It's time for our annual Best of Call In show where past guests and listeners send in voice memos of some of their favorite things from 2025. This year's episode includes a 30 minute interlude with Rabbi Michael Zedek to talk about his newest book!

Korman Siblings

Hosts of Friday Night Movie Podcast

Producers of The Floaters

• Koln 75
• F1 in the theater
• Stranger Things
• Avatar Fire & Ash
• Adult Children

Pam Rose

• Severance
• Traitors
• Stranger Things on Broadway
• Damiano David (music)
• Weapons
• Sinners
• The Naked Gun
• Dinosaur improv
• Ben Schwartz & Friends
• Taskmaster
• Celebrity Boyfriend - James Acaster
• Would I Lie to You
• Off Menu Podcast

Abbas Jaffary

• Mini ITX gaming computer
• Geometry Wars
• Ball Pit
• Switch 2
• Metroid Prime Beyond
• Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• Itality - indigenous vegan food
• Work team
• Students
• Tilted Access Press
• Canned Podcast
• HDTGM
• Hello from the Magic Tavern
• Arcane - Netflix
• Resisting ICE

Steve Higgins

• 20th anniversary of teaching at Lewis & Clark
• 15 years of Ink & Drink comics
• Katharos - Steve’s own comic
• Assorted Crisis Events (comic short stories)
• Severance
• Pluribus
• KPop Demon Hunter
• Maybe Happy Ending

Andy

• Minecraft in person
• Birdwatching
• Going to the beach
• Anime conventions
• Cosplay photo shoots
• Making and wearing cosplay
• BINGO Resolutions
• Punch Card Resolutions

Jasmine Davila

• Heated Rivalry
• Fandom & community

Ezra Butler - independent researcher

Jute Backerei in Berlin

Jesse Dukes - host of Upper Middle Brow

• Cannery Row - John Steinbeck
• Sweet Thursday - Steinbeck
• Exhalation: Stories Ted Chang
• Robot Stories - Isaac Asimov
• Salt-water fishing
• Wet Legs - Moisturizer

Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com

Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.

Max Klau, an author, musician and social change agent, joined Leah in October to talk about his new book, a new album and making art in dangerous times. Max and Leah met through New Politics Academy and his book Developing Servant Leaders at Scale dives into his tried and true methods for self-discovery.

Follow Max online

Developing Servant Leaders at Scale by Max Klau: https://bookshop.org/p/books/developing-servant-leaders-at-scale-how-to-do-it-and-why-it-matters-max-klau/a9fe513c6a63c3ca?ean=9781837081653

Max's website: https://www.maxklau.com/

Max's LinkedIn for workshop info: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-klau-0319a11/

The Max Klau Band: https://www.maxklau.com/music

New Politics Academy: https://www.newpoliticsacademy.org/

James Talarico: https://jamestalarico.com/

Kansas Leadership Center: https://kansasleadershipcenter.org/

Inner Development Goals: https://innerdevelopmentgoals.org/

Stutz: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21819228/

Jessi Bender on Finding Favorites: https://findingfavorites.podbean.com/e/jesi-bender-victorian-utica/

I Fight Dragons: https://ifightdragons.com/

Tour:Smart by Martin Atkins: https://martinatkins.bigcartel.com/product/tour-smart-digital-book

Moshav: https://www.moshavband.com/

Bob Schneider: https://www.bobschneider.com/

Michael Shelley: https://michaelshelley.net/

WFMU: https://wfmu.org/

Finding Favorites is (once again) edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com

Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.

Ry Jones, an open source community architect and Leah's older brother, loves sending postcards when he travels. We dig into his postcard habits and he also shares the different ways that he supports the war effort in Ukraine through Car for Ukraine and Help99.

Follow Ry online

• Github
• LinkedIn

Support Ukraine

• https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/50forua-washington-battalion
• Help99
• EnGin (English ESL volunteering)

Postcrossing

Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com

Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.

Suzanne Reisman is one of Leah's friends from MySpace and they sat down to talk about her viral sensation - the New York City History of Garbage and Rats walking tour! Coming soon to a newspaper or TV near you! She's been featured in Time Out NYC, the NY Post, Nebraska and Australian radio shows, and even made it to newspapers in Europe and Chinatown. We dig deep on how (and why) she created the walking tour before talking about her favorite moment of the day.

Follow Suzanne online

• GANYC Suzanne Reisman
• TripAdvisor booking link
• Off Beaten Subway Track Attractions

suzanne@offbeatwalkingtours.com

Show notes

• Ghost of Aaron Burr: https://associationofparanormalstudy.com/2019/03/01/the-world-was-wide-enough-the-multiple-hauntings-of-aaron-burr/
• https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/this-garbage-and-rats-walking-tour-explores-the-grossand-engrossinghistory-of-nyc-051425
• https://www.rogerebert.com/roger-ebert/strolling-through-roger-eberts-perfect-london-walk
• Rats by Robert Sullivan
• https://sharsheret.org/
• https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2023/04/mayor-adams-anoints-kathleen-corradi-nyc-s-first-ever-rat-czar
• https://nypost.com/2025/06/25/lifestyle/rat-whisperer-offers-tours-of-nycs-rodent-hotspots-theyre-sort-of-little-monsters-but-also-sort-of-cute/
• https://avagardnerplay.com/
• Comphy sheets (now owned by Coop sheets)
• Brooklinen
• https://www.coco-mat.com/usa/en/sleep/mattresses
• Big Fig
• Thuma

Shoe Recommendations

• https://www.stegmannusa.com/collections/womens-shoes
• https://www.topoathletic.com/women/womens-shoes/activity/Recovery

Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com

Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.

