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Sarah Levy
This message comes from Fos Feminista. When you give to Fos Feminista, your dollar goes far. It provides essential services and health care for women and girls worldwide. Learn how your gift can be matched five times@fosfeminista.org podcast.
Mandy Patinkin
Lemonad.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Do you wear pajamas, you pajama people?
Mandy Patinkin
I'm. I'm a T shirt. Oh, you big T shirt. Extra, extra, extra large T shirt.
Catherine Grody
I'm in either silk pajamas or nothing.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Huh.
Catherine Grody
You know, because I read something that it's very healthy for you not to wear any clothes when you go to bed.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Wow. Usually you read things about stuff that's unhealthy for you. You also read stuff that's good for you.
Catherine Grody
Yes, I have enormous resources.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Do you know that a while ago, I was asleep and I was taking care of my brother's dog, and the dog started barking, like, incessantly. I knew something was unusual. I looked out the window and I saw a black bear in the yard. I was trying to get the dog to calm down, and I couldn't. And.
And I was banging on the window to try to scare the bear off, and I. And I couldn't. And then the dog wouldn't stop barking, so I grabbed two pots and pans and went outside.
Catherine Grody
You went outside with the bear?
Gideon Grodipatenkin
And I was naked because I was. I was sleeping.
Catherine Grody
How dumb are you?
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Well, I was close enough to the door where I could run home if the bear started charging me. And so I go out and I start banging the pots. Naked. I trip the electric light switch so I get flooded in light banging the pots. And when the lights come on in the yard, I see it was a black, open umbrella that had blown into the yard.
Mandy Patinkin
Were you able to scare it away?
Gideon Grodipatenkin
No, it had. It had no reaction to me. So it was just a crazy naked man banging pots against toying an umbrella. But I spent, like, before I got out with my pots, man, I spent like 20 minutes trying to scare away the umbrella.
Catherine Grody
Did that make you think you needed a new prescription or something for glasses? That you mistook an umbrella for a bear?
Yeah, it's a little peculiar then.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Something not quite right with me, really. Anyway, that's one way to scare away a bear that doesn't exist.
Welcome to Don't Listen to Us. I am Gideon Grodipatenkin.
Catherine Grody
And I am Catherine.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Great. You don't have to give your last name if you don't want. If you want to just keep it private. Yeah, dad. Who are you?
Mandy Patinkin
Menachem Mendel Ben Eliezer?
Catherine Grody
Yeah. What does all that mean that is his Hebrew name. Don't you even know that?
Mandy Patinkin
Menachem Mendel. Menachem Mendel is my Menachem. My Hebrew name.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Menachem is a name is Mendel in Hebrew.
Mandy Patinkin
Mendel is the Yiddish name. It means. Mandel means. Mendel means Mandal, which is. Means almond. So they named me after a nut. Thank you, mom and dad and. And Ben, son of Eliezer, my father, Lester. His Hebrew name was Eliezer. So what is your Hebrew name?
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Gideon.
Catherine Grody
No, you have a Hebrew name.
Mandy Patinkin
Gidon. Gidon. So Gidon Ben Menachem Mendel. Yeah.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Oh, wow. Shocked you've never called me that before. Wait, the. The first one is Menachem.
Mandy Patinkin
Menachem is my Hebrew name. Mendel is my Yiddish name.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
So what's my Yiddish name?
Catherine Grody
I don't know what his Yiddish name is. You had to get a. You had to get a Hebrew name for your progress.
Mandy Patinkin
You don't have one. Yeah, you just don't.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Well, that's exciting.
Mandy Patinkin
I'll get to Yiddish name if you want. Look, if.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
If anybody needs some calm, look what I brought today. This is.
Catherine Grody
I'm so sorry I can't put you to sleep immediately.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
How. How does that make you feel? A little ding dong.
Catherine Grody
I like that. Sound good.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
So if you're annoying each other, you give me a signal and I'll go then.
Catherine Grody
Yeah, you'll be doing that. How often would you say, huh?
Mandy Patinkin
You don't annoy him as often as you.
Catherine Grody
As I annoy you?
Mandy Patinkin
No, you never annoy me.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
And Catherine is working on her faces to just let Mandy speak if he's having a thought. She's working on going. I mean, if you're watching it on YouTube, you'll see sometimes, keep your eye.
Mandy Patinkin
On me and watch what I do. I close my eyes while I'm talking so I don't have to see her faces telling me to shut the fuck up.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
I know, that's good.
Mandy Patinkin
I worry if she's making faces, it means she's at least listening to me, and that's all I care about.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
There you go. That's something.
Okay, let's get to our first listener question today. It's an email from sue, and it's about entertaining. Sue writes, I'm sure you've both entertained friends and family a lot over the years. I'd love to know your best and most popular dish or appetizer. And is there something you like to make for parties? Because you like it, but usually no one else does, so, you know, there will be leftovers Smiley cry, laughy face. My part.
Mandy Patinkin
My.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
My party favorites are liver pate with mushrooms and sweet onions. And Bloody Mary jell is basically a slightly spicy tomato with paste with vodka in it. I love them both, and it's rare. I don't have leftovers of at least one of them. Bloody Mary jello. That sounds really awful. Bloody. Just terrible idea.
