How does a yeshiva student turn the "freedom of choice" in Postville into a thriving career in mortgage broking, youth outreach, and life in Texas? In this episode of the Postville Yeshiva Alumni Podcast, Yudi Filler shares his journey from late-night learning sessions to building a multi-faceted life grounded in Jewish pride and personal responsibility.Guest Intro: Yudi Filler is a Postville alumnus, CTeen director, licensed mortgage broker, and father of three based in Texas who uses his yeshiva-trained analytical skills to navigate business and empower youth.Key Takeaways: Freedom of Choice in Yeshiva: How Postville’s non-coercive environment taught Yudi to take genuine personal ownership over his Torah learning and spiritual identity.Hacking Mortgages Without College: How Yudi applied yeshiva analytical thinking and problem-solving to master mortgage underwriting and help families secure homes.Youth Outreach & CTeen: Practical strategies for engaging public school teens through "hot takes and cold drinks," kosher food clubs, and authentic discussions.The Power of Tefillin: Why Yudi views daily Tefillin as an incredible connection of oneness with Hashem and how a perspective on Rashi shapes his daily mindset. Call to Action: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the Postville Yeshiva Alumni Podcast, leave a review, and share this conversation with fellow alumni!

How do you navigate the teenage years in a remote yeshiva without losing your focus or getting consumed by self-pity? In this episode of the Postville Yeshiva Alumni Podcast, Yossi Duboff reflects on his six years in Postville, sharing how "controlled freedom" and personal mentorship helped him grow from a young student into a dedicated educator.Guest Intro: Yossi Duboff is a Postville alumnus and Milwaukee native who currently serves as an elementary educator, bringing the practical and spiritual lessons from his yeshiva years directly into the classroom. Key Takeaways: Rewiring the Brain with Torah: Yossi shares a powerful concept from Tanya on how studying Torah physically alters neural connections in the brain, bridging the spiritual and physical worlds.The Badlands Reward: The story of how seven bochurim who stayed through a Shabbat sermon were rewarded with an unforgettable road trip to Mount Rushmore and the Badlands.Overcoming Self-Pity & Perfectionism: Essential advice for young students on letting go of anxiety, handling expectations, and learning to "take a deep breath."Quitting Distractions Cold Turkey: How Yossi stepped away from sports during his yeshiva years to build personal discipline and practice self-restraint (itkafia). Call to Action: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the Postville Yeshiva Alumni Podcast, leave us a review, and share this conversation with fellow alumni!

What does it look like to grow up in a remote Iowa town as it transforms into a bustling Jewish community—and then step up to help keep it afloat when crisis hits? Join us as Meir Simcha Rubashkin reveals the incredible, raw, and behind-the-scenes history of Postville, from hilarious early culture clashes to the intense aftermath of the 2008 federal raid.Our Guest: Meir Simcha Rubashkin grew up as one of the early pioneers of the Postville community. Years later, he stepped in to work the plant's kill floor and run the local kosher grocery during its most challenging times before starting his current path as a Chabad campus emissary in Oneonta, NY.Key Takeaways: The "Tarzan" Underwear Incident: A hilarious look at the early days of Postville and how a Rubashkin sibling set the record straight for local public school students about "Fruit of the Loom".The Bochurim Take Charge: The inside story of how Yeshiva students stepped up to address a lack of structure, leading directly to the hiring of a beloved new Rosh Yeshiva.Gutting Cows & FBI Visits: Meir Simcha's intense memories of working grueling shifts on the kill floor and running the community grocery store under the watchful eye of federal agents after the 2008 raid.The Cleveland Pizza Shop: The bizarre story of how a storage unit full of government-seized pizza parlor equipment brought the first made-to-order kosher pizza to Postville. Call to Action: If you enjoyed this trip down memory lane, please subscribe to the Postville Yeshiva Alumni Podcast, leave us a review, and share this episode with fellow alumni!

What does it take to rebuild your confidence when yeshiva feels out of reach—and how can a second chance set you on a path to business automation and deep personal growth? In this episode of the Postville Yeshiva Alumni Podcast, Moshe Cohen shares his journey from Postville to mastering Amazon e-commerce automation and fostering authentic community connection. Guest Intro: Moshe Cohen is an Amazon repricing strategist and community leader based in Florida who specializes in building automated e-commerce systems and helping others navigate personal, financial, and spiritual challenges. Key Takeaways: The Power of a Second Chance: How being welcomed into Postville after injury and rejections gave Moshe the emotional safety and care he needed to take ownership of his life.Hacking Amazon Workflows: How Moshe created custom spreadsheet algorithms that reduced a 40-hour weekly repricing task down to just 10 minutes a day.Embracing Vulnerability: Why admitting you need help and letting go of the need to be perfect is the essential catalyst for real growth in learning and life.Building True Community: Lessons from serving on his shul board, supporting families through financial hardship, and building one-on-one relationships where people feel truly seen. Call to Action: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the Postville Yeshiva Alumni Podcast, leave a review, and share this conversation with fellow alumni!

