JAM Podcasts & Audiobooks

Noah and JAM operations manager Mike Cannon dive into Noah's 2nd favorite movie of all time, Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love, and try to articulate what makes the strange, stressful, and beautiful experience of watching the film so resonant.

Filmmaker, podcaster and musician Brian Carroll sits down to discuss one of the most famous horror films put to screen, The Shining, and dive into how Kubrick's meticulous attention to detail amounts into a viscerally unnerving experience that audiences have been analyzing since the day it came out.

Comic book artist August Driussi chats with Noah about their shared love of Satoshi Kon's 2003 anime masterpiece Tokyo Godfathers, and what makes it stand head and shoulders above the usual Christmas movie fare.

Artist Meg Hill discusses the apex teen comedy that is 2004's Napoleon Dynamite, and what makes its comedy so funny with layers of truth that make the movie much more than just a cultural fluke.

Mike Purvis returns to discuss the themes and making of his own film Reunion, plus the joys of wordless visual (and auditory) comedy exemplified in Jacques Tati's 1967 masterwork PlayTime.

Chico returns to discuss the unbridled creativity of Sam Raimi's 1987 slapstick horror sequel Evil Dead 2, and what makes it so giddily creative and inspiring as both a filmgoing experience and as a how-to in low-budget filmmaking.

Josh returns off the heels of PTA's first Oscar wins to dive into his flawed 1999 masterpiece Magnolia. Together, Noah and Josh break down PTA's early, reckless instincts, why some of them don't work but also what makes them so impactful.

How does a sequel to a decent kid's movie starring a CGI bear end up becoming one of the best films ever made? Noah and filmmaker Jordyn Lich attempt to answer that question in this episode and in the process, tears are shed on this show for the first time!

Sarah Villanueva is a Jew, a doula, a congregational leader, and a human with a passionate and compassionate heart. In graduate school she took a course on World Religions which the professor introduced by saying that the best case scenario would be that you want to convert every time you learn about a new one. Take a listen and you will hear how her own strong faith has shaped her path. 

Having the movie fresh in their heads, Noah and Nicki recall as many iconic scenes from James Cameron's action masterpiece Terminator 2, that they can in a movie chock full of them. 

The JAM crew sits down to share all the exciting films, events, and workshops they're assembling for this year's White River Indie Festival and discuss what branching out with a more expansive festival means to the spirit of the community.Join the JAM team as they discuss all things JAM and what’s happening in the Upper Valley. With a rotating cast of guests to keep you on your toes, and local legends and legends in the making sitting in the hot seat, find out what makes this organization and the community around it tick!Hosted by the JAM Media Education and Membership coordinator Noah Mauchly. Original art by Cedar O’Dowd.This podcast is made by JAM – Junction Arts & Media serving the Upper Valley of NH and VT from White River Junction, VT.

Animation director Griffin "The" Hansen introduces Noah to an unknown gem, the apocalyptic thriller Miracle Mile, and how it defied every 80s trope to stand as its own unique piece of work.

S3 Episode 2: Miki Hertog-Raz–Recorded January1 3, 2026 Photo: Liora & Circus Smirkus courtesy photoMiki describes himself as a circus performer, specifically, an acrobat and clown. It was in that capacity that he had his first encounter with Palestinians in a Jewish/Palestinian collective in the Galilee when he was in 5th grade. Today he provides an Israeli perspective on America–and an American perspective on Israel. We spoke while he was back in Norwich, Vermont, on break from his last year as an undergrad at New York University.

Noah and dance artist Rachel Bernsen reflect on the impact 2009's Where the Wild Things Are had on their lives at different stages, and how its multimillion dollar budget doesn't compromise a deeply personal story.

Noah and composer Ana Hausmann sing the praises of 2024's wordless animated wonder, Flow, and how its universal entertainment value delivers layers of deeper mysteries to uncover.

Noah chats with filmmaker Samantha Davidson Green about 2004's romantic tragicomedy sci-fi masterpiece Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and how its journey through memory, consciousness, and pain make for one of the most human stories put to film.

Nick Arvizu and Noah dive the thought-experiment horror film The Mist, and how the monsters are secondary to the real horror of people caught in a closed environment, not to mention one of the bleakest endings ever put to film.

Filmmaker Mike Purvis sits down with Noah to analyze Woody Allen's 2011 comic fantasy romantic romp Midnight in Paris and what it has to say about the dangers that come with romanticizing the past.

