Popular Shows by Human & Holy Human & Holy
280 episodes
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Name
Release Date
Duration
1
From Fear to Love: Finding a Deeper Judaism Through Chassidus | Esther Malka Groner
From Fear to Love: Finding a Deeper Judaism Through Chassidus | Esther Malka Groner
Nov 8, 2026
45:45
Growing up in a Satmar community, a new world opened up for Esther Malka when her father began a secret, late-night study of Tanya when she was a young girl. Through being exposed to chassidic teachings, she discovered a way of relating to God and Jewish life that was shaped not just by rules or fear, but by joy and connection. That sense of connection also informs the way she parents. How do we give our children Jewish values while making room for them to become themselves? Esther shares what she’s learned about guiding children with love and how being called to something beyond ourselves can draw out strengths we didn’t know we had. EPISODE SPONSOR: Finds by Rivkah is like having a personal shopper who sifts through the sale pages to find the best modest clothing deals! Link to join the group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KequICzm2BDFZMeTkQtwva?s=cl&p=i&mlu=4&ilr=4&iam=2 Link to kid's chat: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Iysqn1OSAERFgTAszyUzyg?s=cl&p=i&mlu=4&ilr=4&iam=2 * * * * * * * Esther Malka Groner grew up in a Satmar community before her family joined Chabad and moved to Israel, where she studied education. An educator with over 35 years’ experience, she directs a childcare center and co-founded Chabad Glen Eira with her husband. Contact her here: [email protected] Join the Human & Holy Yud Tes Kislev event here: https://humanandholy.com/upcomingevents Join our monthly membership: humanandholy.com/join 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 — Introduction02:14 — Esther introduces herself and her path to Melbourne04:19 — Growing up in a Satmar community05:02 — Her father begins studying Tanya08:28 — Esther discovers her father’s Chabad books10:34 — Making Chassidus more accessible beyond community walls14:27 — Esther’s early experience of rule based Judaism18:30 — Moving from fear of God toward love and joy21:09 — Staying connected to Jewish identity while serving others22:02 — Welcoming people and finding purpose in community27:26 — Purpose as a source of growth and motivation29:20 — Raising children with both guidance and love32:09 — Letting children follow their own relationship with God34:24 — Respect, privacy, and warmth between siblings37:42 — Evolving as a parent as children’s needs change40:57 — Rapid fire45:03 — Episode outro
2
A Somatic Matan Torah with Shimona Tzukernik
A Somatic Matan Torah with Shimona Tzukernik
May 29, 2022
1:01:18
As we prepare to receive the Torah, Shimona shares with us what it means to have a visceral experience of G-d. To accept the Torah not only in our hearts and minds, but also within our bodies. Pulling from sources in Torah and Chassidus, as well as her own experience as a somatic therapist, Shimona asks and answers: How can we transform the visceral resistance we feel towards certain mitzvos? How can we lean into the body’s experience of a joyful, jewish life? || To sponsor an episode, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. To join our online community, visit humanandholy.com/community
3
Learning to Receive with Hindi Kalmenson
Learning to Receive with Hindi Kalmenson
Dec 9, 2020
50:35
In this episode, I interview Hindi Kalmenson, who is a marriage coach, teacher, and mom of four. Hindi takes us on her journey of learning to embrace her imperfections and let go of control in order to truly receive from the people around her and from G-d. Hindi’s story is inspired by the kabbalistic idea of mashpia and mekabel, the relationship between the giver and the receiver. How is our need for control and illusion of self-perfection stopping us from truly receiving? Hindi is a certified marriage coach living in LA. She can be contacted at [email protected].
4
Until You Feel It In Your Bones with Devori Nussbaum
Until You Feel It In Your Bones with Devori Nussbaum
Dec 12, 2021
56:16
In today's episode, Devori Nussbaum describes Daas as a felt sense in the body, as a true integration of G-dly awareness into our emotional and internal headspace. Devori outlines how to deepen our body's awareness of G-d, with compassion, curiosity, and openness.
5
Celebrating Miracles with Leah Rubashkin
Celebrating Miracles with Leah Rubashkin
Dec 18, 2022
56:49
Chanukah is all about Pirsumei Nisa, publicizing the miracle that G-d did for us long ago. Today, Leah Rubashkin publicly shares her own Chanukah miracle: when G-d released her husband, Sholom Rubashkin, from prison, against all odds. What was it like to experience a miracle like this up close? And what does it look like to hold onto hope, when redemption does not seem possible? Join us, as we celebrate G-d's open miracles. || Today's episode is sponsored by Toveedo. To get 15% off your annual subscription, put in HH15 at checkout at Toveedo.com || To sponsor an episode of Human & Holy or give in any amount, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor or email us at [email protected]
6
A Text Message Could Save a Life with Hadassah Zirkind
A Text Message Could Save a Life with Hadassah Zirkind
Jul 14, 2024
1:04:12
When you are struggling with suicide and self harm, where can you turn for support? This episode chronicles one woman's journey through the unthinkable, the resources she has created for others who are struggling, tools to support the ones we love, and honest reflections on the complicated relationship with Hashem that was born as a result of her struggles. To find more of Hadassah, check out www.preventfrumsuicide.org, the online home for her organization, A Drop of Light. For additional support, check out www.thelongshortroad.com, an organization that saves lives through suicide prevention and mental health education. The women's siddur is back in stock and available for purchase on humanandholy.com/shop. 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 humanandholy.com/sponsor. Become a monthly supporter of the podcast on patreon.com/humanandholy. You can find us on instagram @humanandholy.
7
Singing With Purpose | Shaindy Plotzker
Singing With Purpose | Shaindy Plotzker
Feb 16, 2025
1:38:50
Orthodox Jewish singer Shaindy Plotzker discusses her journey within the music industry, using our talents and voices for the sake of a higher purpose, performing for women’s only crowds and the blessings she’s seen come of it, seeing G-d as the source of both our successes and hardships, learning how to rest, elevating other women in her industry, advice for aspiring artists, and the deep intention that guides her every move. Discover more from Shaindy Plotzker at shaindyplotzker.com and by streaming her music on Youtube, Spotify and all music streaming platforms. Connect with her on instagram via @shaindyplotzkermusic. Episode Partners: TOVEEDO: An online children's streaming subscription featuring exclusive Jewish content created and sourced by Toveedo. Use code HH10 for 10% off at Toveedo.com. 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.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 available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. 0:15 Toveedo Sponsorship 1:06 Host's Introduction 2:20 Welcome Shaindy Plotzker 3:00 What Makes Shaindy Who She Is? 5:17 Shaindy's Journey into the Music World 8:02 What Do I Want to be Known For? 9:50 Putting the Spotlight on Others 11:00 The Spiritual Significance of Women's Concerts 14:20 The Challenges & Rewards of Singing for Women Only 15:45 Getting Halachic Guidance on Her Career 18:10 Seeing Open Blessings from Doing the Right Thing 20:00 I Am Not Motivated by Self Expression 25:00 My Talent is a Vessel for G-d 27:28 How Does Faith in G-d Impact Her Business? 30:26 Put Your Trust in G-d, Not People 31:30 The Jewish People's Story (Kol Isha) 35:35 Advice On Faith When Business is Hard 38:00 My Voice Doesn't Define Me 39:30 Defining Yourself Beyond Success 42:12 Lifting Up Fellow Artists in Her Industry 49:16 Can Jewish Music Hold Sorrowful Emotion? 54:55 Music Writing Process 56:15 Joy and Sadness Can Coexist 58:35 Being Intentional About How I Share 59:42 A Moving Concert in Israel After Oct. 7th 1:06:27 Hold Onto Hope 1:08:54 Knowing When to Say No to an Opportunity 1:12:04 Learning How to Rest 1:21:18 Advice to Jewish Women With Unique Talents 1:25:08 Stop Being a Perfectionist and Start Somewhere 1:30:00 Rapid Fire Questions and Closing Thoughts 1:37:12 Zelda Hair Sponsorship & Host's Outro
8
The Moment that Stuck | Shternie Rosenfeld: How Gratitude Got Me Through My Divorce
The Moment that Stuck | Shternie Rosenfeld: How Gratitude Got Me Through My Divorce
Aug 2, 2026
23:57
Human & Holy is on a season break for the rest of the summer! During this time, we're airing your favorite moments from the past few seasons. In this excerpt, Shternie describes the way she moves through the world: not with a basket she guards, protecting what's "owed" to her, but with an empty one, open-handed, saying thank you every time something lands in it. Shternie Rosenfeld went through what she calls her own tsunami: a devastating divorce that cracked her open completely. In this conversation, she shares what actually got her through: a relationship with Hashem that is raw, honest, and full of open gratitude. We talk about the difference between feeling entitled to goodness and feeling worthy of it and about how gratitude isn't whitewashing our pain, but allowing it to live in the same body that is screaming, grieving, and being honest with G-d. * * * * * * * Shternie Rosenfeld has spent more than 25 years in Jewish education and community leadership, teaching everyone from preschoolers to seniors. She spent 15 years as director of the Chabad Fox Chapel Jewish Center, building its Hebrew School, summer camp, and adult education programs from the ground up. She went on to found The Jewish Spark, a nonprofit running weekly Kabbalah classes and community Shabbat and holiday programming, and now serves as Program Director of the Yonah Foundation, where she supports 38 community centers worldwide and empowers women to lead Torah classes globally. She has also taught at Yeshiva Schools, Hillel Academy, and Tzohar Seminary. Find out more at shternie.com 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. * * * * * * * 00:00 — What got her through divorce 02:16 — Talking to Hashem like a best friend 03:55 — A real relationship, not a performed one 05:02 — Seeing kindness as Hashem's hand 05:40 — The basket metaphor 10:36 — Entitlement vs. worthiness 11:41 — What to do when you feel shortchanged 13:54 — Gratitude in the tiny things 15:08 — Modeh Ani as the daily reset 16:40 — The Torah source on what is owed to us 18:29 — Is gratitude ever dishonest? 19:28 — "There's room for both" 20:40 — Day by day 22:41 — Marriage as a mirror for Hashem 23:30 — Outro
9
You Are Harder on Yourself Than G-d Is | Karen Hochhauser
You Are Harder on Yourself Than G-d Is | Karen Hochhauser
May 31, 2026
54:14
The Torah opens up with failure after failure, we have laws of repair (teshuvah) baked into our Judaism, and yet many who live a value-driven life live in enormous fear of failing. Why are we harder on ourselves than G-d is? Today, we talk about the Jewish perspective on failure, along with Karen's own experiences. How do you hold your mistakes seriously without becoming them? Does forgiving yourself mean letting yourself off the hook? We get into the Rambam's laws of teshuva, Rav Soloveitchik's framework of fate versus destiny, and a seminary interview answer that always made Karen uncomfortable. * * * * * * * With more than 25 years of dedicated experience in Jewish education, Karen Hochhauser brings a deep passion for learning and leadership to her role as Co-Director of the Miriam Glaubach Center. In this senior leadership position she helps guide the Center’s mission of supporting, educating and certifying Yoatzot Halacha—women trained as halachic advisors—and of strengthening communities across North America and beyond. Prior to this appointment, Karen spent 17 years at Tiferet, a thriving seminary in Ramat Beit Shemesh, both as a teacher and an administrator. During that time she developed expertise in mentoring young adults, designing and implementing enriching programs, and cultivating vibrant educational communities.She holds a B.A. in English Literature and an M.A. in Jewish Education from Yeshiva University. Karen lives in Beit Shemesh with her husband. Dr. Carl Hochhauser, and their five children. Find her on instagram @torahwithmymother. Karen can be reached 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: 0:00 — We are much harder on ourselves than G-d is 1:16 — Why the Torah begins with a series of human catastrophes 2:46 — "Failure is almost a four-letter word in my house" 5:04 — Adam, Kayin, Noach: what the Torah's biggest stumbles have in common 8:55 — Failure is inevitable. So why did Hashem design it that way? 9:01 — The Rambam's radical idea: return is always possible 10:53 — Asking for forgiveness vs. granting it, which is actually harder? 11:18 — The mirror exercise: what it really means to forgive yourself 12:38 — The seminary interview answer Karen couldn't stand 13:51 — The difference between shame that destroys and accountability that heals 15:26 — Chapter one of Tanya: why calling yourself a rasha is dangerous 17:32 — Rav Soloveitchik's fate vs. destiny 21:10 — From "why is this happening to me" to "what am I going to do with this" 22:01 — Can failure be fate? 23:59 — The missed train on the way to a lecture about failure 25:22 — "You don't have to do it alone" 26:22 — Was your worst mistake destined? 28:41 — The responsibility to respond 44:23 — Why letting your kids fail at small things is an act of love 45:59 — When the suffering isn't your fault at all 46:00 — The rabbi of the Warsaw Ghetto, what he wrote in his final year 48:50 — "G-d is right next to us, crying" 50:50 — What it means to not be alone in your pain 52:37 — "Hashem believes in you. So you need to believe in yourself."
10
The Moment That Stuck | Jackie Glaser: When Turning to G-d Becomes a Way to Hide From Yourself
The Moment That Stuck | Jackie Glaser: When Turning to G-d Becomes a Way to Hide From Yourself
Jul 19, 2026
28:56
Human & Holy is on a season break for the rest of the summer! During this time, we're airing your favorite moments from the past few seasons. In today's excerpt with Jackie Glaser, we cover spiritual bypassing, noticing the patterns that keep showing up in our lives, cultivating self-worth and self-trust, navigating rejection, our flaws as filters while dating, recognizing that matchmakers do not have control over people's future when navigating the shidduch system, and strengthening our trust in God. To watch the full episode this excerpt is from, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=243HxQfOx9E To contact Jackie or learn more about her courses, you can find her at jackieglaser.com or find Jackie on Instagram: datingbyjackieg * * * * * * * 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 Spiritual bypassing 2:04 How our patterns are signposts from Hashem, not punishments 3:07 Why we avoid taking responsibility, and turn anxiety into blaming Hashem instead 5:27 Going inward with compassionate curiosity instead of judgment 7:11 Turning to G-d as an escape hatch 7:21 Normalizing the pattern before moving forward 9:08 Self-trust as the real foundation behind who you marry 9:17 The somatic work begins: tuning into the body as a source of real data 12:45 Surrendering 14:23 Clearing subconscious blockage to make more room for closeness with Hashem 16:13 How our internal beliefs get projected onto strangers 17:35 Why healing the felt state dissolves the belief system underneath it 18:58 How the fear of rejection actually dissolves with this work 20:42 "I reject myself" — the most important relationship you'll ever build is with you 22:23 Disability or flaws as a filter in dating, not a disqualifier 24:05 Boundaries with matchmakers 25:44 When parents choose to "play the game" with a difficult shadchan for their child's sake 26:27 Hashem was never limited to a shadchan
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Why Do Mothers Feel Like They’re Never Doing Enough? | Miri Lipskier
Why Do Mothers Feel Like They’re Never Doing Enough? | Miri Lipskier
Oct 25, 2026
51:45
Motherhood is deeply spiritual work, yet many mothers feel inadequate, as if their contribution doesn’t count by the world’s standards of success, or as if motherhood falls outside the spiritual work Judaism so often celebrates. Today, with guest Miri Lipskier, we explore Jewish and Chassidic teachings on motherhood, including the biblical prophetess Chana’s choice to remain home with her son and the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s teachings on the dignity and sanctity of the private act of motherhood. We explore what the Kohanim's physical service in the Temple can teach us about domestic work, how spiritual meaning can get lost in the daily demands of caring for children, and how mothers can make room for prayer, learning, and support without guilt. * * * * * * * Support Human & Holy for $18/month and receive virtual live events and bonus resources around holiday seasons. Visit humanandholy.com. Thank you for bringing our work into the world! Miri Lipskier is a wife, mother and shlucha in Chabad Youth of Melbourne, Australia, overseeing educational and community programs for children, teens, and young women. She directs Bnos Chabad, CGI day camps and high school overnight camps, and YLIV, a volunteer organisation of 200 people. With over 20 years of teaching experience, Miri is passionate about mentorship, meaningful relationships, and empowering every individual to grow into the best version of themselves. Contact: [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 “I’m a Mother”: The Feeling of Inadequacy 00:33 A Jewish Perspective on Motherhood 02:33 Meet Miri Lipskier 04:18 Motherhood and Communal Work 06:38 The Lubavitcher Rebbe on Womanhood and Motherhood 08:38 The Spiritual Value of Raising Children 12:18 Chana’s Choice to Stay Home 15:00 Why Chana’s Story Matters Even If You Aren't a Stay at Home Mother 17:20 Motherhood and Society’s Measures of Success 21:08 Can Any Choice Protect Us from Regret? 22:22 The Physical Demands of Motherhood 24:00 A Morning in the Life of a Mother 26:00 Finding G-dliness in the Physical 28:28 The Kohanim and the Holiness of Domestic Work 31:09 When Caregiving Feels Spiritually Disconnecting 33:25 Making Room for Prayer and Learning 36:18 Spiritual Nourishment Without Guilt 38:00 Finding Inspiration Through Motherhood 41:20 Asking for Practical Support 42:03 Building a Joyful Jewish Home Together 43:37 Celebrating Jewish Holidays With Creativity 45:40 Using Music to Shape the Home 46:10 Household Help as an Investment in the Family Unit 47:00 Creating a Personal Home for Hashem 48:51 “I Already Sent Someone”: Recognizing Your Own Strength 50:54 Closing Reflections
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Hello, G-d: Building a Relationship with Hashem | Chana Bennett
Hello, G-d: Building a Relationship with Hashem | Chana Bennett
Apr 19, 2026
48:02
Join our virtual Tanya class here: https://humanandholy.mykajabi.com/tanyaclass Chana Bennet grew up in the religious system, but found herself searching for something from a young age. With nowhere to turn, she turned to God. In this conversation, Chana discusses the concept of devekut (attachment to God), the role of a Tzadik in awakening the soul, and what it actually looks like to live in daily relationship with Hashem. * * * * * * * 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.
