This episode , features a candid conversation with Allison Josephs, the founder of Jew in the City hosted by Talia Mashiach.   Allison discusses her transformative journey from not being raised Orthodox to becoming a fervent advocate for Orthodox Judaism and breaking down stereotypes through her organization.    Jew in the City, initiated in 2007, aims to demystify Orthodox Jewish life for the broader public, leveraging media platforms.   The discussion covers the organization's evolution into three branches:  Keter (Crown), focusing on positive media representation; Makom (Place), aiding those with negative experiences within Orthodox communities; and Tikkun (Fix), targeting systemic issues within.   Allison shares personal anecdotes from her life, including her family's transition towards religious observance and her struggles and triumphs as a social entrepreneur.   The conversation delves into the establishment of the first Orthodox Jewish Hollywood Bureau to ensure authentic representation in media, Allison's leadership journey, and the importance of mentorship, personal growth, and tackling challenges head-on for meaningful impact.   00:00 Welcome to Inspire to Lead: Unveiling the Journey 01:11 The Spark of Connection: Meeting Allison and the Birth of Jew in the City 02:31 Breaking Stereotypes: The Mission and Growth of Jew in the City 05:54 From Inspiration to Action: The Creation of the Hollywood Bureau 08:00 The Essence of Social Entrepreneurship: Allison's Story 18:59 Navigating Leadership and Criticism: Staying True to Your Voice 33:25 The Power of Growth and Mentorship: Learning from Challenges 36:34 Leaving a Legacy: Final Thoughts and Encouragement   About Allison Josephs: Allison Josephs is a Jewish American storyteller who created "Jew in the City," a nonprofit with a mission to change negatives perceptions about the Orthodox Jewish community through storytelling. "I was frustrated with the media's depictions of my community.   Powered By Roth & Co The JWE For guest suggestions, please email Talia: [email protected]

JWE introduces "Inspired to Lead," a podcast brought to you by Roth&Co which focuses on inspirational Jewish women in leadership, hosted by Talia Mashiach Join us as we learn about extraordinary Jewish women who are making waves in business and beyond. Hosted by successful technology entrepreneur, Talia Mashiach, this podcast celebrates the stories, triumphs, and insights of remarkable Jewish women leaders. In each episode, Talia sits down with trailblazing women who have left a lasting impact on various industries, from founding non-profit organizations to spearheading multi-million-dollar enterprises with innovation and resilience. Through candid conversations, these inspiring leaders share their personal journeys, the challenges they've overcome, and the strategies that have propelled them to success. Whether you're a successful business leader, an aspiring entrepreneur seeking motivation, or simply someone who appreciates powerful stories of determination and achievement, "Inspired to Lead" offers a wealth of inspiration and wisdom.  Tune in to discover the untold stories behind the success of Jewish women leaders who are shaping the world today and paving the way for future generations. Don't miss out on these empowering conversations – subscribe to "Inspired to Lead: Inspiring Jewish Women in Leadership" now and be inspired to unleash your own potential!   Sponsored by Roth & Co   About The Host: Talia Mashiach is the CEO, Founder, and Product Architect of Eved, a global AP and Payments Platform for Events, Media and Entertainment. Talia sets the strategic direction of Eved and its technology solutions.  A passionate technology entrepreneur, Talia launched her 5th company Eved in 2010 with the bold mission to bring a digital payment solution to enterprise companies to support supplier on boarding and payments in unique categories that don't fit traditional systems.  Talia is a board member for The Jewish Women Entrepreneur and the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center 1871.  Talia was inducted into the Chicagoland Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, and she was named one of The Winning Women by Ernst and Young. Talia was also named to Crain's Chicago 40 Under 40, Crain's Chicago Tech 50 and a finalist for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year.     Powered By Roth & Co The JWE For guest suggestions, please email Talia: [email protected]