Mandy Patinkin
If you have me over for dinner, you'll have my portion left over, that's for sure.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Have you guys ever done this? Made something knowing that people won't eat a lot of it so that you get all the leftovers?
Mandy Patinkin
No, no, no, no. That's not true. We make more of my mother's stuffing for Thanksgiving, so there'll be leftovers because we love it. And I also make more cranberry sauce.
Catherine Grody
Yeah. And tons of harosis for Passover. I mean, I make vats of it because we eat it all week, but that's just the opposite. I've never made anything for people knowing they won't like it.
Mandy Patinkin
On Rosh Hashanah, we have a butterfly lamb that we. What's it called? Marinade.
Catherine Grody
Yeah.
Mandy Patinkin
In a half a cup of equal proportions, I should say, of shoyu and honey. And then tons of garlic that we chop up and stab it all over the butterfly lamb, put it in big baggies, put it in the fridge so it's overnight, and then we eat that for a week. We make extra, so we have extra lamb because we love it.
Catherine Grody
I do. I do love Tina Jacobson's.
Mandy Patinkin
I'm gonna open up these windows so we have a little more air.
Catherine Grody
Flourless chocolate cake. I think it's the best I've ever had.
Mandy Patinkin
Oh, yeah.
Catherine Grody
And I have been known to hide pieces of that.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Do we make any things for Hanukkah in particular?
Catherine Grody
Latkes. Dad makes great latkes.
Mandy Patinkin
That's a nightmare. You remember trying to.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Yeah, but I got a great video out of it.
Catherine Grody
Yeah.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
You guys were just in the kitchen. I was filming you. You covered in sweat, angry, frustrated, and really hard. Potato sweat.
Catherine Grody
Dad used to make great potato.
Mandy Patinkin
Well, I think we got to just follow my mother's recipe a little.
Catherine Grody
That's true.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Yeah. You were both yelling at each other, referencing four different recipes from six different.
Catherine Grody
So my kugel has taken a downturn. It used to be really delicious. And I've forgotten. I do something. It's. It's not as moist as it may be.
Mandy Patinkin
For. It's not for entertaining. It's for entertaining Catherine and myself. Our. Our New Year's Eve meal, which is sour cream clam sauce. Spaghetti with sour cream clam sauce. So we always make extra because the leftover is much better.
Catherine Grody
Yeah.
Mandy Patinkin
Than the.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
And clams from the can, right?
Mandy Patinkin
Yeah, baby clams from the can.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
What kind of can? Always. Same company.
Mandy Patinkin
No, it usually is from the grocery store. We get it for. It usually is. And they're probably poisonous for you.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
How did that dish become to be your New Year's dish?
Mandy Patinkin
Miles Chapin, my friend Ted Chapin's brother Miles made it.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Yeah.
Mandy Patinkin
And I loved it. And then there was a New Year's Eve, and I said, let me try and make this. And I called him and he gave it to me. And we made it just the way he said. And we've kept to it and. And it became our meal.
Catherine Grody
And we like New Year's. We are. We are very. Just duo New Year celebrators. We don't like New Year's parties, particularly. We found that out on our very first New Year's in 79. Very big, big, big, big. I'm in bed by 8, and dad looked at me and said, so that's.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Like every other guy.
Catherine Grody
I think I said it too. I said, I have to tell you something. I really don't like New Year's Eve parties. And he said, neither do I. And that was the last one we went to.
Mandy Patinkin
And we kissed. And I said, I think you marry me.
Catherine Grody
I think we went.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
I might have inherited that from you. I don't really care for parties.
Mandy Patinkin
And then there's tuna burgers. David Block's mother's tuna burgers, which I love.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Always make extra from childhood. That stayed childhood.
Mandy Patinkin
Second grade, o' Keeffe school, went over to Dave Block's house. Mom made tuna burgers.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Is he still with us? David Block?
Mandy Patinkin
I'm sure he is. I hope he is. And. And then his mother made the tuna burgers called. My mother gave her the recipe. She used Miracle Whip for quite a while. And then Catherine didn't like Miracle Whip for some reason, so we used mayonnaise.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Right. Ma, do you have a dish from childhood that you remember? Or holiday dish or childhood dish? Oh, I know. Your mom used to make you tongue and rose petal sandwiches.
Catherine Grody
No, honey. Boy, that is how a story gets. That was Gregory. That was Gregory.
I can't remember his last name. He was Armenian. And it was white Wonder bread with mayonnaise with rose petal sandwiches. I couldn't get over it. It was so beautiful to look at. But that was not my mom's.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Oh, what did you get Sent to school with.
Catherine Grody
I have absolutely no memory of when I got school. Sent to school. That's interesting. Nuns.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Tongue wasn't a part of it.
Catherine Grody
Tongue. My mom served tongue at home, but.
Mandy Patinkin
I didn't have to eat it when they served it because the little. Little bumps on the tongue sent me.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
No, that was kind of a big thing in Jewish homes.
Catherine Grody
It was a big thing in Jewish homes. And brisket.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Pickled tongue.
Catherine Grody
Brisket and tongue. And my mom made great rice pudding and she made great cheesecake. And I still have her little recipe box.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Oh, we should. We should make a cheesecake I've never had.
Mandy Patinkin
My mom always made Philadelphia cream cheese. Hors d'. Oeuvres, White silver cup bread cut into circles. You make the stuff with the egg and the Philadelphia cream cheese and the paprika. I'm not sure what else. And then you spread it. You toast the bread. Spread it on, broil it. I'm in heaven.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Why, why don't you ever make those?