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Shedding Who We Were to Meet Who We Are
Shedding Who We Were to Meet Who We Are
Jan 14, 2026
12:47
How do the past versions of ourselves prevent us from experiencing who we are? How can we become more present to what exists in our lives, to the people, callings, and divine encounters that reveal themselves to us every day? The Zohar says "The righteous live every day as if it is their last." What does this teaching illuminate about living life with more presence, living with less attachment to the days that came before this one, to meet each moment fully, to shed old identities and fully experience what exists right now in our lives? * * * * * * * 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.
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Let It Be Simple: A Personal Essay About Motherhood
Let It Be Simple: A Personal Essay About Motherhood
Mar 25, 2026
11:05
A personal essay about motherhood, the way it awakens my childhood self, and a fleeting, luminous moment where I allowed myself to experience its simplicity. Sharing this as we enter into an immersive Pesach season, as an invitation to let yourself feel these moments when they come. Read the essay here: https://open.substack.com/pub/toniachazanow/p/let-it-be-simple?r=c8uie&utm campaign=post&utm medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true * * * * * * * 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.
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The Biblical Power of Israeli Women's Song | Ricka Razel
The Biblical Power of Israeli Women's Song | Ricka Razel
Mar 22, 2026
45:30
Meet Ricka Razel, the Israeli musician who has been leading thousands of women in monthly Rosh Chodesh gatherings across Israel during one of the country's darkest times. In this conversation, Ricka shares how she experiences music as prayer, why she and fellow musicians became the "Brigade of Joy" visiting evacuated families in hotels, how music became therapeutic catharsis for Israeli women processing trauma, and how it can connect Jews from around the world. Listen to Ricka's music here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc5vxWffKI 5qf8mhtYG0Ng https://open.spotify.com/artist/6aZPpCSaYpDLkk4nfOESdz?si=iBbP7LRVT2alZ8Ylbjbl4A Find her on instagram @ricka razel * * * * * * * Join our upcoming virtual Tanya class! We will be hosting a live, four part Tanya series, 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: 0:00 - Opening 0:47 - Introduction to Ricka Razel & Israel Series 2:22 - Family, Music & 8 Kids 3:58 - Why Rosh Chodesh is the Women's Holiday 5:41 - The War Experience: Nova Festival, Evacuations & Loss 7:34 - The Power of Music During War 9:35 - The "Brigade of Simcha" - Bringing Joy to Hotels 12:29 - Sitting Shiva in a Hotel: Meeting a 24-Year-Old Widow 14:45 - Holocaust Survivor Grandparents: 2.5 Years in Amsterdam Attic 17:20 - The Miracle: How They Survived 19:15 - Why Ricka Returned to Music at 42 21:30 - From Real Estate to Crave Restaurant to Music 23:45 - The Biblical Energy of Women's Song 25:10 - Miriam the Prophetess Leading Through Music 27:00 - Monthly Gatherings: 600 Women Singing in Jerusalem 29:20 - The Therapeutic Power of Song During Trauma 31:40 - Women Who Couldn't Cry Until They Sang 33:15 - The Nova Festival Tragedy in Her Community 35:00 - Young People in the Army: Every Day Hearing News 36:45 - Funerals, Missiles, and Living Through War 38:20 - The Song That Became October 7th's Anthem 39:49 - "Achenu Kol Beit Yisrael" - Prayer for Captives 41:10 - The Concert That Didn't Happen on October 7th 42:49 - Jewish Family Connection: What Makes Us Different 43:36 - Israeli vs. American Jewish Music: Bridging the Gap 44:05 - Contemporary Jewish Artists 44:24 - "Still I Wait" - Song of Hope During War 44:33 - Closing Message: Bring Your Light to the World 45:27 - Outro
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Can I Tolerate Uncertainty? Six Teachings About Personal Freedom
Can I Tolerate Uncertainty? Six Teachings About Personal Freedom
Mar 18, 2026
22:04
Nissan, the month of freedom, is an invitation for personal freedom. Today, we explore the many dimensions of personal freedom: lack of external attachments, knowing our life force, taking a leap, finding the words, allowing ourselves to feel the bitterness of our slavery, and being able to tolerate the uncertainty of what comes after our own personal exile. * * * * * * * Based on Pesach teachings from the Maharal, Sfas Emes, Chidushei Harim, Arizal, Lubavitcher Rebbe, and Alter Rebbe. 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.
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Always Happy, Never Satisfied: The Inner World of Israel's Most Beloved Media Personality | Sivan Rahav Meir
Always Happy, Never Satisfied: The Inner World of Israel's Most Beloved Media Personality | Sivan Rahav Meir
Mar 15, 2026
55:02
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
18
I Don't Have What It Takes: Why Moshe Stuttered
I Don't Have What It Takes: Why Moshe Stuttered
Jan 7, 2026
29:54
What happens when we are called to a mission, but we don't have what it takes? Why is the world we live in one of specificity, where every person experiences a very individual life and purpose? Can we be channels for divine light in this world, as our imperfect selves? When God tells Moshe to speak to Pharoh, he says: "I am not a man of speech." His inability to communicate is not just a technical inability, it is a spiritual one. What follows is a rich lesson about the advantage of deep, expressed light over the highest, disembodied light and the power of communication, both in life and speech: the power of compressing limitless information into contained expression, the power of taking the raw material of our potential and building a life with it. Source: Torah Ohr, Parshas Shemos * * * * * * * 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.
19
What Matters More: My Grandparent's Name or My Own?
What Matters More: My Grandparent's Name or My Own?
Mar 11, 2026
12:58
The Medrash teaches that every person has three names: the one our parents give us, the one our friends give us, and the ones we make for ourselves. In this episode, we dive deep into a single verse in Parshat Vayakhel to explore what it truly means name ourselves, and why the greatness of our ancestors only becomes relevant once we become a person in our own right. * * * * * * * 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.
20
Darkness: Don't Leave Until You Bless Me | Kiki Newman
Darkness: Don't Leave Until You Bless Me | Kiki Newman
Mar 8, 2026
1:04:09
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
21
The Things We Don't See About Ourselves | Purim 2/2
The Things We Don't See About Ourselves | Purim 2/2
Mar 1, 2026
22:40
The power of having our blindspots revealed to us, why seeing ourselves clearly (both our flaws and potential) is the beginning of all growth, the spark of Moshe in each soul that allows us to experience an unfiltered version of our soul's descent, and the subtle movements we make in our lives that initiate a much larger expansion. Source: Maamer Vekibel Hayehudim 5738 Join our new virtual Tanya class! We are 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 – Intro & Tanya Class Info 01:15 – Part One Recap 02:02 – A Life of Learning 03:00 – Seeing Your Inner Gap 04:50 – Two Types of Enemies 06:18 – Blindspots and Honest Self-Awareness 08:40 – Humility 09:10 – A Spark of Moshe Within 11:01 – The Soul's Descent 13:27 – The Purim Story 15:38 – The Gift in Response to Our Initiation 17:54 – Shema Yisrael: Witnessing G-d's Oneness 19:00 – God As Our Shadow 20:17 – Accepting the Torah from Within
22
Becoming a Student of Life | Purim 1/2
Becoming a Student of Life | Purim 1/2
Feb 26, 2026
31:22
A lesson from the Purim story about self-education, becoming a student of life, waking up to the gap between where we are and what is possible for our soul's expression in this world, and the internal, conscious choice that the Jews during the Purim story were finally able to make to accept the Torah in their lives. Source: Maamer Vekibel Hayehudim 5738 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.
23
Religious Doubt, Jewish Womanhood and Accepting the Cost of Our Choices | Shani Taragin
Religious Doubt, Jewish Womanhood and Accepting the Cost of Our Choices | Shani Taragin
Feb 22, 2026
1:19:56
In this deeply honest conversation, Shani opens up about the origins of her love for Torah, a genuine religious crisis she experienced in college, and how wrestling with philosophy ultimately widened her faith. We talk about Jewish womanhood, halacha, and why Shani wants women to stop being afraid of their own bodies and their own questions. With remarkable vulnerability, Shani reflects on the cost of a life given to community, the nights she wasn't home, and the conversation with her daughter that taught her a powerful lesson about accepting the hidden costs of our most idealistic choices. Rabbanit Shani Taragin directs and teaches in Israel and worldwide. She currently serves on the advisory committee for the Mizrachi Olami Shalhevet program, as Rosh Beit Midrash for the women in Yeshiva University’s new academic program in Israel, and together with her husband, Reuven, as Educational Director for Mizrachi Olami. 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] — Intro [00:03] — Host's intro [00:06] — Online Tanya Class Launch [00:09] — Welcome Rabbanit Shani [00:12] — How My Love of Torah Developed [00:15] — The Merging of Study and Teaching [00:18] — Torah Changes Who I Am [00:21] — Bible Criticism in the Beit Medrash [00:24] — Have You Ever Experienced Religious Doubt? [00:27] — A Personal Faith Crisis [00:30] — What is the Foundation of Faith? [00:33] — Judaism Where We Can Question While We Study [00:36] — Not Just an Ethical System, A Relationship with God [00:39] — A Love Letter to the Torah [00:42] — Ideals Put Into Daily Practice [00:45] — Women's Torah Study [00:48] — Torah and Daily Life Are Naturally Intertwined for Jewish Women [00:51] — I Want Women to Feel More Comfortable in Their Bodies [00:54] — What I'd Like to See Changed [00:57] — The Human Dimension of My Role [01:00] — The Hidden Costs of Our Choices [01:03] — A Conversation with My Daughter About Balance in Motherhood [01:06] — Communicating the Why Behind Your Choices [01:09] — Evolving in the Balance Between Family and Public Work [01:12] — Rapid Fire [01:19] — Outro
24
I'm Not Comfortable Living a Life I Don't Understand | Raizy Fried
I'm Not Comfortable Living a Life I Don't Understand | Raizy Fried
Jan 11, 2026
1:03:17
A conversation with Raizy Fried about discovering the Godly purpose of her natural personality, the way resurrection of the dead (Techiyas Hameisim) can be a practical, emotional experience, the realization that Hashem wants our full hearts, how Raizy's personal questions led her to deeper Torah study, how gossip and judgment can be a reflection of our own unfulfilled purpose, what compels her to stick her neck out to discuss taboo topics, and a transformative teaching from the Tanya that changed Raizy's life. Raizy Fried is a world-renowned author of the Lekovod Shabbos Kodesh series and The Anatomy of a Yenta, and a beloved speaker known for her warm, honest, and deeply relatable style. She brings clarity and depth to topics ranging from Shabbos to emotional wellness and personal growth. Through her platform, Inspired Living, Raizy reaches thousands of women with thoughtful content designed to uplift and enrich everyday life. Link to Inspired Living: watch.raizyfried.com Find her on instagram @raizyscookin * * * * * * * 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.
25
Holy Laughter and Taking Ourselves Less Seriously
Holy Laughter and Taking Ourselves Less Seriously
Feb 18, 2026
19:47
In honor of Rosh Chodesh Adar, we talk about the mystical underpinnings of this month of joy: why humor is the very space where contradictions can breathe, how the soul finds expression in lighthearted depth, why taking ourselves less seriously can be a conduit for our fullest expression, and play as a way to find expression for our soul's experience. * * * * * * * 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.
26
Joy, Giving, and Letting Yourself Dream With My Mother, Rochel Lazaroff
Joy, Giving, and Letting Yourself Dream With My Mother, Rochel Lazaroff
Feb 15, 2026
1:30:08
A live conversation with my mother about joy, reflections on life when living so close to hardship, her work caring for people in their most tenuous moments, the privilege of being in a position of giving, raising children with Jewish values outside of a Jewish community, letting yourself dream, and so much more. Rochel Lazaroff is the co-founder and co-director of Aishel House, a hospitality home for patients and their families visiting the Texas Medical Center, a shlucha, mother of eleven, and Torah teacher. Find out more about her work here: aishelhouse.org. Contact her at [email protected] 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.
27
Truth Is a Moving Target
Truth Is a Moving Target
Feb 11, 2026
26:01
Episode sponsored by Naomi Gruber. Dedicated in honor of my dear father’s neshama, דב ברל בן יצחק . May his neshama have the highest aliyah! * * * * * * * Can any of us experience objective truth? What do we make of the ebbs and flows of our inner worlds? If a spiritual experience felt real, but didn't last, was it ever genuine? Sharing one of my favorite ideas from the Tanya about truth as a moving target, and why the imperfect, shifting experience of truth is the only way to touch G-d. * * * * * * * Source: Chapter 13 of Tanya Heads up: Human & Holy is launching an online Tanya course going live this February! More details coming this Sunday. * * * * * * * 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.
28
Faith Is a Choice We Make
Faith Is a Choice We Make
Feb 8, 2026
1:31:30
A conversation about the deaths and rebirths that we experience throughout our lives, the existential shift of motherhood, the personal language required to choose faith, the philosophy behind Chabad outreach and how it democratizes spirituality, why the concept of Moshiach (messiah) cannot be disentangled from the purpose of the Jewish people, and the small concessions to our vices that have outsized negative impacts on our lives. This episode is part 3/3 of a series on the Introduction to the Zohar: The Wisdom of Truth by Rabbi Yehudah Leib Ashlag, co-hosted by Tonia Chazanow and Charlotte Broukhim. Find the book here: share.fund/zoharhhUse code ZOHARHH at checkout for 20% off Charlotte Broukhim is a Jewish mom from Los Angeles who explores the intersections of Jewish mysticism, science, and politics. She studied comparative religion at Harvard, and her upcoming Substack will share practical reflections and insights at the crossroads of ancient wisdom and today’s world. Find her on instagram @cbroukhim and contact her at [email protected]. * * * * * * EPISODE 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. 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 & Charlotte's Background 03:28 - The Intersection of Mysticism and Science 06:20 - Messianic Vision as Core Jewish Purpose 11:12 - Looking Forward vs Looking Backward 15:45 - Shabbat is a Dress Rehearsal for Redemption 20:31 - Resurrection of the Dead in Modern Times 24:16 - Releasing Our Attachments to our Roles and Accomplishments 27:53 - Becoming a Channel for God Through Unexpected Questions 30:21 - Matrescence and the Ego Death of Motherhood 34:21 - Intergenerational Healing 38:46 - Who is the Zohar's Author? 42:04 - Torah Ideas Are More Powerful Than Historical Proof 46:29 - Faith is a Choice We Make 50:40 - Emunah vs. Blind Faith 55:07 - Spiritual Maturity 59:05 - Mysticism Awakens the Deepest Parts of Our Souls 01:02:29 - Should We Lead With the Mystical Parts of Torah? 01:04:38 - The Democratization of Spirituality 01:09:48 - Even Following Traffic Laws Can be a Mitzvah 01:14:58 - Hashgacha Pratis: Making Meaning of Every Moment 01:17:38 - Is Time Management Holy? The Trap of Wasting Time & Scrolling 01:21:55 - Upping the Stakes Helps Us Overcome Our Vices 01:24:24 - Intensity Driven by Purpose, Not Shame 01:27:11 - Delayed Pleasure Comes Through the Work 01:31:13 - Falling in Love with the Process
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The Nature of Desire | Charlotte Broukhim
The Nature of Desire | Charlotte Broukhim
Feb 1, 2026
1:28:40
A conversation about the nature of human desire, why we were each created with enormous wanting, and how to transform our desire to take into a desire to receive in order to give what we have. We talk about perfection as wholeness, not a lack of flaws, making sense of our relationship to materiality, and the deep, personal fulfillment that happens through merging our own desires with the divine will, through Torah and Mitzvot. This episode is part 2/3 of a series on the Introduction to the Zohar: The Wisdom of Truth by Rabbi Yehudah Leib Ashlag, co-hosted by Tonia Chazanow and Charlotte Broukhim. Find the book here: share.fund/zoharhh Use code ZOHARHH at checkout for 20% off Charlotte Broukhim is a Jewish mom from Los Angeles who explores the intersections of Jewish mysticism, science, and politics. She studied comparative religion at Harvard, and her upcoming Substack will share practical reflections and insights at the crossroads of ancient wisdom and today’s world. Find her on instagram @cbroukhim and contact her at [email protected]. * * * * * * * EPISODE 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. 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.
