I recently opened a box of my middle school journals, and found the question that has followed me for nearly twenty years: could I honestly call myself a chossid of a Rebbe I had never met? In honor of Gimmel Tammuz, the anniversary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe's passing, I explore some of the questions that have gnawed at me for as long as I can remember: Should my relationship to the Rebbe be defined by longing? Am I fundamentally missing out on a nostalgic, golden age of Chabad if I never met him? What distinct message did the Rebbe have for a generation with a strong emphasis on the self? Is our determination to feel deeply "aligned" with our life choices a flaw, or a gift? Was the Rebbe passing on the baton, and if yes, to who? Drawing on a community survey and a close reading of V'atah Tetzaveh, this episode explores the generational shift the Rebbe himself outlined, what a relationship shaped by ignition, not loss, might look like, and how the Rebbe encouraged each person to step into their mission, to embrace the specificity of their identities and be the unique, unrepeatable messengers of Hashem the world is waiting for. * * * * * * * To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected] To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨ Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Finding my middle school journals 01:33 "Do we have the right to call ourselves a Chossid?" 04:00 Should I yearn for the physical presence of a Rebbe I never met? 06:00 Growing up on shlichus in Houston, TX 08:30 The enormous grief of Gimmel Tammuz 10:30 The community survey about the Rebbe 12:00 The message from the Rebbe that changed people's lives 13:15 Would you call yourself a chossid? 14:30 The final piece of the Torah the Rebbe distributed 15:30 Generation of self-sacrifice vs. religious freedom 17:55 Exploring V'atah Tetzaveh 19:30 What is higher than self-sacrifice? 21:36 Why connect to a Tzadik? 24:00 This generation's power 27:00 The specificity of who you are is your mission 30:00 Every person can be a Rebbe 33:00 When the Rebbe passed on the baton 35:58 Am I a follower of the Lubavitcher Rebbe? 37:48 The vision of Moshiach 38:50 Outro

Today, I sit down with my friend, Zisi Zirkind for an unscripted conversation about burnout, motherhood, faith, friendship, and the holy delusion of believing your soul is needed in this world. This isn't an interview; it's a conversation between two close friends. We talk about why it's not always doing less that restores our energy, the undervaluing of women's work and how we each experience meaning in our homes, why faith doesn't have to be rigid to be strong, how we hold paradox in every identity, and how friendship can help us each remember who we are. Zisi Zirkind is the Rebbetzin of Yeshiva Center in Melbourne, teaches Chassidus through her weekly women’s Torah classes, teaches guided research classes at Ohel Chana Seminary, and is the host of the podcast Standing Between Earth and Sky. Find her podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/0EOKqR8gwDDnEEvq7W02z3?si=0c228c7fbde34a5f Contact her at [email protected]. * * * * * * * To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected] To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨ Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 Host's Intro: A Conversation Between Friends 00:02:25 Welcome Zisi Zirkind 00:02:50 Springboarding ideas as a way of bridging the human and holy 00:04:01 How much do I trust myself? 00:04:53 When you're taking a leap 00:05:19 A friend who can see you clearly 00:06:14 Sustained creative devotion is supported by a witness 00:08:14 Why sharing an idea forces it to become real 00:10:10 Is this my animal soul or my divine soul? 00:11:41 Delusion of separateness vs. delusion of holiness 00:12:54 Does what I do matter? 00:14:28 Burnout happens when you're not lit up by what you're doing 00:14:41 What will actually energize you? 00:17:06 Busy but not doing the right things 00:17:36 The Rebbe's "add another one" — what was he actually saying? 