Deep Meaningful Conversations
By Alex Fleksher and Rivki Silver
Deep Meaningful ConversationsFeb 06, 2022
REPLAY - Pesach Inspiration with Esti Hamilton
Pesach is coming, and DMC is here for you with this replay of last season's pre-Pesach episode! Whether you’re defrosting your freezer or packing all the suitcases, we’re back to share conversations about the upcoming yom tov and help us get focused on the meaning of what we do. In this episode, we DMC with Esti Hamilton, a very relatable rebbetzin, to give us some chizuk and inspo for Pesach.
We discuss:
Her personal relationship with Pesach, from childhood until today
The stereotype of the woman falling asleep at the seder, having had no time for her own personal spiritual preparations
Tips and suggestions for prioritizing ourselves in advance
Connecting with our children who may struggle to connect on Pesach
Esti’s favorite Pesach insights
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram, our WhatsApp group https://chat.whatsapp.com/IjG33sXCYgFGJSdncnN4nX and you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Show notes:
Esti Hamilton’s website:
Torah Anytime shiurim:
Real Life Pesach Cooking with Miriam (Pascal) Cohen
Many months ago we saw that Miriam Pascal Cohen was putting out a brand new Pesach cookbook, and we knew we had to snag her for DMC because she’d be everywhere promoting her book! But we also knew that with a cookbook called Real Life Pesach Cooking Miriam would be a perfect guest for our podcast. At DMC, we’re all in when it comes to anything “real life”!
You might know Miriam as the Overtime Cook, having built this amazing kosher cooking brand. Her cookbook comes out just in time for Pesach and we want to hear all about her secret tips and tricks and all the behind-the-scenes!
On this DMC we discuss:
How Miriam became known as The Overtime Cook
Miriam’s cooking style and how it comes through in her recipes
Process of recipe development, from conception to print
Miriam’s most popular recipes
Why Real Life Pesach Cooking is unique
BTS on her favorite Pesach recipes in the book
Helpful tips for Pesach menu planning and cooking
We love hearing from our listeners. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook and Instagram, join our WhatsApp group https://chat.whatsapp.com/IjG33sXCYgFGJSdncnN4nX, and you can always email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Miriam’s website and blog:
To purchase Real Life Pesach Cooking:
https://www.artscroll.com/Books/9781422639689.html
Sponsors:
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
DMC EPISODE SPONSOR:
Whee by SR Play
Coupon Code for free accessory: DMCFREE24
(855) 836-4774
Appaman
Coupon code DMC20 for 20% off applicable sitewide, excluding the Core collection
__________
- Please consider supporting DMC with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dmcthepodcast/support
- To sponsor an episode as a refuah sheleimah or l’ilui nishmas a loved one, please email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Holding Down the Fort with Nina Tokayer
So many of us in Chutz LaAretz want to understand what it’s like for the women who are holding down the fort in Eretz Yisrael with their husbands off fighting this war. These mothers and wives are true heroes, taking care of everything without the support and presence of their husbands who are risking their lives to protect our Holy Land. We want to learn and know more about what these special women – our Jewish sisters in Eretz Yisrael – are going through. So we asked Nina Tokayer on the podcast to DMC with us. Nina lives in Pardes Chana with her husband Yoni and children. Many of you may be familiar with Yonina which is the name of her singing duo together with her husband. Yoni was just released from miluim – reserves– this February.
We’re excited to talk to Nina about her music as well as about what this experience has been like for her and her children.
On this DMC we discuss:
How Yonina got started and has evolved
October 7th for the Tokayers
Nina’s experience as the wife of a reservist
How Nina’s identity as a musician impacted her experience
Nina’s message of chizuk for fellow wives of soldiers
Nina’s message of chizuk for Jewish women outside of Israel
We love hearing from our listeners. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook and Instagram, join our WhatsApp group https://chat.whatsapp.com/IjG33sXCYgFGJSdncnN4nX, and you can always email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Sponsors:
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
DMC EPISODE SPONSOR:
Whee by SR Play
Coupon Code for free accessory: DMCFREE24
(855) 836-4774
Appaman
Coupon code DMC20 for 20% off applicable sitewide, excluding the Core collection
__________
- Please consider supporting DMC with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dmcthepodcast/support
- To sponsor an episode as a refuah sheleimah or l’ilui nishmas a loved one, please email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
The Kichels with Bracha Stein & Chani Judowitz
Purim is on its way, so we’ve invited who we think are two of the funniest (and maybe cleverest) ladies to grace the pages of Mishpacha Magazine, and that’s Chani Judowitz and Bracha Stein, the masterminds of The Kichels’ comics. We say that The Kichels is social commentary in its best form. They manage to point out silly things about frum life in a way that’s highly relatable, while doing it in such a loving and playful way. It’s like mussar and validation all in one hilarious package.
(Oh, and by the way, you can’t miss our very special “guests” this episode to provide some extra laughs this Adar season.)
On this DMC we discuss:
How the Kichels were born
Chani and Bracha’s process of collaboration
Their goals in starting the comic strip
Their reaction to its popularity
What they think the Kichels has accomplished in starting communal conversations
Their funniest, most loved, and most controversial strips
What’s next for the Kichels
We love hearing from our listeners. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook and Instagram, join our WhatsApp group https://chat.whatsapp.com/IjG33sXCYgFGJSdncnN4nX, and you can always email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Sponsors:
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
DMC EPISODE SPONSOR:
Whee by SR Play
Coupon Code for free accessory: DMCFREE24
(855) 836-4774
Appaman
Coupon code DMC20 for 20% off applicable sitewide, excluding the Core collection
Kav Halacha
US: 732 707-6666
Find other countries’ numbers on their website.