30
How Could a Good G-d Bring So Much Pain Into the World?
How Could a Good G-d Bring So Much Pain Into the World?
Jan 25, 2026
59:56
A conversation exploring the introduction to the Zohar, through some of life's biggest questions, like: Why are we here? Why do humans suffer? If everything is part of a divine plan, what is our role in G-d's broader story? We explore the opportunities for growth in facing our own resistance, what our suffering can invite us to, the call to adventure within daily life, studying mysticism while remaining connected with reality, and testing spiritual ideas in our own lives. This episode is part 1/3 of a series on the Introduction to the Zohar: The Wisdom of Truth by Rabbi Yehudah Leib Ashlag, co-hosted by Tonia Chazanow and Charlotte Broukhim. Find the book here: https://korenpub.com/products/introduction-to-the-zohar?srsltid=AfmBOoob-Gp3WIs3jbSf1s7CA7pdFPNBn8B91jTles8xkN39SDMBQM89 Charlotte Broukhim is a Jewish mom from Los Angeles who explores the intersections of Jewish mysticism, science, and politics. She studied comparative religion at Harvard, and her upcoming Substack will share practical reflections and insights at the crossroads of ancient wisdom and today’s world. Find her on instagram @cbroukhim and 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.
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Is G-d Speaking to Me?
Is G-d Speaking to Me?
Jan 21, 2026
12:51
Where do I look for direction? Is G-d just speaking the world into existence, or is G-d speaking to me through all that exists in my life? The Sfas Emes teaches that the plagues transformed the ten divine utterances of creation into the ten commandments, reflecting a clear unveiling of God's hidden creative forces. What is the difference between background speech and directed speech? How can we reinforce G-d's guidance through the ways we notice His words to us? How can we transform the concealed divine within all of creation, into a felt experience of Hashem's guidance in our lives? Source: Sfas Emes Parshas Bo 5631 * * * * * * * 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.
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Mikvah is Your Personal Yom Kippur | Shoshana Manssouri
Mikvah is Your Personal Yom Kippur | Shoshana Manssouri
Jan 18, 2026
33:38
Shoshana Manssouri stumbled into the role of being a mikveh attendant as a young woman. Over the years, she has developed a deep reverence for the experience of accompanying women to immerse in the mikvah's holy waters. Today, she shares the deeper meaning behind mikvah immersion, what makes these ritual waters holy, and the experiences that made her fall in love with her role. * * * * * * * 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.
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The Moment That Stuck | Inbal Levin: Our Light is Our Weapon
The Moment That Stuck | Inbal Levin: Our Light is Our Weapon
Aug 16, 2026
31:38
Human & Holy is on a season break for the rest of the summer! During this time, we're airing your favorite moments from the past few seasons. Watch the original episode in full here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3u2c4ErF-4 In this excerpt, we discuss why being "chosen" isn't a status, but a responsibility to model moral clarity for a world that's lost it. Why the Lubavitcher Rebbe called Shabbos candles a campaign, a mitzvah, an army, and why that language matters more after October 7th than it ever has before. Why the Haggadah spends almost no time on our slavery and nearly all of it on our freedom, and what that says about the story we choose to live inside of right now. This is an episode about the difference between reporting on darkness and building light, and why Inbal chooses the second one, every single day. Inbal Levin is a writer, former fashion model, and social media director for Chabad on Campus. You can connect with her via instagram @itsinbal. * * * * * * * 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 — Being chosen means holding up a mirror 07:21 — The Seven Noahide Laws and moral clarity for everyone 09:02 — The Baal Shem Tov's answer to "Moshiach, when are you coming?" 11:24 — Trusting Hashem in the long security line and the delayed flight 14:15 — How every Jewish girl, age three and up, started lighting Shabbos candles 18:03 — The menorah they wouldn't let into Auschwitz 20:14 — Why the Rebbe used military language for mitzvahs 23:25 — Choosing to build light instead of reporting on darkness 26:15 — What Dara Horn's People Love Dead Jews gets right 26:56 — The Rebbe never said the word "antisemitism": what the Haggadah teaches about what you choose to emphasize 30:53 — Closing thought: you're not just living a story, you're choosing which one it is
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How Did We Get Here? The History Behind the Judaism We Practice | Sheva Deren
How Did We Get Here? The History Behind the Judaism We Practice | Sheva Deren
Oct 31, 2026
47:29
How did Jewish life come to take the shape we know today? In this conversation, Sheva Deren, a Jewish history teacher in Melbourne, Australia, talks about the upheavals, choices, and debates that shaped Jewish practice. We explore the Second Temple era, the development of the Jewish calendar and oral law, and the ways halacha (Jewish law) has responded to changing realities. Who gets to decide how Judaism evolves? What is the balance between protecting inherited practice and finding creative responses to new circumstances? And why do certain visible practices, like modesty, receive so much cultural attention in modern Jewish life? This conversation explores what our ancestors have given us, how questions and disagreements help make the halachic system a living, breathing thing, and why knowing the history behind familiar practices can make them feel more alive. Support Human & Holy for $18/month at humanandholy.com/join and receive bonus virtual events and resources! * * * * * * * 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 Episode introduction 01:41 Sheva’s path into teaching 03:11 Leaving one chapter and building a new life in Melbourne 06:12 The freedom to try a different path 07:44 Why the Second Temple era fascinates Sheva 11:02 Competing visions of Jewish continuity 12:15 Why rabbinic Judaism became the path most Jews followed 14:14 Jewish life in Babylonia and the question of the new moon 18:09 Calendar disagreements and the practice of Pesach 20:15 How Jewish history helps students connect to their identity 21:47 How Halacha encounters new realities, including IVF 24:45 A halachic responsum on keeping Pesach under persecution in Spain 28:31 Disagreement over prayer and the role of angels 31:50 The Ramban, debate, and the role of questions 34:07 Are we obsessed with modesty? 39:02 Safety and the history of Jewish poetry 41:25 Is there a correlation between emancipation and assimilation? 44:11 Why Jewish history matters to Jewish identity 45:54 Sheva’s message to the women who came before her 47:02 Closing message to listeners
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Pain and Suffering Are Not the Same | Chaya Cowen
Pain and Suffering Are Not the Same | Chaya Cowen
Oct 18, 2026
56:44
How can we experience crushing pain without experiencing it as suffering? Again and again, life brings us to a crossroads: will we hold our pain by ourselves, or let G-d meet us in it? In this conversation, Chaya Cowen reflects on grief, personal experiences of devastation, and the leap of allowing G-d into moments shaped by self-blame and anger toward Him. She shares how the loss of her first pregnancy, which ended in stillbirth, shaped her relationship with Hashem, and offers a moving reading of Eicha as a journey through self-blame, anger, and the search for connection. We also talk about how to pass Judaism on with honesty and joy: welcoming children’s questions, meeting the feelings beneath them, and modeling what it looks like to balance exploration with commitment. * * * * * * * Chaya Cowen is a Sacks Scholar, the Head of Learning & Teaching at Beth Rivkah Ladies College in Melbourne, and oversees a comprehensive high school curriculum and teaches courses in Tanach, Jewish History, and Jewish Philosophy. She has a passion for education with a focus on meaningful, empowered and personalized Jewish learning, and explores the interface between Judaism and the wider world. Chaya resides in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and four children. She can be reached 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 The difference between pain and suffering 00:15 Welcome and the episode’s central question 03:35 Meet Chaya Cowen, educator and mother 05:13 Choosing a relationship with Hashem through life’s challenges 08:57 Fertility, loss, and facing what we can’t control 11:26 Reading Eicha as a journey through grief 17:31 Why we blame ourselves after tragedy 18:37 What happens when anger turns toward G-d 21:16 The leap of letting G-d into our pain 23:02 Drawing strength from ancestors and Jewish stories 24:42 The story of Zusha and a different view of suffering 26:04 Finding a way to express and process grief 28:01 How to acknowledge pain without being alone in it 30:58 How to support someone who is grieving 34:23 The lasting mark of pain and asking it for a blessing 36:14 Helping children build a relationship with Hashem 37:11 The educator as a “midwife” to Torah 41:10 Welcoming students’ questions without judgment 45:12 Balancing exploration with commitment 46:28 Modeling beauty and meaning in Jewish practice 49:34 Teaching Torah with joy and continued learning 52:25 Finding a personal path into Jewish life 54:33 Bringing joy, Shabbos, and questions into the home 55:21 Chaya’s closing message
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Sukkos: This Is Also You | Shoshana Judelman
Sukkos: This Is Also You | Shoshana Judelman
Sep 24, 2026
55:46
Get a free download of Human & Holy's conversation cards for your Sukkah by becoming a monthly supporter of Human & Holy at humanandholy.com ❤️ * * * * * * * The sukkah is called the "shade of faith," but what happens when we sit inside it and feel nothing? What if we are entering Sukkos feeling more tapped into the uncertainty of life's winds, than the certainty of G-d's hug? Today, we explore Sukkos as a full-body experience of faith, absorbed simply by showing up to be there. Shoshana shares how she envisioned herself in the Sukkah's embrace when she was curled up inside the radiation machine for cancer treatment, and teaches the deeper Torah behind how we can carry the Sukkah's lingering touch through the inevitable joy, uncertainty, illness and hiddenness that we experience in daily life. * * * * * * * Shoshana Judelman is passionate about learning and growing through Chassidus. She is the founder of Nekaveh Lecha women’s seminary. She gives shiurim in Chassidus for women across Israel and in Midreshet Rachel V’Chaya in Jerusalem. Her shiurim can be found on Spotify and SoundCloud (Shiurim with Shoshana Judelman). Shoshana is also a guide at Yad Vashem and leads journeys to Poland and other countries for JRoots. She can be contacted 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 — Introduction 01:48 — Welcome to Human & Holy 02:24 — Why Sukkos is Shoshana’s favorite holiday 03:25 — Entering the sukkah and reenacting the Clouds of Glory 05:17 — How lockdown changed the way Shoshana’s family celebrates Sukkos 06:19 — Intellectual versus embodied knowing 08:27 — Why do we celebrate Sukkos after Yom Kippur? 09:09 — The Golden Calf and the departure of the Clouds of Glory 10:21 — Yom Kippur, forgiveness and returning to relationship with Hashem 11:39 — The deeper embrace that follows rupture and repair 13:09 — Sukkos as a bridge between Yom Kippur and ordinary life 15:50 — A mitzvah rooted in presence rather than constant action 16:36 — Learning to see life through the lens of Hashem’s reality 18:00 — Building a reservoir of emunah for a random Tuesday in February 20:11 — The storm that destroyed Shoshana’s sukkah 22:42 — How the community rebuilt the sukkah within hours 24:00 — What a temporary structure teaches us about uncertainty 25:22 — The sukkah as the shelter of trust and haven of faith 27:33 — When it feels as though the Clouds of Glory have holes 28:02 — Life as a spiritual training ground 30:25 — Can painful experiences really be understood as expressions of love? 31:31 — Turning the sukkah into an “emunah gas station” 33:19 — Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis shortly before Sukkos 35:53 — Carrying the sukkah’s embrace into treatment 37:11 — Did Shoshana feel Hashem’s presence during radiation? 38:31 — The different “flavors” of Hashem in celebration and hiddenness 39:30 — “I don’t like it, but I know that this is also You” 40:55 — Practical ways to experience the sukkah more deeply 41:25 — The spiritual meaning of the arba minim 43:34 — Drawing embodied knowledge into the heart 44:28 — Bringing Divine love into our eyes, speech, posture and emotions 47:11 — How deeper Torah transforms our experience of a mitzvah 48:54 — Slowing down and using imagination while shaking the lulav 50:04 — Spending more time in the sukkah without pressuring ourselves to feel 52:11 — Shoshana’s message: believe that you can grow and change 53:05 — Growth is happening even when we cannot see it 54:02 — Carrying hope into the new year 55:00 — Closing and ways to support Human & Holy
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Yom Kippur: The G-d Who Holds You | Sara Rosenstein, Rivka Fenton and Rosie Gurevitch
Yom Kippur: The G-d Who Holds You | Sara Rosenstein, Rivka Fenton and Rosie Gurevitch
Sep 20, 2026
27:47
A short excerpt from this week's Human & Holy pre-Yom Kippur morning in New Haven, CT. A poem, a conversation with Sara Rosenstein about returning to Hashem after years of disconnection, original music by Rivka Fenton about finding safety in leaning into God, and personal notes on being carried by God by our host, Rosie Gurevitch. * * * * * * * 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.
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Teshuvah and the G-d We Think We Know | Rus Devorah Wallen
Teshuvah and the G-d We Think We Know | Rus Devorah Wallen
Sep 14, 2026
1:08:51
A conversation about Teshuvah through the dual lens of clinical attachment theory and Torah sources. We explore why perfect attunement in any relationship is a myth, and how the rupture and repair cycle of Teshuvah is actually what deepens our connections, rather than threatening it. Rus Devorah walks through how our early attachment styles get unconsciously projected onto our relationship with G-d, and offers concrete practices for moving toward a more secure, honest connection with Hashem during this season of return. Rus Devorah Wallen is the founder and owner of Torah Therapeutics. She is an accomplished musician, performer, social worker, psychotherapist, administrative consultant, lecturer, and community leader whose work bridges psychology and Torah wisdom. Find out more at toratherapeutics.com. Article referenced in this episode: https://substack.com/@toratherapeutics/p-212834537 * * * * * * * 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 ---- "Back to the future," not back to who you were 00:00:18 ---- Host intro 00:01:33 ---- Rupture, Repair, and the God We Think We Know 00:02:42 ---- The myth of perfect attunement 00:04:46 ---- Why rupture & repair creates a more stabilized relationship 00:05:07 ---- Attachment 00:07:55 ---- Projecting childhood attachment templates onto God 00:09:44 ---- Is it trauma,or is it truth? 00:10:49 ---- The HALTS acronym 00:13:12 ---- "The prisoner can't free himself from his own cell" 00:15:20 ---- Mapping secure / anxious / avoidant attachment onto our relationship with God 00:15:50 ---- What secure attachment looks like relationally 00:19:30 ---- Bringing the secure-attachment framework into relationship with Hashem 00:20:19 ---- Avoidant attachment with God 00:23:09 ---- Moving from an unhealthy attachment pattern toward a more secure connection with God 00:24:23 ---- Step one: learning to love yourself unconditionally 00:25:26 ---- The shofar's sounds (tekiah, shevarim, teruah) as a metaphor for inner emotional release 00:27:12 ---- "Back to the future" — becoming fuller, not returning to a former self 00:30:35 ---- Teshuvah as "a descent for the sake of an ascent" 00:34:12 ---- The difference between reunion and real repair — Rambam's stages of teshuvah 00:41:31 --- Controlled stress as models for growth 00:42:44 ---- Starting with the smallest possible action 00:43:48 ---- Practical example: rebuilding belief in God one tiny step at a time 00:45:22 ---- Finding an outside perspective to guide the process 00:45:48 ---- Secure attachment with God makes room for doubt 00:47:00 ---- Coming to God honestly, without whitewashing pain 00:48:31 ---- Needing secure human relationships first 00:52:13 ---- Reconciling a loving, all-seeing God with the felt experience of suffering 00:52:59 ---- Her stroke story; trusting there was a purpose in crisis 00:55:26 ---- Teshuvah creates something new, not a return to a childhood faith 00:56:52 ---- Holding childlike wonder within an adult relationship with God 00:58:23 ---- Using imagination and visualization to access sweetness 01:00:20 ---- What if your childhood has no sweet memories to draw from? 01:03:26 ---- Building everyday resilience through imaginal rehearsal 01:04:16 ---- Bringing our full, imperfect selves to God 01:06:40 ---- Avinu Malkeinu: God as both King and Father 01:07:25 ---- Closing question 01:08:01 ---- Host's outro
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Where Are You? A Rosh Hashanah Reckoning with Choice
Where Are You? A Rosh Hashanah Reckoning with Choice
Sep 9, 2026
35:26
What is Rosh Hashanah, the birthday of the world, inviting us to? In this recording of our Human & Holy Rosh Hashanah event in LA, we sit with powerful Torah sources to look at the opportunity available right now to co-create a new year with G-d. This episode explores why Rosh Hashanah is a relationship story, this time of year as a renewal of our capacity for choice, why being fully seen by Hashem can fill us with safety rather than dread, and why the mitzvah of the shofar has no single "right" sound, because the sound it's supposed to produce is whatever it produces in you. Join us on Youtube to follow along with the slideshow of sources. * * * * * * * 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: 00:00–01:44 Capacity for choice & waking up from sleep 01:45–03:56 Breath and the Shofar 03:57–07:25 Moving to a shorter line 07:26–07:53 Judgment or compassion? 07:54–12:09 Being fully seen by Hashem 12:19–14:07 What if you have a fear of being seen? 14:08–16:38 Teshuvah as ongoing relational repair 16:40–20:13 Hour by hour of the first day of creation 20:14–24:22 Ayeka: where are you? 24:41–29:36 What if.I bring no intention to Shofar? 29:37–30:16 Only the individual can say "You are my King" 32:31–35:15 What does the Shofar's sound produce in you?
