A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

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Exploring American Jewish history through “Kugels & Collards”

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Food can be a vehicle for telling stories, connecting with people, and understanding our history—including the uncomfortable parts.

In this episode of Can We Talk?, Jen Richler heads to Charleston, South Carolina to learn about Southern Jewish history through the lens of food.

Over a home-cooked meal, Jen talks with Rachel Gordin Barnett and Lyssa Kligman Harvey, co-authors of the new book Kugels & Collards: Stories of Food, Family, and Tradition in Jewish South Carolina. She also talks with Dale Rosengarten, a scholar of Southern Jewish history, and Kim Cliett Long, a scholar whose rich family story weaves together Jewish and African-American identities.


Past Episodes




Each month on “Can We Talk?”JWA’s podcast team brings you stories and conversations about Jewish women and the issues that shape our public and private lives. You can listen and subscribe on most podcast platforms, including:

The Jewish Women’s Archive

The St. Louis Jewish Light is proud to announce a new partnership with the JWA. Together, we will bring many parts of the JWA collection to St. Louis readers, as well as promote the “Can We Talk?” podcast by sharing both current and past relevant episodes each week.

Mission: The Jewish Women’s Archive documents Jewish women’s stories, elevates their voices, and inspires them to be agents of change.

The Jewish Women’s Archive is a national organization dedicated to collecting and promoting the extraordinary stories of Jewish women. JWA explores the past as a framework for understanding the issues important to women today; inspires young people with remarkable role models; and uses Jewish women’s stories to excite people to see themselves as agents of change.

This website is the world’s largest collection of information on Jewish women, and draws 2.5 million visitors a year seeking information, inspiration, community, and a sense of identity. We hope you enjoy exploring the thousands of stories of inspiring women here! JWA also hosts public programs; trains the thought leaders of tomorrow through the Rising Voices Fellowship; sparks conversation with its blogpodcast, and social media presence; and is a leading voice in feminist and Jewish spheres.

More to Discover
About the Contributor
Jordan Palmer
Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content Officer
Jordan worked at KSDK from 1995 to 2020. Jordan is a three-time Emmy award winner who produced every kind of show from news to specials during his tenure, creating Show Me St. Louis, The Cardinal Nation Show. He started ksdk.com in 2001 and won three Edward R. Murrow Awards for journalistic and website excellence in 2010, 2014 and 2020. Jordan has been married for 25 years and is the father of two college students. He is an avid biker, snowboarder, and beer lover. He created the blog drink314.com, focusing on the St. Louis beer community in 2015. Jordan has an incredible and vast knowledge of useless information and is the grandson of a Cleveland bootlegger.