__________
- Please consider supporting DMC with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dmcthepodcast/support
- To sponsor an episode as a refuah sheleimah or l’ilui nishmas a loved one, please email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Using Your Voice for Israel with The Official Meira
So often the situation in Israel can feel dispiriting. We want to make a difference and contribute, but we don’t know how. Meira Kolatch, otherwise known as “The Official Meira”, shares with us how out of her desire to keep her friends and family informed about events in Israel, she accidently created a following of over 35k people on social media who come to her for
real-time, verified information from Israel about Israel. She shares with us her empowering message of how we can each stand strong for Israel in our daily lives, no social media presence required.
On this DMC we discuss:
Meira’s aliyah journey as a young child and the impact it has on her today
How she’s become an authority on Israel since she started sharing information after October 7th
How she views and interacts with the “Ceasefire Now” group so vocal on social media
How she sees her role as a vocal advocate for Israel
Her message for us in how we can make a difference in fighting this PR war
We love hearing from our listeners. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook and Instagram, join our WhatsApp group https://chat.whatsapp.com/IjG33sXCYgFGJSdncnN4nX, and you can always email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Our episode with Meira's mother, - The Moderately Anxious Everybody with Ilana Cowland
Sponsors:
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
DMC EPISODE SPONSOR:
Whee by SR Play
Coupon Code for free accessory: DMCFREE24
(855) 836-4774
Kav Halacha
US: 732 707-6666
Find other countries’ numbers on their website.
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Tools for Life with Gila Ross
We all want to lead happy lives, but what about living beautiful lives? Gila Ross shares with us her favorite relatable lessons from Pirkei Avos that help us bring meaning, joy and love into our lives – all the things we need now more than ever.
In this DMC we discuss:
How Gila became the person she is today
Why she wrote her book Living Beautifully and what she hopes it accomplishes
What the title means to her and for us
Gila’s favorite tools for life from her book
We love hearing from our listeners. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook and Instagram, join our WhatsApp group https://chat.whatsapp.com/IjG33sXCYgFGJSdncnN4nX and you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
To sponsor an episode as a refuah sheleimah or l’ilui nishmas a loved one, please email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Gila’s book:
Or 15% off with dmc15 at gilaross.com/book or mosaica
Gila’s Power Up Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/power-up/id1498527403
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
DMC EPISODE SPONSOR:
Whee by SR Play
Coupon Code for free accessory: DMCFREE24
(855) 836-4774
Yad Batya L’Kallah Libi Bamizrachi Auction
929-486-0905
Kav Halacha
US: 732 707-6666
Find other countries’ numbers on their website.
Living The InKredible Dream with Tziri Preis
Tziri Preis is one of those people who is living her dream. Classroom teacher turned podcaster and “General” of the Tehillim Army nightly Zoom and livestream, she reaches thousands of children (and their parents) each night. The Tehillim Army was Tziri’s response to October 7th, and little did she know what a need it would fill and the impact it would make. Tziri’s story has so much to teach us about doing our part to fill a need as well as making dreams come true.
On this DMC we discuss:
Tziri’s journey from the classroom to her InKredible Kids podcast and her “InKredible” Tehillim Army initiative
The feedback she receives and the impact of the Tehillim Army
How Tziri’s lifelong dream came true, and the takeaway for our listeners
How we can also see Hashem guiding our work
How we can all make a difference in our own way
We love hearing from our listeners. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook and Instagram, join our WhatsApp chat https://chat.whatsapp.com/IjG33sXCYgFGJSdncnN4nX, and you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
DMC EPISODE SPONSOR:
Whee by SR Play
Coupon Code for free accessory: DMCFREE24
(855) 836-4774
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Please consider supporting DMC with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dmcthepodcast/support
- To sponsor an episode as a refuah sheleimah or l’ilui nishmas a loved one, please email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Developing a Geula Mindset with Faigy Blumstein
These days, it seems Geula is very much on our mind. Geula, as our guest Faigy Blumstein explains, is very much a mindset as well hat needs developing. Geula, redemption, will happen with Hashem’s help in the future, but it isn’t something that we passively wait for. Every day we yearn for the Geula, and there are things we can do right now to put into place as an expression of that yearning – and as a means to an end to bring the Geula closer! Faigy, with her signature Thank You Hashem attitude, gives us the low down on how to make this a reality in our daily lives.