Mandy Patinkin
I'm trying not to have too much dairy.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Because you're trying to look.
Mandy Patinkin
And they're pretty fattening.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Because you're trying to look hot and sexy.
Mandy Patinkin
Yeah. I want to be attractive to your mother.
Catherine Grody
You've always been attractive.
Mandy Patinkin
Let's talk about that.
Catherine Grody
Even when I wasn't a mother. Anyway, none of these are answering sexy questions.
Mandy Patinkin
What is the most attractive? How do you find it attractive? Is it my eyebrows?
Catherine Grody
I found your curiosity and you're never giving up. Ness. And your eyebrows, which I saved.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
You saved his eyebrows?
Mandy Patinkin
Yes.
Catherine Grody
Because when he was in this one play, Paradise Found, he was playing a unit and so he was going to shave his eyebrows and I said, you can't do that.
Mandy Patinkin
The preacher asked me, shave them?
Catherine Grody
Yes. And I said, no, you will not.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
So you saved his eyebrows from being chauvin. You did. He didn't shave them off. And then you.
Catherine Grody
I don't think is.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Keep them.
Catherine Grody
Yes, I.
Mandy Patinkin
So it's a word.
Catherine Grody
Yeah.
Mandy Patinkin
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Gideon Grodipatenkin
I don't know if anybody has ever said bubble wrap so intensely.
Catherine Grody
And I've been telling dad about this for years, like not drinking out of plastic bottles. But now that Ridwell, they also pick it right up.
Mandy Patinkin
They'll pick it up at your doorstep, too.
Catherine Grody
Yeah. You know, you're so aware of our excess. In November and December, people throw away 25% more stuff. So it is the most important time of year to start wasting less. Between all the extra plastic shipping materials from online shopping and all the food packaging from entertaining and baking from Ridwell helps you keep your waste low. Using Ridwell makes you feel good. So it's selfish in a way. It doesn't just say they recycle more, they actually do it. And right now, through December 22nd, they're running a holiday special. So if you buy two kits, you get a third one free.
Mandy Patinkin
You know what, honey? I want us to talk about Ridwell more often because I've never seen you so excited about a product or anything for that matter.
Catherine Grody
You know, I just realized the name.
Mandy Patinkin
It makes you happier.
Catherine Grody
Ridwell. That's very clever.
Mandy Patinkin
Yes.
Catherine Grody
You know, anyway, you can figure that that out. I did.
Mandy Patinkin
Yeah.
Catherine Grody
To give the gift of Ridwell, just head to ridwell.com don'tlisten gift. It's super easy, really. You can get a digital link to share instantly or if you know their address, have a kit mailed straight to your friends and family. And if you're not using Ridwell yet, treat yourself to one too. Maybe that free third one. So visit ridwell.com don'tlisten gift. Let them know you heard about Ridwell for from this podcast and I'm really happy to share Ridwell with you.
Sarah Levy
This message comes from Fos Feminista. When you give to Fos Feminista, your dollar isn't just a dollar. It's contraception for a woman in Mexico, an exam table for a clinic in Argentina, a vaccine fridge in Nigeria that keeps medicine cold. Your gift can provide health and hope where it's needed most. Learn how your gift can be matched five times@fosfeminista.org podcast.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
We're going to move on to the next question. Yes, this is from Gemma in Australia and it's a voice note so we can put our headphones in there. This is a question several people have asked and you probably have in your life too.
It's definitely worth listen Here is Gemma's note.
Gemma
G', Day, Mandy, Catherine, and Gideon. My name is Gemma, and if you can't already tell from the sound of my voice, I am in fact recording this from Australia. I stumbled across your podcast idea and I thought about how cool it would be to be a part of this new community that you guys are building. And to be able to do that from the other side of the world is actually pretty amazing. So here I am. Hello and g' day from down under. A little about me. I play the trombone. I once lived in a van and traveled around Australia during COVID And I've also had something like 14 different jobs over the years, including things like working in sales. I've been a radio host, a taxi driver, and even a school teacher, just to name a few. Now, I say all of this in the lead up to ask you but one question. Have any of you ever had that moment where you finally feel like an adult? I'm not having a midlife crisis, I promise. I'm only 29 years old.
Catherine Grody
Oh, my God.
Gemma
I've never had that moment. And I'm starting to wonder, what if I never, truly ever feel like an adult. How do you know when you've become who you're meant to be? Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to my mini existential meaning of life crisis. I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Thank you, Gemma.
Catherine Grody
Thank you, Gemma. This is. Gemma is gone.
Mandy Patinkin
Gemma's gone.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
That was just, you know, was there a moment where you felt when you were younger that you were an adult now? Like, was it when you're getting a first job or your driver's license or a first experience or relationship? Or is that.
Sarah Levy
I don't know.
Catherine Grody
I think supporting yourself, not depending on parents.
Separating from your parents in some way about making decisions. I felt very adult when I fell in love with somebody my parents hated when I was like, 22.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Because you still went ahead with it.
Catherine Grody
Because I went ahead and I loved this person and I knew they could not stand him.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Who was it?
Mandy Patinkin
Jeffrey.
Catherine Grody
Jeffrey?
