Today, I’m speaking with Rivky Rothenberg. Rivky is a CPA and financial coach who helps families make sense of their money and build a strong, values-based financial foundation.  She works with couples to create clear, practical systems at home so they can raise children with healthy money habits and avoid the patterns that lead to entitlement. She also guides engaged and newlywed couples through the early financial decisions that shape their future, helping them get organized, communicate well, and start off on the same page.  Drawing on her background in accounting and years of hands-on experience, Rivky focuses on giving families both clarity and tools—so they can feel confident in their finances and in the example they’re setting for the next generation. I loved speaking with Rivky because money is one of those things that is still a bit taboo and nice to speak about with a real professional, someone who has seen a lot and can speak from that experience. In the episode, we speak about: -How she got into financial coaching -The language we can use to speak to our kids about money even from a young age so they develop a healthy mindset around it. -How to speak to teens and older kids about money in a way that makes sense to them and teaches them the value of it -How to deal with money differences that come up in marriage, which almost always happens as each person comes in with their own money styles, backgrounds and triggers -How to develop more emunah and bitachon into your money mindset …and so much more! For more from Rivky or to work with her, visit rivkyrothenberg.com.

Hi everyone! Welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal and today I have Gila Levitt on the show.  Gila is aTorah Marriage and Intimacy Specialist with over 20 years of experience empowering Jewish women to create emotionally connected, deeply fulfilling marriages. As the creator of Heart of Marriage: Soul Satisfying Oneness, she blends timeless Torah values with the latest research in emotional intelligence, brain science, and relational well-being. Gila’s work is grounded, warm, and deeply respectful on each woman’s inner world. She offers not just guidance—but clarity, chizuk, and a path forward for the woman who wants to become her best, most authentic self in her marriage. Through mindset shifts, emotional insight, and practical tools, she helps women align with who they truly want to be—in marriage and in life.   This episode was one I wasn’t sure I wanted to do to be totally honest. It covers a really vulnerable topic and one that isn’t often spoken about publicly. That being said, it’s an important one, one that affects every marriage and every woman in some way so when Gila reached out, I really thought it through and it felt like a good opportunity to delve into things a little more. Because intimacy is such a private thing, it can be one women don’t really feel comfortable getting help on or seeking support if they need it and I’m hoping this episode will help break a little bit of that stigma. In the episode we cover a lot — from what intimacy actually looks like in a Torah marriage — the mindset around it and the body-soul relationship to practical ways to achieve more connection to it if it’s something that’s hard for you. We speak about the differences between men and women in general and in this space that could be coming up and realistic expectations to have around its impact on your marriage. For more from Gila, visit heartofmarriage.org or reach out to Gila at [email protected]. For more classes from Gila on Kol Halashon, click here. -- If there is someone you want to see on The Chai on Life Podcast, email me at [email protected] or send me a DM @chaionlifemag.

Hi everyone! Welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. This episode is one that is long awaited for me to release. It is my birth story from my third son that happened over the summer. As I share in the podcast, with Chai on Life we often speak about self-growth, spirituality, connection to Hashem, self-love and compassion and more all along those lines, so it feels like a missed opportunity not to share how I have grown through the experience of giving birth for a third time with all its struggles, fears and emotions. This episode is giving a real glimpse into where my brain was at both then and now and how my relationship with Hashem has grown and changed throughout the last six months. They say that when you give birth, you're not just giving birth to a baby but to a mother. I believe that happens anew each time. So here, my story. If there is someone you want to see on The Chai on Life Podcast, email me at [email protected] or send me a DM @chaionlifemag. See you next week!

Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal, and today I am speaking with Raquel Kirszenbaum, a well-known teacher in Israel and now author of the book, “Stop hurting, Start Healing.” The book is based on her personal journey which has been really fraught with hardship in many ways. The goal is to show that those difficulties do not define her. In her book, she details the emunah that she had to draw on to overcome those challenges and hard relationships. She hopes in her vulnerability, she can help others feel seen, heard and understood; to accept, forgive, let go and strive for greatness. She is a baal teshuva herself. She was born in Venezuela and moved to Panama when she was six. After high school, she went to Israel and that started to change her life. In our conversation, she speaks more about that backstory — she then got married and after struggling for many years had children but things unfortunately didn’t turn out in her marriage as hoped. She doesn’t go into the details of everything that happened as a way to respect her kids and still respect her ex-husband which is astounding, and which of course, I completely respect. For context in the episode, she was in a very difficult marriage yet stayed in it believing it would get better when all of a sudden, something occurred and he left the home. So overnight essentially, she was divorced and became a single mother. Of course, this is heavy stuff. This episode gets REAL, it gets really deep. She really takes us there into all of her emotions, the trauma of going through a divorce that happened so suddenly. The pain and challenge of being fully alone as a single mother with little to no family help around her. Helping her kids through their own traumas as they cope with losing their father from their lives at the same time as she lost her husband. She speaks about how others can also help in a real way that is dignified and respectful which I think is such an important topic to discuss. Everyone has challenges in life, and some are objectively harder than others. It’s an important reminder to look around, remember who needs help, even if it’s just something super small and how something so little can make a huge difference in someone else’s world. While our interview is heavy, I really came out of it feeling inspired. Raquel is such a beacon of strength. She has fought for her relationship with Hashem and continues to regularly. She does not let her challenges define her, rather she is using them to propel her to an even higher level of greatness. Follow Raquel on Instagram. Email Raquel at [email protected]. Get her book, "Stop Hurting, Start Healing."