On this DMC we discuss:
How Faigy and her husband started the TYH movement
Faigy’s passion for teaching and the topics she’s loving to give over these days
What is a “Geula mindset” and how we can develop it
Why developing a Geula mindset is so critical these days during the challenges facing Am Yisrael
Thank you for the recent flurry of emails! We love hearing from our listeners. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook and Instagram, join our (admin only) WhatsApp group here https://chat.whatsapp.com/IjG33sXCYgFGJSdncnN4nX and you can always email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Faigy's book/shiur recommendations:
-Rabbi Moshe Weinberger Intro to Chassidus on YU Torah
-Rabbi Yossi Zakutinsky
-Rabbi Shais Taub
-Gedale Fenster
-The Story of Our Lives by Yaakov Klein
(Rabbi Nachman’s story book for children)
Thank You Hashem website:
Faigy’s Tanya classes can be found on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/faigy.blumstein/
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
DMC EPISODE SPONSOR:
Project Inspire Convention
https://www.projectinspire.com/convention/
(646)-291-6191
info@projectinspire.com
2023 Recap with Alex & Rivki
Welcome to episode 51 as Season 3 of DMC comes to a close! It’s time for a little recap of our year as we reflect on our experiences as the hosts of Deep Meaningful Conversations. We released 23 episodes this year and have had over 120k downloads. We’ve had on average 4000 listeners per episode. So thank you to all our loyal DMC listeners! Here’s to continued growth and many more DMCS in 2024!
On this episode, we discuss:
Stats and listener demographics
Our top-rated episodes
What we’re most looking forward to next season
Favorite feedback from listeners
“Celebrity” sightings
Our favorite episodes
Our most personally meaningful episodes
The episodes we felt most impactful for our audience
We’d love to hear from you, especially if you’d like to join us in reflecting on any of our episodes this past season! You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook and Instagram, and you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Join our Whatsapp Group - https://chat.whatsapp.com/IjG33sXCYgFGJSdncnN4nX
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
Food As Fuel with Esti Asher
We hope all our listeners had a wonderful Chanukah! With any holiday or yom tov, there is that week after when we’re trying to get bedtimes back to normal, work schedules back to normal, and our eating schedules back to normal. But this year, we haven’t really had the luxury of “getting back to normal.” Nonetheless, taking care of ourselves during stressful and disruptive situations is extremely important. We can’t get completely consumed and not be able to take care of our responsibilities – and ourselves. It’s so easy to put our care on the back burner. And if we aren’t eating properly, that can impact our psychological state too. It’s during stressful times that we’re more likely to not tend to our needs (sometimes we even think “how can we” with the news) – but we must.
Esti Asher, a registered dietitian based out of northern Israel, joins us for this DMC. Esti provides us with some mindset and perspective shifts to help us understand the concept of food as fuel as well as deal with any negative feelings associated with our holiday splurging. She also provides tips to help us get back to a more balanced everyday eating routine. Esti’s approach is practical, positive, and holistic. She focuses on many factors that contribute to overall health. Esti places a strong emphasis on healthy habits and behaviors that are optimal to reach your ultimate health and well-being potential. Most importantly, Esti encourages self-awareness, self-care and self-love.
On this episode of DMC, we discuss:
The main principles that guide Esti’s work as a nutritionist
Mindset and practical tips to help us get back on track with our eating post chag
Dealing with negative feelings associated with splurging
The concept of food as fuel
The most helpful approach for those of us who are motivated to adopt a more healthy lifestyle
Esti’s take on diet culture
Esti’s website
https://www.estiashernutrition.com/
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
Being Jewish On Campus Today with Mariel Goldstein
We all know the frightening reality facing Jewish students on college campuses today. The stories are horrifying and unbelievable. We want this episode to be somewhat uplifting as well, and that’s why we’ve invited Mariel Goldstein to speak with us. Mariel is the director of women’s education at MEOR Maryland, a campus-based organization dedicated to extending Jewish learning opportunities to the broadest spectrum of Jewish students at the University of Maryland, College Park. University of Maryland College Park is the fourth largest public university by Jewish population. According to Hilllel, there are 6000 Jewish students on campus, 20% of the student population. So Mariel is in the trenches, supporting Jewish students who are struggling right now – and doing her best to support herself as well since October 7th.
On this episode we discuss:
The impact of October 7 on the lives of the Jewish students Mariel works with
Rising anti-semitism on campus and how it’s impacted University of Maryland
The safe haven MEOR provides and the increased interest in programming and Jewish pride
The biggest takeaway for college students from this current experience
Mariel’s thoughts about the future of Jewish college students on secular campuses
Show notes:
Donate to Meor’s campaign to support Jewish students on campus during these challenging times!
https://causematch.com/meor23/goldstein
Meor Maryland’s website
https://www.meormarylandonline.org/
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
DMC EPISODE SPONSOR:
Amudim
646-517-0222
646-517-0221
info@amudim.org
Processing Our Emotions In A Healthy Way with Erika Needleman
The topic of processing our emotions applies at all times, but it’s especially relevant now. We know that there are ways we as individuals process our emotions in a healthy way, and process our emotions in an unhealthy way. Disclaimer: for anyone who is going through acute trauma due this war, this episode is not designed for you. This episode is also not meant to take the place of seeking professional help.
Our guest for this DMC is Erika Needleman of Adulting with Erika. Erika is one of those special people who has such good insight into people and into life. She is driven by the belief that if we look to ourselves, we have many of the answers. Erika helps women stop resisting their life so they can start living it. The topic of today’s episode is one that Erika is particularly passionate about, and we’re so happy to share her insights with you.