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Oh, yeah.
Catherine Grody
He threw a chicken at you. He did have some.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
If you're out there, that's the reason she would never throw a chicken at her.
Mandy Patinkin
Every other guy she was with threw a chicken at her. Yeah, I'm the only one who did it.
Catherine Grody
I mean, it's interest.
It is interesting. I think you keep redefining what being an adult means. And I don't think one adult is like another. I think it's an individual thumbprint. Do you know like, like fingerprints are all individual. So I hate the idea of somebody saying, you're not acting like an adult. If I'm laughing hysterically, why can't a person my age laugh hysterically?
Gideon Grodipatenkin
I mean, it's interesting to me. We've gotten sort of this question from many, many people.
Catherine Grody
Really?
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Yeah. And like, why are people so interested in this question? Why are we obsessed with this idea of that marker or this idea of progress or growing up? Like, it's interesting how many different people that came from.
Catherine Grody
I mean, does adult mean age or does it adult mean accomplished in your work? Or does adult mean finished with something? Or.
I'm just having this image of the. The butterfly, you know, the caterpillar to the butterfly. And I don't know. It's an interesting question.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
I don't know.
Catherine Grody
I don't think I've ever had a thought in my head where I'm going to be an adult now. And that is going to be my goal. Was it when I became. When I married, when I became a parent, when I, you know, I don't know, just a human? I prefer to be a human and a non defined human, ageless, non defined, non categorizable human. What about you, honey?
Mandy Patinkin
I'm not an adult. Anyone who knows me can attest to that. I'm a child. I will be till the day I die. Any day that I might feel like an adult, I'll wait until that feeling passes, as my mother used to say, and I'll think that I may have died.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Was there a moment like mom had dating somebody that her parents didn't like? That she said, fucking? Anyway, is there a moment from your youth where you felt like, oh, this is, this is a demarcation. I feel like a grown up in a different way than I have before.
Mandy Patinkin
I just remember my mother saying things to Catherine like, well, I know there are no allergies in your family, but there's plenty. And in other words, basically what she would say to you were things like the allergy thing. There were things like, wait till you get to know Mandy, then you won't probably stay, right?
Catherine Grody
No. She said, honey, when you said we were getting married, she said, oh, I thought you'd lose her.
Mandy Patinkin
And when we said, there you go, that's perfect. And when we said, you thought I'd lose her? Yeah, she thought I'd lose her.
Catherine Grody
Yeah.
Mandy Patinkin
That's meaning I'm not good enough for.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Her and she liked me.
Mandy Patinkin
Thank you, Mom.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Nice.
Mandy Patinkin
Yeah, great. Love her. I do love her and gave me.
Catherine Grody
A lot how do you feel about that definition and what?
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Well, I thought it was, you know, I got bar mitzvah. I didn't feel like an adult at 13 years old. You know, it's supposed to be. I had sex when I was 16. I didn't feel like an adult then. I think the big thing that felt like freedom, a new thing, was being able to drive a car.
Catherine Grody
Yeah.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Driving a car by yourself was like, I can bring this body anywhere now. And that was a magical, magical feeling.
Catherine Grody
Do you remember that moment when you were about to go drive across country and it was three in the morning and you put your arms around me and dad and you said, okay, listen, guys, just remember, shit happens. And if anything happens to me, just remember, I've had the best 18 years anybody could have. And then you drove up Amsterdam in the wrong lane, and dad and I were just sobbing, we'll never see him again. Yeah.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Well, I'll say this. A portion of that story is true.
Catherine Grody
That is entirely true story.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
It wasn't three in the morning. It was the morning. I remember I turned left on Amsterdam. But you know what? I don't want to take that away from you.
Catherine Grody
Okay. Thank you.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
And imagination is a wonderful thing.
Catherine Grody
Okay, Gemma, Just enjoy yourself. You're having a wonderful life.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Yeah. Let us know if you ever.
Mandy Patinkin
And I love you.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Feel like you're an adult. Be curious when that happens for you.
Okay, so you guys can put your headphones here.
Mandy Patinkin
And.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
We are going back into.
Our Call a friend segment, and we've got a friend on the line here to help us dive into this next fun question and can say hello to our friends. See if you guys can figure out.
Mandy Patinkin
I know who I did.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Hello, friend.
Catherine Grody
Hello, friend. Hello, hello. Oh, my God.
Sarah Levy
Sarah.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Oh, that didn't take long. It's Sarah Levy.
Sarah Levy
Guessed right.
Catherine Grody
Oh, my God. Well, we had to do a podcast to hear each other's voices.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
We've got on the line our dear friend, Sarah Levy. I grew up thinking that me and Sarah were cousins and found out that we weren't at the age of 12 and was just shocked. And we were very close friends with her family and her mom and dad and her sister. And Sarah is an amazing actress, performer, writer, educator, mom, human being, and one.
Catherine Grody
Of the great laughs on the earth, which I still want a recording of.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Well, we're recording this right now.
Catherine Grody
And get it.
Mandy Patinkin
Laugh like five times already. Keep her laughing.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
How you doing, Sarah?
Sarah Levy
I'm great. I'm so happy to be talking to all of you.
Mandy Patinkin
Who are you happiest the most to be talking to.
Sarah Levy
I'm not gonna fall for that.