S3 Episode 1: Alan Bern – Recorded December 20, 2025   Photo: Shendi Copitman“So I got an accordion, I put it on my back, and I went to Europe ... “Do tune in to hear how Alan’s story intertwines music and speech with creativity, compassion, and being Jewish in today’s world. Listen in to hear how the “other” in Other Music Academy is not what you might think and how transcultural work is more about mycelium than bridges. Alan and I met in the courtyard of Etz Hayyim Synagogue and this episode was recorded in the city of Chania on the island of Crete. It is the first of this  3rd “season” with the tagline of “voices from afar (and not so far).”  Give yourself a treat by checking out his work in Weimar and selected music, linked below.

Chico Eastridge educates Noah on the surprising thematic density of the camp musical sensation, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the number of interpretations that can be read from it.

Noah and Charlie discuss the unbridled creative, thoughtful, and contagious silliness of 1991's Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, and what makes it a perfect sequel.

Cedar swindles Noah into watching the ultra low-budget outsider film So Long Suburbia that prompts bittersweet reflections on the highs and lows of 2010s pop culture.

Noah chats with actor Matthew Schofield to dive into the film that inspired this show, Robert Altman's 1971 anti-western McCabe and Mrs. Miller, and attempt to break down what makes the film so hauntingly beautiful.

Description: Noah sits down with old friend Joshua Rosen to discuss the Coen Brothers' 2013 film Inside Llewyn Davis and how its wintry depiction of artistic struggles resonate now as creatives in a money-driven world.What makes a movie special to someone? Why do they feel compelled to revisit it time and time again? Is it the technical aspects, the acting, the overall message, a mix of everything? Or is it something that eclipses words? Join Noah Mauchly as he sits down with friends, family, and artists to discuss what "that one movie" is for them and if it's possible to get to the heart of what makes it so special for them.

Premiere Episode: Hiring a lawyer is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in a divorce or family case. This episode covers how to choose the right attorney, what to ask, common mistakes people make, and the warning signs that should make you pause. Practical, clear, and designed to save you time, money, and stress.Divorce Coaching with Margot is a practical, compassionate podcast for anyone navigating divorce, custody, or a major relationship transition. Each episode offers clear coaching, smart strategy, and actionable tools—so you can communicate with strength, make confident decisions, and protect your peace as you move forward.

S2 Episode 4: Fran Miller–Recorded December1, 2025 Photo: courtesy Fran MillerFran moved up to Vermont from New York City in the fall of 2019 to work at the Vermont Law School’s Center for Agriculture and Food Systems. Outside her professional work she is active in pro-Palestinian causes including as a member ofJewish Voice for Peace (JVP). In this interview, she discusses her turnaround from seeing Israel in an ideal light to upholding the social justice ideals of her father who supported Israel yet impressed on her the Jewish value of working on behalf of the underdog.

Ep Bio: Noah Mauchly sits down with Media Maker Hayden Young to discuss his upbringing in the Upper Valley watching age-inappropriate movies and what led him to become the filmmaker he is today.Join the JAM team as they discuss all things JAM and what's happening in the Upper Valley. With a rotating cast of guests to keep you on your toes, and local legends and legends in the making sitting in the hot seat, find out what makes this organization and the community around it tick!Hosted by the JAM Media Education and Membership coordinator Noah Mauchly. Contact him at [email protected]. Original art by Cedar O'Dowd.This podcast is made by JAM - Junction Arts & Media serving the Upper Valley of NH and VT from White River Junction, VT.

S2 Episode 3: Sandra Gartner – Recorded November 20, 2025   Photo: Sandy with book, by LioraAmong many roles that she plays, Sandra Gartner has been co-producer of Vermont Actors’ Repertory Theatre for 20 years, an actor with the company, and is co-producer with filmmaker Nora Jacobson on her latest project. Sandra also writes for Rutland Magazine and other publications. Not surprisingly, she has a wonderful way of telling stories. In this conversation she picks up threads of her life in Vermont and New York City; her life in theatre, journalism, and the Rutland, VT Jewish community.  Sandra was a Youth Ambassador to Israel in 1966, at 16 years old, and “came back a changed person”. She maintains great affection for the land and people not withstanding that the current situation “doesn’t sit well” with her. The book she is holding in this photo is To Life: A Celebration of Vermont Jewish Women, based on an oral history project she undertook with Ann Zinn Buffum and which was contributed to the Jewish Women’s Archive. 