00:18:27 Showing up before the energy comes 00:20:27 The seductive permission to wallow 00:21:50 "I had to make a choice that I'm going to love my life again" 00:22:08 Hosting vs. being hosted — what really makes a place yours 00:24:08 Dissolution of self prepares you to rise 00:24:50 When to add, and when you need more support 00:25:42 Delegating what depletes you -- "I'm sick of cleaning" 00:27:10 Excellence and pride in the work nobody sees 00:27:55 Bringing the same creativity to home life 00:28:35 Why the years that look like pause are often the years that change you 00:31:51 Bringing your full self into your home 00:32:29 Letting yourself enjoy what you didn't think was "you" — dropping the identity attachment 00:33:43 Paradox: when opposing realities exist at once 00:35:17 Teaching style: opening to the text vs. filing it into systems 00:38:05 Tanya's permission for multiple parts of self to coexist 00:38:08 Trusting that Torah's truth can hold your questions 00:38:39 After the Bondi terror attack: "Faith doesn't have to be rigid to be strong" 00:41:51 Faith from intuition, not intellect 00:42:35 Why paradox can only be experienced 00:43:02 Faith as identity: "I'm here. This is who I am." 00:44:34 The ego in Torah study, and what it costs us 00:45:50 The never-ending process 00:47:38 Host's Outro

Sivan Rav-Meir has been on Israeli television since age six, and became religious at fifteen after a chance encounter with three girls who simply said, "Bo l'Shabbat." In this conversation recorded in Jerusalem, Sivan shares how she's channeled three decades of journalism skills toward teaching Torah, why she sees a massive post-October 7th hunger for practical Jewish doing (not just inspiration), and why she believes Jewish identity is our real protection. She's candid about the gap between her public influence and her private reality, and how she is guided by the Lubavitcher Rebbe's paradox: always happy, but never satisfied. She notes the Jewish world's blindspot as the 85% of unaffiliated Jews outside the organized community bubble, and calls every connected Jew to the same simple shlichut that changed her life: invite someone in. * * * * * * * Sivan Rahav-Meir is a media personality and lecturer. Married to Yedidya, the mother of five. Lives in Jerusalem. Went on shlichut with her family 2019-2020, when she served as World Mizrachi's Shlicha to North America. She works for Israel TV news, writes a column for Yediot Aharonot newspaper, and hosts a weekly radio show. Her lectures on the weekly Torah portion are attended by hundreds and the live broadcast attracts thousands more listeners throughout the world. Sivan lectures in Israel and overseas about her personal story. the Jewish world since 10/7, Judaism and new media. She was voted by Globes newspaper as most popular female media personality in Israel and by the Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world. Learn more at www.sivanrahavmeir.com Find her podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OlPTHjKBnNwDrNNalxD9jFollow her on instagram @sivanrahavmeir * * * * * * * To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected] support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor.Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. * * * * * * *TIMESTAMPS: [00:00] Introduction [02:04] Welcome Sivan [04:00] The problem with news media [05:10] The role of Torah in making sense of chaos [06:42] Sivan's origin story [07:50] The two words that changed my life [10:05] Building a relationship with Shabbat gradually [11:00] My personal political transformation [13:20] Political peace and inner peace [13:53] Communicating Torah accessibly [15:30] Using professional skills in a holy direction [16:45] What has changed after October 7th? [17:30] People want something tangible [18:39] Responding to the enemey [20:10] Omar Shemtov's testimony from the tunnels [20:56] Why Sivan doesn't call herself a Rebbetzin [24:30] Where does her energy come from? [25:00] The real Avodat Hashem happens in my home [26:15] "Always happy, but never satisfied" [28:10] Resilience & drive as a framework that doesn't contradict joy [28:45] The private work of a public person: young motherhood and the test of patience [31:30] Immediate gratification culture vs. long-term spiritual investment [32:10] If you didn't post it, did it happen? [33:00] Sivan's own social media guidelines [36:00] What worries Sivan about the Jewish world [37:00] Building Jewish identity from within [41:10] Our blindspot: the 85% of unaffiliated Jews outside the "bubble" [44:00] Israeli expats in America [45:30] What I want my legacy to be [46:10] Self love as the basis for loving another [48:30] How Sivan remembers thinks about her connections [50:45] Favorite verse in Tanach [51:00] One book everyone should read [51:20] How I nourish myself [51:55] A daily habit that can transform your life [52:15] My message to the Jewish world [53:30] Closing [54:15] Host outro