On this DMC, we discuss:
The wide range of emotions women are experiencing right now due to the war
What processing emotions in an unhealthy way looks like
What processing emotions in a healthy way looks like and the steps we can take to achieve that
What we can do when we notice we’re falling into the trap of bad habits when it comes to processing our emotions
How to handle when loved ones process emotions differently to us
Book recommendations:
Yemima Mizrachi Speaks
It's All The Same To Me: A Torah Guide To Inner Peace and Love of Life by Rabbi Moshe Gersht
The Three Conditions: How Intention, Joy, and Certainty Will Supercharge Your Life by Rabbi Moshe Gersht
Sha’ar HaBitachon
No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz
Handout for processing emotions
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
Opening Our Hearts and Homes with Sarah Levy
We’re thinking about all of our listeners during this extremely challenging time for the Jewish people worldwide, and here at DMC, we’re committed to providing content for you that will be helpful and hopefully uplifting. There are many heroes in this war, and some of them are the special individuals in Eretz Yisrael who have done whatever they can to support their fellow brothers and sisters who have been displaced from their homes due to the war. We’re privileged to have been connected with Sarah Levy who lives in Ramot and has opened up her home and heart to a displaced family from Southern Israel. Sarah’s story needs to be told, and we learned so much from her about taking action and truly being nosei ol b’chaveiro, carrying the burden of one’s friend. We hope you find this episode as inspiring as we did.
On this DMC, we discuss:
How Sarah got connected to Revital, the mother of the familly she is hosting
Sarah’s decision process in deciding to host Revital, her husband and her children
What the transition has been like for both families
Special experiences both families have shared together
Getting by day-to-day without being consumed by worry about the future
Chizuk from Eretz Yisrael for our listeners
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
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Chizuk from the Holy Land with Dini Coopersmith
Like everyone right now, no matter where you live, our everyday lives are not the same due to the tragic unfolding of events in Eretz Yisrael. Certainly, our brothers and sisters in Israel are facing the most formidable challenges. Those of us watching and davening from afar are challenged in different ways, but challenged nonetheless. Eretz Yisrael and Am Yisrael are constantly on our minds, as we try to get back to whatever our regular life and work looks like here in America.
For this episode, we wanted to DMC with someone in Eretz Yisrael who can share with us her experiences, insight and chizuk about the current matzav. Those of us in chutz laaretz feel so far away, many are feeling helpless, but maybe this DMC will give us the opportunity to feel that closeness that we are longing for.
We speak with Dini Coopersmith of Maalot Dafna who shares with us what life has been like in Eretz Yisrael the past week and a half. Through this interview, we get a glimpse into the clarity, emunah and bitachon that is so characteristic of the special Jewish people living in the Holyland.
In this DMC we discuss:
Dini’s experiences when the sirens went of Shmini Atzeres morning
What life is like right now living through this war
The general feeling and morale in Israel currently
Dini’s connection to the communities in the South through her Women’s Reconnection Trips
How Dini is witnessing the unity of the Jewish people at this time
The feelings surrounding outside threats to Israel
Chizuk for those of us in Chutz La’aretz
We love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Show Notes:
Women’s Reconnection Trip
https://www.reconnectiontrips.com/#page-top
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
DMC EPISODE SPONSOR:
Sod Haadam
718 504 9441
Registration opens after Sukkos
Torah, Psychology & Religious Overwhelm with Chani Juravel
Yom Kippur is our most serious and arguably most important Yom Tov in the Jewish calendar. But what happens if our feeling of overwhelm about the seriousness of the day (and the practical physical requirements of the season) robs us from feeling truly connected? More broadly, how does our mental health impact our Torah observance in general? When we're feeling anxious, depressed or overwhelmed, is Yiddishkeit simply something else on the to-do list that may get pushed off for another day?
When we discussed tackling this topic, we knew it needed to be with someone firmly rooted both in the worlds of psychology and Torah. And that’s why we turned to Chani Juravel, LCSW.
Chani shares her insights on how our psychological/emotional state plays a huge role in religious life. With her extensive experience as a therapist and Torah educator, Chani's passion is the intersection between Torah and psychology. She also explains to us the Torah-true nature of therapy, how it can be fused with our spirituality, and how we find models of so many therapeutic tools and principles in Tanach, particularly from Hashem's model.
We hope this episode enriches your Yom Kippur. Wishing all our listeners a Gmar Chasima Tova.
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook and Instagram, and you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Show Notes:
Chani Juravel’s shiurim
https://www.torahanytime.com/#/speaker?l=561
Chani Juravel’s book, Sefira in Our Lives
https://www.amazon.com/Sefirah-Our-Lives-Transforming-Relationship/dp/1680254995
Link to her WhatsApp group, Inspired Living https://chat.whatsapp.com/LPT6VMO5XFrIYetQoLNury
The Slow Movement - Carl Honore Ted Talk - https://youtu.be/npRXazR1LtU?si=U-VQ6lqNU5Srv7Tf
Book recommendations:
-Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
-The Choice by Edith Eger
-Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers
-Positivity Bias: Practical Wisdom for Positive Living : Inspired by the Life and Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe by Mendel Kalmenson
-anything by the Nesivos Shalom
To advertise on DMC:
Contact Jewish Content Network
https://jewishcontentnetwork.com/
1-845-287-0404
Contact: Chayale Kaufman
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
DMC EPISODE 45 SPONSOR
Sod Haadam
718 504 9441
Registration opens after Sukkos
Finding Focus on Rosh Hashana with Slovie Jungreis-Wolff
Rosh Hashana is approaching and we want to give you some deep and meaningful content to think about in addition to the delicious meal planning! That’s why we invited Rebbetzin Slovie Jungreis-Wolff to DMC with us about finding focus this Rosh Hashana. Slovie herself is a well-spring of knowledge and inspiration and in this DMC, she shares her Rosh Hashana memories around the Jungreis table in addition to her beautiful Torah insights to help you find your focus on this meaningful and busy day. Wishing all our listeners are sweet new year!
