As I Walk Through The Valley

Meet Mr. Bradley Merkl-Gump, an 8th-grade history teacher, Pennridge School Board Director, and Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania's 16th Senate District . He joins the podcast to talk about censorship, shadow book bans, and also... a little about Quaker religious rites as well as Magic: The Gathering.

Northampton County Executive Tara Zrinski reflects on her first 100 days in office. We explore the looming presence of data centers, environmentalism, economics, religion and how to best allocate our collective finances. Make sure to also listen to our previous episode (#18), featuring Lehigh County Executive Josh Siegel.

Just before his 100th day in office, I sat down with Lehigh County Executive Josh Siegel to talk about endorsements, ICE, paid family leave, spirituality and...whether Call of Duty or Battlefield is the ultimate FPS (first-person shooter) franchise. [Recorded April 13th, 2026]

Join me As I Walk Through the Valley with Ms. Valentina Escobar-Gonzalez, Founder of Beyond Engagement Social Media Solution and Co-Author of “The Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever.” We discuss social media addiction, artificial intelligence, the Lehigh Valley housing market and much more. Make sure to follow her on social media:https://beyond-engagement.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/equinevalentinahttps://www.instagram.com/valentinaeg/https://www.facebook.com/BeyondEngagementhttps://twitter.com/equinevalentinahttps://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-engagement-social-media-solutions/https://www.youtube.com/@Beyond-engagementhttps://beyond-engagement.comhttps://a.co/d/0fiex2YW

Join me As I Walk Through the Valley with Mr. Bob Brooks, a 20 year Bethlehem firefighting veteran and current union President of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association. This is our fourth and final PA-07 congressional candidate interview. Please make sure to catch up on the previous episodes in this mini-series.[Recorded on April 6th, 2026. Video footage provided by Gary Preis.]

This episode features our third PA-07 Congressional candidate interview. Join me As I Walk Through the Valley with Mr. Lamont McClure, who previously served on Northampton County’s Council from 2006 to 2013. In 2018, he was elected as its County Executive. Former Executive McClure is now aiming to take his local leadership experience to represent his district in congress. [Recorded on March 26th, 2026. Filming by Gary Preis]

[Recorded on March, 24th, 2026]Join us for our second PA-07 Congressional candidate interview, As I Walk Through the Valley with Ms. Carol Obando-Derstine. Ms. Obando-Derstine previously served as an executive director of SkillsUSA Council and the Children’s Coalition of the Lehigh Valley. She served as Sen. Casey’s Regional Manager and Statewide Latino Affairs Advisor, taught at Northampton Community College, volunteered with the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, and also participated in Gov. Wolf’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs. For nearly a decade, she worked on engineering and energy issues at PPL Electric Utilities.Please note: Our guest was offered a video option and opted for audio only.

[Recorded on March 12th, 2026]As listeners know from our show’s intro, we live in a bellwether region of arguably the most significant swing state known as Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. What happens here will be setting the tone for the entire nation.With midterms coming up, the PA-07 congressional race will serve as a major litmus test for the mood and direction of our country. And getting to know our next representative is absolutely essential.Invitations were issued to all of the candidates who were able to submit 1,000 signatures and get on the ballot - this includes Republican incumbent Ryan Mackenzie as well as the contenders for the Democrat party nomination. And this episode is our first installment in this important series.Thank you for joining me today As I Walk Through the Valley with Mr. Ryan Crosswell, a Marine , former federal prosecutor, and candidate to serve as the next congressman for Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district.

Join me As I Walk Through the Valley with Ms. Margaret McConnell, Executive Director of WDIY, an NPR member station serving the Lehigh Valley. Make sure to check them out on 88.1 FM and their website for local events and opportunties!

Join me As I Walk Through the Valley with Mr. Victor Martinez, owner and host of La Mega 101.7 FM, the premier Spanish-language radio station serving the Lehigh Valley. We discuss his motorcycle journey across America as well as his early love for radio while growing up in Puerto Rico. We then turn to the nature of the Hispanic electorate and a recent dialogue Victor had with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and its implications for the PA-07 Congressional race. 