An honest, joyful, and deeply practical conversation about Jewish parenting. We talk about how to genuinely infuse your home with love of Judaism, what to do when you want to teach a value you don't fully keep yourself, the difference between an inherited Judaism and discovered Judaism, how to see every child as an individual, and what to do when your child doesn't fit the school system. We explore confidence-building for kids who struggle academically or socially, the balance between school and home, and why the home is more powerful than we give it credit for. We also talk about technology and eye contact, parenting without controlling, and how to stay open to who your child is actually becoming. * * * * * * * Mrs. Elisheva Segelman is a respected educator, mentor, and community leader whose warmth, wisdom, and dedication have impacted students, families, and community members across a wide range of settings. She currently serves as the Program Director at Yavneh Hebrew Academy in Los Angeles and as the Mashgicha Ruchanit for the middle school girls, where she is known for her ability to inspire meaningful personal growth, cultivate strong relationships, and help students develop a deep connection to Torah and Jewish values. Mrs. Segelman also serves as the Rebbetzin of the Young Israel of Hancock Park, where she plays an active role in supporting and enriching the spiritual life of the community. A highly sought-after kallah teacher, she has guided countless brides with sensitivity, wisdom, and genuine care. During the summer months, she serves as the Director of Orah Day Camp in Far Rockaway, New York, where she oversees a thriving camp program and mentors both campers and staff. Together with her husband, Rabbi Elan Segelman, Mrs. Segelman has served Jewish communities in both New York and Los Angeles. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2021, she has become a beloved presence in the community, known for her dedication to Torah, education, chesed, and helping others navigate life's opportunities and challenges with confidence and faith. Rabbi and Mrs. Segelman are the proud parents of six children. * * * * * * * To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected] To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨ Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Host's Intro 1:44 Introducing Elisheva Segelman 4:22 Parenting with the long view — seeing your child as a future adult 6:58 Transparency and authenticity at home 9:19 What if you hate Pesach? Finding the Jewish joy you actually feel 13:23 Is it hypocrisy? Teaching a value you don't fully keep yourself 17:39 The Finding Nemo story: what we expose children to leaves a mark 21:00 The power of your home: what you fill it with is yours to choose 23:18 Family pride and identity as a vessel for Judaism 27:11 Inherited Judaism vs. discovered Judaism 30:17 Seeing past your child's grades and struggles 32:36 The teacher who changed everything 35:10 "Just because you failed a class doesn't mean you're a failure as a human" 38:42 Choosing the right school for your specific child 45:14 "You are fingerprinting the world with the next generation of humans" 52:37 School vs. home — where does the real education happen? 57:13 Social struggles — what every child needs to know 59:32 Eye contact, technology, and what our children are actually asking for 1:02:56 Staying open to who your child becomes 1:05:31 Three practical things to infuse your home with Judaism 1:10:52 It's never too late to change course 1:12:32 Building your support system as a parent 1:15:01 Soul to soul message 1:16:00 The "feel good folder" and surrounding yourself with the right people

A conversation about learning how to love other people, the medicine for judgment, and knowing when to reflect the flaws we see in others as a catalyst for our own introspection and growth. Based on Chapter 30 of Tanya. This episode is sponsored by Zelda Hair, a wig company that champions the holistic process of hair covering for Jewish women. Shop Zelda Hair at zeldahairshop.com and discover the heart behind the brand on instagram @zeldahair. We love hearing your feedback! Email us at [email protected] to get in touch. To sponsor an episode, reach out to us via email or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.humanandholy.com/sponsor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Become a monthly supporter of the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/humanandholy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can find us on instagram @humanandholy.