In the episode, we discuss:
How the legacy of Slovie’s mother, Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis z"l, impacted her life's work
What Rosh Hashana and the yamim noraim were like in her home growing up and what she continues in her own home
The main message of Rosh Hashana for busy women during this time
Slovie’s favorite Rosh Hashana theme to focus on
Her new book, The Soul of Parenting
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook and Instagram, and you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Show Notes:
Slovie Jungreis-Wolff’s new book on parenting:
https://mosaicapress.com/product/the-soul-of-parenting/
DMC20 coupon code for 20% off!
Slovie Jungreis-Wolff’s shiurim on Torah Anytime:
https://www.torahanytime.com/#/speaker?l=74
To advertise on DMC:
Contact Jewish Content Network
https://jewishcontentnetwork.com/
1-845-287-0404
Contact: Chayale Kaufman
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
DMC EPISODE 44 SPONSOR:
Torah Umesorah: Share Hamaalos
https://www.torahumesorah.org/sharehamaalos/
sharehamaalos@torah-umesorah.org
Or call in and record your story: 718-766-4554
How To Build Resilience with Professor Leslie Gutman (Replay)
We all want to be more resilient, to bounce back during times of stress and upheaval. But is resilience just about bouncing back to who we were before we experienced adversity, or is it more? On this episode of DMC, we sit down with Professor Leslie Gutman, author of Resilience: A Jewish Guide to Facing Adversity, Fostering Strength and Living your Best Life, who shares some fascinating insights and helpful tools to help us grow our grit when (and before) the going gets tough.
On this episode we discuss:
- What resilience is, and what it is not
- How we can boost our resilience
- What is spiritual resilience and why it’s important
- Being resilient in face of public vs. private nisyonos
By the end of today’s episode, we hope you’ve gained tools to help you build and maintain resilience during the stages and moments of our life when we’re feeling we’re merely treading water, or even sinking.
Professor Leslie Gutman’s website:
Her new book on resilience:
https://mosaicapress.com/product/resilience/
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook and Instagram, and you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
To advertise on DMC:
Contact Jewish Content Network
https://jewishcontentnetwork.com/
1-845-287-0404
Contact: Chayale Kaufman
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
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DMC EPISODE 43 SPONSOR:
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Wiring Our Children for Happiness with Beth Perkel
Being happy is an aspiration that is thrown around so easily and often, we wonder if it’s really even a goal in life. But happiness is crucial for healthy children, and we’re going to be talking all about it with our guest, Beth Perkel. Beth is an author, freelance writer and essayist. Her recent book is called Light At the Beginning of the Tunnel: Wiring our Children for Happiness.
Beth believes that most children need to be taught the “talent” of happiness, that it doesn’t happen automatically, and that it’s the central key that enables them to lead successful, productive and meaningful lives. In her book, she synthesizes deep concepts from ancient wisdom, the most up-to-date psychological methods, scientific studies and research and weaves them into a practical, personalized system for us and our children.
In the episode we discuss:
-Beth’s journey as a writer, and how she learned to dig deep and be vulnerable
-Why she wrote a book on parenting, and how her approach is unique
-What happiness looks like in different people
-Her favorite chapters in the book
-Advice for parents with children who are “not happy”
-Examples of parenting wins from her own life
Beth’s book and speaker recommendations:
Beth’s book - Light at the Beginning of the Tunnel: Wiring our Children for Happiness (best to purchase from Feldheim or Mosaica)
Beth's Podcast - Ideas That Change Lives
Rav Wolbe’s Planting and Building
Rebbetzin Spetner as a parenting educator
Stress Less: Stop Stressing, Start Living by: Kate Hanley
The Power of Now by: Eckhart Tolls
Rebbetzin Dina Schoonmaker’s shiurim
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook and Instagram, and you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
To advertise on DMC:
Contact Jewish Content Network
https://jewishcontentnetwork.com/
1-845-287-0404
Contact: Chayale Kaufman
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
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DMC EPISODE 42 SPONSOR:
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Spiritual Self-Care with Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman
This episode of DMC is about spiritual self-care. This means, what are we doing to take care of our neshama? What are we doing to invest in our connection to Yiddishkeit and Hashem? Because if we don’t take care of our spiritual side, we know what happens. It’s the same with when we don’t take care of our bodies, or our relationships, or our linen closets…the law of entropy entails and things start falling apart.
Our guest for this deep meaningful conversation is Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman, the founding director of the OU Women’s Initiative. This topic is one near and dear to Rebbetzin Shmidman’s heart as her life’s work is creating ways for women all over North America to stay connected to their communities and their Torah learning. Rebbetzin Shmidman understands why spiritual self-care is so vital to our well-being as Jewish women.
On this episode we discuss:
How Rebbetzin Dr. Shmidman became the director of the OU Women’s Initiative
Her goals for Orthodox women in her capacity as an organizational leader
An initiative she’s particularly proud of that she was able to implement in this role
The definition of spiritual self-care and why she’s passionate about it
The main challenges frum women face in practicing spiritual self-care
Rebbetzin Dr. Shmidman’s favorite self-care practice
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook and Instagram, and you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
The OU Women Initiative's website:
Mourning with Meaning series:
https://outorah.org/series/6965
Torat Imecha Learning Program
https://ouwomen.org/torat-imecha/
To advertise on DMC:
Contact Jewish Content Network
https://jewishcontentnetwork.com/
1-845-287-0404
Contact: Chayale Kaufman
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
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DMC EPISODE 41 SPONSOR:
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Family Dynamics and Lashon Hara with Yocheved Davidowitz
It’s the Three Weeks, and we knew we wanted to provide something meaningful for us all to help us get in the mindset of this unique period in the Jewish calendar. As we’re leading up to Tisha B’Av, we really should be thinking more about mitzvos bein adam l’chaveiro since sinas chinam, baseless hatred, is the reason given for the destruction of the second Beis Hamikdash.
So we asked Yocheved Davidowitz, licensed counselor, a certified nutrition coach, writer, educator and the host of the podcast, A Deeper Conversation, to join us on this DMC and come up with the topic. Yocheved hosts Wake up Words with the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation and runs a daily Shmiras HaLashon chat for hundreds of women worldwide.
One of the areas she’s been focusing on lately is bein adam l’chaveiro when it comes to those closest to us: our family. We knew that was a topic we wanted to learn more about.
In this episode, we discuss:
Yocheved’s experience running a daily Shmiras haLashon chat for women worldwide
Why she’s lately been interested in the topic of bein adam l’chaveiro as it applies to family members
Do we have a get-out-of-jail pass when it comes to speaking lashon hara about family?
The Torah’s perspective on venting to family members or confidants about family members
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook and Instagram, and you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Show Notes:
Yocheved’s podcast, A Deeper Conversation:
https://open.spotify.com/show/4zQrc18261uZYieLlkARiY
Wake Up Words Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation Whatsapp Group:
https://cchf.global/individual/whatsapp/
To advertise on DMC:
Contact Jewish Content Network
https://jewishcontentnetwork.com/
1-845-287-0404
Contact: Chayale Kaufman
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
Making Prayer Real with Sara Blau
On this DMC, we’re talking about tefillah, prayer. We want to get real, we want to get practical and we want to get inspired. Our guest is Sara Blau. Sara is passionate about tefillah and making prayer relevant. Her brand is providing inspiration for the Jewish woman, so she’s a perfect guest for DMC. Sara’s a public speaker and the author of 29 books. She’s also in the middle of a book about tefillah, so we’re excited to have the opportunity to pick her brain about this important topic.
In this episode, we discuss:
Women’s unique relationship with prayer
Benefits of davening, formally or not formally
Navigating davening and the various stages of our lives
Utilizing downtime
Managing disappointment when are prayers aren’t getting the results we want
What inspired Sara to write a book on prayer
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook and Instagram, and you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Show Notes:
Sara’s website:
https://www.sarablau.com/landing-page
Sara’s articles:
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4874392/jewish/Song-of-the-Soul.htm
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/5926700/jewish/Women-and-Prayer.htm
To advertise on DMC:
Contact Jewish Content Network
https://jewishcontentnetwork.com/
1-845-287-0404
Contact: Chayale Kaufman
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
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1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
DMC EPISODE 39 SPONSOR:
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Making Shifts in our Marriage with Rivke Gardner
We get a lot of feedback from women that they’d like to hear more episodes about marriage and parenting. So this episode is devoted to the topic of marriage and we’re DMCing with a very special person, Rivke Gardner. Rivke is “a marriage mentor for mentors” – and a marriage coach for everybody. She went on her own quest to improve her marriage after she realized as a newlywed that the little tools she had to “perfect” her marriage weren’t working. Rivke knew she wanted a deeply connected, supportive, passionate and fulfilling marriage. So for the last 18 years, she’s learned everything she could about marriage success. She now has a full-time coaching business and offers a variety of programs and training courses.
On this DMC, we discuss:
How Rivke got into marriage coaching and made it into a full-time business
The programs she offers
The main issues she sees women dealing with in their marriages
Her favorite tools that she gives women
Mentoring the mentors in marriage coaching
What Rivke wishes everyone would know about marriage
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook and Instagram, and you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Show Notes:
Rivke’s website
https://rivkegardner.com/
To advertise on DMC:
Contact Jewish Content Network
https://jewishcontentnetwork.com/
1-845-287-0404
Contact: Chayale Kaufman
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
DMC EPISODE 38 SPONSOR:
Label Land
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Coupon code for 10%: DMC
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Reclaiming Dignity with Bracha Poliakoff
It’s fair to say that every Orthodox woman has her own unique relationship with tznius. There are many factors at play that determine the nature of her relationship: education, upbringing, societal and familial influences, peer dynamics, and religious background, amongst others. Whether tznius is your favorite mitzvah or your biggest struggle, it’s valuable to bring tznius into our conversations as individuals and communities, and perhaps, change the conversation we’ve been having all along.
In this DMC, we discuss how the new book Reclaiming Dignity has been the topic of many conversations in various communities since it was released last month. We have the opportunity to sit down with Bracha Poliakoff, the editor of the anthology section of the book, and have our own deep meaningful conversation on this crucial topic.
On this episode, we discuss:
Bracha’s relationship with tznius growing up
Her dream in creating this book and how it evolved into the final product
The intention behind the unique structure of the book
The range of feelings and experiences frum women have about tznius
Improvements in tznius education, and areas still needing work
“PTSD” - post-traumatic tznius disorder
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
https://mosaicapress.com/product/reclaiming-dignity/
20% off for DMC listeners!
Use coupon code DMC20
Gila Manolson’s Outside/Inside
http://gilamanolson.com/books-outside_inside.php
Penimi Tznius Curriculum
https://www.penimi.org/tznius-programs
Our DMC with Jamie Geller
https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/26pmIPUwbAb
To advertise on DMC:
Contact Jewish Content Network
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1-845-287-0404
Contact: Chayale Kaufman
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
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DMC EPISODE 37 SPONSOR:
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Why We All Need Chizuk with Barrie Feld
Whatever “chizuk” means to you, we all need it. Whether it’s inspiration, validation, support or cheerleading, chizuk is what keeps us going when the going gets tough, or when we’re just not feeling it. Chizuk isn’t just for those of us who may be struggling religiously. We all can use a boost of strengthening to help us get through our daily lives, to keep us connected to our Judaism, to remind us of our purpose, and to help us get through those rough spots.
Barrie Feld is the founding director of the Chizuk MIssion, and she lives and breathes chizuk. We brought her on DMC to hear why she thinks we all need chizuk, and what chizuk really means to her.
On this episode, we discuss:
Barrie’s quality of ayin tov and how that connects to chizuk
Where she gets her chizuk from
Why she saw a need to create the Chizuk Mission
How the Chizuk Mission makes an impact
The main challenges facing women in staying connected to their Yiddishkeit
The importance of finding what types of chizuk works for you
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Show notes:
Chizuk Mission website:
https://www.chizukmission.org/
48 Ways to Wisdom:
To advertise on DMC:
Contact Jewish Content Network
https://jewishcontentnetwork.com/
1-845-287-0404
Contact: Chayale Kaufman
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
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https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
DMC EPISODE 35 SPONSOR:
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How We Seek Advice with Jenna McKenna
Let’s say we’re struggling with a challenge in our life. We can weather the storm on our own, or we can reach out to someone for help. But who? Sometimes it’s a family member or friend. Other times a rebbetzin or rav is our first avenue of support. Or a mental health professional. Or all of the above. In our modern world, many seek advice via social media, whether anonymously or not. All these avenues have pros and cons, and we discuss it all this DMC.
Jenna McKenna joins us in this conversation. Jenna is the founder of Frum Girl Problems, a closed Facebook group, and has seen her fair share of the various challenges that women face and how they go about seeing guidance and support. She herself got involved in mentoring, and is currently a high school counselor at Hanna Sacks Bais Yaakov in Chicago. We knew she’d have tons to say about the topic based on her experience. This episode is jam packed with lots of insight about how we go about seeking advice.
Show notes:
To advertise on DMC:
Contact Jewish Content Network
https://jewishcontentnetwork.com/
1-845-287-0404
Contact: Chayale Kaufman
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
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1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
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Alex's article on Meaningful Minute about mentorship - https://meaningfulminute.org/who-do-you-turn-to-for-advice/
The 21st Century Eishes Chayil with Shira Hochheimer
What can we learn from the wisdom of the Eishes Chayil that can be applied to our modern lives? Our guest today is Shira Hochheimer, author of Eishes Chayil: Ancient Wisdom for Women of Today. On this episode, we explore the connotations the Eishes Chayil has for us, and the implications it has on our lives.
We discuss:
The backstory behind how Shira decided to write a book on this topic
Her favorite middah (trait) of the Eishes Chayil that she discovered while doing her research
Takeaways for us as modern-day Jewish women
How women can ensure their daily lives reflect their deeply held beliefs
Juggling multiple roles while nourishing yourself
Show notes:
Shira’s website where you can order her book:
Use coupon code DMC for a discount!
OU shiurim:
https://outorah.org/author/133884
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
Get Ready For Pesach with Esti Hamilton
Pesach is coming, and DMC is here for you! Whether you’re defrosting your freezer or packing all the suitcases, we’re back to share conversations about the upcoming yom tov and help us get focused on the meaning of what we do. In this episode, we DMC with Esti Hamilton, the most relatable of rebbetzins, to give us some chizuk and inspo for Pesach.
We discuss:
Her personal relationship with Pesach, from childhood until today
The stereotype of the woman falling asleep at the seder, having had no time for her own personal spiritual preparations
Tips and suggestions for prioritizing ourselves in advance
Connecting with our children who may struggle to connect on Pesach
Esti’s favorite Pesach insights
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Show notes:
Esti Hamilton’s website:
Torah Anytime shiurim:
https://www.torahanytime.com/#/speaker?l=682
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
DMC EPISODE 33 SPONSOR:
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The Moderately Anxious Everybody with Ilana Cowland
Anxiety is something we all have to deal with as human beings, even if we don’t have a clinical diagnosis. And if we do struggle with clinical anxiety, let’s try to take away the stigma surrounding mental illness, so YES we are all in for a DMC about anxiety. Especially one designed for frum women who are already dealing with so many additional demands due to the frum lifestyle.