Join me As I Walk Through the Valley with Commissioner Taylor Stakes, who serves as the Lehigh County Authority’s first Director of Communications and Strategic Partnerships, and more recently, a Commissioner for the Whitehall Township. 

Join me As I Walk Through the Valley with Representative Michael H. Schlossberg, a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, who has served the 132nd District since 2013. We talked about mental health, Star Wars, the "Big Beautiful Bill," and much more. A special thanks to Gary Preis for videoing and to Jay's Local for hosting our live recording session. (Please note that we did our best to remove the background noise.) Let us know what you think!

Join me As I Walk Through the Valley with Pastor Alex DeJesus of The Bridge Church of God in Allentown (PA), as we cover theology, gentrification, the Hispanic community and... the Super Bowl halftime show. In this episode, we get to hear an insider's perspective on the nuance and diversity within the Spanish speaking community.

What is the role of the sheriff's office? How does it interact with city, state and federal jurisdictions? And what is current landscape of law enforcement in the United States?Join me As I Walk Through the Valley with Sheriff Joseph N. Hanna, the Sheriff of Lehigh County (PA), and former Chief of Police for the City of Allentown Police Department, and find out.

Join me, As I Walk Through the Valley with Judith A. Harris, Esq., Co-Chair of the Estate, Trust, and Tax Law Practice Group at Norris McLaughlin.We discuss the changing landscape of estate planning as well as her leadership in the local arts, such as the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival and the Allentown Symphony Association.

Join me, As I Walk Through the Valley with Mr. Murtaza Jaffer, a partner of EBC Printing & Signs in Allentown, and is an executive board member of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. We explore Murtaza's early beginnings in Tanzania to his current-day networking, mentoring, and bridge-building throughout the modern Lehigh Valley. As a previous recipient of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce⁠'s "Networker of the Year" award, he shares with us some of his best practices.

Join me today, As I Walk Through the Valley with Mr. Joe Vichot, a veteran United States Airforce and commercial pilot, who currently serves as the Chairman of the Lehigh County Republican Committee.A quick note before you listen: The goal of sharing my adventures As I Walk Through the Valley with all of you is to provide an honest and comprehensive view of the Lehigh Valley's diversity. That means that we sit down with clergy and industry leaders...it also means that we sit down with public officials and politicians. When I sit down with the Red Team and the Blue Team, I endeavor to provide you, the listener, with an authentic window into what these movers and shakers are actually thinking - and I hope that it helps us all make sense of our collective reality. Conservatives will probably dislike what my Progressives guests express.Progressives will probably dislike what my Conservative guests have to say. Such is America. And maintaining the marketplace of ideas is a hallmark of our national identity that I hold dear as I begin to include people from the political sphere on our show. Enjoy the episode!

With issues of immigration and enforcement facing the nation, join me As I Walk Through the Valley with The Rev. Maria Tjeltveit, previously rector of the Episcopal Church of the Mediator in Allentown, Pennsylvania and current President of the Allentown School District Foundation. We discuss her conception of American identity and how that informs her various roles in the Lehigh Valley. Note: This interview was recorded on January 20th, 2026 and does not reference more recent events that are pertinent to our discussion.

How do you effectively engage youth, preach religious principles, and incorporate family values into every aspect of your life?Join me As I Walk Through the Valley with Pastor Johnny Lopez, Bethlehem resident, Executive Director of Youth for Christ Lehigh Valley and Pastor at the West End Church in Allentown, and find out. 

In this episode, I Walk Through the Valley with Mr. Harry Fisher, a resident of Allentown, PA, and previously a Senior Visual Journalist for The Morning Call , the second-longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, founded in 1883. We discuss the role of the local press, media bias, and the shifting landscape of how Americans follow current events.As I Walk Through the Valley, is hosted by Rabbi Moshe Kurtz of Congregation Sons of Israel. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and subscribe to our show. If you have questions or would like to book a live recording or have a speaking request, please email [email protected].

In the world’s greatest country, in its most pivotal state, lies Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. An economic hub that’s as vibrant as it is ideologically eclectic. Its just over 700,000 residents will play a critical role in deciding the course of American leadership, and thereby…the world. Who are the thinkers, workers and leaders that will decide our collective fate? Join me, Moshe Kurtz, As I Walk Through the Valley and find out.