Questions consisting of: Why do ppl put a stone on the grave after visiting? Should you go on mivtzoim if there is a concern for seeing inappropriate things? Why can’t we say the name of אותו האיש? Where is nimrod mentioned in Torah? Can I demand something from hanhalah if I deserve it? Are we In the Stone Age? Is there a ענין to dance? Does sliced mushrooms need to have a hechsher? Why is the same bochur always chazan? How do we know Judaism is the truth? Halachic concepts: כבוד המת עבודה זרה Ask your rav חת״ת שמחה הכשר חזן אידישקייט חסידות

What is the issue with wearing a tie? Do you have to wear socks? Is it better to be big or small according to תורה? Why did the רבי stop יחידות? What is the point of a רבי why can’t we just serve ה׳? What is in Area 51? Does the Vatican have anything of ours? If antis and mishechistim both want to do what the רבי wants why do they always fight, and who is correct? Why do the לויים need to do the סדר on פסח if they weren’t part of the slavery? Can someone buy a seltzer for your teacher and mark it down by my cousins name? Can I listen to a song with an AI woman voice? Is a song made up by AI considered none jewish music? Why did Chabad lose its traits?

In this 42-minute episode of the #TANYALIFE podcast series (Part 1), the study of Chapter 6 (Perek Vav) in Tanya begins as the Alter Rebbe returns to the Nefesh HaBahamis, the animal soul, describing it "zeh l'umas zeh," as the mirror opposite of the G-dly soul, with its own ten powers and its own garments. Key Themes Covered: From the Other Side, Through the Blood: Learn why Tanya is built on contrasts, with Perakim 6, 11, and 24 all opening "zeh l'umas zeh," and how the Nefesh HaBahamis comes from the Sitra Achra and Kelipas Nogah and enters the body through the blood, then spreads to give life to everything, illustrated with a phone charger, lights coming back after a blackout, and an explanation of what a dybbuk is and why we make a bracha before we eat or drink. Middos First, Sechel Second: Discover the ten "crowns of impurity" of the animal soul, seven bad middos plus Chochmah, Binah, and Daas, and why here the middos come first. Animals like beavers and wild dogs can be very clever, but their intellect only serves their wants, just like the man who shot arrows at random and then painted a bullseye around each one. What Do You Really Value?: See how the middos follow the level of a person's understanding. A child happily trades a dollar for two quarters, then dimes, nickels, and pennies; a sports fan stays in bed for three days after a Super Bowl loss. The lesson is to learn and grow up with a value system centered on Hashem, and to keep bad feelings from becoming words and actions, since the levushim of the animal soul pull a person far lower, as shown in the story of a relative who kept his beard through years away from Yiddishkeit and found it easy to come back.

In this episode of the Postville Yeshiva Alumni Podcast, we hear intimate, firsthand memories of the early days of Postville and extraordinary stories surrounding the life and passing of the Rebbe’s mother, Rebbetzin Chana.Our Guest: Featuring Rabbi Vogel, a former Postville teacher and alumnus who shares vivid eyewitness accounts of Crown Heights history and key moments with the Rebbe. Key Takeaways: Unbelievable Kibbud Em: Discover how the Rebbe visited his mother daily for 20 minutes, carefully straightening chairs when leaving so he would never turn his back to her.Eyewitness to History: Hear dramatic moments from the day of Rebbetzin Chana's passing, including the Rebbe sitting on the floor of the van beside his mother and insisting on guarding her home.The Cemetery Incident: The detailed story of how the Rebbe personally pushed back crowds at the Levaya to ensure a plastic sheet containing blood was properly buried.Blessings on the Table: How the Rebbe stood on a table before Yom Kippur to repeat his annual blessing to the Bochurim so that everyone could hear clearly. Call to Action: If you enjoyed these inspiring historical reflections, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with fellow alumni and friends!

Questions: How can we kill כנען? Can you use saliva for מים אחרונים? How does ר״י and ר״מ fit ? What is the difference between a שתוי and a שיכור? Why is 42 the answer of life? Why is it hard to wake up on time? Should there be cameras in the mikva? Why do we still die if אדם did תשובה? How do I become chasidic? Concepts: כנען מים אחרונים מחלוקת חזקיה ור אבהו בגמרא פסחים שתויי 🍷/שיכור רביעית יין 🍷 42 Sleep 🛌 Sleep apnea Cameras 🎥 אדם הראשון תשובה דרשות הר״ן חסידיש משפיע