In this episode Talia Mashiach converses with Dr. Jessica Jacob, a solo practice OBGYN since 1995. Dr. Jacob shares her inspiring journey from starting college at 16 to becoming a mother of seven while building a successful medical career. She discusses the challenges she faced, including balancing family and professional life, managing her practice with family support, and her profound passion for obstetrics. Dr. Jacob also reflects on her biggest influences, sacrifices made, and advice for aspiring female physicians. Join us for an engaging discussion on persistence, passion, and dedication in the pursuit of one's dreams.   Powered By Roth & Co The JWE For guest suggestions, please email Talia: [email protected]

In this episode Talia Mashiach interviews Suzi Weiss Fischmann, co-founder of OPI. Suzi shares her inspiring journey from Hungary to the U.S., the creation and growth of OPI, and the entrepreneurial spirit that drove her. She discusses the importance of making intelligent, quick decisions, fostering company culture, and empowering women. Suzi also reflects on leadership, family traditions, dealing with antisemitism, and her commitment to philanthropy. The episode concludes with Suzi's advice on being true to oneself and valuing personal milestones. Powered By Roth & Co The JWE For guest suggestions, please email Talia: [email protected]

In this episode, Melissa Bernstein shares her remarkable journey from a creative, "unsettled" child to the co-founder of Melissa & Doug. She opens up about channeling her internal chaos into creativity, the early struggles and scrappy beginnings of the company, and the mission-driven philosophy that guided their growth. Melissa discusses the challenges of entrepreneurship, the importance of resilience, and the lessons learned from both setbacks and successes from building a business from her basement to selling the company for over a billion dollars. She also talks about balancing business and family, working with her husband, and her new venture, Lifelines, which focuses on well-being and helping others find meaning. Melissa's story is a testament to the power of creativity, grit, and staying true to one's mission. Timestamps 03:45 – Channeling chaos into creativity: the start of Melissa & Doug 08:30 – Melissa's upbringing and search for meaning 13:00 – Quitting corporate jobs and the fateful weekend 16:30 – Early mission and building a company from scratch 22:00 – First product, "fuzzy puzzle," and manufacturing challenges 27:00 – Getting burned by a factory agent 32:00 – Serendipity, resilience, and finding the right factory 36:00 – Building the business from their home 41:00 – Balancing family, business, and self-funding 48:00 – Sales, rejection, and learning to overcome objections 55:00 – Expanding categories: puzzles, wooden toys, plush, costumes 1:05:00 – Entering mass market and the Amazon story 1:15:00 – Taking on investors and the eventual sale 1:25:00 – Leaving the company, starting Lifelines, and finding new meaning 1:33:00 – Advice for entrepreneurs, women, and parents 1:38:00 – Melissa's book and mentoring the next generation 1:45:00 – Final thoughts: creativity, meaning, and living authentically Guest Description Melissa Bernstein is the co-founder of Melissa & Doug, one of the world's leading toy companies, and a passionate entrepreneur, creator, and advocate for mental health and authentic living. Over 35 years, Melissa and her husband Doug built their company from scratch, focusing on sparking children's imaginations with high-quality, open-ended toys. After selling the company for over a billion dollars, Melissa launched Lifelines, a new venture dedicated to well-being tools for adults, and authored the book "The Heart of Entrepreneurship." Her journey is marked by creativity, resilience, and a mission-driven approach to business and life.      