Mandy Patinkin
Gideon's the safe answer. Gideon. Gideon's the safe answer.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Well, just for a little more background. Mom, you met Sarah's mom.
Catherine Grody
Yeah.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Who is known as Kretzer Kretz in Hebrew school.
Catherine Grody
Yes. I was utterly miserable. I was 12 or 13, and I had to go to this thing every.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Oh, my God.
Catherine Grody
Becky.
Mandy Patinkin
All right, I'll let her out. Relax, relax. Sorry, listeners.
Catherine Grody
Sorry, listener.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
We all jumped three feet.
Catherine Grody
Wait, we're gonna.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
We're gonna give anyone a heart attack out there. We are. Becky's responsible. So, mom, you were saying you met Kratz real quick?
Catherine Grody
I was utterly distraught. I really. I've never been a suicidal person, but when I think about it, that was as depressed as I've ever gotten. And Sarah's mother, Carol Kretzer Levy, saved my teenage life. She was.
Mandy Patinkin
I've gotten you pretty depressed at times.
Catherine Grody
Yes, honey, but I'm talking about. I didn't know you went.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
She saved your life.
Catherine Grody
She saved my life. She just was so damn funny, and she had such a perspective, and she didn't. She helped me just sort of pass the class, and she became a lifelong friend.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
And, Sarah, your dad was an amazing rabbi.
Sarah Levy
Yes.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
That we all loved.
Gemma
Yeah.
Sarah Levy
He was executive director of the Los Angeles Hillels, which is the college Jewish college organization.
Mandy Patinkin
Rabbi Richard Levy.
Sarah Levy
He was the director of the rabbinical school at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, which is the Reform rabbinical school.
Catherine Grody
He was always our go to person every time we had a question.
Sarah Levy
Same.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
So we've got a question here from Adam. Adam wrote in. Dear Mandy, Catherine and Gideon and Sarah, I'm sure he would have said if he knew you were here with us. Hanukkah is coming up. And I've noticed that in my family, we have celebrated it less and less over the years as the kids have grown up. We used to play the dreidel game and sing the songs and really do eight nights of presents. And now we get the menorah going at the beginning and then kind of get to lighting the candles through the week, if we remember, and just do presents on a night or two. I'm wondering how your Hanukkah or other Jewish holiday celebrations have changed or stayed the same since you were kids, and how important is it to you to maintain those traditions as you get older and your kids get older. Thanks. From Adam. What do you guys think of Adam's question?
Mandy Patinkin
Not so good.
Catherine Grody
Oh, I think it's a great question. Sarah thinks it's a great question.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
What comes up for you, Sarah, right away?
Sarah Levy
Well, one thing I noticed about Adam's great question was that he was noticing things that he and his family do or do not do. And I would. I'm interested in that. I notice that we haven't. We're not celebrating as much as we used to, and I. I'm interested in that. You know, to what extent does Adam feel he. They has control over what the family does. So would you like that to change? Are you happy with how things are, or would you like them to be different?
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Yeah. How is it in your house with the holidays? Do you feel your Hanukkah has stayed similar to when you were a kid? Or is it where.
Sarah Levy
No, it's completely different. Partly because everyone who was in charge of it is dead now.
That's just something we all have to deal with that in. In my family, the siblings, my grandmother and her brother and her stepsister, they would take turns with hosting all the major holidays.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Yeah.
Sarah Levy
And so Hanukkah was at my grandmother's house. And it would be the entire massive family and various, you know, partners, temporary and long lasting. And it was huge. We would have big boxes of presents and the brisket and the singing and the candles and the whole thing. But, you know, my sister and I, well, we moved away and the whole family kind of scattered and there. What. There's not that central home aspect anymore that there used to be. So.
Mandy Patinkin
You know, what I've picked up from this part of the discussion is that if you're gonna choose to be in charge of the holiday celebrations, think twice, because you're gonna be dead.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Don't start something you can't finish.
Mandy Patinkin
That's right.
Catherine Grody
What I realized, one of my problems is I loved Hanukkah when the kids were little. I loved lighting the candles every day. We had little presents in my family. We got little tiny things. And then on the last night of Hanukkah, a big thing.
Mandy Patinkin
And we try to do it for.
Catherine Grody
The grandkids, and we try to do it, but it makes me very nostalgic, you know, for when we had a lot of people over. Now it's just sort of immediate family. Do you find any chosen kin, people that you can sort of recreate what you loved about those bigger events that you've done, or does it stay pretty small?
Sarah Levy
We have done some Hanukkah parties at our house. Not with. Not with presents. I find the presents thing complicated and tricky. So not that. But we have created a new latke recipe that is now, you know, the Next Generations latke recipe.
Mandy Patinkin
But can you say what the nature of it is?
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Yeah. What's the new innovation?
Sarah Levy
Not secret ingredients are some scallions and some sweet potato.
Mandy Patinkin
Oh, nice.
Sarah Levy
It's really good now.
Mandy Patinkin
So it's a sweet potato latke.
Sarah Levy
Well, just like. Just a hint of sweet potato. It's like five regular potatoes to one sweet potato. And then others.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Mandy is diligently writing this down.
Mandy Patinkin
And then what are the other things you put in it?
Sarah Levy
I mean, scallions are part of it. And then. I don't know. I've. My husband has been the one who's been doing make. He's taken that over the latke making.