Does the Torah belong to every woman? This week, I host a roundtable with two women who've built their lives around Torah: Annie Nagel, who left a thriving law career for the classroom and a PhD in Tanakh, and Hadassah Shemtov, founder of Batsheva Learning Center. We trace the halachic sources on women's Torah study, where the historic hesitation came from, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe's radical reframe: that women's learning isn't damage control, but the direction history was always moving towards. We also talk about the practical experience of Torah study for women: How do you keep Torah alive when you're working eighty hours a week with three babies? What does learning look like in a season when deep scholarship simply isn't possible? And what would it take for the next generation of girls to believe, without question, that no Jewish book on the shelf is off-limits to them? EPISODE SPONSOR: This week's episode was sponsored by a woman who wants to empower other women to learn and take ownership of their birthright within Torah. * * * * * * Hadassah Shemtov is the founding director of Batsheva Learning Center, an organization that offers text-based Torah learning opportunities for women. She runs a chavrusa-based track at Ohel Chana High School and is the junior Rebbetzin at Young Israel of Los Angeles. Annie Nagel is a PhD candidate at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies and teaches Chumash at YULA Girls High School. She holds a JD from UCLA School of Law and practiced real estate law in Los Angeles. * * * * * * To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected] To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨ Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 "The Torah belongs to every woman" — who this episode is for 02:19 Annie's story: from law to a classroom and a PhD in Tanakh 04:42 Hadassah's story: the year in Israel that set her trajectory 07:32 "I'm not making the time I want to for my own learning" 09:26 What the pivot cost Annie: trade-offs and peers making partner 13:55 Framing the sources: were we all really at Sinai? 16:07 The halacha, plainly: are women obligated in Torah study? 21:33 Why the hesitation was about an era, not about women's minds 22:03 Moshe waits a day: Hashem holds back the Shechinah until every woman is there 24:14 Do women feel the Torah is theirs? 28:03 How Annie kept Torah alive when life was consuming 33:08 The Lubavitcher Rebbe's reframe: not a concession to the times, but the trajectory toward Moshiach 38:19 The common language of the house is Torah 42:54 The "living Torah" — when your whole life is already an offering 47:00 "Listen to what stirs your neshama" — Torah study without pressure or guilt 50:01 Why reading it yourself is irreplaceable 53:35 What would it take for the next generation to know the Torah is theirs? 54:08 Ending the split between text and hashkafa 58:00 "No sefer on the shelf is off-limits to you" 01:00:13 Rapid fire: one text to start with, the woman who lost her practice, where to begin from zero 01:06:18 One message, soul to soul 01:07:00 Closing

A deeply personal and Torah-rich conversation on facing darkness from within. Kiki opens up about her own journey with anxiety and depression, sharing how she moved from resenting the darkness she experienced to believing in its inherent blessing. Drawing on biblical stories, Kiki weaves profound insight with raw personal honesty. She explores what it practically means to face darkness, professional help as a prerequisite to faith-based tools and the belief that our inner light is inextinguishable, no matter what darkness we are facing. Kiki is a Chabad Shlucha for a community in Israel, teaches weekly Chassidus and Kabbalah classes in person and online. She is a bridal educator and mikvah attendant, and is passionate about learning and teaching chassidus. Find her classes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kabbalahwithkiki Find her classes on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6uscGnRqwgd2j8qwkk542M?si=FIxIy73QQNWw7qVSbDYRUg Email her at [email protected] and find her on instagram at @kabbalahwithkiki. * * * * * * * Join our new virtual Tanya class! We will be hosting a live, three part series on the divine soul, through Chapter 2 of the Tanya, a space to explore the text through shared study, poetry, curated illustrations, songs, and guided reflection. Link to join us here: https://humanandholy.mykajabi.com/tanyaclass * * * * * * * To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected] To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨ Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. * * * * * * * Timestamps: 00:00 — Introduction 01:43 — Today's topic: Torah wisdom on facing inner and outer darkness 02:14 — Why this is personal: Kiki's journey with anxiety and depression 03:30 — Showing up to teach