What does it take to be a woman with a loud voice in a world that keeps telling you to be quiet? In this episode, host Talia Mashiach sits down with Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt — journalist, rebbetzin, and co-founder of the Altneu Synagogue on Manhattan's Upper East Side — for a conversation about ambition, authenticity, and what it really means to lead. Avital's path has been anything but conventional. A Russian-born writer who published her first viral essay at 20, landed bylines in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Vogue, and Foreign Policy, and spent years as a features editor and news editor before pivoting to co-build one of New York City's fastest-growing Orthodox synagogues — all while navigating the deeply complex terrain of being a bold female voice in the frum community. This episode is about far more than one woman's story. It's a frank, urgent conversation about the cost of conformity, the crisis of female spiritual leadership in Orthodox communities, and why, if we don't change, we're going to lose an entire generation of women. Timestamps: 2:39 — Avital's background: growing up Russian-speaking, a literary home, and big dreams 5:34 — The power of teachers and mentors in igniting ambition 6:37 — Being told her drive for ambition was a "yetzer hara" — and going for it anyway 9:07 — Writing for Haaretz, personal essays, and finding her voice as a religious woman 11:36 — The Forward years: breaking stories on the Orthodox community and navigating controversy 12:52 — Going viral before going viral was a thing; the tznius essay at age 20 17:41 — Writing about her dating life and using authenticity as a filter 20:28 — Freelancing and hitting her byline bucket list: NYT, The Atlantic, Vogue, and more 21:08 — The reality of gatekeeping in journalism and being relentless despite rejection 22:07 — "Winners always find a way to win" 22:22 — Meeting her husband: the story, the promise she broke, and the NYT essay that brought them back together 26:32 — Writing a book: 700 words a day and the unglamorous daily discipline 29:13 — Why the digital world has flattened us — and why that's dangerous 30:01 — On shidduchim, being yourself, and differentiation in dating 31:37 — "It's gonna be really hard to build leaders — especially women — who aren't bold enough to be authentic" 31:45 — Building genuine belonging vs. conformity in frum community life 35:30 — The controversy and the courage: hate mail, threats, and choosing truth anyway 36:09 — Post-October 7th: a shift in priorities and the luxury of community criticism 36:49 — How the Altneue Synagogue was born — out of crisis, pregnancy, and 40 people in a living room 38:27 — The convergence: how Avital's journalism career and community building came together 42:32 — From a living room minyan to 600 people and the Pierre Ballroom 45:28 — October 7th and the surge of young Jews searching for connection 46:23 — Building real commitment: charging membership before they had a building 47:33 — The shul as a product: finding the gap and doubling down on differentiation 51:37 — "When you engage the women, you engage the whole family" 51:40 — "We felt the hand of God in this" — 722 member families and counting 59:30 — "There should be leadership on both sides of the mechitza" — Avital's defining statement 1:02:03 — Women spiritually checking out vs. going "woke" — what Avital is actually worried about 1:05:08 — Materialism as the symptom of women with no inner spiritual life 1:08:14 — Halacha vs. Masorah: having the honest conversation 1:12:14 — "If we don't change, we're going to lose" — what senior Rabbonim are actually saying 1:15:09 — "We are so afraid of female voices" — the media we consume and the messages it sends 1:18:45 — The JWE's mission and why this podcast exists 1:19:25 — Modeling: the text from a young woman that Avital saved 1:20:10 — Blurred girls' faces in magazine ads and the message sent to young women 1:37:39 — Fast Five: controversial thing she's ever done, her superpower, and her final message About the Guest: Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt is a journalist, rebbetzin, and community builder based in Manhattan. A daughter of Russian-Jewish immigrants, she grew up in Highland Park, New Jersey, in a deeply literary home, and knew from childhood that she wanted to be a writer. She studied at Stern College for Women (Yeshiva University) and went on to build a distinguished career in journalism, with bylines in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Vogue, Foreign Policy, The New Republic, Glamour, Haaretz, and The Forward, where she served as features editor. She later served as news editor at The Real Deal, covering New York City politics and real estate. Avital is also the co-founder of the Altneu Synagogue, an Orthodox congregation on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, which she built alongside her husband, Rabbi Benji Goldschmidt. What began in 2020 as a living room minyan of 40 people has grown into a community of 722 member families — known for its intellectual rigor, inclusive spirit, and vibrant women's section. The shul has become a model for engaged, differentiated community building in the modern Orthodox world. A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Avital is currently at work on her first book. She is passionate about female leadership in the frum community, the importance of authenticity, and helping women reconnect to a rich inner spiritual life. This episode was made possible by our friends at *Roth & Co., innovators in accounting and business advisory. We are grateful for their continued partnership in making these conversations possible.*