Catherine Grody
Wow.
Sarah Levy
So that's new, too.
Mandy Patinkin
I need to have a conversation with him because I. I couldn't. I couldn't make them stay together in the pan. I. Something. I. Something. Did I did something wrong?
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Sarah, do you. I don't know if you saw that video I made of them making the latkes, but I walked into the house, and they were both just haggard, messy hair, sweating buckets, just full of anger, rage, and confusion.
Mandy Patinkin
Full of latke. Full of latke.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Just trying to make these.
Gemma
Yeah.
Catherine Grody
And also because it was something you could count on over the years, and suddenly we couldn't recreate it, right? Yes.
Mandy Patinkin
Why do you think Andy Kaufman's character in Taxi was named Latke?
Sarah Levy
Oh, good.
Catherine Grody
Good question.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
It's funny. Funny to name a character after a potato pancake.
Catherine Grody
So do you look forward to the holiday, Sarah, or does it make you sad for what the differences are? Or both.
Sarah Levy
It's both. I mean, some of it is, you know, knowing and mourning the fact that I can't recreate it. I can't give my own child the same thing that we had because people are not here and we live in a different place. And so it definitely reminds me of that kind of loss.
Gemma
But also.
Sarah Levy
That'S how it is. And, you know, I guess for me, one of the things I think about is, well, okay, if I tune out other people's voices and other noise of what am I supposed to do? What would so and so want me to do? And then it can kind of become okay, but what's important to me? What do I want? So trying for that.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Yeah.
Do you guys have any specific Hanukkah memories from childhood? Mom, dad?
Mandy Patinkin
Yeah, I got baseball cards often on the nights, or a set of jacks, you know, little presents. I'd get one big present, which is Usually something for my Lionel train set, like a car or an accessory. But most of the nights were little presents, which I really love. Baseball cards. I love the. I love the bubble gum in them. I love the jacks. Marbles. Got special marbles. Paddle balls. We got paddle balls from we folks. Toy store. And those are the things I remember.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Did you do a lot of singing of songs?
Mandy Patinkin
Yeah. Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel. I made it out of clay when it's dry and ready.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Hey.
These are all good.
Mandy Patinkin
Everything they sang in Diary of Anne Frank, the big.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
These are all good for the podcast. All public domain. If you're ever in the mood for a song that you don't need the rights to just sing some Hanukkah songs.
Mandy Patinkin
I'm curious, Sarah, with Connor, what do you say to him on holidays or special occasions of the wisdom nature or not wisdom, even things that you want him to really get into his soul, that you use the holiday to highlight that you. You know, that you just. Is there something that you constantly repeat that your mom and dad said or.
I.
Sarah Levy
We. I think there. There's something that we.
That has remained a tradition, which is a constant family disagreement of how much to do versus how little to do. So my dad would always want to sing more songs and do more of this. And then the rest of the family was sort of like, enough already. Let's eat. So, you know, I think I faced that with my own child of wanting to do the things and sometimes his not so much wanting to.
But I. The singing is. It feels important. The lighting the candles feels really important. And talking about light and miracles and hope feels important.
Catherine Grody
Yeah.
Mandy Patinkin
What was your dad's favorite song of the ones he loved to keep pounding out?
Sarah Levy
Oh, man. Anyone. That was really long.
It would take a really long time. I think Ma Oz Tsur was one that he.
Mandy Patinkin
Is that the one?
What about the. But on Passover days.
All the verses of Khad Gad Yah. Did your dad do all those verses?
Sarah Levy
Yes, we would do those verses. And we. We still do that with. We do different sounds for the different animals. So everyone takes apart.
Mandy Patinkin
All right. Because you do the English version.
Sarah Levy
Yeah, we do the English version.
Mandy Patinkin
Yeah.
Catherine Grody
I must say, Sarah, that I think light. Any ceremony that brings light at this time is really important to do, whether it's Hanukkah or every Friday night.
You know, I heard as I was listening to a podcast about the human being extinct, I heard the very same guy that wrote a book about that saying, hope is an act of resistance. So that's what I've decided to take with me on this day.
Sarah Levy
One thing I love about the story of Hanukkah is that it, you know, it's a minor holiday. It's not in the, you know, five books of Moses, and it came up later. So there is, to me, a kind of choose your own adventure of, okay, how do you want to celebrate it? You can.
Catherine Grody
Yeah.
Mandy Patinkin
And I love that you don't like the. Yeah, I love that you don't like the present part, because that's the part that they added to compete with Christmas.
Sarah Levy
Yeah, it's true.
Gemma
It's.
Mandy Patinkin
It's commercialism. It's. It's. It's. Yeah, it was commercialism, period. You know, a way to make money for. I mean, toy.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
That's the part they added to Christmas, too, you know.
Catherine Grody
Yeah, the presence.
Sarah Levy
The presence.
Catherine Grody
Yeah, that's right.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Well, I mean, the next year, after Jesus died, they didn't.
Catherine Grody
Wasn't present.
Mandy Patinkin
Are you serious?
Gideon Grodipatenkin
I don't know. I'm not. I'm not a biblical scholar. That's just my guess.
Mandy Patinkin
I can't imagine that's true.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
But wait, there's this one question that I like, which is, you know.
