat which was filled with lots of two-way conversation throughout the podcast. Here are the topics which Sarah and I brought up during this episode:

 

Sarah starts the podcast with her intro and welcoming everyone to the show.

 

Sarah and I then have a short discussion on how the weather in Iowa during March/April/May can be like a roller coaster.

 

Then Sarah talks about the several jobs and roles that she has in the Des Moines and central Iowa community.

 

Sarah and I talk in more detail about the goals and purposes of these The Juice with Jeff podcasts.

 

Sarah brings up the subject of using improv comedy as part of faith and community outreach, and I share with her how Judaism believes that the use of clean humor does have a valuable and important place in Jewish practice and tradition.

 

I talk with Sarah about how Judaism and Jewish tradition believe in the importance of following the middle path and also on how Judaism considers having excellent character traits to be extremely important and essential.

 

One way I share with Sarah the importance of following "the middle path" is how on one hand, there are times where mourning is proper and important, but at the same time we should not be mourning excessively or more than necessary.

 

I share with Sarah my thoughts on what values I consider critical and essential, and I also talk with her about how I've been handling the Covid-19 pandemic both during its earlier phases and how I'm handling it now.

 

Both Sarah and I bring up the importance of having that delicate balance with practicing both self care and also about how important it is for us to care about others.

 

Then Sarah asks me to share my thoughts on how my synagogue has been using creativity in operating during the pandemic. I share with her how I'm not able to go to synagogue much (pandemic or not) since I do not live within walking distance of my synagogue and I try my best to be Shomer Shabbat (fully observant of what the Torah, Hazal/the Talmudic sages, and Jewish Law requires in terms of the do's and do not's of keeping Shabbat).

 

I share with her how in mid-March 2022 (for the first time in two years), I was able to go inside my synagogue for their Purim festivities and how I dressed up as Fred Rogers, o.b.m. I offered a "Reader's Digest" version on how I became passionate and more interested in everything related to Fred Rogers and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and how another really good friend named Jami Bassman Ahart helped me put together the Mister Rogers Wardrobe that I have for whenever I feel like dressing up like Fred Rogers.

 

There is one point during the conversation where I was able to sneak in my voice impersonation of Iowa governor Kim Reynolds.

 

We recorded our podcast outdoors at the Campbell Park Recreational Area in Clive. It was a pretty windy day outside, so there are times where it will sound windy during the podcast.

 

This episode of the podcast runs around 43 minutes long. As is the case with all of "The Juice with Jeff" podcasts, funding for this podcast is provided by Realty With Ahart and RandomKid. Enjoy!!