In this inspiring conversation, international matchmaker Rivkah Fox joins Talia Mashiach to discuss revolutionizing the traditional matchmaking model in the Jewish community. Rivkah shares her journey from volunteer matchmaker to professional entrepreneur, setting up nearly 50 couples since 2019 while building a sustainable business model. The discussion explores the challenges of monetizing a mitzvah, the importance of setting boundaries, and why the community needs both volunteer and professional matchmakers. Rivkah opens up about her creative approaches to dating—from anonymous bio posts to spontaneous blind dates—and how she's making matchmaking more accessible and fun for the next generation. [1:48] How Rivka set up Talia's daughter [5:00] Rivka's husband's role as Penn campus rabbi & their kiruv mission [14:15] Rivka's family background & father's ba'al teshuva story [21:45] The volunteer vs. professional matchmaker distinction [28:20] Why women struggle with monetizing chesed work [35:40] The moment Rivka decided to go professional [41:20] Pushback & the discomfort of charging for mitzvos [53:30] The transformative conversation with the business coach [1:03:20] How charging changed client dynamics [1:10:00] Addressing the "only wealthy people get help" concern [1:18:45] Building systems: assistants, databases & AI [1:22:30] Creative matchmaking approaches (Instagram polls, blind dates, spontaneous connections) [1:30:00] The painful phone call that changed everything [1:45:00] Educating the community about shadchan gelt & hakaras hatov [2:00:45] Advice for singles: Be the person you're looking for [2:03:20] The importance of Instagram in kiruv & staying connected [2:05:15] Rivka's superpower & message to her younger self   Guest Summary Rivkah Fox is an international professional matchmaker based in Philadelphia with nearly 50 successful matches since 2019 and a database of 4,000 singles. She holds a graduate degree in education with a focus in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Married to a Penn campus rabbi, Rivkah is a mother of four who has pioneered innovative matchmaking approaches including Instagram-based anonymous profiles, public voting on date pairings, and spontaneous video call setups. She's passionate about creating sustainable professional models for matchmakers while maintaining accessibility across all economic backgrounds. Her work spans eight countries and breaks traditional barriers in the Orthodox dating world through creativity, technology, and a fresh perspective on this mitzvah. This Episode is brought to you by Roth & Co. Innovators in accounting and business advisory. To learn more visit https://rothcocpa.com/ Early Bird tickets for the annual JWE Powered by Her Conference are now live! to purchase tickets visit Thejwe.com/conference. Use code PODCAST to save an additional $10 off your purchase.