Can we. Should we. How do we give our kids the same experiences we had? You know, I think we feel sometimes, like, compelled to repeat what our parents did with us or the good things of their. Like, to honor them or because we had good memories.
Mandy Patinkin
Tradition.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Yeah, tradition. But then I think sometimes nowadays we go, oh, that's not really necessary. But we don't always make new traditions. I think it's one thing if you let go of the old stuff because you didn't find it that meaningful, but then you kind of gotta find some new stuff. And that's, I think, a thing in our family, as close as we are, that I'd really like to do better at just even whether it's connected to the past or your ancestors or just, like, making new traditions and rituals, I think is such a fun thing to do, especially for kids.
Catherine Grody
Yeah.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
And we, so far, aren't great at it.
Mandy Patinkin
No, but it's great. I mean, it takes in my favorite word, which is connect. Because if you do the old traditions and it connects you to the old times, the old folks, etc. If you do the new ones, it's connecting you to the needy people in the world. The world, the planet, the people suffering in places. And, you know, what. What. What should we wish for them? What should we send them? You know, that's part of donations Money, food, light, you know, life support. But I think.
Catherine Grody
I think it's also a way you can. You can share your experiences, Sarah, or I can share mine as a part of a storytelling thing. You know, just like you share stories of ancient ancestors and bring them back to your table with stories that are just wonderful to hear without the comparison to your own new rituals. I would also include feeling, you know, lame in comparison.
Mandy Patinkin
I would also encourage all parents and grandparents to ask their children what they would like to do, what tradition they would like to create, or one of the old ones that they heard about from grandmas or grandpas or great grandmas or great grandpas, or what they heard about in school or the world or from a friend and let them invent a new tradition. I think they'd feel very proud about that. Yeah.
Catherine Grody
Yeah.
Mandy Patinkin
Did I lose you on that one?
Sarah Levy
No, no. I was thinking. I was thinking.
Mandy Patinkin
That's okay.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
You can feel free thinking. Thinking is good. Thinking is good.
Mandy Patinkin
That's something I never do.
Sarah Levy
Well, there's a disagreement that I love about Hanukkah, and we go with the second one, but there was a disagreement between Rabbi Hillel and Rabbi Shammai in days of yore. That's a technical term. And Shammai thought that there should be. We should light. We should start with lighting eight candles the first night and then go less and less each night. And Hillel thought, no, we should start from none and go all the way to 8. And Hillel, as usual, won.
Mandy Patinkin
Why did he win?
Sarah Levy
Well, I mean, Shammais was kind of depressing. I think of, like, oh, we're gonna start at 8, and then we're gonna.
Hanukkah.
So who else is more fun?
Catherine Grody
But absolutely.
Sarah Levy
What are the ways, I think, for Hanukkah specifically? How do we want to increase joy, light, giving, hope?
I really like thinking about those questions.
Catherine Grody
Yeah, I agree.
Mandy Patinkin
I'm writing them down so I don't forget to mention them when we're sitting with the youngins. Yeah, well, and the old ones.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Sarah, will you let us. Will you let us know how your Hanukkah, this upcoming Hanukkah, goes for you and. And what new things or old things you did and how you were able to incorporate those things.
Sarah Levy
And, oh, man, it's gonna be amazing.
Catherine Grody
But, you know, and here's. Here's what I was gonna say, that.
Sarah Levy
Newer ones, to me, newer songs of. This isn't so new, but Adam Sandler's the Hanukkah Song, and now David Diggs. I don't Know if you've heard this one, but puppy for Hanukkah.
Catherine Grody
Oh, what does it have, David Diggs?
Mandy Patinkin
What is it? Did you say uppie?
Sarah Levy
Puppy.
Dog for Hanukkah.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Okay, we're gonna listen to that.
Sarah Levy
That one I didn't have when I was growing up. Now it's just. Yeah, we love it.
Mandy Patinkin
And what is Adam Sandler's Hanukkah song called?
Sarah Levy
I think it's just called the Hanukkah song.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
The Hanukkah song.
Mandy Patinkin
Okay, good.
Sarah Levy
I cry when I hear it.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Oh, yeah, it's still golden. It's a good 30 years old.
Catherine Grody
Yeah, well, it's gonna be new to me, so thank you for introducing me.
Sarah Levy
Oh, you're gonna love it.
Catherine Grody
And Sarah, Sarah, here's a really radical idea that we can start seeing if we can arrange now. Can I come to your house for one night of Hanukkah?
Sarah Levy
Oh, yeah.
Catherine Grody
Okay, great. All right.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
And will you come to ours?
Catherine Grody
And will you come to ours, wherever that may be? Yes, please.
Sarah Levy
24 7. Joy, hope and miracles.
Catherine Grody
Okay, that's beautiful.
Mandy Patinkin
If possible, could I get there with Katharine before your sweetheart makes the latkes so that I could have a hands on lesson?
Sarah Levy
Yes, you can.
Mandy Patinkin
That would be helpful.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
And then when you guys come over here, we'll teach you these stressed out. Cursing, angry, sweating, miserable.
Catherine Grody
Just so you have really a lot.
Sarah Levy
Of choice, new traditions for everyone.
Catherine Grody
Let us, let us find out on the calendar when that is so we can start working on it. Maybe make it happen.
Sarah Levy
Yes, I love that.
Catherine Grody
Okay, love to all of you.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Will you talk to us some other time about something else?