Meet Ellie Azerad, the author of Frum Minimalism. This episode is ALL about decluttering your home to make it a more pleasant place for you to live. In this episode, we dive into: -How to start decluttering your home and why it will benefit you -How to make this process last and not allow your home to get cluttered again -How your connection to Hashem and spirituality fit into this process -How to deal with it in regards to kids — how to get them involved and deal with the amount of stuff they bring into the home -PESACH: How to get ready in time for Pesach so you can arrive at the holiday calm instead of stressed and anxious -Letting go of the scarcity mindset And SO much more!   To get in touch with Ellie and to find more resources from her, visit frumminimalism.com.  If you have a guest you'd like to see on the Chai on Life podcast, email [email protected] or send me a DM at @chaionlifemag. Thanks for listening!

Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal and today, I am speaking with Rebecca Ashkenas, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over a decade of experience as a therapist. She specializes in treating teens and adult women facing anxiety, depression, and OCD. She has expertise in reproductive mental health challenges, including perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, infertility, and pregnancy loss. She serves as a clinical supervisor as well as the Director of the Women’s Health Track at Achieve Behavioral Health in Monsey, NY. Rebecca also offers compassionate therapeutic support for adolescents and adults through her virtual private practice. In our conversation we speak about all of those things listed so if anything that she focuses on may be a trigger for you feel free to skip this episode. That being said, we get real about those topics and she gives such great advice on what to do if you find yourself going through something like infertility, pregnancy loss, or on the flip side, a difficult postpartum period or a more serious perinatal disorder. We also speak a lot about how to support a friend in those situations. As women moving through life, we know how common all of these things are and talking more about them is the best way to be aware and bring everything to light so we’re not afraid to ask for the help we need and also offer it to someone else around us. We also speak about the general pressure and load that women take on in any stage and how we can really work to manage all of that with our sanity intact, what true self-care may look like and ensure that we’re really living a life according to our values, not just our growing to-do lists. Hope you get a lot out of it! If you want to reach out to Rebecca, you can email her at [email protected].

Today, I am speaking with Batya Sherizen, who is the author of the newly released book, “Dying to Be Me,” which speaks about her personal journey through a harrowing life-threatening condition she was diagnosed with when she was pregnant with her sixth child. During the pregnancy, she had to be on bed rest for months, live in the hospital for a month at a certain point and ultimately, give birth via C-section in an incredibly scary and truly dangerous surgery that she almost didn’t survive. This book speaks about that experience and so much more. She explains it as an “eye-opening memoir about self-acceptance, love and embracing the present.” I don’t have favorite episodes because I truly love all of the guests and conversations I have yet this one left a particularly strong impact on me because of its depth and the vulnerability Batya shared when telling more about her story and all she went through. In the episode, we speak about -The type of person Batya was before this experience and how she has evolved since -How she lived with the idea thinking death could be coming and how it changed her day-to-day world -What “living up to her potential” now means to her and how that view differs from the past -What it was like going through this experience while also being a mother to five other children — we go really in depth here into the reaction her kids had, what it was like when she couldn’t physically be present for them, the self-love and acceptance she went through as a mom, woman and so much more -Her relationship with Hashem and how that has completely evolved and grown -Her relationship with her husband throughout this experience and how afterward, they both went about working through all that happened …and so much more! To get Batya's Book, click here.

Welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal, and today, I am speaking with Nilli Grutman. Nilli is a functional nutritionist who works with women to feel empowered and in control of their health. She has a degree in biochemistry and nutritional sciences and really looks at health from a macro approach to see the full picture of what her clients are dealing with. She helps them identify the root causes of hormonal imbalances and offers natural tools, evidence-based nutrition and sustainable practices to restore that hormonal balance in the body and nurture lasting self-care. In the episode we speak about: -What you should talk to your doctor about at your annual visit and what labs to ask for to get a better view of how you’re doing health-wise and hormonally as well as when to get them — she also shares a list that you can bring to your doctor which I’m including in the show notes -What inflammation actually is and how to understand its presence in your body -If everyone should be getting their hormones tested -What it means if it takes longer to get pregnant than you think it “should” — this was a super interesting conversation and honestly quite calming -The effect our reproductive health has on the rest of our bodies whether or not you are trying to conceive -The impact stress and anxiety have on the body and how we can begin to manage that -Nilli’s opinion on the role of a GLP-1 when it comes to weight and health management, plus what you must make sure you are doing if you are on one -How we can work to create a life of balance in an unbalanced world — and I say work intentionally because it is a process and one that is ever-changing For Nilli's complete list of what to test for at your next doctor's appointment (as referenced in the episode), click here. If you want to work with Nilli, you can get in touch with her via nourisheddaily.com.

Hi everyone! Welcome back to The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal and today, we are speaking with Dating Coach and Former Today Show Psychologist Jackie Glaser. I’ve known Jackie for 12 years. She was really influential on my Jewish journey. I was on a trip to Israel the summer after I graduated college which is when I met her — she taught us at the seminary Neve Yerushalayim and then she basically convinced me to stay in Israel and do another program for six weeks. That fall, after I was back, she was in New York and started a program that we called Souled — which was a weekly Jewish learning class which changed my life and introduced me to some of my best friends. If you know Jackie, you know she is a powerhouse. She has changed so many lives with her teaching and now is helping so many through her dating coaching. She is using her psychology skills and her own experience of working on herself to help other singles do any work that could help them become more ready to meet and marry their soulmate. She also coaches married women in her courses. In this podcast, we speak about: -Jackie’s experience being single and how she worked on her relationship with Hashem to find peace in that and ultimately, meet her husband -What it really means to surrender to Hashem and she shares real exercises you can do today in order to help you get there -How to know what type of therapy is right for you and if you’re stuck in talk therapy, where you can go from there -Why we may experience trauma and how to work through it so we can heal -Why you should run away from someone who is trying to tell you reasons why you’re single -How to deal with the pain of being single without turning it into suffering -More about her course offerings and why the work she does is so powerful -Practical tools and resources we can turn to to work on our trust in Hashem …and so much more! Other resources mentioned in the podcast: -Jackie's website -Listen to Jackie on The Inside Out Podcast to learn even more about her journey and get more wisdom from her -Build your strength in Hashem with dailybitachon.com -Watch Tzipora Grodko's content for more support If there is a topic or person you want to see on The Chai on Life Podcast, send me a DM on Instagram at @chaionlifemag or send an email to [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Hi everyone! Welcome to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal and today, we’re diving into the deep, spiritual world of mikvah and the mitzvah of Taharat HaMishpacha, or the laws of family purity. NOTE: While all of our podcasts are targeted to women, this one specifically is for women, as per the request of the speaker. Also an important note, I know this is a mitzvah that not everyone may be able to participate in right now for various reasons, so if it’s a sensitive topic, that is totally okay and you can feel free to skip this one if it’s not for you. This is a big one. Mikvah is kind of a mystical topic and has so much power. So this week, I am speaking with Miriam Goldberg. Miriam is a renowned educator who lives in Sanhedria, Jerusalem with her husband Rabbi Yitzchak Goldberg. Both she and her husband have been involved in teaching and guiding chassanim and kallahs for more than a decade as well as providing halachic and martial counseling for married couples. Together, they wrote a book called Wellsprings of Taharah, which is a guide complete with halachic and hashkafic guidance about this important mitzvah. They are also the founders of the Chizuk Series website, where they offer in-person and recorded sessions for men and women in taharat hamishpacha, shalom bait, emunah and tefilah which have become popular internationally. Miriam is actually launching a new series that goes way more in-depth into this topic starting on June 16 so if you like what you hear in this episode and want to learn more, you can join here! In this episode, we speak about: -Why the mitzvah of mikvah can become bland and rote over time and what to do about it -Why it’s so important to continue learning about the mitzvah and its laws after you’re married, not just before -Important perspective on how to love the mitzvah more if it’s one you’re struggling with -Why the investment in the mitzvah is so important and some really powerful stories around that -Why the mitzvah of mikvah may be harder in our generation -Why the mikvah waters provide a unique spiritual environment to connect to Hashem -How to get more out of your entire mikvah prep and the experience once you’re there -Tips to make the niddah period easier if it’s hard for you -How to connect to mikvah night after you've had an argument with your husband and feel emotionally disconnected …and SO MUCH MORE Miriam is just a fountain of information and a wealth of knowledge and she shares deep and powerful concepts in a really attainable and truly thought-provoking way. Hope you enjoy! If there's a woman you want to see here or a topic you want featured, send an email to [email protected] or send a DM to @chaionlifemag. Thanks so much!