On the air: Siblings start podcast to educate and entertain

Two Bay Ridge kids have made the most of their isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jannah Patel, 8, and her brother Zak, 6, have been remote learning since March 2020. During that time, they created a podcast called “JZ Friends,” using humor to inform their peers about a variety of subjects.

“We started listening to a podcast called ‘Who Smarted’ and thought it would be cool to make our own podcast about the things we like to learn about,” said Jannah. “I used to write stories with my friend in school since first grade. We would make a book series, writing and illustrating the book for fun, but now that we are home I write my own.”

The first episode was a read-aloud for kids interested in superheroes and adventure. Another was a scientific exploration of how bubble gum was created. They’ve also done shows about Black History Month, Women’s History Month and Ramadan. 

“My sister and I always used to pretend we had our own show and we always wanted one,” Zak said. “Sometimes we just think about it or we do books that we like. And sometimes we just see something and it makes me think of the podcast and think, oh that would be a good episode.”

Family and friends have been supportive of the venture.

“Our family really likes our podcast,” said Jannah. “They request episodes and get so excited about it. Our school also gave a request for an episode.”

“JZ Friends” is available on all podcast streaming platforms, including iTunes and Spotifty.