S2 Episode 2: Irit Librot–Recorded November 12,2025 Courtesy Photo: Irit. Irit Librot takes us through her early years in Haifa immediately following the creation of the State and the subsequent move to the US where “the streets are paved with gold” (spoiler: didn’t turn out that way). We get a strong and inspiring picture of Irit’s mother, Rachel Dziecholska Rotkovitch,who lived, studied, and worked in Poland, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, and the US. You can read about Rachel in the alumni magazine of the American University in Beirut, photos p.51, write up p.64. Irit’s own experience of October 7 and the war is tempered by her time in Israel and the reactions of those in her close community here, where, as you can see from the show notes, her life is infused with music and dance.

The chokehold has been lifted. America breathes again! I mean we narrowly avoided complete, self-inflicted disaster. After harrowing days of the most long-drawn-out government shutdown in U.S. history—a marathon of political brinkmanship—Congress somehow reached a makeshift deal to get off the people's back. Federal workers will return to their offices, airports will return to normal, and there will be food on the table for millions living paycheck-to-paycheck. The "glass is half-full" optimists would say this deal is simply the lesser of two evils. And, frankly, that’s about as good as it gets these days. We like to think of polarization as the Damocles Sword hanging perpetually over our heads. But history speaks otherwise. From the Marshall Plan to the Civil Rights Act to Medicare, America can build consensus across class, race, and party lines. The problem is not that cooperation is impossible. Rather, we’ve simply forgotten how to expect it. We’ve become so used to the partisan food fight that we're surprised when someone actually tries to cook dinner.

S2: Episode 1: Kesha Ram-Hinsdale–Recorded November 7, 2025 Courtesy Photo: Kesha and baby, VT Statehouse.Kesha Ram-Hinsdale, as we establish at the outset, is our Vermont Senate Majority Leader, and yet here, she is not talking state politics–she’s just an ordinary Jew. Her story, as a self-proclaimed HinJew, is awash with streams of migration and displacement on both sides of her family. Looking at the origins of Israel, we focus often on the fallout from the mid-century dissolution of the British Empire. At the same time, Kesha’s family was uprooted by the divisions left on the Indian subcontinent by the British exit. She speaks movingly about the legacy of her grandfather, Sir Ganga Ram, the role of art in giving her a sense of place in Israel, and how her dual legacy has shaped her thinking on democracy and human rights.

Hi! I’m happy to be back with a second season of OJT. Here, in Episode 0, I have a few words about the "why”of the podcast and some thoughts on this season in the short S2 E0 audio. And let me tease Episode 1–we start out with a great conversation with VT Senator Kesha Ram-Hinsdale. I’ve been asked a few times why I’m doing this podcast and I'd be glad to tell you. I felt from the beginning of the Gaza War that I needed a better connection with other Jews. I had been part of the Upper Valley Jewish community, and then I wasn't. And it was, and still is, such a fraught time and so confusing with the rise in antisemitism, the rise in pro-Palestinian sentiment, and no end to conflict in sight. I was trying to sort out my own history and my own feelings, and I started going back to the UVJC and what I realized was that it wasn't just me–a lot of people just really needed to sort things out.And it’s not because there is a shortage of analysis and expertise. There's great stuff online, really knowledgeable people from a historical perspective, theological, social perspective.But I feel that it isn’t just the experts who need to have these conversation–it’s also us ordinaryJews. More on this topic, including online resources, with a soon-to-be-linked Substack. Happy listening, and please, do, subscribe! Thank you. 

Episode 5 Description: On Canal Street in Brattleboro are the remains of one of Vermont’s most influential companies. In the 19th and early 20th century people across the country—and the world—played music on reed organs made right here in the Green Mountain state. What is a reed organ? And why were they so popular in a bygone era? Dr. Dennis Waring recounts the story.Series Description: Roadside Vermont is a podcast series about the historical monuments, markers, and plaques that are all too easy to drive by and never stop to read. In each episode host Kelby Greene travels to the far corners of Vermont to talk to local storytellers, historians, and community stewards about the quirky, quizzical, and surprising events of the history hidden down the dirt roads and rural highways of the Green Mountain state. From vampires to missile silos, to pencil mills and famed fiddlers, this season will span all fourteen counties of Vermont. This season is supported in part by a grant from Vermont Humanities, in partnership with the Vermont 250s Commission and Junction arts and Media—JAM. Special thanks to story editor Sophie Crane. Bio: Kelby Greene (she/her) is a Norwich, Vermont based journalist and independent radio producer. Her work is about explaining the present through the past—looking for the precedents to seemingly unprecedented times. Rooted in a passion for rural places and their unique histories, she hopes to tell stories worth talking about: in the car, over dinner, and passing by the state's hundreds of roadside markers. 