even on the hardest days 05:14 — Biblical context: Abraham, Yaakov, and descending into Egypt 06:00 — The Kabbalistic purpose of exile: 07:38 — Descent before ascent 08:20 — Yaakov wrestling with the angel 10:00 — What blessing is this bringing me? 11:15 — The blessing is not external 13:13 — Practically speaking: what does facing darkness actually look like? 15:00 — The Hillel model: lighting one candle when the darkness feels overwhelming 16:50 — Going outward as a tool: moving out of yourself to find light 18:35 — The fear of being swallowed by darkness 20:30 — Balancing inward processing and outward giving 23:10 — Designating time for pain 25:00 — When mental health requires medical treatment first 26:24 — Yosef vs. his brothers: two worldviews on how to live in a dark world 28:30 — The brothers' approach: protect holiness by withdrawing from the world 29:30 — Yosef's approach: engage with darkness and elevate it 30:45 — Galus as a dream: the power of opposites coexisting 35:00 — Two kinds of dreams: exile's confusion vs. Yosef's redemptive vision 40:50 — What happened to our dreams? 43:00 — Changing "if only" to "only because" 46:00 — Two approaches to supporting people in their darkness 48:00 — Yaakov's model: sometimes when you're in the pit can't climb out alone 50:00 — Yosef's model: the power of presence 52:30 — Just sitting with someone is enough 54:30 — Kiki's personal postpartum depression 56:30 — The inextinguishable light 58:30 — How to support someone in darkness 59:26 — Soul-to-soul closing message

A conversation with Chana Kalmenson: shlucha of Chabad of Belgravia in London, poet, and teacher of Jewish mysticism, on the Sefirot of the Omer. Chana walks through each of the seven emotional Sefirot: Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malchut. What each one is, how they relate to each other, and how they show up in everyday emotional life. The episode also covers how the months of Nissan, Iyar, and Sivan mirror human development from childhood to maturity, why the inner work of the Omer is what prepares us to receive the Torah at Sinai, and how to approach the counting without falling into perfectionism. The conversation goes especially deep on three Sefirot: Hod (humility, gratitude, surrender), Tiferet (compassion, holding paradox, the antidote to shame), and Malchut (dignity, agency, authentic expression). Chana shares what she learned about humility from her father-in-law, the Chassidic teaching on the soul's forgetting at birth, and how to step out of comparison with others. A grounded, accessible introduction to the Sefirot for anyone counting the Omer or wanting to understand the Kabbalistic map of the inner life. * * * * * * * To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected] To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨ Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Opening reflection: loved into existence, loving me as me 00:31 Tonia's Intro 01:58 Welcome, and Chana on women's circles 05:25 What is Sefirat HaOmer, really? Pesach as emergence, Sinai as the destination 11:38 Nissan, Iyar, Sivan — the child, the teenager, the partner 17:45 Walking through each Sefirah: Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, Malchut 22:10 Why we use consciousness to look at the inner emotional life 29:17 When perfectionism hijacks the practice (and what to do instead) 33:03 On Hod: humility, gratitude, the quiet power of the left leg 40:33 What Chana learned from her father-in-law about humility 46:10 The trauma of forgetting at birth, and the long work of remembering 50:37 On Tiferet: holding paradox, growing up, why compassion is truth 56:09 Self-compassion as the antidote to shame 1:00:14 On Malchut: dignity, agency, and what emerges when everything inside has a voice 1:09:33 Soul to soul

We celebrated Season Six of the podcast with an evening in LA, celebrating the innermost teachings of Torah with a spiritual gathering of art, poetry, and deep connection. Link to watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/bUQrJUFWpmY Link to the conversation cards created for this evening: humanandholy.com/download SPONSOR: Today’s episode is sponsored by SHARE, a global initiative connecting individuals to the timeless teachings of the inner dimension of Jewish wisdom, known as Pnimiyut Hatorah. Their mission is to inspire soulful living and learning by translating ancient insights for the contemporary moment. You can learn more on Share.Fund. Florals & lamps sponsored by Lark Floral Event & Design. Find out more at larkla.com. Instagram @larklosangeles Event planning, setup & magnificent foodscape by Shaina Liberow-Schmukler of The Graze LA. Found out more at thegrazela.com. Instagram @thegrazela To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected] To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨ Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.