‘None of your business!’

An Orthodox man named Michael Greenfield walks into a Manhattan bar for a business meeting that includes another Orthodox man, Abraham (Ushy) Schwartz.

Mr. Schwartz is sitting there with a kippah on his head. When Mr. Greenfield enters the bar, his head is bare.

“Michael,” Mr. Schwartz exclaims, “where’s your kippah?”

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Mr. Greenfield answers, with some embarrassment: “When I go to bars, I tend to not behave, and therefore I take my kippah off. I don’t want to give a bad name to the Jewish world.”

This scenario happened about five years ago. It wouldn’t happen today.

“After October 7, I changed my philosophy to adapt to what’s happening now,” Mr. Greenfield said. “I decided I’d rather behave in a bar and wear my kippah proudly everywhere I go.

“If someone has a problem with that, let them cross the street and walk away. I don’t need to work on convincing you. This is who I am.

“And if you stand with us, come with me and I’ll buy you a drink.”

Mr. Greenfield is CEO of Montvale-based Prime Source Expense Experts, a company that helps eldercare facilities across the country craft and then stick to a budget. A little more than four years ago, he hired Mr. Schwartz, a fellow Rockland County resident, as director of sales and business development.

In June, the two men launched a Jewish podcast called “None of Your Business,” sponsored by Prime Source and recorded onsite.

“Everything happens for a reason,” Mr. Greenfield said. “Experiencing that story with Ushy, who’s now my partner on the podcast — and sharing that story with you that’s none of anybody’s business — is exactly why we’re doing this podcast called ‘None of Your Business.’”

For many years, Mr. Greenfield has given a guest lecture to business students at Yeshiva University, his alma mater, about the challenges of being Jewish in the workplace.

“To be honest, 10 years ago it was difficult to talk to the students about the challenges of traveling and keeping kosher,” he said. “I did not wear my kippah when I traveled in Kentucky, and I used to talk about that, about feeling a little threatened sometimes. It’s the exact opposite now.”

Now he welcomes opportunities, such as identifying publicly as Jewish in the secular working world, “to do a kiddush Hashem, to sanctify God’s name.”

Today, Mr. Greenfield continued, “there are so many beautiful Jewish learning programs instituted in businesses that integrate Jewish philosophy and faith within the organization. Non-Jewish people are curious about our life. In our own company, we bring a rabbi lecturer once a month to speak to people about growing spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.”

Mr. Greenfield said the podcast fills a void that he and Mr. Schwartz felt was present.

“There are already podcasts such as ‘Kosher Money’ and ‘Inspiration for the Nation,’” he said. “We wanted to have a mix of professional and personal growth. We wanted to bring listeners inspiration, controversy, and actionable insights every week. We wanted to discuss and debate topics that might seem like none of anyone’s business but are crucial for growth and positivity — things that people are discussing at the Shabbos table, such as the challenges of raising children and making a living in today’s environment.”

The co-hosts choose guests “who will share not just meaningful, inspirational stuff that makes us feel good, but that helps us understand how we can grow in our own lives, personally and professionally, with a heavy emphasis on their Jewish background,” he said.

One guest was Eli Rowe, founder and president of Hatzolah Air, the global aviation division of the Jewish emergency-response nonprofit organization Hatzolah.

“We didn’t interview Eli to be inspired by him, but to find out how an ordinary guy does extraordinary things,” Mr. Greenfield said.

Another guest was Faygee Morgenshtern of Franklin Lakes, who described her evolution from growing up in a chasidic community to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the healthcare industry.

Criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Peter Tilem of Teaneck came on to explain the legal responsibilities that come with concealed carry, the challenges of navigating gun laws in states such as New York, and the real-life consequences of self-defense incidents. This is a hot topic, as more and more Jews consider carrying a weapon for self-defense.

Another episode featured Aron Wieder, a Rockland County legislator running for the New York State Assembly. The discussion delved into Mr. Weider’s unexpected political journey, his responsibilities as a local politician, and the challenges of balancing public service with family life.

“None of Your Business” is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RSS, Instagram, and TikTok. It’s produced by Prime Source’s director of strategic partnerships, Stephen Gruenebaum, a longtime resident of Rockland County.

Mr. Greenfield and Mr. Schwartz both live in the Monsey area. Mr. Schwartz grew up there; Mr. Greenfield was raised in Brooklyn.

“Ushy and I couldn’t be more different,” Mr. Greenfield said. “His Jewish upbringing was in Rockland County, a safe environment filled with trees and deer, while I was wearing brass knuckles and had mace in my pocket to make it to school in Brooklyn. The fundamental commonality that makes us work well together is that we’re transparent to a fault.

“We’ll argue or debate on the podcast, but we’ll do it respectfully. We know that our children are listening, that people we respect are listening.”

His rabbi and mentor, Simcha Bunim Berger, is also a loyal listener. But Mr. Greenfield points out that not every listener is Jewish. For example, it was William Grant, a non-Jewish Prime Source employee, who initiated contact with this newspaper about the podcast. Mr. Grant said, “I never thought in a million years I’d be fascinated by Jewish topics, but I listen to every episode.”

By the way, the podcast is not Mr. Greenfield’s only side endeavor. During Sukkot, he will be in Israel to launch his brainchild officially. It’s a vending machine at the Kotel — Western Wall — selling 10-shekel shirts for visitors who follow the custom of symbolically tearing their garment in mourning for the two destroyed temples that stood on the Temple Mount above the Kotel.