Episode 6: Roberta Berner – Recorded September 3, 2025  Courtesy Photo: Roberta Berner, with her husband, Rich AbelRoberta has accomplished so much, one would think she lived three lives rather than lived in three places: the deep South, Midwest, and for 27+ years, here in the Upper Valley. She didn’t mention, but I will, that she was awarded a Shem Tov award this year from the NH Jewish Federation. Roberta is a Board Trustee and the immediate past President of the Upper Valley Jewish Community (UVJC) where she leads the Caring and Chesed (loving kindness) Committee and reportedly makes the best Saturday morning coffee. Her remarks on Israel and being Jewish at this moment are touching, difficult, and central to what so many of us are experiencing.For my part, I’m taking a pause here after Episode 6 to reflect on where OJT can gofrom here, line up a new season of guests, and enjoy the glorious Vermont fall. HappyNew Year, Shanah Tova u’Metuka – an even better year and a sweeter year – to you all.Episode 6 Notes: DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution): According to an AI Overview onGoogle, “The DAR has evolved to be open to all races, religions, and ethnicbackgrounds.” Roberta’s reference reflects what was a truism for us growing inmid-century – that Jews need not apply.   Shir Shalom, Woodstock VT A Reform Congregation The Parents Circle Families Forum (PCFF) Israeli Palestinian Bereaved Familiesfor Peace. “Those who have paid in blood cry out: WE MUST end this war.…there is no other way. Stop the killing. Stop the cycle of revenge…It is time tochoose peace and reconciliation.” Dr. Meron Medzini, Professor Emeritus at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem,gave classes at Shir Shalom; his son was a tour guide when Roberta visited in2019. “Israel: A Lesson in Democracy” taught by Hanan Miron about Israeli “judicialreform” in 2024. Military leaders on the conflict in Gaza, mid-2025. See also Episode 5. It’s Time, see also reference in Episode 3. UVJC Healing Circles, discussed in Episode 4: Gene Kadish.

Episode 5: Ilsa Pinkson-Burke & Briane Pinkson  – Recorded August 6, 2025  Courtesy Photo: Briane on the left, Ilsa on the rightIlsa Pinkson-Burke and Briane Pinkson grew up going to “shula”, a Cooperative Jewish Children’s School teaching Jewish history, ethics, art, music, and politics – everything except Hebrew, liturgy, or religion. The school was in the tradition of their parents and grandparents, Yiddish-speaking “left-wingers from the twenties and thirties”. Most weekends they all went to political demonstrations, and once – once – they made a field trip to a synagogue. Today, both sisters feel a need to reinforce their sense of Jewish community and to learn more about the history of Israel, while distancing themselves from Zionism.  Episode 5 Notes: Rabbi Dov Taylor leads Chavurat ki-tov and can be reached at [email protected]  Jewish Voice for Peace, New Hampshire/Vermont Chapter: “We envision a world where all people — from the U.S. to Palestine — live in freedom, justice, equality, and dignity.”Letters:A Letter from Over a Thousand Rabbis Worldwide Organizational responses to the suffering and starvation in Gaza:Statement from the Reform MovementStatement from the Conservative Rabbinical AssemblyStatement from 80 Orthodox Rabbis (unlike the other statements, this one was international and signed by individuals)Israeli military and security leaders strongly denounce government-directed military action in Gaza, demand an end to pointless death and destruction, and a deal to return the hostagesArtists and intellectuals: much reporting on statements, overt or covert boycotts, and reactions from within Israel. Hard to trace back to the statements by artists and intellectuals. Camp Kinderland “Summer camp with a conscience since 1923”