Author/artist Jesi Bender joined Leah to talk about her novel Child of Light, available from Whiskey Tit press, and Victorian houses in Utica, New York.

Note from Leah: In this episode, I boldly say that there are no Victorian houses in Chicago, because they all burnt down in the Chicago fire. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Follow Jesi Bender online

• https://www.jesibender.com/
• https://www.jesibender.com/child-of-light.html

Show Notes

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burned-over_district
• https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/fountain-elms-2
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utica,_New_York
• https://oneidacountyhistory.org/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_House_(Georgetown,_New_York)
• https://abandonedonline.net/location/spirit-house/
• https://www.hamilton.edu/offices/lits/special-collections/college-archives
• https://www.uticaod.com/picture-gallery/news/history/2025/01/18/photo-gallery-look-back-at-the-history-of-genesee-street-in-utica/77743355007/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utica_Psychiatric_Center
• https://inmatesofwillard.com/2012/09/08/1880-the-utica-crib/
• Of course there are Victorian Homes in Chicago. I had amnesia.
• https://www.zillow.com/chicago-il/victorian-style_att/
• https://fortunerestoration.com/services/residential-painting/painted-ladies/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paschal_Beverly_Randolph
• https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchmen/comments/npiyzq/did_the_hbo_show_influence_this_long_overdue/
• https://www.cureddocumentary.com/

Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com

Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.

To kick off the month of Elul and High Holy Day preparations, Leah sat down with Sarah Osborne, founder of A Mitzvah to Eat, to talk about how her organizations supports Jews who are unable to fast on days like Yom Kippur. We also talk about leadership, our mutual friend Evonne, and tongue drums.

Order your A Mitzvah to Eat care package by September 12, 2025 to receive before Yom Kippur.

A Mitzvah to Eat

https://fnd.us/a-mitzvah-to-eat-care-packages

https://www.amitzvahtoeat.org/

https://www.amitzvahtoeat.org/about

https://www.amitzvahtoeat.org/yom-kippur-1

Show Notes

https://findingfavorites.podbean.com/e/evonne-marzouk-writing/

Tongue drum: https://www.balmyworld.com/products/sound-healing?

https://www.mayyimhayyim.org/

https://www.mayyimhayyim.org/ceremonies/

https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/978-0-271-08712-2.html?

https://slate.com/culture/2025/08/long-story-short-netflix-show-pandemic-covid-grief.html

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33247080/

Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com

Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.

Shai Korman, one of the Friday Night Movie podcast hosts, is on the road with a movie he produced with his sisters. He took a break in between festivals to talk about The Floaters, film festivals and Weird Al.

Follow Shai online

• Shai Korman: https://www.instagram.com/pancake4table/
• Friday Night Movie Podcast: https://fridaynightmoviepod.podbean.com/
• Floaters the Movie: https://floatersmovie.com/

Show Links

• Weird Al tour: https://www.weirdal.com/tour/
• Weird Al Behind the Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36CtQCvc7e8
• Taskmaster Season 19: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRWvNQVqAeWKt7kCUfEMdJi40m7H58CJd
• Tires https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tires_(TV_series)
• Bentonville Film Festival: https://bentonvillefilm.org/
• Floaters IMDB https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31145438/
• And Mrs. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6614198/
• Don’t Tell Larry https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16311236/
• Bird in Hand https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36298555/
• Espina https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17016098/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1
• Adult Children https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17424166/
• Lemonade Blessing https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32432676/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1
• Cotton Candy Bubble Gum https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28305079/
• Magic Hour https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32134256/?
• Sabbath Queen https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32145808/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1
• Malka https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32778054/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1
• Frankenbabes from Beyond the Grave https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36364856/?

Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com

Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.

Israel-based educator and writer Sharna Marcus joined Leah on Friday, June 20th, to share the story of how she was able to get to Indiana from Israel during the active war with Iran. Spoiler alert: a cargo ship was involved.

We talk about her work as a Middle East history educator, the damage done by the "weapons of mass destruction" lies told by the Bush administration, finding Jewish identity and community, and more.

Follow Sharna online

• https://x.com/MsSMarcus
• https://www.instagram.com/sharnaranee/

Note from Leah: The podcast is just on a break while I recover from gallbladder surgery in march, moving in late April, and figuring out a whole new apartment. We recorded this episode before the US got involved directly in the war and I'm releasing it a few days after the ceasefire between Iran and Israel started.

In case it does not "go without saying" I deeply desire all of the hostages should be returned home immediately, that humanitarian aid needs to flow into the Gaza strip, and that I desire peace and safety for all people living in and around Israel. I don't know how we get there.

A few other links

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Golden_Age
• https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/first-islamic-public-hospital
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wo2TLlMhiw
• https://www.youtube.com/@crashcourse/search?query=israel
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_culture_kid
• https://rebooting.com/
• https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/how-one-un-leaders-mistaken-timeline-caused-confusion-about-gaza-childrens-starvation-risk
• https://stories.bringthemhomenow.net/
• https://zionistutopia.com/
• https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast