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

Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast! I’m Alex Segal and today I am so excited to bring you this episode with Chana Deutsch. Chana lives in the Old City in Israel and is currently devoted to helping women feel their best and create their best marriages. She is a mom, a wife, a relationship expert and coach. She specializes in helping women in relationships (and not-yet-in relationships) foster the connection, intimacy and love they desire in their marriage and in their home.Chana teaches down-to-earth strategies designed for women to get in touch with, and bring forth, their authentic and vulnerable feminine self through her coaching program, Absolutely Feminine.She has become a beacon of light for women around the world who want to transform their relationships from a state of disconnect, frustration and lack of understanding to one of mutual respect, happiness, intimate communication and connection.Chana is also the host of the popular With All Your Heart Interview Series: The Jewish Woman’s Path to Experiencing Joy and Fulfillment in Love where she speaks with other experts all about building new patterns and habits for greater connection in their relationships. She just launched this year’s series which is going on until May 30th — a new interview is sent out every day. If you want to check it out, you can visit withallyourheartseries.com.In this interview, we speak about—-How she ended up living in Israel and meeting her husband at 19-What challenges came up and how she learned to work through them-What a “normal” marriage actually means and entails-If religious dating versus secular dating makes a difference in how the marriage ends up down the road-What she offers in her “Absolutely Feminine” course-A real life example and how she would guide someone through it-How we can help our children develop the skills they need to succeed in and build a beautiful marriage of their own…and so much more!Get a free class from Chana all about creating a playful and passionate marriage. You can access it at chanadeutsch.com/passion.Listen to Chana's podcast on Spotify called: Coffee and Connection.If you want to reach out to Chana, you can email her at [email protected] or [email protected] for listening!

Hi everyone! Welcome back to The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal and today, we’re talking all about Israel. If you’re a Jew right now, Israel has constantly been on your mind since October 7th (and probably for awhile before that too!)   Those of us outside of Israel are experiencing violent protests from those who seem like they will stop at nothing to terrorize the Jews. When we’re living in such scary times, we’re reminded even more how badly we need Israel. We think of the Holocaust, of all those souls that weren’t able to leave or didn’t have a place to go. As we continue to navigate the stressful climate we’re in, thinking about Israel and its significance is an important one. So today, I have my friend Izzy Sakhaie on the podcast to speak about all of the questions and points of inner conflict we may all be thinking about.   In this episode, we cover: -How she became religious and got more deeply connected to Israel -How her career trajectory evolved along with her Israel journey -How she decided to make aliyah and the process of doing so -What it’s actually like living in Israel -How Izzy dealt with the challenges of life in Israel and how she took advantage of the positive aspects -Why she decided to move back to America when the war broke out -Tools she uses to connect to Hashem in her everyday life now -What we can all pray for when we’re feeling stuck -What those of us outside of Israel right now may need to be doing -How she is connecting to her soul’s mission and what we can all learn from that   It was an amazing, inspiring conversation that I hope you can take something from.   Izzy’s Bio: Izzy is a New York native who officially made aliyah in December of 2020. Although she returned to America right after the war began, one of her personal passions is shedding light on Israel through her documentary series “My Israel Narrative.” This project aims to unpack the myriad questions our current reality is presenting. Izzy focuses on unpacking two major ideas: “What is home?” and “What is Israel to me, on both a personal and collective level?” With Hashem’s help, this project will hopefully bring to light some real answers in what's certainly a confusing and challenging time for many.   In addition, Izzy manages Olami’s Zero Tolerance Campaign. Zero Tolerance is a national, student-run initiative helping to create a campus culture of zero tolerance for antisemitism. Their goal is to transform the culture on campus from one of intimidation, resignation, and apathy to one of zero tolerance to antisemitism and all forms of discrimination.   Izzy also seeks to capture the beauty of Israel through her photography (25% of proceeds go to causes supporting Israel).   Follow “My Israel Narrative” on Instagram, YouTube and Spotify. Learn more from Izzy at myisraelnarrative.com.   If there’s a topic you want covered or a woman you want to see on The Chai on Life Podcast, email me at [email protected] or send me a DM on Instagram @chaionlifemag.   Thanks for listening!

Hi everyone! Welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life podcast. I'm Alex Segal. Trigger warning for this episode: We speak about pregnancy, miscarriage and diet and nutrition so if any of those things may be triggering for you, definitely feel free to turn off the episode, I completely understand.   Now let’s learn about our amazing guest, Lauren Allen. Lauren is a former sugar addict turned Certified Nutrition Coach who specializes in women's hormonal health and fertility. After being diagnosed with PCOS after struggling with infertility, Lauren discovered the power of using food as medicine to heal her body, balance her hormones, and eventually get pregnant naturally. Lauren believes that all women deserve to harness the power of eating foods that help balance their hormones and optimize their fertility without feeling deprived or restricted. She is the creator of the Balance Your Hormones 101 program and The Empowered Path to Pregnancy program to help women learn how diet and lifestyle changes can help them balance their hormones and optimize their fertility. She coaches women privately as well.   In this episode, we speak about: -How Lauren got to where she is today, working through a sugar addiction to become a health coach and conceive two children naturally -What a hormone is and what its role is in your body -What vital organs in your body do and how the food we eat can affect them -What balancing our blood sugar means and how to do so effectively -How to improve out diets to add in more nutrition, in a way that’s not overwhelming -What it actually means to be “born with all your eggs” — it’s not what you think! -The best things to eat during the pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and postpartum periods to optimize your health and your baby’s health -How to make time to take care of ourselves   …and so much more!   If you want to learn more from Lauren, you can follow her on Instagram @laurenallennutrition and visit her website laurenallennutrition.com — there are tons of awesome recipes on there (I highly recommend the chickpea chocolate chip cookies!) She also has her own podcast called “About Health and Hormones” which you can learn more about here: laurenallennutrition.com/podcast. For more information on her courses, you can also visit her website.   If there is a guest you would like to see on The Chai on Life Podcast, send a DM to @chaionlifemag on Instagram or email [email protected].   Thanks for listening!

Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal and I am so excited about this conversation with Rebbetzin Yehudis Golshevsky. We’re in a difficult time for the Jewish people. We just marked 180 days since October 7 —  six whole months since Israel and the Jewish people were attacked on Simchat Torah. It’s hard to believe. It’s so hard to know that every single day, 134 hostages still remain in captivity, our soldiers are still fighting and our people are at risk There is increased antisemitism around us. Incredible gaslighting about what Israel is doing in self-defense and just to survive and protect its people, our people. It’s truly a painful moment and it can be confusing to know where to turn or where to find hope. This conversation with Rebbetzin Golshevsky, I hope will help you find some comfort. In our conversation, we speak about: -Rebbetzin Golshevsky's path to becoming a profound Torah teacher -How to connect to Nisan and Pesach during this unique time we're in and how we can extract so much meaning out of it -How to become joyful at this time -Why things may look so gross and ugly on the outside right now and what that means for the Jewish people -The process of redemption — what we can look to for hope -How to free yourself from something personal you're working on ...and so much more!   If you would like to learn more about Rebbetzin Golshevsky and SHIVITI and get on the school's mailing list for classes, visit https://shiviti.org.il/. To reach out to Rebbetzin Golshevsky directly, you can email her at [email protected].   More about Rebbetzin Golshevsky: Rebbetzin Golshevsky founded and is the director of SHIVITI, a school in Jerusalem for women. She holds primary and secondary teaching certifications from Yavne Teacher's College in Cleveland, Ohio, as well as a BA from SUNY Buffalo in Classics-Judaic Studies. Rebbetzin Golshevsky has been a well-known Torah educator in Jerusalem and abroad for twenty-five years, with students all over the world. She is also published author, editor, and translator.   To nominate a woman for the podcast, please send me an email at [email protected] or send me a DM on Instagram at @chaionlifemag. Thanks for listening!  

Today's guest is Debbie Greenblatt and we are talking all about the secrets to a more connected marriage. Debbie just released a book (Secrets of a Connected Marriage — order here!) where she breaks down profound Jewish wisdom into tangible, succinct ways you can improve your marriage. You will become more connected to your spouse and turn more into the person you want to be in the process. In this conversation, Debbie and I speak about: -Why marriage is such a challenge -How husbands and wives and grow closer to each other -How to become a great woman, using your marriage to get you there -How we can create a more positive culture in our homes -How to bring Hashem into our lives and marriages more -What we can learn from relationships in the Torah, like Avraham and Sarah ...and so much more! If you would like to get in touch with Debbie after listening, you can reach out to her at [email protected] or through her website, deardebbie.com. Please leave a rating and review for the podcast and reach out if there's anyone you'd like to see on! You can send a DM at @chaionlifemag or email at [email protected].   More about Debbie: Debbie Greenblatt has been involved in teaching and counseling Jewish women for over thirty-five years.  Mrs. Greenblatt lectures across the United States on topics that include Jewish texts, Jewish thought and relationships.  For over thirty years, her weekly class in the works of Rabbi Dessler have served as an anchor in her own life and has changed the lives of many of those who have attended. She currently gives several Middos Vaadim that concentrate on character development. Her warm and personal approach to the women she encounters has many women seeking her counsel and insight on the Torah’s approach to their personal dilemmas. Using the unique Torah based and practical approach that she developed to help people navigate the dating process, Debbie has been successfully coaching singles for over twenty years. Mrs. Greenblatt writes a column on relationships for a large Jewish Magazine, and is regularly asked to contribute essays to a variety of publications. She is the founder of the Women’s Division of Gateways, an outreach organization. Debbie is the Director of Education for the Mentorship Training Program of Core, and organization that seeks to strengthen the fabric of the Jewish People by building the woman of klal Yisrael and the connections between them. Debbie’s new book, Secrets of a Connected Marriage, published by Judaica Press, gives us a glimpse into the deeper Jewish perspectives that form the basis of successful marriage, with practical applications for the woman of today.

Welcome to the Chai on Life podcast!    I’m Alex Segal. I’m a writer, editor, wife, mom and inspired Jewish woman. As I’ve gone through life, I’ve become so much more connected to my Jewish identity. I’ve fallen in love with what it means to be Jewish. As I’ve become a Shabbat-observant Jew, and taken on many other mitzvot, it was really important to me to not to lose who I was throughout the process. I would not be where I am without the women who have guided me and shown me what’s possible. They have taught me that my unique self can only shine brighter through this life I’m choosing. That being said, as we move through our day-to-day tasks, it’s easy for life to become well, routine. We need to maintain our inspiration, connect with each other, and through that, we thrive. This is a podcast dedicated to both of those things — an inspired Jewish life and the power women behind it all. The goal? For all of us to become more "chai on life."   Want to nominate a guest? Email me at [email protected].

Hi everyone! I'm so excited for you to listen to my episode with Rivkah Fox (@rivkahfox). She's a matchmaker who has set up tons of couples and is at your service! In this episode, we talk about: -How Rivkah got into matchmaking -How she made her first match -How she organizes her matches -The do’s and don’ts of working with a shadchan -How often to reach out to a shadchan and what to say -How Rivkah decides who to match up -How to make the best first impression on your matchmaker -How to ensure a matchmaker remembers you -How the time we’re in has affected her job as a matchmaker -How Rivkah met her husband and what you can learn from her story -How to plan the perfect first date   If you want to reach out to Rivkah, you can WhatsApp her at  516-666-2465. Send her a bio, a few photos of yourself and a dating resume if you have one.   If you have a guest you'd like to see on the Chai on Life podcast, email [email protected] or send us a DM at @chaionlifemag. Thanks for listening!

Hi everyone! Welcome back to another episode of the Chai on Life podcast. I met my friend, Carmel Lehmann, in the fall of 2017 when we both studied at Midreshet Rachel V'Chaya, a seminary in Israel. She ended up making aliyah then and getting married shortly after. On October 7, she, like so many other women had to send her husband off to Gaza. Baruch Hashem, he is home now, hopefully for good. *Important to note: This episode was recorded on February 15, 2023 so any details shared on the war during the podcast reflect what was going on at that time. In this episode we talk about: How she decided to make Aliyah and her Jewish journey leading up to it. How she got over the hump to become fluent in Hebrew. What October 7 was like for her and her family. How she survived at home working full time and caring for two small children while her husband was in Gaza. How her relationship with Judaism and Hashem as changed throughout this process. The whole conversation was so real and I know you're going to love it. If you know someone who you think would make a great guest, send me a DM at @chaionlifemag or email me at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

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