Episode 4: Ben Thresher's Mill: A few miles off the interstate, on the banks of the Stevens river in Barnet, Vermont is a bright yellow mill. The rooms are crammed full of old tools, machines, parts, and pieces of a bygone age. One man, Ben Thresher, kept the mill going into the 1990s. Stan Crane, and a team of volunteers, helps to keep this place alive today.Series Description: Roadside Vermont is a podcast series about the historical monuments, markers, and plaques that are all too easy to drive by and never stop to read. In each episode host Kelby Greene travels to the far corners of Vermont to talk to local storytellers, historians, and community stewards about the quirky, quizzical, and surprising events of the history hidden down the dirt roads and rural highways of the Green Mountain state. From vampires to missile silos, to pencil mills and famed fiddlers, this season will span all fourteen counties of Vermont. This season is supported in part by a grant from Vermont Humanities, in partnership with the Vermont 250s Commission and Junction arts and Media—JAM. Special thanks to story editor Sophie Crane. Bio: Kelby Greene (she/her) is a Norwich, Vermont based journalist and independent radio producer. Her work is about explaining the present through the past—looking for the precedents to seemingly unprecedented times. Rooted in a passion for rural places and their unique histories, she hopes to tell stories worth talking about: in the car, over dinner, and passing by the state's hundreds of roadside markers. 

Recorded August 12, 2025  Photo: by LABeing a Jew is central to Gene’s identity. He seeks to be a better Jew as a way to be a better person, practices kyudo, goes to sabbath services as a way of meditation, and attends to the little things. In this interview, he contrasts what was worth dying for prior to the nation state, and what is so valued today. Gene is also one of the organizers of the Healing Circles held by the Upper Valley Jewish Community since October 7. Episode 4 Notes: Peter Beinart appearing on Jon Stewart showBooks referenced: Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza, by Peter Beinart, 2024. Here’s a link to the author’s substack where he talks about the book. The Necessity of Exile: Essays from a Distance, by Shaul Magid, 2023. Here’s a link to a discussion with Magid at Harvard Divinity School. Impossible Takes Longer – Israel at 75, by Daniel Gordis, 2023. Here’s a link to a discussion on the book. See also Gordis’s Substack where he surfaces media from across the Israeli spectrum that reflect the national discourse: Israel from the Inside  including this 22 minute standup routine on PTSD by Udi Kagan. Newspapers: Ha-aretz, English EditionTimes of Israel Organizations supporting a shared future: (just those mentioned in this Episode)New Jewish NarrativeStanding TogetherNew Israel Fund

Listen in to the inaugural episode of Pass the Torch featuring a special introductory interview with co-host Sen. White digging into Sen. McCormack’s legislative legacy. Highlights include advice on when to stay in the fight and when to pass the torch, and music played by Dick.A podcast co-hosted by Windsor County Vermont Senator Becca White and Senator Emeritus Dick McCormack. Listen in for stories of political traditions in Vermont, and from guests who have passed the torch to the next generation.

Episode 3: Joy Gaine – Recorded July 29, 2025  Photo: Courtesy Joy GaineJoy defines herself as a teacher, musician, and mother. Her sense of herself as a Jew rose post October 7th with questions on whether being Jewish makes her think differently about the conflict than her progressive friends? And why should that be true? Isn’t it enough to be pro-peace with good will for all who believe in human rights for all? She challenged me greatly on where to see a good outcome, all the while probing where and why “the Jews” are so often at fault. It was a great conversation, do tune in!Episode 3 Notes: Out of Eqypt, 1994, is a memoir and the first book published by André Aciman, better known for his fiction. “Out of Egypt is a love letter to the Jewish diaspora in its portrayal of a Jewish society that has now practically disappeared.”  Here’s a fabulous short interview with Aciman where he talks about his enduring love for Alexandria and for Egyptians, “...the nicest human beings I have ever met in my life and will ever meet.”  (Oh, and the correct title of the novel he is best known for is Call Me By Your Name.)It’s Time, “… a coalition of over 60 peacebuilding and shared society organizations, working together with determination and courage to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a political agreement that will ensure both peoples' right to self-determination and secure lives.”Status of IDF soldiers: Can’t find a link to the interview mentioned in the podcast. This article, also from July 29, anticipates the current (September) wave of refusals to serve and points out the poor fit of the iDF for protracted combat. 