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Hashem Is In with Mimi Hecht, Rivki Rabinowitz, Chani Lisbon and ChayaLeah Sufrin
Hashem Is In with Mimi Hecht, Rivki Rabinowitz, Chani Lisbon and ChayaLeah Sufrin
Sep 7, 2026
1:54:09
So...how are we doing? We're ringing in the new Jewish year with a Jewish State of the Union: where have we been this last year and where are we headed? Today, I sit down with four people who each have a finger on a different pulse of Jewish life. ChayaLeah Sufrin, executive director of Beach Hillel and host of the Ask a Jew podcast, walks through the year's defining global stories, reflects on what this moment is asking of the Jewish people and gives us some predictions for the year ahead. Comedian Chani Lisbon joins for a lighter, faster cultural check-in: why comedians are having a moment, what the whole Jewish world got obsessed with this year, and a rapid-fire round of "in or out" on everything from Pesach programs to WhatsApp statuses. Rivki Rabinowitz, a beauty influencer and interior designer whose work has been featured in Architectural Digest, The Wall Street Journal and more, gives modest fashion the real trend report it deserves: what's replacing slip skirts, her one unforgivable fashion sin, and how she holds beauty and depth as the same thing, not opposites. Closing with a brilliant bang is writer and culture shaper Mimi Hecht's reflections on language: why the term "Hashem" is having a comeback, why words like "healing" and "capacity" have worn thin, the return of words like service and collective, and why specificity is rising in our culture's choice of words. Underneath every conversation, one thread kept showing up: this is the year where every Jew just wants to feel like a Yid. * * * * * * * 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 Segment 1— ChayaLeah Sufrin: The Jewish Year in Review 00:03:31 The five biggest Jewish stories of the year 00:07:35 How to stay informed without living in fear 00:12:54 What is this moment asking of the Jewish people? 00:13:36 A worry people should let go of 00:16:16 What Israel needs from Diaspora Jews right now and vice versa 00:21:18 ChayaLeah's predictions for the new year 00:24:44 Young Jews seeking authentic, substantial Judaism 00:27:00 Segment 2 — Chani Lisbon: A Cultural State of the Union 00:27:59 Why comedians are having a cultural moment right now 00:29:16 Top cultural moment of the year 00:30:06 What everyone got obsessed with this year 00:32:43 Hot take: Why Chani doesn't want a "trendy" rabbi 00:36:15 Rapid-fire "In or Out": pickleball, WhatsApp status, and group tours to Kazakhstan 00:43:11 What people are actually craving 00:45:00 Segment 3 — Rivki Rabinowitz: The Modest Fashion Report 00:46:43 How social media made modest fashion mainstream and immediate 00:52:27 The current "modest girl uniform" 00:52:46 Fashion predictions for the year ahead 00:55:46 Modest makeovers by profile 00:57:01 Rapid-fire 01:00:12 Can aesthetics and depth coexist? 01:04:58 What modesty invites her into creatively 01:09:01 Segment 4: Mimi Hecht on the State of words 01:09:10 Returning to the word "Hashem" 01:15:02 Why we reached for substitute language in the first place 01:18:18 Choosing specific Jewish language as an act of confidence 01:19:34 Why is our culture tired of the word "healing"? 01:26:04 A generational shift in language from self-focus back toward giving 01:32:11 Rapid-fire "Replace the Word" 01:36:29 Defining Chassidic terms in plain language: neshama, mitzvah, and kelipah 01:45:02 Why the term Avodas Hashem makes Mimi emotional 01:46:55 Using words honestly 01:48:43 Host's Outro
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The Moment that Stuck | Rachel Jacobs: Why Numbers Don't Measure Success
The Moment that Stuck | Rachel Jacobs: Why Numbers Don't Measure Success
Aug 30, 2026
16:41
Human & Holy is on a season break for the rest of the summer! During this time, we're airing your favorite moments from the past few seasons. This episode is an impactful moment extracted from the original conversation. Watch the episode in full here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VuF9NwQt8o Rebbetzin Rachel Jacobs built a Jewish community in Birmingham, UK from the ground up: a Chabad house, a Torah Tots nursery, a Hebrew school, and a role as the only Jewish studies teacher in a school of 160 students. In this excerpt, we explore what happens when you feel called to build something and no one shows up, and how she learned to measure success by relationships instead of numbers. Rachel shares the Torah teaching that convinced her to start a Hebrew school with just six kids, and what it felt like years later watching those same kids read fluently from the Torah at their own bar and bat mitzvahs. A conversation about faith, community building, Jewish education, and redefining what success actually means. Rachel Jacobs, originally from Los Angeles, California, currently serves as Rebbetzin of Singers Hill Synagogue in Birmingham, England. She is also the Educational Director of the Torah Tots nursery school, the Cheder, and the Jewish studies program at the local King David Primary School. Over the past 20 years, Rachel has gained recognition as an inspiring Jewish speaker, with a particular focus on women’s issues and marriage. Her warmth, charisma, and insightful teachings have touched the lives of Jewish women across the United States and Europe. You can contact Rachel via [email protected] and on instagram @Rachelcjacobs. * * * * * * * 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 ache of being called to something and hearing crickets back 00:23 — Rachel on the early, hardest days of building a Chabad house 04:03 — The real question underneath it all: are we measuring success by numbers? 04:21 — Starting Torah Tots with six kids: "affecting children from a young age is infinite" 05:41 — The reality now: down to two kids, and showing up anyway 05:53 — Called into King David School as the lone Jewish voice for 11 students among 160 07:35 — Leading through bureaucracy and red tape: "you have to go back to your why" 09:23 — Redefining the metric of success: deep impact on one person over reach to many 09:50 — Rachel's husband and the minyan he shows up for every night, no matter the count 12:53 — The Torah source that named her calling: Matos Masei and the tribes who chose to build 12:54 — Starting Cheder Club with five boys and one girl 14:56 — Years later: those same kids reading fluently from the Torah at their bar and bat mitzvahs 16:04 — "It's the positivity. People want to be part of success." 16:14 — Outro
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The Moment that Stuck | Devori Nussbaum: Why You Feel Numb (And How to Reconnect to G-d)
The Moment that Stuck | Devori Nussbaum: Why You Feel Numb (And How to Reconnect to G-d)
Aug 23, 2026
32:33
Human & Holy is on a season break for the rest of the summer! During this time, we're airing your favorite moments from the past few seasons. Watch the original episode in full here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhnlNd2zd2w In this excerpt from a past episode with Devori Nussbaum, we explore healing a blocked heart, rooted in Tanya and Chassidic thought. We explore why arrogance and honesty are opposites, the Torah's real definition of humility, and the difference between grief and depression. Devori shares how the animal soul keeps us "small, safe, and in control" and the exact language for asking G-d for help from wherever you honestly are, not where you think you should be. If you've been feeling numb, disconnected, or far from Hashem, this episode is a way back in. Devori is an integrative psychotherapist who has trained in many different healing modalities including body psychotherapy, imago therapy, logotherapy, the energetics of food, quantum touch, breathwork, CBT, NLP, EMDR, IFS, inner child work and somatic modalities. She is also passionate about teaching Chassidus in a way that is accessible, relevant and embodied, showing people that these teachings are not just nice ideas, but a description of our reality. Get in touch with Devori and find out more about her work on www.devorinussbaum.com. * * * * * * * 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 — The antidote to the desire to be "transformed" 0:15 — Presencing your block: how to begin when you feel numb or disconnected 1:09 — Why honesty is what unlocks connection to Hashem 1:40 — The Tanya's teaching on the oneness of God and the kelipah (shell) of separation 2:57 — Pain vs. suffering: the difference between what hurts and the story we tell about it 4:08 — The void as a portal: Ayin (nothingness) as the source of infinite potential 5:09 — Bringing G-d's presence into your darkness: how tears open the way to joy 5:30 — The classic teaching: "To open hearts, to know what one sees and hears" 6:59 — Seeing past people's defenses to "the light behind their eyes" 8:22 — Living in constant one-on-one conversation with G-d 9:14 — Why we judge the external shell before we ever see the soul underneath 10:22 — The frequency of oneness: hearing it like a heartbeat, an undercurrent 11:49 — Clearing the noise: expanding your capacity to notice the sacred in ordinary things 13:31 — Where blocked hearts really come from: unacknowledged grief 14:12 — Grief, attachment, and learning to move through the seasons of life 17:25 — Is being present with pain against Jewish values? 17:56 — Merirut vs. atzvut: the Tanya's distinction between grief and depression 19:26 — Moving through the cycle of grief back into joy 21:41 — "Ask for help from where you actually are" 23:04 — Arrogance and honesty as opposites, and what true humility actually means 24:00 — Moshe Rabbeinu, humility, and the honesty of naming your own greatness 25:28 — "Small, safe, and in control": the animal soul's real agenda 26:26 — Living from the divine soul: success and failure as opportunities, not identity 28:20 — The real cost of letting go of an identity you've outgrown 30:22 — Peeling away the layers: why every threshold in life asks you to release something 31:51 — Closing thoughts
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I Am a Dreamer | Jerusalem Open Mic
I Am a Dreamer | Jerusalem Open Mic
Apr 26, 2026
1:19:50
A live Human & Holy Women's Open Mic Night in Jerusalem, exploring the theme "I Am a Dreamer". A deeply moving evening of poetry, prose and song about dreams fulfilled and dreams shattered, on the dreams laid to rest and the ones held onto with quiet persistence, on the courage to keep dreaming. Listen for an expansive, heart opening hour of soulful art that will dare you to your own dreams. Thank you to Sara & Joel Halpern for hosting this evening in Jerusalem. Featured in this episode (in order of appearance): Mazal Zaikin Zeesy Gurevitch Rivka Mazal Tauber Chanah Rothberg Hindel Swerdlow Estee Silberberg (30:07) Name Missing (32:28) Name Missing Ariella Seltzer Shani Pollack Miriam Sebbag Leah Katz Keren Vardi Devorah Rutner Chana Bennett Tonia Chazanow * * * * * * * To join our virtual Tanya class, click here: https://humanandholy.mykajabi.com/tanyaclassTo 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.