Sarah Levy
Yes, anything.
Mandy Patinkin
Thank you, Sarah. And the check's in the mail.
Sarah Levy
Okay, love you all.
Catherine Grody
Bye, Sarah.
Mandy Patinkin
Bye.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Good girl, Becky. Becky has joined us once again. She was outside looking for a squirrel. She's back. She has received a liver treat, which I tried last episode.
Catherine Grody
He really did try to eat that. That was the most frightening thing.
Mandy Patinkin
You almost didn't make it to this episode.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
It was not one of my better decisions.
Catherine Grody
You know, I've read that I. I read that dogs don't have much.
Mandy Patinkin
Don't make that feeling.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
The dog has now been looking for more affection and she is annoyed.
Catherine Grody
Don't. Dogs don't have any taste buds. All their sensory stuff is olfactory in their noses. They have like 200 extra sensory things in their noses than we do, but not much.
Mandy Patinkin
She comes up to you and asks for a little love, and you go, you know, did you want to see what you did?
Catherine Grody
You go, she didn't see me, honey.
Mandy Patinkin
She feels everything.
Catherine Grody
Well, she. My face said one thing and my hand did something.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Don't you think mom has been generous in her co ownership of the dog?
Catherine Grody
Yes, I have.
Mandy Patinkin
No, that's why I brought it up. I wanted to thank generosity and love that she's given the family and especially Becky.
Sarah Levy
Becky.
Catherine Grody
Yes.
Mandy Patinkin
I can't. I can't put it in.
Catherine Grody
This is a good shirt. That's why I don't want her snuffling all over it.
Mandy Patinkin
Well, don't wear a good shirt.
Catherine Grody
Well, I didn't know Becky.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
All right, guys, I think that's all the time we have this week. Thank you to Sarah for calling in. Thank you, Becky, for her barking.
Mandy Patinkin
Gemma.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Gemma, we want to hear from you. You can send us your latke recipes or holiday recipes or spicy jello molds. What have new traditions. Old traditions.
Mandy Patinkin
Remind me to tell the story of cousin Gilly and the green jello.
Catherine Grody
Oh, yeah, that's a good one.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
We will have that story next time, I'm sure.
Mandy Patinkin
Worth tuning in for.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Yes. And we want to hear anything and everything from you. You can send us an email@askmandyandcatherinemail.com or check out our socials for an easy way to send us a voice note. Thanks so much for tuning in. And please remember, don't listen to us. Don't do it.
Catherine Grody
Don't.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Bye.
Mandy Patinkin
Hey.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
We couldn't say goodbye.
Mandy Patinkin
We wanted you to know one more thing.
Catherine Grody
Oh.
It is.
Mandy Patinkin
I can't remember. It was such a special thing. It was the kind of thing that really changes the course of one's day and kind of turns your whole life around in such a positive way.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Oh, yeah. You were gonna share that?
Mandy Patinkin
Oh, my.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Oh, it's so.
Mandy Patinkin
Wish I could remember.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
So moving.
Catherine Grody
It is so. That's one of my favorites too.
Mandy Patinkin
Oh, I remember.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Oh, what is it?
Catherine Grody
Oh, but we don't have time.
Mandy Patinkin
Honey, if you hadn't just said that, I might have. Okay, I just lost it again.
Gideon Grodipatenkin
Don't Listen to Us is a Lemonada Media original hosted by Mandy Patinkin, Kathryn Grody and Gideon Grody Patinkin. Created by Katrina Onstad, Debbie Pacheco and Gideon Grody Patinkin. Executive producers are Catherine Grody, Gideon Grody Padinkin, Mandy Padinkin, Katrina Onstadt, Debbie Pacheco, Jessica Cordova Kramer and Stephanie Whittles Wax. Our engineer is Ryan Derringer of Welterweight sound. Video and audio production by Mark Whiteway of Bellows Media. If you haven't subscribed to Lemonada Media Premium yet. Now's the perfect time. You can hear Don't Listen to us completely ad free. Plus you'll unlock exclusive bonus content like behind the scenes conversations, questions so weird they didn't make it on air, Becky the Dog shenanigans, and more. Just tap the subscribe button on Apple podcasts. Head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe on any other app, or listen ad free on Amazon Music with your prime membership. That's lemonadapremium.com don't miss out.
Don’t Listen To Us with Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody (feat. Gideon Grody Patinkin & guest Sarah Levy) – Lemonada Media
Date: December 10, 2025
This episode blends existential musings with family chaos, focusing on what “feeling like an adult” actually means in modern life, and how holiday (especially Jewish) traditions change over time. Hosts Mandy, Kathryn, and son Gideon—alongside guest Sarah Levy—explore listener questions with their signature mix of humor, candor, and warmth, sharing memories, recipes, and advice for revising rituals to fit evolving families.
On feeling like an adult:
On evolving tradition:
Funny/Endearing:
With unfiltered honesty and warmth, the Patinkin-Grody family (plus Sarah) affirm that adulthood is not a fixed destination and that traditions are meant to serve joy, connection, and meaning—not static repetition. Listeners are encouraged to honor old rituals but not be afraid to invent new ones, to cherish community, and to remember that hope—like lighting another candle each night—is always an act of resistance and renewal.
Send your own questions or stories to the show—or just listen for the comfort and laughter.