What does it take to walk away from a 3-generation family business with just $7,000, rebuild it under your own name, raise six kids, design jewelry for the red carpet, and become an elected voice in  a global Zionist party — all at the same time? In this episode, host Talia Mashiach sits down with Elisheva Chase, president and owner of Reiss Diamonds in Chicago. Elisheva is a third-generation jeweler who transformed a wholesale diamond house into a full-service custom jewelry studio — designing pieces by hand, sourcing ethically, and building a fiercely loyal clientele from scratch. After October 7th, Elisheva channeled her platform into action: coordinating gear for IDF soldiers, going viral with her hand-drawn Israel map jewelry, and earning a seat on the board of the World Zionist Organization (WZO). This is a conversation about legacy, reinvention, the real cost of building something, and trusting the process even when the path isn't clear. Guest: Elisheva Chase is the president and owner of Reiss Diamonds, a Chicago-based custom jewelry studio and diamond house. A third-generation jeweler Elisheva designs one-of-a-kind pieces and distributes diamonds to retailers nationwide. She is an educator at the JCK Jewelry Show, an activist for Israel, and an elected board member of the World Zionist Organization. She is a mother of six and a passionate advocate for women in business. 📍 Chicago, IL | 📸 Instagram: @reissdiamonds.co 🎙️ Episode Timestamps 0:58 — Welcome & Intro: Meet Ellie Chase, president of Reese Diamonds 3:45 — Growing up in a diamond house: 3rd generation jeweler origins 5:15 — How the diamond supply chain works: mines to retail, explained 18:20 — The first custom design: a green emerald and a pivotal client 26:45 — Balancing motherhood & career: 6 kids, long commutes, and the Sunday cook 30:43 — Practical tips for working moms: family systems that actually work 36:25 — Going independent: Starting Reese Diamonds with $7,000 52:25 — Opening the retail store: Growing fast without a loan 59:21 — October 7th changes everything: From jeweler to accidental activist 1:01:15 — Moving to Israel at 16: How early hardship built her resilience 1:04:22 — The viral Israel map jewelry & partnering with PK Heart 1:09:15 — Rapid fire Q&A: Biggest mistakes, unseen sacrifices & scariest risks 1:14:02 — What she knows now: "Trust the process. Keep going." 1:16:09 — Final message to women everywhere 💛 Support the JWE Conference Scholarship Fund The JWE Conference powered by Her is coming April 27th in Newark, NJ. Help us put more women in the room — donate to the scholarship fund: https://thejewishwomanentrepreneur.app.neoncrm.com/forms/jwescholarship Buy your ticket to the JWE Conference thejwe.com/conference This episode is sponsored by Roth & Co — Innovators in accounting and business advisory. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen. Watch on YouTube and share with a woman who needs to hear this today.

In this extensive interview, Susan Strauss shares her inspiring journey, starting from her childhood in a tight-knit Jewish community in Melbourne, Australia, to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the United States. Susan outlines her involvement in multiple businesses, including Susan Strauss Design, VenzaCare, and Domanium, discussing how she leveraged her competitive nature from sports and her deeply ingrained work ethic for business success.  Despite lacking a healthcare background, her venture into owning and operating nursing homes showcases her leadership and adaptability. Susan emphasizes the importance of not stressing over challenges, trusting in larger forces, and the role her support system, including her husband and upbringing, played in her achievements. Balancing her roles as a mother and a business leader, Susan provides insightful advice on leadership, hiring, and the significance of complimenting and celebrating team successes.   Powered By Roth & Co The JWE For guest suggestions, please email Talia: [email protected]

In this episode of Inspire to Lead, host Talia Mashiach sits down with Chayale Kaufman, founder of the Jewish Content Network and Consult Write Media. Chayale shares her remarkable journey from her early days in print media to becoming a trailblazer in digital marketing and nonprofit strategy. Discover how she built two thriving companies, the sacrifices and grit required for true success, and the unique challenges and triumphs of women in leadership. 01:30 – Chayale's Early Career and Founding Her Companies 06:00 – What Makes Consult Right Media Unique 10:00 – The Power of Personal Branding 14:00 – Marketing Strategies for Businesses and Nonprofits 20:00 – Lessons from 15 Years in Print and Digital Media 25:00 – The Role of Grit and Sacrifice in Success 30:00 – Women, Leadership, and the Value of Mentorship 36:00 – Navigating Partnerships and Financial Confidence 42:00 – The Impact of AI on Marketing 48:00 – Balancing Family, Business, and Personal Growth 54:00 – Overcoming Guilt and Embracing Support 1:00:00 – Chayale's Superpower: Tenacity and Moving Forward 1:05:00 – Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs 1:10:00 – Final Reflections and Takeaways   Guest Description: Chayale Kaufman is the founder and CEO of the Jewish Content Network and Consult Write Media, two innovative agencies specializing in digital and print marketing, PR, and strategic communications for businesses and nonprofits. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, Chayale is recognized for her expertise in campaign strategy, branding, and her deep commitment to helping organizations amplify their impact. She is a passionate leader, mentor, and advocate for women in business, known for her authenticity, creativity, and relentless drive to make a difference in the Jewish community and beyond.