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The Moment that Stuck | Chani Heyman on Raising Kids Who Stay Close as They Grow
The Moment that Stuck | Chani Heyman on Raising Kids Who Stay Close as They Grow
Jul 26, 2026
39:12
Human & Holy is on a season break for the rest of the summer! During this time, we're airing your favorite moments from the past few seasons. How do you instill Jewish values from a young age, while leaving space for a child to grow into them on their own? In this conversation, we talk about why Judaism has to start as routine for young children before it becomes relationship, why “yes, unless you have a value to say no” changes everything with a teenager, the importance of physical touch in raising healthy children, and why mourning openly when our children's religious choices look differently than ours do can do real damage, even when it comes from love. This is a conversation about giving our children strong roots in their Judaism, and navigating the evolution from childhood to adulthood, as they begin to make their own choices in their relationship with G-d. Chani Heyman is a dynamic parenting coach, motivational speaker, educator, and Torah teacher who's passionate about empowering families to thrive. Originally from Los Angeles, Chani now calls Israel home. With a background rooted in the timeless wisdom of Rebbetzin Spetner and her own experiences as a mother of eight, Chani shares practical and inspiring guidance with parents worldwide.Through her engaging group classes, popular parenting column, and vibrant Instagram community @parentingwithchani, Chani sparks meaningful connections and helps families unlock their full potential. Find out more at https://theparentingclub.info. * * * * * * * 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 How to build Yiddishkeit routines that feel as natural as brushing teeth 01:06 Building the routine: start at the smallest sustainable level 06:24 The teen shift 09:13 Foundation vs. peer pressure 10:45 The reframe: “Yes, unless you have a value to say no” 11:38 Choosing your battles 12:49 “Copy paste” — are we raising kids to replicate our table, or to be halachically their own person? 14:41 Finding a rav to define the lowest level that is still 100% halacha — the loose-fitting-pants story 16:44 When your child doesn't look like you 17:44 Is “because it would make my mother happy” a legitimate motivation for a teen’s mitzvah observance? 21:43 Why building the habit before the meaning arrives is so much easier than trying to build both at once at 20 22:17 Parental fear and projection 22:34 For ba’alei teshuva parents specifically — “I’m trying to give you what I didn’t have,” and why force backfires 23:33 Beyond 100% halacha — what it looks like when a child’s practice truly diverges 25:36 “Keep your relationship strong” 27:03 The sapling-and-tree image 28:17 The emotional baseline — what it is, and why it differs by age 28:26 Ten minutes of true one-on-one time 30:33 For teens: it’s not about the ten minutes, it’s about being available the moment they want you 32:15 Modeling adult relationships 33:37 Physical touch as an emotional need 35:40 The mother who couldn’t remember the last time she’d touched her 19-year-old son 38:45 Host's Outro
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The Questions Women Don't Ask Out Loud | Dena Block
The Questions Women Don't Ask Out Loud | Dena Block
Jul 12, 2026
48:51
A conversation about women's health & Jewish law, the more sensitive questions hidden behind women's seemingly straightforward halachic questions, how the concept of a Yoetzet Halacha came about, the difference between a halachic ruling and halachic advice, why the advice of "don't look at the toilet paper" can sometimes do more harm than good, the evolution of halachic thinking on IVF, the medical red flags that can be associated with "halachic infertility", the questions Dena gets most often, the ones that break her heart, and the ones that surprise her the most. Dena Block is the Co-Director of Nishmat's Miriam Glaubach Center. Previously, she served as the Center's Associate Director and as a Yoetzet Halacha for several congregations throughout the tri-state area. She taught Gemara and Halacha at Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls in Teaneck, NJ, where she also served as Director of Admissions. A graduate of the first class of Nishmat's Miriam Glaubach Center's U.S. Yoatzot Halacha Fellows Program, Dena worked on numerous MGC initiatives to broaden the impact of of Yoatzot Halacha before joining the Center full-time in 2021. Dena lives in Raanana with her husband and 5 children and can be reached at [email protected] [00:00] Welcome Dena Block [01:00] Meeting women where they're at [01:50] Defining the term "Yoetzet Halacha" (women's halachic advisor) [02:48] The origin story: why the role was created [03:30] How women were being more stringent on themselves in silence, not more lenient — and the health/marital cost of that silence [04:24] Why more questions asked = more comfort, not less trust in rabbinic authority [05:00] How a Yoetzet answers — always with context, not just yes/no, to empower future understanding [05:48] The "question behind the question" — when the real issue isn't the halachic one [05:52] Example: a woman asking to go to mikvah early — the real story underneath [07:44] How that extra context changes the answer a posek gives [08:11] Story: a woman whose ongoing staining was actually a birth control issue [10:15] Defining the boundary between a Yoetzet and a rav/posek [11:06] What "psak" actually means vs. general halachic knowledge [12:00] Judgment calls vs. established rulings [12:16] Should women be taught to examine their own bedikah cloths? [16:27] The bigger question — why can't a woman hold a halachic ruling position? [18:23] The humility and reverence in deepened knowledge [20:47] How halacha creates unusual bodily attunement [24:41] Why "don't look at the toilet paper" is advice Dena wants retired [27:36] What IVF is and the original halachic concerns when it emerged [28:11] The concern over hashchatat zera (wasting seed) and how sperm collection is handled [29:36] How halachic opinion evolved as the technology became safer and more regulated [32:54] Common misconceptions about halachic infertility [34:34] Why a very short cycle can be a medical red flag, not just a halachic inconvenience [35:22] Halachic literacy often reveals underlying health issues [35:23] Why unexplained staining should always prompt a doctor visit, even when it's halachically minor [37:08] Misconceptions around halacha and sexuality [38:53] The most common question Dina receives [39:35] The hardest questions — women asking about mikvah while heading toward divorce [40:31] The range of what women are carrying — infertility, loss, mental health, marital strain [40:48] What makes Dina feel hopeful — when a woman expects "no" and hears "yes" [41:43] Witnessing halachic commitment and sacrifice [42:00] The number one thing women struggle with in this mitzvah — physical separation and lack of touch, more than the absence of sex itself [43:25] How the separation period affects men too, not just women [44:03] The biggest friction point between couples — the story of a woman who lied about her niddah status to avoid intimacy [46:26] Most unexpected mikvah locations [47:23] Closing question
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Why I Stopped Waiting for a Miracle | Chavie Bruk
Why I Stopped Waiting for a Miracle | Chavie Bruk
Jul 5, 2026
1:31:39
A conversation about the gritty, messy experience of faith when the things you want are not a "not yet" but a "no", life as a mother of five adopted children while grieving a permanent infertility diagnosis, why sometimes we need to stop waiting for a miracle, trying again and being told “no” again by God after 20 years of accepting, the impact of life setbacks on marriage and being willing to get support, the spiritual framework that makes Chavie's faith possible, and choosing to live with joy even when life doesn’t go as planned. Chavie Bruk is the host of Totally Unexpected!, a podcast featuring long-form interviews that uncover the one unexpected moment that shaped her guests’ lives. She is the author of a weekly blog on Substack, a sought-after public speaker, and a passionate advocate for adoption and infertility awareness. She and her husband are the directors of Chabad-Lubavitch of Montana, where they have spent nearly two decades building Jewish life out west and are the parents of five adopted children. She is an avid reader, traveler, fitness and health enthusiast, and endlessly curious about this messy ride we all call life. Listen to Totally Unexpected! wherever you get your podcasts and read her blog at www.totallyunexpected.blog. Chavie can be reached on Instagram @chaviebruk or by email at [email protected] To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected] To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. 00:00 Introducing Chavie Bruk 02:52 Chavie introduces herself 04:23 Seasons of family vs. seasons of community service 08:39 Why she lets her community see the harder parts of her life 10:42 Permanent infertility diagnosis 15:33 Choosing to live fully inside the hardest years instead of just surviving them 17:22 The "why me" question — and how it eventually became "how" 20:11 Acceptance isn't linear — re-accepting the same grief at a deeper layer, years later 22:50 Holding grief and gratitude at the same time 23:09 Her unconventional relationship to miracles — the decision she made on her 30th birthday 26:02 When spiritual belief becomes spiritual bypassing — and how to tell the difference 29:12 On waiting: traveling with a child with special needs instead of waiting for "someday" 34:00 Living in the thick of life — why she started her podcast without waiting for it to be easier 35:25 The toll hard circumstances take on a marriage — and the stigma around therapy 40:24 Learning your couple's "trigger dance," and the tools that actually hold a marriage together 51:04Turning a canceled marriage-counseling slot into a standing weekly coffee date 53:16What it actually looks like to grieve a life that didn't turn out how you expected 54:11 The twinge she feels when someone close to her gets pregnant — and giving it room instead of shame 58:56 The story she's never said out loud before: a new fertility possibility reopens after 20 years 1:00:09 Saying no, then yes, then the test — and the result 1:02:20 "Why did You do that?" — wrestling openly with Hashem after the door closed again 1:04:38 What her therapist helped her see: this wasn't a setback, it was another layer of healing 1:07:07 "That's not my story" — choosing what this experience gets to mean 1:11:14 Not every "not yet" is a not-yet — sometimes it's a no, and that's its own form of faith 1:13:33 Faith isn't feeling good when things go well — it's staying okay when they don't 1:14:22 Why she teaches Tanya — the mechanics of the spiritual world as grounding, not platitude 1:17:18 Living in the present moment as the antidote to shame about the past and fear of the future 1:22:36 Real bitachon isn't toxic positivity — Hashem wants your anger too, not just your best behavior 1:24:47 What "messy" actually looks like behind a polished, recorded conversation 1:26:35 Knowing your own constitution — why she's "fire," not Zen, and why that's not a flaw to fix 1:28:03 Rapid fire & outro
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Am I a Follower of the Lubavitcher Rebbe?
Am I a Follower of the Lubavitcher Rebbe?
Jun 14, 2026
39:56
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
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Raising Children When You're Still Figuring It Out | Elisheva Segelman
Raising Children When You're Still Figuring It Out | Elisheva Segelman
Jun 7, 2026
1:21:56
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
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It Already Belongs to You | Annie Nagel & Hadassah Shemtov on Women's Torah Study
It Already Belongs to You | Annie Nagel & Hadassah Shemtov on Women's Torah Study
May 24, 2026
1:07:48
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
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To Be Both a Traveler and at Home: Receiving the Torah
To Be Both a Traveler and at Home: Receiving the Torah
May 17, 2026
29:54
What does it mean to be both a stranger and at home in your Judaism? To be deeply connected to your faith and still feel othered from a piece of your own practice? This week, in honor of Shavuos, we sit with a Talmudic dispute between Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yishmael about how the Jewish people received the Torah at Sinai, and the much bigger question underneath it. What does it mean to be completely at home in your Judaism, swept up in it like one unifying truth? And what does it mean to be a traveler in it, seeing each piece of it on its own terms? A conversation about Sinai, sight and sound, the hedgehog and the fox, receiving the Torah as both a homecoming and an invitation to the road, and what to do when you feel like a stranger within your own Jewish self. This episode is dedicated in honor of Reuven Morrison hy"d, killed in the Bondi terror attack on Chanukah. May his memory be a blessing, and may his life continue to inspire Jews to live openly and proudly as themselves. * * * * * * * 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 on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Welcome, and a Shavuos teaching on receiving the Torah 1:30 Preview: next Sunday's roundtable on women's Torah study 2:45 Dedication: Reuven Morrison hy"d 5:00 A joke the Lubavitcher Rebbe told: what is Judaism? 6:30 The question underneath the joke: general vs. particular 7:30 The first luchos vs. the second 8:30 Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yishmael on how the Oral Torah was given 10:00 "They saw the thunder, they heard the lightning" — the verse at Sinai 11:00 Synesthesia, Beethoven, and scrambled senses 12:30 Sight vs. sound: the whole first, or the details first? 14:30 The Alter Rebbe and his grandson — who is Zaideh? 17:00 Isaiah Berlin's The Hedgehog and the Fox 18:30 Two temperaments, two ways of meeting the world 20:00 Returning to R' Akiva and R' Yishmael through this frame 21:30 Why they each had a different orientation 23:00 Back to the joke: Shabbos within Judaism vs. Shabbos as itself 24:00 A relationship has a story, but it also has its moments 25:30 Home vs. traveling, and why we see the details when we travel 27:00 Areas of our Judaism where we feel at home, and areas where we feel like strangers 28:30 Allow yourself to be a stranger in your own life 29:30 Receiving both the panorama and the particulars 30:30 What I'm taking with me into Shavuos
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Why Rest Doesn't Cure Burnout: A Conversation with My Friend, Zisi Zirkind
Why Rest Doesn't Cure Burnout: A Conversation with My Friend, Zisi Zirkind
May 10, 2026
48:17
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
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Loved Into Existence: A Soulful Guide to Sefiras Ha'Omer | Chana Kalmenson
Loved Into Existence: A Soulful Guide to Sefiras Ha'Omer | Chana Kalmenson
May 3, 2026
1:13:16
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
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My Stroke of Good Fortune | Rus Devorah Wallen [Rerun]
My Stroke of Good Fortune | Rus Devorah Wallen [Rerun]
Jul 27, 2025
54:11
While we take a season break, we’re bringing back this conversation with Rus Devora Wallen, who shares her own experience with a stroke, and lessons from her clients on how the greatest descents in our lives are often a preparation and a catalyst for unparalleled ascent. Find more of Rus Devorah’s work on toratherapeutics.com || * * * * * * * 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 - Introduction 1:55 - Meet Devora Wallen: Licensed Clinical Social Worker 3:25 - Understanding Yerida L'Tzorech Aliyah (Descent for Ascent) 5:46 - The Stroke Story: Shavuos Morning Crisis 7:26 - Emergency Signs: When Something Goes Wrong 9:50 - Hospital Experience & Spiritual Tools 12:15 - The Turning Point: Gratitude & Second Life1 3:44 - Physical Transformation: Better Than Age 25 15:26 - Managing High Energy Positively 18:11 - Client Story: Postpartum Psychosis Recovery 21:07 - Mirror Neurons & Relationship Dynamics 23:41 - Unexpected Healing: Tourette's Syndrome Improvement 24:44 - The Three-Legged Stool: Mind, Body, Soul 26:36 - Depression 29:02 - Caring for Aging Parents & Life Changes 30:43 - The Bike Ride Breakthrough 31:41 - Moving Creates Motivation 34:14 - Mitzvah Leads to Mitzvah 35:20 - Three-Legged Stool Method Explained 37:35 - Bedtime Breathing Contest Technique 39:45 - Basic Breathing for Beginners 41:12 - Live Meditation Demonstration Begins 45:01 - Post-Meditation Discussion & Benefits 46:54 - Mental Muscle Training & Daily Practice 48:14 - Meditation as Mental Exercise, Not Relaxation 49:30 - Closing Thoughts
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Reconnecting with the Divine: Faith, Grief & Teshuvah | Sara Mayberg
Reconnecting with the Divine: Faith, Grief & Teshuvah | Sara Mayberg
Sep 28, 2025
1:05:04
In this raw conversation with Sara Mayberg, we explore Sara's personal process of Teshuvah and the path back to her divine soul, as someone who was already committed to her Jewish practice. We discuss how the inherent nature of the divine soul is to want G-d, how Sara began to develop a visceral experience of trust, and how grief can crack us open in transformative ways. Other topics explored: how financial struggles can be invitations to lean on G-d, the significance of community in the path back to ourselves, learning to see the divine in others, the ongoing process of return, and the journey to reclaiming a sense of choice in our Judaism and relationships. Sara can be contacted 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: 0:00 Reconnecting with Joy 01:26 The Journey of Trust and Divine Connection 03:45 Awakening Through Relationships 07:49 The Catalyst of Darkness 11:04 Surrendering to the Void 14:56 Finding G-d in Material Insecurity 20:15 Navigating Financial Strain and Trust 22:41 Grieving and Embracing New Perspectives 29:31The Ongoing Conversation with Hashem 32:28 Experiencing Hashem Within and Around Us 34:18 Integrating Knowledge into the Body 36:34 The Role of Prayer and Learning in Personal Growth 38:59 Understanding the Animal and Divine Souls 42:26 Compassion and Connection in Healing 45:12 Seeing the Divine in Others 48:37 Building Community and Support 50:27 Reconnecting with Judaism and Mitzvot 52:59 The Process of Teshuvah and Reclaiming Choice 55:53 Acceptance and Compassion in Relationships 59:04 Trusting the Power of Our Souls 01:00:58 Letting Go to Make Space for What's Next 01:02:12 "I Love You"
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Start With Compassion | Matti Banon
Start With Compassion | Matti Banon
Sep 21, 2025
59:32
Elul and the high holidays are a period of introspection and self accounting. In this conversation with Matti Banon, we discuss the Chassidic perspective on gentle growth, what it looks like to live our lives with agency while remaining humble enough to recognize our recurring flaws, the balance between intellect and emotion, the transformative power of compassion and curiosity, and the parenting truths that can guide us in becoming more whole ourselves. Matti Banon is a campus shlucha in Montreal who enjoys learning and delving into topics like marriage and parenting through the lens of Chassidus. Her children are her biggest helpers when it comes to her shlichus and self growth. She can be reached at [email protected] References: Story of the Baal Shem Tov & the shofar: https://www.chabad.org/library/article cdo/aid/3080/jewish/The-Master-Key.htm Chapter 27 of the Tanya (the sweet & spicy paths): https://www.chabad.org/library/tanya/tanya cdo/aid/7906/jewish/Chapter-27.htm More about Reb Levi Yitzchok of Berdichev: https://www.chabad.org/library/article cdo/aid/1007604/jewish/A-Brief-Biography.htm The 4 Body System: https://a.co/d/djfpzDu Parenting reference: Blimieheller.com * * * * * * * 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 and Personal Background 01:53 The Essence of Parenting and Nurturing 05:13 Leading Ourselves: The Journey of Self-Discovery 10:03 Awareness and Compassion: The First Steps 14:42 The Role of Emotions in Personal Growth 19:52 The Chassidic Balance of Intellect and Emotion 24:48 Transforming the Inner Critic 29:43 Discipline and Connection in Parenting 34:33 Embracing Imperfection and Growth 39:27 The Importance of Compassion in Relationships 44:34 Curiosity and Self-Exploration 49:06 Final Thoughts
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What Do You Really, Really Want?
What Do You Really, Really Want?
Sep 17, 2025
19:31
The Shofar is a call to face your own desire. Its explosive call on Rosh Hashanah is an invitation to be awoken to the depths within us, to witness the divine desire with which G-d created the world, and to have the courage to face the gaps between where we are and what we truly want. Source: Likkutei Torah Tiku Bachodesh, Parshas Netzavim, pg. 106 SPONSOR: Sponsored in honor of Malka Mayasha bat Esther, for a year of blessings and joy. 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 Call of the Shofar: Awakening the Soul's Desire 02:48 Rosh Hashanah: Renewal and Connection 06:08 Understanding G-d's Desire: The Essence of Creation 08:47 Two Levels of Divine Will 11:55 The Gift of Rupture: Awakening Your Depths 14:47 The Courage to Face Our True Desires 18:07 Meeting G-d: The Divine Invitation on Rosh Hashanah
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Becoming a Rebbetzin | Gitty Hecht
Becoming a Rebbetzin | Gitty Hecht
Sep 14, 2025
52:58
In this conversation, Gitty Hecht shares her transformative journey from a well-known makeup artist to a spiritual leader, exploring her relationship with G-d and the evolution of her self-worth. She explores moving from a fear-based connection with G-d to one of secure attachment and intimacy, the importance of embracing one's gifts, overcoming fear, dismantling self-imposed pedestals of spiritual leadership, and embracing her current role with humility and authenticity. Gitty emphasizes that everyone has something to offer to the world as they are and that the impact of our actions can resonate deeply, even if we don't always see it. Gitty Hecht is a Rebbetzin, speaker, and educator based in Queens, NY. Find more of her work here: https://linktr.ee/gittyhecht Explore her online courses here: https://stan.store/GittyHecht Contact her at [email protected]. Find her on instagram @gittyhecht * * * * * * * 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 - Guest Intro & Life Journey 00:05:10 - Post-Divorce Transformation 10:35:00 - Shame, Vulnerability, and G-d 14:05:00 - Evolving Faith: From Fear to Connection 21:58:00 - G-d's Unconditional Love 27:12:00 - Finding Love & Safety 00:30:39 - Dismantling the Pedestal of Spiritual Leadership 34:35:00 - Overcoming Imposter Syndrome 41:00:00 - Torah Study & Leadership
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Awakening Oneness: The Legacy of the Baal Shemtov & Alter Rebbe
Awakening Oneness: The Legacy of the Baal Shemtov & Alter Rebbe
Sep 10, 2025
9:30
Season Six is live! In today's episode, I share my vision for this new season of the podcast, some Torah about the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov and Alter Rebbe, and the ways our diversity is a reflection of the inherent oneness woven through G-d, Torah, and the Jewish people. Source: a talk on Chai Elul given by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, recorded in Likutei Sichos, Vol. 24 * * * * * * * If you believe in Human & Holy's work, consider partnering with us! 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.