Daniel Intraub – I knew Daniel solely through a series of graphics projects, both professional and protest-related, that he supported at Gnomon Copy in Hanover, NH. It was the latter type of project that got us talking about the conflict in Gaza where he mentioned that he was Jewish and we quickly fell into a discussion that led straight to this episode of the podcast. Recorded July 19, 2025  Photo: LAEpisode 2 Notes: Birthright Foundation: Founded to help give Jewish young adults the gift of a transformational and educational trip to Israel.Dates of the Second Intifada: roughly September 2000 through February 2005. Clip of President Obama that starts, “If there’s any chance of us being able to act constructively to do something…” Take a listen. And here’s the link to the full episode of Pod Save America.American Friends of the Parents Circle – Families Forum, Palestinian and Israeli Bereaved Families for Peace fosters a peace and reconciliation process and is affiliated with the corresponding Parents Circle in Israel.Standing Together: A grassroots movement organizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel against the occupation, for full equality for everyone in this land, where true social, economic, and environmental justice are possible.  What’s So Funny ‘bout Peace, Love, and Understanding: Links to a video of the David Broza version of the Nick Lowe song, recorded in East Jerusalem with Palestinian, Israeli, and American musicians and the Palestinian & Israeli Jerusalem Youth Chorus – which itself is a pretty interesting find!

In the early 20th century one Vermonter found fame as a traveling musician, humorist, and recording artist. Charles Ross Taggart was at the height of his career in the early 1920s, touring the country and talking so much about Vermont he earned himself a nickname: the Man from Vermont. Across the country he shared his stories, music, and dialect with his fellow Americans, and helped preserve disappearing parts of the Green Mountain State's culture. Historian and fiddler Adam Boyce brings Taggart to life.Roadside Vermont is a podcast series about the historical monuments, markers, and plaques that are all too easy to drive by and never stop to read. In each episode host Kelby Greene travels to the far corners of Vermont to talk to local storytellers, historians, and community stewards about the quirky, quizzical, and surprising events of the history hidden down the dirt roads and rural highways of the Green Mountain state. From vampires to missile silos, to pencil mills and famed fiddlers, this season will span all fourteen counties of Vermont. This season is supported in part by a grant from Vermont Humanities, in partnership with the Vermont 250s Commission and Junction arts and Media—JAM. Special thanks to story editor Sophie Crane.

Episode 1: Susan RussoSusan is a émigré, coming to Claremont in 1975 from Brooklyn where being Jewish was an effortless part of life, ethics, culture, and family politics. Finding herself and raising her children in a profoundly non-Jewish Upper Valley, her identity has been expressed in friendships, noodle puddings, and the rugelach she bakes and gives out at Christmas time. Her exposure to Israel and the contradictions of that society were shaped by visits with a childhood friend who moved there to marry a Tunisian Jew. We discuss her experience of October 7, her shifting relationship to Judaism and to the post-October 7 conflict, and we fantasize together about where we might find the light. Listen to the stories that are the sign posts of this journey and you’ll also learn the secret identity of “Moe Levine”, the Catholic priest of Claremont, NH.Recorded July 8, 2025Episode 1 Notes:The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East, By Sandy Tolan. Here’s  a link to the author’s website where he writes about the origins of the book. Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza, by Peter Beinart, 2024. Here’s a link to the author’s substack where he talks about the book.

Episode 0: To geo-locate me, Jewishly, I grew up in a WASPy suburb of Chicago, touched down in Pittsburgh for a couple years, then, at age 17, fled this country, my family, and lived in Israel for four and a half years, mostly in Jerusalem with the last year living in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan, returning in December, 1972. These years colored my experience of Israel, and all who live there, and in an oblique way – since I don’t recall ever setting foot in a synagogue – broadened immensely my experience of being a Jew. Since returning, I have found it profoundly difficult to talk about Israel, about being a Jew, inside or outside the country, with just about anyone, no less with my fellow Jews. Until now, and now, while not always easy, I think it’s time. The three pillars that anchor my Jewish life today:• Chavurat ki-tov: a small group convened by Rabbi Dov Taylor who can bereached at [email protected]• Upper Valley Jewish Community/Kol Ha’Emek: “An eclectic, welcoming,egalitarian congregation providing Jewish spiritual, educational, social andcultural opportunities.”• Etz Hayyim: The only synagogue today in Crete, lovingly revived decades afterthe Nazi destruction of a 2000 years-old Jewish community.

Season 1 wraps up by sweating it out (for good!) with Positive Tracks' Founder and CEO Nini Meyer. Take this episode on your next walk, scoot, or dribble as high school friends (shoutout Hanover High) Samantha and Nini have a cathartic chat about physical activity as a means for social change, youth empowerment, mental health, and better media habits. This episode is JAM-packed with emotional electrolytes and digital-age wisdom for all generations.

