Jews In The Lou

We’re back at R&R Ranch in Wildwood, home to a herd of rescued dwarf miniature horses, to talk with Stacy Rolfe about the ranch’s newest project: Nana’s Place, a calm, unhurried children’s series on YouTube that teaches kids to be kind to animals and to each other.

Stacy shares why today’s fast, frantic kids’ TV pushed her to make something parents can feel good about, and how a horse getting a haircut can make a little boy’s trip to the barber less scary. She also explains why she walked away from a big production deal to keep control of how her horses are shown. Along the way we meet Handsome, Martha, Georgie and Henry, hear about her childhood volunteering at Open Door Animal Sanctuary, and learn what’s coming in Season 2: a kindness curriculum for schools, a new co-host, and a search for sponsors.

Watch Nana’s Place: @watchnanasplace on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content Officer at the St. Louis Jewish Light, sits down with Jews in the Lou. He talks about 25 years in St. Louis TV, where he was the idea guy behind Show Me St. Louis, and how getting let go during COVID turned into “the best thing that ever happened” to him. He explains how The Morning Light newsletter wakes readers up with a smirk, with his bubbe doing the weather. He also traces a Jewish connection from Imo’s Provel cheese to J.D. Salinger, and shares the story of a tractor at a kibbutz near Gaza that became his October 7th story. Along the way: Yiddish favorites (and the one word that got him in trouble), his dream beer bar with a podcast suite in the back, and why St. Louis is “the most nostalgic Jewish community in America.”

Subscribe to The Morning Light for free at stljewishlight.org.

Rabbi Brad Horwitz, Chief Jewish Engagement Officer at the J, joins Alex for a preview of Sababa. This year’s festival is the biggest yet: it’s in downtown Clayton with the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, and it marks the Federation’s 125th anniversary.

Brad explains why he chose community work over the pulpit, what “sababa” and “simcha” mean, and how leaning into Jewish pride answers antisemitism. They also cover Maccabi gold, overrated Jewish foods, kosher beer, and how his wife’s family invented the Reuben sandwich.

🎉 Sababa: Sunday, October 18, 11am–5pm, downtown Clayton. Free kosher-food festival with 25+ artists, 35+ Jewish organizations, and performances by Klezundheit, Yuval Raphael, Lisa Loeb, Nissim Black and more. Register ahead for faster entry.

Thanks to the St. Louis Jewish Light for their partnership. Subscribe to their newsletter at stljewishlight.org.

Host Alex Rich sits down with siblings Jason, Jonathan, and Katie Kootman, the fourth generation behind Trimarc, for a wide-ranging conversation on family business, sibling dynamics, and Jewish identity in St. Louis. The three trace Trimarc's path from a single leaky trailer office — where their dad refused to invest a dime until they proved they were serious — to a full-scale operation serving steel fabricators, machine shops, and aerospace manufacturers across the region, with a business name their mom coined for the three of them the day they all came aboard together.

They share how they split ownership evenly with no sibling hierarchy, why blunt honesty (not diplomacy) is what actually keeps three co-owners aligned, and why none of them think of it as "just work." Katie then walks through the family's food and faith traditions: matzo ball soup passed down from their grandmother, chopped eggs and onions in a Jell-O mold, homemade challah attempts, and the temple music and cantor impressions that first connected them to Judaism as kids.

The conversation turns to their long-running "Bros Dinner" tradition with childhood friends — 60-plus dinners deep, complete with credit card roulette and post-meal awards for best food and service — and to what it means to grow up Jewish in St. Louis, from summers at Camp Sabra and the Maccabi Games to how they're thinking about raising Jewish kids of their own amid a climate of rising antisemitism. It closes with reflections on earning their dad's trust, pride in carrying the family name forward, and always rooting for your own.

🎙️ Jews in The Lou highlights Jewish individuals making an impact in the St. Louis community.

Host Alex Rich sits down with Andrew Cohen, CEO of Moose Media and co-founder of the Dad Pad, for a wide-ranging conversation on family business, entrepreneurship, and Jewish identity. Andrew traces Moosylvania's path from a napkin deal with Bacardi to a national creative agency built by his father, and shares how he found his own lane inside it — from an early sports blog to landing Cedric the Entertainer as a client. He then dives into the origin story of the Dad Pad: a hospital-couch mattress he improvised for his own kid's birth that turned into a real product, including the $20,000 wired to a stranger overseas, the brutal early stretch of just 12 sales, and the viral TikTok that changed everything. The conversation turns to what it means to raise Jewish kids today, the pride and pressure of visible Jewish identity online and in daily life, and why sharing your idea — even with strangers — beats sitting on it. It closes with reflections on fatherhood, community, and always rooting for your own.

On this episode of Jews in the Lou, Alex and Rich sit down with brothers Ben and Eddie Cherry of Manor Real Estate, a 50-year-old family commercial real estate firm founded by their father, Don Cherry. Ben and Eddie share what it was like growing up tagging along on their dad's property visits, the different paths they each took before joining the business together in 2021, and the mentors — including Michael Steinberg — who shaped their careers along the way.