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When the G-d I Inherited Became the G-d I Chose | Sophia Rivka Rossi, Shaina Liberow-Schmukler, Adira Shiff-Kest
When the G-d I Inherited Became the G-d I Chose | Sophia Rivka Rossi, Shaina Liberow-Schmukler, Adira Shiff-Kest
Sep 7, 2025
52:43
In the first episode of Season 6, we sit down with three women, Sophia Rivka Rossi, Shaina Liberow-Schmukler, and Adira Shiff-Kest, to explore the impact of Chassidic wisdom on their individual experiences of Teshuvah and their process of returning to their divine souls. We explore the power of emotional honesty, humor, and even anger in our relationship with G-d, the importance of maintaining our own individual voices and what it looks like to truly choose G-d throughout life. EPISODE 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. Explore their new book, an English translation of Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag’s Introduction to the Zohar: The Wisdom of Truth here: https://korenpub.com/products/introduction-to-the-zohar?srsltid=AfmBOooH7 qO1p7rBV6KCczFMDV3aeErxeHI67zRImb1g0hh2e3tUBqL 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 & Share Sponsorship 02:49 Celebrating Chai Elul and the Impact of Chassidus 05:43 When Judaism Entered My Inner World 09:02 Understanding Teshuvah: A Return to Self 11:58 How the Tanya Impacted Me 14:47 G-d is Underneath the Pain 17:40 Emotional Honesty in a Relationship with G-d 27:16 The Power of Holy Anger 29:37 Being a Voice of Moral Courage 32:19 The Zigzags of Life 34:45 Finding Stillness in a Busy World 38:35 There's More to You 41:45 A Jewish Experience of Joy 45:48 Owning My Jewish Identity in Public 49:00 The Ideas That Changed Me 49:53 From One Soul to Another
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The Body's Experience of G-d | Shimona Tzukernik [Rerun]
The Body's Experience of G-d | Shimona Tzukernik [Rerun]
Aug 31, 2025
59:38
What if your relationship with G-d wasn't just in your head and heart, but lived in your entire body? Shimona Tzukernik, a somatic therapist and Torah teacher, describes the bridge between intellectual faith and visceral spiritual experience. How can we transform the visceral resistance we feel towards certain mitzvos? How can we lean into the body’s experience of a joyful, jewish life? Human & Holy is currently on a season break. Season Six airs on Sunday, September 7! * * * * * * * 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 - Visceral Experience of God 0:36 - Meet Shimona Tzukernik 2:24 - Shimona's Pivot to Somatic Therapy 5:38 - What is Somatic Therapy? Understanding Body-Stored Memories 10:29 - Visceral Yiddishkeit: Feeling Judaism in Your Body 19:21 - "Your Head is Heaven" - Integrating Mind & Body Faith 23:27 - Hair Covering Example: Physical Mitzvah Resistance 30:03 - Hiddur Mitzvah: Engaging All Five Senses 34:34 - Mitzvahs vs. Metaverse: Staying Grounded in Physical Reality 37:54 - The Magic of Jewish Living & Repetitive Spiritual Experiences 45:29 - Fight or Flight: Watching Emotions Flow Through You 48:58 - Dealing with Dissociation During Spiritual Moments 50:44 - Kavanah & Presence: Being Fully There with Hashem 53:54 - Integration & Synthesis of Body-Soul Connection 54:42 - Final Thoughts
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I Didn't Know Who I Was | Miriam Cohen [Rerun]
I Didn't Know Who I Was | Miriam Cohen [Rerun]
Aug 24, 2025
54:23
What happens when kindness runs unchecked? In this re-aired episode of Human & Holy, we sit down with Miriam Cohen to explore the deep spiritual journey of over-giving, codependency, and emotional depletion—and how Jewish wisdom offers a path to healing. Season Six launches on Sunday, Sep. 7! ✨ * * * * * * 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.
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To Guide Your Emotions, Feel Them First | Ester Zirkind [Rerun]
To Guide Your Emotions, Feel Them First | Ester Zirkind [Rerun]
Aug 17, 2025
42:43
While Human & Holy is currently on a season break, we're revisiting some of our most meaningful conversations from seasons past. This week's episode rerun is a conversation with Ester Zirkind, exploring the concept of Moach Shalit al Halev, the mind ruling over the heart. In a personal accounting of this idea, Ester speaks about the importance of our emotions in the equation. Using the mind to guide the heart is not about suppressing emotions. It’s a spiritual reframe: how to honor your heart while allowing your mind to gently lead the way. Stay tuned for Season 6 landing on Sunday, Sep. 7 ✨ * * * * * * * 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: Season Break & Re-airing Beloved Episodes 01:00 – Meet Ester Zirkind: Educator, Author, and Shlucha 02:15 – What Is Moach Shalit al Halev? The Mind Governing the Heart 04:00 – Growing Up Emotional in a Culture of Emotional Restraint 05:40 – Shame Around Sensitivity: A Personal Struggle 07:00 – Discovering the Enneagram & Sefirot Connection 09:00 – Finding Her Place: Embracing Tiferes and Deep Feeling 10:30 – The Path to True Self-Understanding and Emotional Leadership 12:00 – Why Naming Feelings Is the Key to Mastering Them 13:45 – Teaching Girls to “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway” 15:00 – The Power of Regulated Emotion in Conscious Living 16:45 – Accepting Differences: Understanding Others Through Soul Roots 18:00 – Esther’s Book: A Memoir Born of Midlife and Honesty 19:30 – Four Years of Illness, Grief, and Redemption 21:15 – The Life and Loss of Baruch Menachem Mendel 23:00 – Choosing Risk, Choosing Life: A Mother's Courage 24:45 – Battling Illness While Rebuilding Faith 26:15 – The Power of a Supportive Marriage 27:30 – Choosing Gratitude Over Bitterness 29:00 – On Missing Eretz Yisrael and Spiritual Longing 30:30 – Disappointment, Bitterness, and Faith in Divine Timing 32:00 – The Balance Between Emotion and Intuition 33:30 – How Do You Know If You’re Getting It Right? 35:00 – Give Yourself Time: Practical Emotional Guidance 36:30 – Respecting Your Process, History, and Emotions 38:00 – Grieving Honestly as a Path to Healing 39:15 – The Pain Is a Pathway: Choosing to Feel and Grow 40:20 – Final Reflections
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HUMAN & HOLY | Shterna Ginsberg [Rerun]
HUMAN & HOLY | Shterna Ginsberg [Rerun]
Aug 10, 2025
57:02
What does it actually look like to internalize the identity of the soul as our own? To approach our own reflection with a deep understanding of our essence, of the way it does not hinge on anything but the piece of G-d inside? In this episode, Shterna Ginsberg explores how to stop depending on others for your sense of self and find the infinite worth that lies within.|| To find more of Shterna's work, visit www.energizedliving.org. To sponsor an episode, please visit humanandholy.com/sponsor or email us at [email protected]. Human & Holy is currently on a season break. This episode originally aired in June 2022. * * * * * * * 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 - The Search for Sense of Self 0:36 - Meet Shterna Ginsberg 1:47 - What is the Neshama? 2:59 - Roots vs. Fruits: Why We Miss Our Essence 4:34 - The Self-Care Problem: No Self to Care For 6:09 - How to Bridge Concept to Experience 7:21 - Hidden Hashem in a "Realistic" World 8:07 - Power Dynamics: Who Controls Your Life? 10:57 - Healthy vs. Unhealthy Dependency 11:48 - The Inner Island of Love & Dignity 13:41 - The Bell Story: Faith Must Be Practiced 16:08 - Chochma, Bina, Das: Three Steps to Integration 18:32 - Dealing with Inner Resistance & Toxic Self-Talk 19:29 - Setting Up Your Internal "Fire Department" 20:45 - The Shaitel Story: Practical Soul Identity 22:37 - Essence vs. Personality: What's Really You? 25:40 - "Just Be Nice" 26:38 - No Excuses for Not Shining Your Light 28:18 - Marriage Without a Self: The Dangerous Dynamic 30:14 - "I'll Give You Everything for a Sense of Self" 32:40 - Parenting from Wholeness vs. Neediness 34:16 - The Apple Story: When Identity Depends on Details 36:10 - Unconditional Love Requires Soul-Centered Identity 38:21 - Root of All Problems 40:45 - "You Are Worthy" - Empty vs. Soul-Based Truth 43:08 - The Virtual Reality Experiment 46:27 - Living in Hashem's Reality vs. Virtual Reality 48:44 - Breaking Through the Barrier 50:35 - Practical Integration: Using Daily Mitzvos 52:28 - The Bell System: Connecting Dots in Your Day 54:04 - Who Is the Self?
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Instead of Why, What Now? | Freidy Yanover [Rerun]
Instead of Why, What Now? | Freidy Yanover [Rerun]
Aug 3, 2025
41:24
Freidy Yanover speaks about our challenges being signs that can direct us towards the next step of our journey. If we are open, we can allow them to nudge us more deeply into our lives and relationships with G-d. If we are open, we can allow them to nudge us more deeply into our lives and relationships with G-d. This episode originally aired in Feb., 2022 * * * * * * * 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: Season Break 01:10 – Freidy’s Story Begins: From Chassidic Home to Spiritual Awakening 02:45 – Chassidic Thought vs. Chassidic Lifestyle 04:30 – The Turning Point: Tragedy and the Birth of Conscious Connection 06:15 – Asking “What Now?” Instead of “Why Me?” 08:00 – A Letter to the Rebbe—and a Life-Changing Response 10:30 – From Challenge to Clarity: The Path to Purpose 12:45 – Understanding Nisayon as a Path to Nes (Miracle) 15:20 – Flags in the Desert: Imagery, Identity, and Divine Direction 17:00 – Mourning Honestly While Seeking Meaning 19:00 – From Personal Loss to Helping Others Heal 21:00 – The Need for Constant Renewal in Our Relationship With Hashem 26:00 – Learning at 4am: Motherhood, Torah, and the Drive to Go Deeper 28:30 – Every Life Has Challenge, So Every Life Has Opportunity 30:20 – Going Deeper in Torah Study: Not Just Reading, But Absorbing 32:45 – How Footnotes & Sources Unlock Spiritual Depth 34:40 – Advice for the Woman Living in Challenge: Feel First, Then Ask “What” 36:30 – Our Mind and Heart Are Meant to Work Together 38:00 – What Flag Is G-d Waving in Your Life?
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Yom Kippur Meditation: Accessing Forgiveness
Yom Kippur Meditation: Accessing Forgiveness
Oct 1, 2025
11:16
A meditation to open us up to the profound spiritual potential of Yom Kippur — the day of G-d's ultimate love. Together, we explore what it means for the day to atone, and how we might be softened and expanded by our encounter with Hashem. * * * * * * * 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.
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Is This Thought True? | Chayale Tzukernik [Rerun]
Is This Thought True? | Chayale Tzukernik [Rerun]
Jul 20, 2025
43:54
While Human & Holy is on a season break, we’re bringing back this conversation with Chayale Tzukernik, where we explore the role our thoughts play in the way we view the world. Chayale speaks about bridging the gap between her intellectual understanding of an idea and its practical implications in her life. We discuss questioning our natural thought processes in order to guide them towards a more objective truth, and how to practically reframe our experiences in order to align them with a more G-dly perspective of the world. * * * * * * * 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: Struggling with judgmental thoughts 01:10 – Season break announcement 01:42 – Meet Chayale Tzukernik 03:05 – Why thought is central in Chassidus 04:38 – The transformative power of thought 06:45 – Internal vs. external harmony through intentional thinking 08:10 – Reframing control: from force to gentle inner teaching 10:00 – Bridging the gap between knowing and living Torah ideas 12:03 – Making Torah personal: internalizing Hashem’s love 13:44 – Choosing thoughts vs. controlling them 15:40 – Thoughts as clutter: does it spark joy? 17:32 – From default judgment to G-dly perception 19:00 – Questioning our own perceptions: trusting Hashem’s view over ours 21:20 – Releasing attachment to negative thoughts 22:20 – Reframing fear through divine perspective 24:30 – Parenting and fear: letting go of control 26:07 – Moving self out of the center, putting G-d in His place 27:50 – Thinking good 28:40 – The case for conscious thought selection 30:20 – Judging others: from coercion to spiritual re-alignment 33:10 – Practical steps to retrain your thoughts 35:10 – Replacing old narratives with Torah truth 36:45 – Personalizing Torah ideas to real relationships 38:30 – Applying Chassidus to judgment in daily life 40:00 – Looking for evidence of the soul in others 41:30 – Final thoughts: transformation through gentle redirection 42:55 – Outro: Season 6 returns Sept 7
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I'm Possible | Devorie Kreiman [Rerun]
I'm Possible | Devorie Kreiman [Rerun]
Jul 13, 2025
44:02
While we take a season break, we’re bringing back this unforgettable conversation with Devorie Kreiman, a mother, educator, and woman of deep faith who has lived through unimaginable loss. In this episode, Devorie shares the raw journey of losing multiple childre, and the lifelong work of finding G-d in the depths of grief. With honesty, courage, and spiritual clarity, she teaches us how to move from “life is impossible” to “I am possible,” holding pain and faith in the same breath. Find out more about Devorie Kreiman and purchase her book, "Even If I'm Not" at www.devoriekreiman.com This episode originally aired June 2022. Season 6 returns on Sunday, Sep. 7. * * * * * * * 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. * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Introduction: Season break 00:53 – Meet Devorie Kreiman and her story of loss and faith 02:15 – Losing her first child: the diagnosis and heartbreak 03:30 – A pattern of illness: discovering a genetic condition 04:40 – The sudden, tragic death of her son Yossi 06:15 – Teaching HaYom Yom the day Yossi died 07:30 – The mitzvah of lighting Shabbos candles through grief 08:55 – Beginning the spiritual journey of doing what feels impossible 10:00 – The early years: grieving four sick children 11:40 – The pain of stopping to have more children 13:15 – What her sick children taught her about unconditional love 14:30 – Navigating deep jealousy, pain, and spiritual honesty 16:00 – How her son's passing reshaped her identity and reality 17:50 – The quiet, paralyzing grief after Yossi’s death 18:40 – “Even If I’m Not” – the story behind the title of her book 20:30 – Frozen with pain: knowing truth but struggling to live it 21:30 – The role of EMDR, EFT, and therapy in healing 22:30 – A powerful memory from Simchas Torah: “I’m possible” 25:00 – The final day of shiva and a miraculous moment of hope 26:45 – Tapping into the soul’s strength: “We are possible” 28:00 – The deeper awareness of a soul’s journey and Hashem’s plan 29:00 – Spiritual growth vs. prolonged grief – finding the balance 30:00 – Becoming a grandmother to Yossi’s namesake 31:40 – Navigating bittersweet joy through birth and loss 33:00 – Real-time self-talk: making space for grief and joy 34:30 – Reclaiming rituals like Shabbos candles with new meaning 36:15 – The lifelong challenge of answering “How many children do you have?” 37:20 – Deepened joy and gratitude that grows through loss 38:30 – Appreciation, laughter, and high-quality living after grief 39:40 – Final advice: how to bring Chassidus into daily struggle 41:00 – “We need light in the tunnel, not just at the end” 42:00 – Closing thoughts: a life of small lights, faith, and awareness 43:10 – Outro: Human & Holy Season 6 returns September 7
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That's a Wrap on Season 5
That's a Wrap on Season 5
Jul 9, 2025
4:06
Wrapping up Season 5 of Human & Holy! We will be going on a season break and re-airing some favorite episodes until Season 6 airs on Sunday, Sep. 7 ✨ To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, share your feedback or guest recommendations, 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.