Episode 2: “Barre, By God” In 1793 a town meeting was held in Wildersburg, Vermont. The only item on the agenda was renaming the young frontier town. Wildersburg was a mouthful. Two passionate contenders offered up the names of their home towns back in Massachusets—but neither would concede to the other. Victory in a brawl gave one of the men the right to name Barre, well, Barre. Librarian and community historian Paul Heller shares this curious incident. Series Description: Roadside Vermont is a podcast series about the historical monuments, markers, and plaques that are all too easy to drive by and never stop to read. In each episode host Kelby Greene travels to the far corners of Vermont to talk to local storytellers, historians, and community stewards about the quirky, quizzical, and surprising events of the history hidden down the dirt roads and rural highways of the Green Mountain state. From vampires to missile silos, to pencil mills and famed fiddlers, this season will span all fourteen counties of Vermont. This season is supported in part by a grant from Vermont Humanities, in partnership with the Vermont 250s Commission and Junction arts and Media—JAM. Special thanks to story editor Sophie Crane. Bio: Kelby Greene (she/her) is a Norwich, Vermont based journalist and independent radio producer. Her work is about explaining the present through the past—looking for the precedents to seemingly unprecedented times. Rooted in a passion for rural places and their unique histories, she hopes to tell stories worth talking about: in the car, over dinner, and passing by the state's hundreds of roadside markers. 

Episode Description: In 1793 the town of Manchester Center, then Meads Mill, was rocked by an other-worldly threat. A young woman was supposedly coming from beyond the grave to suck the life out of the living. It was a vampire panic—one of scores that rocked rural New England in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The frenzied family looked for answers and settled on an unconventional remedy. Was the young Rachel Burton really a vampire? or could science explain the deadly incident? Shawn Harrington from VT Folklife unravels the story of the Manchester Vampire.Series Description: Roadside Vermont is a podcast series about the historical monuments, markers, and plaques that are all too easy to drive by and never stop to read. In each episode host Kelby Greene travels to the far corners of Vermont to talk to local storytellers, historians, and community stewards about the quirky, quizzical, and surprising events of the history hidden down the dirt roads and rural highways of the Green Mountain state. From vampires to missile silos, to pencil mills and famed fiddlers, this season will span all fourteen counties of Vermont. This season is supported in part by a grant from Vermont Humanities, in partnership with the Vermont 250s Commission and Junction arts and Media—JAM. Special thanks to story editor Sophie Crane. Bio: Kelby Greene (she/her) is a Norwich, Vermont based journalist and independent radio producer. Her work is about explaining the present through the past—looking for the precedents to seemingly unprecedented times. Rooted in a passion for rural places and their unique histories, she hopes to tell stories worth talking about: in the car, over dinner, and passing by the state's hundreds of roadside markers. 

Located in White River Junction, VT and Claremont, NH – and everywhere via social media and the Internet – Riverbank Church's media strategy has contributed to its growth and mission. This week, Lead Pastor Chris Goeppner and Director of Operations Ira Richards join Samantha on a deep dive into the role of media and storytelling in this Upper Valley faith community. 

In this episode of Mediated Lives, we have an unprecedented situation: The person writing this very bio, the person editing this very podcast and the person being interviewed this very week are the exact. Same. Person. Hello. It is I, Kelsie Hogue also known as Sir Babygirl. The meta of this overwhelms and fascinates me; I feel as if I am in a multimedia hall of mirrors, or that Spiderman meme with the two Spidermen pointing at each other incredulously. In any case, here's my interview with my boss and host Samantha as we dive into the 2025 media landscape of being a working musician. In fact, writing, editing and being the subject of a podcast interview is exactly how it feels to be a working musician these days. How's THAT for meta!

Eavesdrop on Samantha's conversation with JAM's own Dartmouth Social Impact Fellow Maria Hebling (Dartmouth '27), a brilliant young mind in today's mercurial media landscape. Maria lends her unique perspectives on cultural differences via social media, the life-changing impact of media on her as a teen in rural Brazil during COVID, and the What and Why of the JAM media literacy and digital citizenship programs she currently leads. Enjoy listening as Maria waxes poetic about living a double reality on and offline and the ups/downs, pros/cons, pitfalls and miracles of our modern mediated lives.

In Mediated Lives' 6th episode, Samantha picks local family doctor Julie Davis' brain about her experience serving the community's health in our current media landscape. They talk healthy social media habits, discuss the pros and cons of our sticky web of internet culture in today's children and teens, and what healthy family boundaries around tech might look like.