Jewish Philanthropy Podcast · Dovid M Cohen

It's Still Rock n Roll to Me - David Fishof

·1 hr 2 min·4 clips

Mordechai Ben David took Fishoff to vassikin, mikvah, and learning for two weeks in Israel.

JPP opens with David M. Cohen welcoming David Fishoff and introducing him as someone who has worked in both sports and music. Fishoff settles into the conversation quickly. He says his number one accomplishment is that he kept his Yiddishkeit. From there, the interview turns into a mix of biography and memory. He explains that he did not go to Israel, even though he wishes he had. His father wanted him to learn in America instead. After high school he spent time at Breuer's Beis Medrash and then went to Baruch College. College was hard for him, and he says ADD was part of why. He also says he was writing for the Jewish Press during that period. That writing led to a column called "Heaven Entertainment." For five years he interviewed comedians, singers, and other people with some connection to Judaism. He tells the story of calling the Yankees to arrange an interview with Ron Bloomberg. Marty Appel, then in PR, helped make it happen. The episode then moves into the Catskills. Fishoff remembers staying at Camp T'gola while booking acts. That opens the door to more camp memories. He and Cohen trade names and places with easy recognition. The conversation keeps circling the overlap between Jewish life, entertainment, and public work in his story. They also talk about Israel and what it was like seeing his movie there. Fishoff describes meeting rebbeim who appreciated rock and roll. Cohen keeps the tone light and curious. The interview gives Fishoff room to explain how family, schooling, writing, camp work, and public life fit together. By the end, the episode feels like a warm communal conversation more than a polished media segment. It lands on shared memory, not argument. That is the point.

As heard by us

A loose, warmly Jewish career story that keeps circling back to identity, camp, and community.

David Fishoff comes across as both a career figure and a deeply observant Jew, and the conversation keeps those sides in view without forcing them apart. David M.

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Why you'd press play

Want a Jewish-philanthropy interview with camp stories, showbiz history, and a big career arc?

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