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Singlehood, Self-Worth, and Opening Yourself Up to Receive G-d's Blessings | Jackie Glaser
Singlehood, Self-Worth, and Opening Yourself Up to Receive G-d's Blessings | Jackie Glaser
Jul 6, 2025
1:12:27
A conversation about singlehood, self-worth, and the spiritual journey of opening yourself up to receive G-d's blessings. Jackie, a former psychologist turned global dating mentor, shares powerful insights about faith and personal identity, her story of finding her soulmate at 44, having a baby at 50, and the profound inner work she experienced during that time. To contact Jackie or learn more about her courses, you can find her at jackieglaser.com or find Jackie on Instagram: datingbyjackieg EPISODE SPONSOR:This episode is sponsored by Tov Bookkeeping, founded by Tova Munitz. Message @TovaBookkeeping on instagram or Whatsapp 323-770-9356 to book a free 20 minute consultation. * * * * * * * 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 & The Power of Inner Shifts 01:25 - Meet Jackie Glaser: Psychologist Turned Dating Coach 04:00 - Helping Others Dissolve Inner Blockages 06:00 - Single by Design, Not by Punishment 08:15 - Jackie's Journey 11:00 - 14 Years of Waiting: Wrestling with Hashem 13:30 - The Myth of "Not Being Whole Enough" for Marriage 16:00 - Soulmates, Timing & Hashem’s Bigger Plan 18:10 - Crushed to Create: The Olive Oil Analogy 20:00 - Spiritual Bypassing vs. Real Inner Work 23:00 - Mirror Moments: Patterns That Reveal Our Growth Areas 26:15 - How Self-Worth Impacts Dating & Relationships 28:30 - Building Self-Trust through Somatic & Emotional Work 32:00 - Dissolving Fear & Receiving Blessings 35:00 - How We Project Internal Beliefs onto Others 38:00 - Rejection, Self-Worth & Emotional Resilience 41:00 - Our Flaws Are Filters, Not Failures 44:00 - Shadchanim, Boundaries & Trusting Hashem 47:00 - True Bitachon: Trusting Hashem in Action 49:30 - Real Life Example: Surgery, Fear & Hashem’s Protection 53:00 - The Role of Anxiety as a Spiritual Opportunity 56:00 - Loneliness, Desperation & How to Nurture Ourselves 59:00 - Healthy Yearning vs. Desperation in Dating 01:02:00 - Who You Marry Reflects Where You’re At 01:04:00 - Manifesting, Misconceptions & Hashem’s Role 01:06:30 - How to Support Single Friends with Sensitivity
70
An Engraved Faith
An Engraved Faith
Jul 2, 2025
12:51
A lesson from the red heifer about how faith is not something that is created or imposed on our lives, but is the ground that everything instinctively rests on. Also: being a channel for giving to others despite our own blockages, leaning into our engraved experience of faith, and the invitation in the unexplainable laws within the Torah. Based on a talk from the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Parshas Chukas, Chelek Alef. * * * * * * * 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.
71
The Lubavitcher Rebbe's Impact Across Generations | C. Rochel Duchman & Srula Chaiton
The Lubavitcher Rebbe's Impact Across Generations | C. Rochel Duchman & Srula Chaiton
Jun 29, 2025
59:17
In this intergenerational conversation, mother and daughter open their hearts to reflect on what it means to be impacted by the Lubavitcher Rebbe in today’s world. From personal encounters with the Rebbe to honest reflections on what it looks like to be shifted by the Rebbe's teachings without his physical presence, we explore the rich empowerment, divine awareness and love of another Jew that characterizes the Lubavitcher Rebbe's impact. C. Rochel Duchman is a Certified Life Coach (by Infiniti Coaching Training) and Dating Coach. She believes each person has exceptional gifts and greatness to contribute to the universe. As a coach, she is committed to helping each individual uncover and reach their limitless potential. Find out more at Autumncoaching.net. Instagram: Autumncoaching. Facebook: Autumn Coaching. Phone: 323-620-3618 Srula Chaiton is a guiding force in the lives of children and families—leading with warmth, vision, and deep compassion. Through her work with Kol Yakov Yehuda, camp, and dance, she has shaped some of the most innovative programming for girls, especially around Shabbos and Jewish identity, setting a new standard for creativity and meaning. As a proud member of Chai Lifeline’s crisis intervention team and one of the first female CTMs with Magen Am, Srula brings calm, strength, and action where it’s needed most. Devoted wife, beloved mother, and vibrant community builder, she lives each day with purpose—rooted in faith, growth, and an unshakable belief in the power of the neshama. She can be contacted 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 – Welcome 00:45 – Meet Srula Chaiton: Building Spiritual Community for Kids 02:20 – Experiencing the Rebbe's Impact Beyond Physical Presence 04:00 – A Tzaddik's Soul After Their Passing 06:30 – I Feel Empowered to Have an Impact 08:15 – Making the Rebbe’s Energy Accessible Today 08:55 – Why Do You Want Your Children to Feel Connected to the Rebbe? 11:50 – Total Immersion: My Life is Not Made of Fragmented Pieces 14:30 – Encouraging Teens to Ask and Learn 17:00 – Meet Rochel Duchman: Growing Up with a Legendary Chabad Legacy 19:00 – "I Was Your Chossid Before You Were My Rebbe" 20:12 – Growing Up in Close Proximity to the Rebbe 22:00 – Personal Story: My Private Audience with the Rebbe 24:29 – Use the Gifts That You Have 25:45 – The Rebbe’s Belief in Me Still Gives Me Strength 28:00 – How Did the Rebbe's Passing Impact You? 30:20 – Empowering the Individual Soul 32:30 – Intergenerational Reflection: What We Admire in Each Other 35:00 – Truth, Faith, and the Power of Stories 38:10 – Teaching Through Experience and Realness 42:00 – A Personal Letter and Unexpected Answer 43:37 – Footage of the Rebbe's Leadership 44:51– Lifting Others Will Uplift You 46:00 – What Messages from the Rebbe Would You Like to See More Integrated? 48:08 – Returning to Our Core 51:00 – Judaism is Coming Alive 52:00 – How Would You Like to See the Rebbe's Impact Develop? 55:06 – Trusting the Next Generation
72
Your Life is Torah
Your Life is Torah
Jun 25, 2025
20:21
A moving source exploring how our beloved biblical characters were unaware of the way their lives were being recorded as the text of the Torah and what that teaches us about the sacredness of the lived experience of our Judaism and how our lives are becoming a part of the Torah's story, too. Sources: Rus Rabbah 5 Rupture and Reconstruction: The Transformation of Contemporary Orthodoxy by Haym Soloveitchik linked here: https://traditiononline.org/rupture-and-reconstruction-the-transformation-of-contemporary-orthodoxy * * * * * * * 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.
73
What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid? | Michal Oshman
What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid? | Michal Oshman
Jun 22, 2025
59:05
How do you move from fear to purpose? Bestselling author and TikTok exec Michal Oshman shares how discovering her soul helped her overcome anxiety, perfectionism, and self-doubt. She opens up about parenting with intention, redefining success, and embracing the concept of bitul—spiritual humility—as a path to clarity and peace. Michal Oshman is the former Head of Company Culture, Diversity and Inclusion at TikTok Europe, and was formerly responsible for international leadership and team development at Facebook. Throughout her career, Michal has trained and coached hundreds of tech leaders. She served as an officer in the IDF, and has three university degrees in psychodynamic and systemic thinking, sociology, and anthropology. Michal lives with her husband and their children in London, UK. Find out more about Michal on michaloshman.com. Contact Michal 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 – Intro: Fear, Purpose & Jewish Wisdom 01:37 – Meet Michal Oshman 05:10 – Fear vs. Anxiety 09:00 – Discovering the Jewish Soul 14:00 – You Are Here for a Reason 18:00 – Parenting with Soul, Not Fear 22:10 – Hashem as a Life Partner 25:20 – The Holiness of Marriage 29:20 – Confidence vs. Fear in the Workplace 33:50 – Letting Go of Parental Perfection 38:10 – Finding Purpose Through Life Phases 44:45 – Discovering and Using Your Gifts 48:00 – What Is Bitul? 52:25 – Living for a Mission Greater Than the Self 55:00 – The Power of Honest Friendship 57:20 – You Are Needed
74
A Spiritual Experience of Time
A Spiritual Experience of Time
Jun 18, 2025
15:20
Time rushes forward and in attempt to control its passage, we often find ourselves divvying it up into smaller sections, mining it for every ounce of productive energy, or missing it entirely. In this episode, we explore how mitzvos offer us a way to suspend time---not by escaping it, but by entering it more deeply. Each mitzvah invites us into a moment of stillness within the endless flow of life. These moments of interaction with the divine don’t just change our experience of time, but reshape us as people. Our beings are shifted by the way we choose to inhabit the moments of our lives. Source mentioned: Maamer V’Avraham Zaken 5738 Sefer Hamamorim Melukat Vol. 1 * * * * * * * 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.
75
Mothers Shape the World | Miriam Tenenbaum
Mothers Shape the World | Miriam Tenenbaum
Jun 15, 2025
54:21
A conversation with Miriam Tenenbaum about the power of a mother's influence, staying connected to a deeper calling while experiencing the mundane moments of motherhood, and staying grounded within your sense of self while showing up for others. 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.
76
Honoring Parents Even When It's Complicated | Ita Cagan
Honoring Parents Even When It's Complicated | Ita Cagan
Nov 16, 2025
49:46
A conversation delving into the complexities of the mitzvah of honoring one's parents, exploring the emotional struggles many face in fulfilling this commandment. By turning our focus of the mitzvah towards G-d, we create more pathways for acceptance of our parents and the ways they've shaped us into who we are, while opening up channels for healthier, deeper relationships with the people we love. * * * * * * * Ita Cagen is co-director of Chabad of Rancho Penasquitos in S. Diego, California. Ita is the cohost of All The Answers, a new podcast featuring conversations with Chassidic thinkers that explore how Tanya offers practical guidance for our everyday lives. Contact her at [email protected] Listen to All The Answers here: https://open.spotify.com/show/10CxKsrzGW9J7owOEBeqls?si=clKN4DJHRsC39tksNMZYwA * * * * * * * 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.
77
When G-d Says No: A Live Podcast About Trust | Miriam Rubenstein
When G-d Says No: A Live Podcast About Trust | Miriam Rubenstein
Jan 4, 2026
47:26
How do we trust God when we face unfathomable challenges in our lives? How do we believe that God is good when He says no to the things we most want? How can we expand our vessels to receive more blessing in our lives, to make space for better even when it's already good? A live Human & Holy podcast recorded in Woodmere, NY with Miriam Rubenstein on the subject of Bitachon (trust in God). Includes audience questions, vulnerable shares about trusting even when God says no, and women sharing the personal transformations that they experienced through studying this subject. Miriam Rubenstein is a Rebbetzin at Cong. Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, and an experienced facilitator whose Bitachon Chaburas have uplifted the lives of many women. She is passionate about helping women step into their light, and inspires growth, trust, and joy through her teaching and guidance. To contact Miriam: [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.
78
The Ache Beneath the Happy Ending: Why Yosef Wept
The Ache Beneath the Happy Ending: Why Yosef Wept
Dec 31, 2025
22:56
There are so many bittersweet flavors to our emotional landscape: our grief intermingled with relief, the tears of compassion when those who have hurt us express their regrets, the push and pull between our inner and outer worlds, the existential ache of not finding full expression in any world, the relief at expressing who we are aloud only to discover that we still only belong to ourselves, the lonely costs of success, the recognition that what was broken in our lifetime may not be made whole for hundreds more years, and a thousand more inner contradictions. Yosef's story is the story of a dreamer whose dreams came true. But even stories with the happiest endings come with an underlying ache. As we close Yosef’s story in this week's Parsha, we analyze Yosef's emotional world through the astounding record of Yosef’s tears, a central character in the Torah who is plainly recorded in verse after verse as weeping: sometimes in private, sometimes in public, sometimes so loudly that the entire land can hear. How do we make meaning of these tears? What story do they tell us about Yosef’s experience of his life’s triumphs and hardships, of the inner, emotional world that beat beneath this powerful figure, who rose from the pit to find astounding success as viceroy in Egypt, and as he released his restraint on his buried identity, expressed an emotional landscape that echoes the complexity of each of our own inner worlds? * * * * * * * 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.
79
G-d as an Encounter, Not a Belief | Dr. Mijal Bitton
G-d as an Encounter, Not a Belief | Dr. Mijal Bitton
Dec 28, 2025
49:11
Is the life of a Jew an individual journey with God or a communal one? What is being asked of the Jewish people right now? When your faith fractures, how do you find wholeness again in your relationship with God? A conversation with Dr. Mijal Bitton exploring faith in God, the current Jewish experience, Judaism not just as a religion but as a family, the significance of our ancestral bonds and the power and necessity of individual contributions to the collective Jewish narrative. Dr. Mijal Bitton is a spiritual leader, public intellectual, and sociologist. She serves as Scholar in Residence at the Maimonides Fund and Rosh Kehilla of the Downtown Minyan in New York City. A Visiting Researcher at NYU Wagner, she directed pioneering research on Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews in the United States. Mijal is an alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship, a New Pluralist Field Builder, and a Sacks Scholar. She co-hosts the podcast Wondering Jews and shares weekly reflections on Jewish life, identity, and resilience in her Substack newsletter, Committed. Substack: https://mijal.substack.com/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1cU0NTHYQZOTARwuXTbpLU?si=uPmpMnd6RbycOuFli-N9Sg Website & contact: mijalbitton.com Instagram: @mijalbitton * * * * * * 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 Introducing Mijal Bitton 03:12 The Jewish Experience: Identity and Collective Responsibility 05:56 Faith and Imperfection: Navigating Belief in Difficult Times 08:48 Judaism Beyond Religion: A Family and Community 12:04 The Interconnectedness of Faith and Peoplehood 14:56 Finding Your Individual Path Within a Collective Identity 17:48 The Role of My Ancestors in Shaping My Faith 21:10 Hope vs. Optimism: A Jewish Perspective on Challenges 23:53 The Joy of Being Jewish 27:13 The Future of Judaism: A Vision for the World 30:02 Fighting for Our Place: Political Mobilization and Community Engagement 32:54 Personal Practices: Staying Centered Amidst Responsibilities 36:10 Sephardic Heritage: A Unique Perspective on Tradition 38:56 Closing Thoughts: Embracing Our Roles in the Jewish Community
80
Where Do We Go From Here?
Where Do We Go From Here?
Dec 24, 2025
22:33
What is the Jewish response to existential threat? Is political activism, investment in physical security and self protection the Jewish response? Is increased prayer and good deeds enough, to the exclusion of all else? Using the biblical record of Yaakov's response to Esav in his moment of danger, the Purim story, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe's response to the 1954 massacre in Kfar Chabad, we explore when it is a time to grieve, when it is a time to pray, and when it is a time to mobilize to confront the realities of our world. Episode dedicated to the Refuah Sheleima, the complete healing, of Yehudah Leib Ben Manya. 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.
81
Finding Balance Through the Elements | Miriam Pineles
Finding Balance Through the Elements | Miriam Pineles
Dec 14, 2025
1:24:34
A conversation with Miriam Pineles, a practitioner of Chinese medicine, Chassidus teacher and founder of Ayin Healing, exploring the intersection of Chinese medicine and Chassidic ideas. Miriam shares how an understanding of the elements within a person can lead to personal healing and balance, the role that the inner dimension of Torah plays in finding wholeness, and practical tools for releasing stored emotions. Miriam Pineles is a licensed, board-certified Acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist in NYC, specializing in women's health, fertility, pain, anxiety, and digestive issues, with a focus on integrative healing using Dr. Richard Tan's Balance Method and custom herbal formulas to treat both physical and emotional well-being, helping bodies function optimally and promoting self-care. She holds a Master's degree from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine and is also a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (DACM). Miriam is the founder of Ayin Healing, an organization supporting Jewish women in their journey of healing from the wound of childhood sexual abuse.She is also the teacher of popular weekly Chassidus chaburahs. For more information about Ayin Healing, visit ayinhealing.com To book an appointment with Miriam Pineles, visit conscioushealthandwellness.com. Find her on instagram @dr.miriampineles * * * * * * * 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.