The conversation goes beyond the deals: Ben and Eddie talk candidly about working alongside a sibling, the pro bono real estate work they do for St. Louis nonprofits and synagogues, and their perspective on revitalizing downtown St. Louis and changing the city's "perception problem." They also open up about faith, fatherhood, the values (like kindness) they're passing on to their own kids, and why family — not just business — is at the center of everything they do.

Thanks as always to our partner, the Saint Louis Jewish Light, for supporting this show and keeping our community informed — subscribe to their newsletter at stljewishlight.org.

Want to connect with Ben or Eddie about a commercial real estate need? Reach Manor Real Estate at (314) 647-6611.

Host Alex Rich sits down with Jordan Kadosh, Regional Director of the ADL Heartland region (Missouri, Southern Illinois, Eastern Kansas), for a candid look at what the ADL actually does: protect, educate, and advocate for Jewish communities. Jordan breaks down how incident reporting works, the ADL's partnership with schools through the No Place for Hate program, and the sharp rise in antisemitic incidents since October 7th, including 2025's violent toll and the outsized role of social media and AI chatbots in spreading hate. He also shares wins on the public policy front, including Missouri's improved Jewish Policy Index ranking and a new state law targeting masked intimidation, plus reflections on identity, raising Jewish kids in today's climate, and what keeps him hopeful. The conversation closes with a call to get involved through ADL's Missouri Jewish Community Advocacy Day.

Host Alex Rich sit down with Emilie Brockman (Maccabi director at the J) and her father, Hall of Fame referee Ron Zetcher, for a wide-ranging conversation on Jewish identity, sports, and family. Ron shares stories of being adopted and raised Jewish in 1950s University City, playing sandlot ball alongside future big leaguers Art Shamsky and Kenny Holtzman, and his rise from a Baptist church rec league to officiating the Big Eight and Missouri Valley Conference. He recounts run-ins and friendships with coaching legends including Bobby Knight, Roy Williams, Bill Self, and Larry Brown, plus a wild story from Kemper Arena involving his daughter's boyfriend and a scalped ticket. The conversation closes on lessons from a career built on earning respect, and a nod to Ron's own podcast, "Then and Now."

In this episode of Jews in the Lou, we sit down with St. Louis entrepreneur, content creator, and community builder David Siteman for an engaging conversation about building something from nothing, Jewish identity, and what it means to give back to the community you love.

From his early days promoting inline hockey leagues and hosting a radio show before podcasting was a thing, to creating one of the internet's most successful online course platforms, David shares how an exploratory mindset and a willingness to bet on himself shaped everything he's built. He also opens up about his deep connection to the St. Louis Jewish community — from carrying on the philanthropic legacy of his grandfather Alvin Siteman, to bringing Jewish families together through youth basketball with STL Maccabi.

We discuss:
- Forging your own path when you don't have a plan
- Building an audience and a brand before the playbook existed
- The Siteman family's legacy of quiet, impactful philanthropy
- Strengthening the St. Louis Jewish community from the ground up
- Creating new traditions and deepening Jewish identity at home
- Why the next generation of young Jewish leaders needs to step up

This episode is an inspiring look at entrepreneurship, legacy, and what it looks like to live your Judaism out loud — in your business, your family, and your community.

In this episode of Jews in the Lou, we sit down with legendary Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl for a candid conversation about faith, identity, leadership, and the values that have shaped his life both on and off the court.

From his Jewish upbringing and experiences with antisemitism to coaching on college basketball’s biggest stages, Bruce shares how his faith has influenced his approach to leadership, community, and personal responsibility. He reflects on the importance of Jewish pride, the impact of the Maccabi Games, raising the next generation, and why building bridges between people of different backgrounds matters now more than ever.

We discuss:

• Growing up Jewish and navigating life in a predominantly non-Jewish world
• Lessons learned from decades of coaching and leadership
• The life-changing impact of coaching at the Maccabi Games
• Jewish identity, antisemitism, and standing up for your beliefs
• Finding common ground through faith, sports, and shared values

This episode offers a passionate and thought-provoking look at leadership, resilience, Jewish identity, and the responsibility of using your platform to make a difference.

In this episode of Jews in the Lou, we sit down with Chaim Bloom, President of Baseball Operations for the St. Louis Cardinals, for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, culture, identity, and what it takes to build a winning organization in Major League Baseball.

From growing up in a Jewish household in Philadelphia to leading one of baseball’s most iconic franchises, Chaim shares his journey through the game and the philosophy behind building long-term, sustainable success at the highest level.

We discuss:

• Balancing long-term planning with daily competitiveness
• Leading in a passionate, tradition-rich sports city like St. Louis
• The importance of honesty, accountability, and culture inside an organization
• How tradition evolves in modern sports
• And the mindset behind his philosophy: “paint the wall.”

This episode offers a thoughtful and often humorous look at baseball leadership, personal identity, and the responsibility that comes with shaping a Major League Baseball organization.

Andy & Danny Babitz on Jews in the Lou (Full Episode)

Stacy Tasman Stahl joins Alex Rich on this week's episode of Jews in the Lou.

Luigi Toscano & Dee Dee Simon on Jews in the Lou (Full Episode)

Nancy & Mark Spewak on Jews in the Lou (Full Episode)

Ben Root joins Alex Rich on this week's episode of Jews in the Lou.

Adam Stark joins Alex Rich on this week's episode of Jews in the Lou.