82
Light Upon Light: Chanukah Teachings from Eight Torah Masters
Light Upon Light: Chanukah Teachings from Eight Torah Masters
Dec 10, 2025
30:45
In this Chanukah episode, we gather the light of eight Torah teachers, offering one luminous idea for each night. Exploring the depth behind halachic questions, modern lessons from our ancient victory, and chassidic insight into this festival of light. * * * * * * * 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.
83
Holy Human: Season Six Launch Party
Holy Human: Season Six Launch Party
Dec 7, 2025
38:54
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.
84
The Art of Gathering: A Farbrengen Starter Pack
The Art of Gathering: A Farbrengen Starter Pack
Dec 3, 2025
30:10
In honor of Yud Tes Kislev, we're talking about farbrengens, everything I learned about gathering with intention, and how to create an environment for honest sharing at a spiritual gathering. Link to download free Human & Holy farbrengen conversation cards here: humanandholy.com/download Link to join our Human & Holy Women's Open Mic Night: eventbrite.com/e/1975623794953/?aff=oddtdtcreator (women only) Books: "The Art of Gathering" by Priya Parkers * * * * * * * 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.
85
Do the Righteous Struggle?
Do the Righteous Struggle?
Nov 26, 2025
23:26
When a former student reached out to Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner expressing his dejection at his own spiritual struggles, he received a deeply personal, timeless response giving insight into the inner worlds of our most righteous teachers and leaders, the struggles they silently face, and redemptive wisdom on what our own inner discord tells us about our relationships with G-d. Sources: Letter: Pachad Yitzchak, Igrot U’ketavim No. 128 "Biblical Images" by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz * * * * * * * 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.
86
An Inward Life
An Inward Life
Nov 19, 2025
35:10
Are the inward parts of life a step away from our external contributions? Is the only way to influence others through a concerted focus on our outer purpose? Does our personal development and divine service bear fruit in tangible ways? Lessons from our biblical patriarch Yitzchok, whose life of inwardness is titled "Toldos" (offspring) in this week's Torah portion, teaching us a deep lesson about what our inwardness brings to the world, and helping us understand the relationship between our purpose and our inner work. Source: Parshas Toldos, Likutei Sichos, Volume 25, Sicha 2 * * * * * * * 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.
87
Why is Religious Art So Well Behaved?
Why is Religious Art So Well Behaved?
Jun 11, 2025
19:28
Thoughts on the neatness of religious art, what my process has been around learning to voice the honest emotional experience of life through poetry, and King David's model for creating spiritual art from a raw place within. Sources mentioned in this episode: Orthodoxy, Wealth, and Tackiness by Alex S. Ozar from Tradition, Spring 2025 Issue 57.2 Psalm 22: "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me; why so far from delivering me and from my anguished roaring?...I cry by day, You do not answer.." * * * * * * * 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.
88
Should You Listen to Your Body?
Should You Listen to Your Body?
Nov 12, 2025
38:05
Is your body's experience a threat to your soul's expression? What impact does the body's wellbeing have on the soul? Does the body have any inherent wisdom worth listening to? Today's episode is an exploration of the value of the body's experience within Judaism, why the Zohar explains the deeper meaning of Avraham and Sarah's exchange as being an instruction to "listen to everything the body tells us", how it is possible that in the future "the soul will receive its nourishment from the body" and how to approach our body's cues, resistance and wisdom within the framework of a spiritual life. Based on a talk from the Lubavitcher Rebbe said on Parshas Chayei Sarah, 24 Cheshvan, 5711, recorded in Likkutei Sichos, Volume 1. * * * * * * * 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.
89
Finding G-d in the Stillness | Helana Herman
Finding G-d in the Stillness | Helana Herman
Nov 9, 2025
1:06:45
A conversation with Helana Herman about integrating the Baal Shem Tov's teachings of connecting to G-d within nature, finding stillness, a Jewish path to manifesting and voicing our desires, the three stages of close relationships and how to move through conflict, deepened community impact through a deeper connection to oneself and the journey to parenting children with religious differences with true love and acceptance. Helana Herman is a Life and Relationship Coach and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. She and her husband, Rabbi Pinney Herman, were shluchim in Raleigh, North Carolina for thirty years. The Herman’s are Certified Imago Relationship Educators, offering tools for compassionate communication and teaching couples how to turn conflict into connection. Helana blends somatic tools with Torah and Chassidic wisdom to help women and couples live with more safety, connection, and joy. 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.
90
A Book With Your Name on It: The Torah & Legacy of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
A Book With Your Name on It: The Torah & Legacy of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
Nov 5, 2025
42:20
What does it mean to see yourself inside the story of Torah, not as a spectator of the past, but as a co-author of the Jewish future? In honor of the fifth anniversary of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks' passing, we explore his writings and ideas on themes of leadership, purpose, love of Torah, love of others, lifelong learning and the call to moral imagination. Rabbi Sacks invites us to see Judaism as a living book, one with our family’s name inscribed on the cover, waiting for us to write the next chapter. Through his vision of moral courage, intellectual clarity, and deep love for the Jewish people, the voice of Rabbi Sacks continues to remind us that the story of Torah is still being written, and that we are being called to write it. References: Tradition Journal: The Intellectual Legacy of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks "Traditional in an Untraditional Age" by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks "Covenant & Conversation" by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks "To Heal a Fractured World: The Ethics of Responsibility" by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks * * * * * * * 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.
91
After the Tablets Shatter | Chana Herzog
After the Tablets Shatter | Chana Herzog
Nov 2, 2025
1:10:20
Lessons from our biblical matriarchs on owning our Judaism, giving while maintaining personal boundaries, the personal process of rebuilding our Judaism after periods of disillusionment, growing into the choices we've made in our youth, and navigating our own spiritual evolution. Chana Herzog was born and raised in Australia and now lives in Encino, California, with her husband and four spirited children, where they are dedicated to bringing joyful and authentic Jewish experiences to their community. She is inspired by family, friendship, stories of faith and bravery, and the quiet wisdom of the ocean. Chana is passionate about combining creative expression with soulful intention to bring meaning to everyday life. My Inner Spark is her first book—so far. Purchase My Inner Spark here: www.innerspark.world. 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.
92
Lech Lecha: The Call of the Open Road
Lech Lecha: The Call of the Open Road
Oct 29, 2025
26:12
G-d's call to Avraham is the call to a life of openness, attention, inner transformation, self awareness and trust. Lessons from Parshas Lech Lecha on finding the courage to answer the call of the open road, develop our inner worlds and step into the unknown. * * * * * * * 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.
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Raising Kids Who Love Their Judaism | Chani Heyman
Raising Kids Who Love Their Judaism | Chani Heyman
Oct 26, 2025
1:06:26
A conversation with parenting coach Chani Heyman about imparting Jewish values to our children. We explore the importance of owning our own values fully, establishing routines for our children from a young age, and cultivating a strong emotional connection to each child through intentional quality time and physical touch. Chani emphasizes the need for parents to find their own love for Judaism and gives practical tools to create a positive environment that fosters a genuine relationship with each child, even as they transition into their teenage years. Chani Heyman is a dynamic parenting coach, motivational speaker, educator, and Torah teacher who's passionate about empowering families to thrive. Originally from Los Angeles, Chani now calls Israel home. With a background rooted in the timeless wisdom of Rebbetzin Spetner and her own experiences as a mother of eight, Chani shares practical and inspiring guidance with parents worldwide.Through her engaging group classes, popular parenting column, and vibrant Instagram community @parentingwithchani, Chani sparks meaningful connections and helps families unlock their full potential. Episode sponsored in honor of the shloshim of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Kalmenson from New Haven, Yosef Yitzchok ben Yekusiel Dovber ob"m. * * * * * * * 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.
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When Spiritual Language Rings Hollow
When Spiritual Language Rings Hollow
Oct 22, 2025
13:49
How can precise spiritual language bring G-d to life in our lives? What happens when deep ideas become hollow, when holy words become strangers to the meaning they hold? References: "People of the Word" by Mendel Kalmenson, Zalman Abraham "Chassidus Through the Eyes of a Psychotherapist" by Devori Nussbaum Story of the Lubavitcher Rebbe re "House of Healing": https://www.chabad.org/blogs/blog cdo/aid/1099296/jewish/A-Hospital-is-Not-a-House-of-the-Sick.htm * * * * * * * 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.
95
What Bereshis Teaches Us About Co-Creating Reality | Charlotte Broukhim
What Bereshis Teaches Us About Co-Creating Reality | Charlotte Broukhim
Oct 19, 2025
1:17:16
What does the biblical description of the world's creation have to teach us about our role in the world's future? In a time of rapid technological change, our place in co-creating the development of reality has never felt more pressing. Through an exploration of the converge of science and Torah and the deep lessons within our origin story in the book of Bereshit, we explore how we are each being called to co-create reality, what role divine acts have to play in awakening our interconnectedness, the importance of individuality in spiritual expression, and the renewed opportunities available to us within our world's continuous creation. Charlotte Broukhim is a Jewish mom from Los Angeles who explores the intersections of Jewish mysticism, science, and politics. She studied comparative religion at Harvard, and her upcoming Substack will share practical reflections and insights at the crossroads of ancient wisdom and today’s world. Find her on instagram @cbroukhim and contact her at [email protected]. * * * * * * EPISODE 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 https://share.fund/learn/ Explore their new book, an English translation of Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag’s Introduction to the Zohar: The Wisdom of Truth here: https://korenpub.com/products/introdu... 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 03:15 When Judaism Began to Impact my Worldview 06:33 Where is Our Technological Development Leading Us? 8:47 Where Science and Torah Converge 12:00 Bringing G-d Consciousness into the Development of AI 16:00 The Wisdom of Shabbat in a Digital World 18:25 Divine Responsibility Keeps Us Tethered to a Global Reality 19:42 Why Should a Spiritual Life Include Divine Laws (Halachah)? 23:19 Four Levels of Understanding Truth 24:16 What is the Messianic Era? 26:20 Spiritual Knowledge Without Responsibility 28:23 Being Like Our Creator: The Greatest Pleasure is to Give 31:20 The First Verse of the Torah: Why Do We Begin With a Story? 32:50 Torah as a Description of Reality 33:13 The World Has a Beginning 34:30 G-d Spoke the World into Existence: What Does That Mean? 37:50 Why Isn't the First Verse of the Torah a Commandment? 38:15 Two Levels of Divine Light 39:30 Co-Creating a Future With G-d 41:00 Our Lives Are a Gift 43:00 The Illusion of Separateness 44:44 Individuality: Distinct Divine Light 47:00 Does Religion Mean Removing Channels for Self-Expression? 48:50 The Limitations of a Fixed Identity 50:08 Channeling Your Unique Soul 50:47 G-d Consciousness Brings Me Freedom 52:15 The Soul Vs. The Ego 53:40 This is Who I Am: Judaism Beyond Obligation 58:45 Mitzvot as Remembrances 1:00:00 Activating Your Power Through Divine Acts 1:01:54 You Are Not Measured Against Anyone But Yourself 1:04:10 Can We Experience Objective Truth? 1:07:30 Cancel Culture and the Power to Recreate Yourself 1:10:15 Teshuvah Was Created Before Creation 1:14:10 Did G-d Create the World and Then Leave It?
96
Can Women Dance With the Torah?
Can Women Dance With the Torah?
Oct 12, 2025
53:05
A historical, halachic and cultural exploration of women's celebration of Simchas Torah. Through a poll of women's experiences, a deep dive into relevant halachic and historical sources, and an analysis of Rabbi Shlomo Riskin's visit to the Lubavitcher Rebbe asking if the women of his community could dance with the Torah, we explore questions like: Is Simchas Torah a “men’s holiday”? Is there an essential difference between men and women’s relationship to this day? How did the custom to dance with the Torah develop? Can women dance with the Torah? Should women dance at all? Join us in exploring women's relationship to this joyful, celebratory holiday. Sources: The Diary of Samuel Pepys, entry for October 14, 1663 "Law as Love" by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Shlomo Riskin, Listening to G-d (New Milford, CT: Maggid, 2010), pp.193-96 Lubavitcher Rebbe's letter to Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, 13 Kislev 1976 Rambam Hilchot Shofar V'sukka V'lulav 8:14 Chemdat Yamim III Sukka 8 "Dancing With the Torah" by Laurie Novick R. Moshe Meiselman, Jewish Woman in Jewish Law (New York, 1978) Shulchan Aruch OC 88 * * * * * * * 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: Why We're Exploring This Topic 02:49 What Simchas Torah Means to Me 05:24 Poll Results on Women's Experiences of Simchas Torah 7:00 Is There an Essential Difference Between Men and Women's Relationship to Dancing on Simchas Torah? 9:39 Participating Through Watching 10:32 Being a Bystander 11:18 The Pain of Alienation 13:39 Why Do Women Dance? 14:40 What Motivates Women's Desire to Dance With the Torah? 17:20 When Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Went to Ask the Lubavitcher Rebbe's Advice 21:18 The Lubavitcher Rebbe's Retraction 23:50 When Samuel Pepys Visited a Synagogue in 1663 25:30 The Evolution of the Tradition of Dancing 29:11 What is the Barrier to Women Dancing with the Torah? 31:10 Diversity of Rabbinic Perspectives on the Topic 32:40 Exploring the Custom Women Took Upon Themselves Not to Touch the Torah 39:15 Recognizing the Nuances of this Topic 41:30 Women Yearning to Dance with the Torah 43:55 Cultural Impact of Each Woman's Experience 45:00 Ensuring a Vibrant Women's Section 47:00 Simchas Torah Belongs to the Entire Jewish People
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Bring Your Sorrow to the Dance Floor: Sukkos & the Emotional Complexity of Joy
Bring Your Sorrow to the Dance Floor: Sukkos & the Emotional Complexity of Joy
Oct 5, 2025
19:03
How do we access joy when the world feels heavy? How do we lean into joy amidst collective anguish, grief, and global uncertainty? As we enter the holiday of Sukkos, the time of our joy, we are asked to celebrate. But what does it look like to celebrate honestly, without ignoring the ache of our times? In this episode, we explore how Sukkos offers a model of Jewish joy that honors the emotional complexity of life. A joy that is not about denying our pain, but about making a courageous spiritual choice: to recognize the divine presence and be moved by it, to root more deeply into our communal spaces and our responsibility for one another, and to bring our sorrow to the dance floor, trusting in its ultimate healing. Sources: Chapter 33, Tanya by the Alter Rebbe "I Praised Happiness" by Rabbi Shagar "Catharsis" by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik Likutei Moharan, Part II 23:1:2 Rabbi Isaac Luria, Pri Etz Hayim, Sukkot * * * * * * * 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.
98
Human & Holy Trailer
Human & Holy Trailer
Dec 4, 2020
5:16
Do you crave spiritual conversation that feels relevant to your daily life? Do you enjoy studying but can’t always find yourself in the text? This podcast is a space for experiential learning. Together, we will be exploring ideas in Jewish and Chassidic thought through the lens of real people’s experiences. How do they weave the sacred into the fabric of their lives? What relevance do mystical ideas have to their most intimate, human struggles? What does it mean to be both human and holy?
99
First, the Seed Unravels with Hadassah Shemtov
First, the Seed Unravels with Hadassah Shemtov
Dec 9, 2020
43:25
In this episode, I interview Hadassah Shemtov, director of Batsheva Learning Center and high school Gemara teacher, about the concept of yesh ayin yesh -- the idea that in order for any type of meaningful transformation to happen, we have to lean into that uncertain, open space of ayin, or nothingness. Hadassah speaks about our experience of transformation on a micro scale: learning something new, or making room for change in our closest relationships, as well as life’s broader transformations, like the birth of her daughter and the unraveling she experienced before becoming something new.
100
The Soul Makes a Promise with Nechama Caplan
The Soul Makes a Promise with Nechama Caplan
Dec 9, 2020
51:00
In this episode, I interview Nechama Caplan about the promise the soul made before coming down into the body and how that oath inspires her daily life. Nechama speaks about shifting her consciousness away from the self and towards the divine, through intentional habit forming and conscious choices. How can you integrate your divine purpose into the details of your daily life? Nechama can be reached at [email protected] for more information about her Whatsapp group and online Tanya courses!