Our guest is Mrs. Ilana Cowland who has just come out with a book that sold us with its title, The Moderately Anxious Everybody. As Ilana writes, “the great social like we all tell to cover up the truth we all know – everybody’s anxious.” Ilana is a UK born educator, coach and relationship expert. She and her husband Jamie have been inspiring international audiences for over 25 years. In her debut book, she provides a deeper understanding of why our society is so anxious and what you can do, today, to deal with the anxiety in your life.
In this DMC, we discuss:
- Why Ilana decided to write a book about anxiety
- Anxiety and women, particularly frum women
- What anxiety looks and sounds like
- Techniques to reduce anxiety
- Tips to bring calm and serenity into our daily lives
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Show notes:
The Moderately Anxious Everybody
Ilana’s TorahAnytime shiurim:
https://www.torahanytime.com/#/speaker?l=326
Ilana’s Chizuk MIssion recordings:
https://www.chizukmission.org/cowland
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
DMC EPISODE 31 SPONSOR:
The Shabbos Maamad
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events@agudah.org
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Kosher Comedy with Zeya
Zeya is a queen when it comes to kosher comedy. Between her shows, youtube videos and her social media posts, Zeya makes us laugh about our foibles and everyday realities as frum women. However in this interview, we get deeper than expected about the power of comedy and the meaning Zeya finds in the work she does. This DMC is just in time for Purim, and we straight talk about the joys and challenges of the holiday for women.
In this episode we DMC about:
- What Zeya was like as a kid and teen and how she got into comedy
- Zeya’s unexpected career trajectory
- The types of issues she addresses through her comedy
- Her biggest flop and biggest success
- Purim chizuk by Zeya!
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Show notes:
Zeya’s Youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfRnEc5eE9goiB4coErVNdA
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
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1-866-309-8119
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The Art of Everyday Living with Raizy Fried
This episode of DMC is about the art of everyday living, and we couldn’t have this conversation without our guest, Raizy Fried, who is the queen of this art. Raizy’s been called the Jewish Martha Stewart, her platform Inspired Living is devoted to helping women run their homes more efficiently, entertain with practicality and style, and learn all the clever homemaking and organizing techniques they can get their hands on.
Raizy is a Chasidish homemaker who takes pride in her homemaking, and she’s a creative entrepreneur who has made a business of it! She’s full of ideas of how to elevate the everyday and gain pleasure and satisfaction from newfound systems and techniques that help make our lives more functional, beautiful and meaningful.
On this episiode we DMC about:
- How Raizy discovered her passion to teach and inspire women to make every day more meaningful, beautiful and functional
- Raizy’s philosophy that homemaking and life is an art
- How Raizy built her business and her huge Instagram presence
- The response she’s gotten as a Chasidish woman online
- How she melds her values with her design aesthetic
- Her favorite tips of overwhelmed Jewish women
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Show notes:
Raizy’s Inspired Living:
Raizy’s website:
https://www.raizyfried.com/
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
https://www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
https://www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
DMC EPISODE 30 SPONSOR:
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Backstage with Chanale
In this episode we discuss:
How Chanale first began to develop her musical talent
What it was like as a frum female performer in the 90s and 2000s when it wasn’t as popular as it is today
How making Aliya a few years ago impacted her musical career
How Chanale uses her creativity to fuel multiple endeavors, including her podcast, running masterclasses, producing comedy videos and more
Advice she would give aspiring frum female musicians and singers
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Show notes:
Chanale’s YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Cu8icnoTCNB6WLCU3UwLg
Chanale’s podcast:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weekly-squeeze-with-chanale/id1614568206
DMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
Town Appliance
www.townappliance.com/
1-866-309-8119
www.townappliance.com/pages/contact-us
DMC EPISODE 29 SPONSOR:
Dor Yeshorim
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Living Life on Purpose with Jackie Glaser
In this episode of Deep Meaningful Conversations, we’re going deep with all things personal development with our guest, Jackie Glaser. Jackie is all about accessing your greatness and living life on purpose. She's a life coach, a dating coach, a leadership developer – and was the resident psychologist on the Today Show in Australia. She also served as the Director of Leadership Development for 12 years at Olami. This episode is full of deep, profound and practical insights for anyone interested in self-improvement and accessing your greatness.
We discuss:
- Jackie’s journey to observance and how it informed her career trajectory
- How life begins at the end of our comfort zone
- The importance of defining yourself internally vs. externally
- Self development in the context of bein adam l’atzmo (between a person and herself)
- Jackie’s dating story and her subsequent work with singles
- Tools to connect to yourself more deeply
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Jackie’s website: https://www.jackieglaser.com/
Jackie’s book recommendations:
Deeper Dating by Ken Page
Practical Inner Torah by Miriam Millhauser Castle
It’s All in Your Mind by Sara Yosef
Letting Go: The Pathway to Surrender by David R. Hawkins, M.D. Ph.D.
Attached by Amir Levine, M.D. and and Rachel S.F. Heller, M.A.
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DMC EPISODE 28 SPONSOR:
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What’s Missing From Parenting Classes with Ruchi Koval
Welcome to a brand new season of Deep Meaningful Conversations, powered by Town Appliance!
Parents in the audience, do you ever feel that while you have gained tools from the various parenting classes you’ve taken, some things feel left out or not addressed fully? No one parenting approach can fit all sizes – parents and children included – but the older we get and the more we learn, we’re able to more easily pick out the missing parts. In this episode, we have the pleasure of DMCing with parent coach and author Ruchi Koval about what’s typically missing from parenting classes. Ruchi’s also is a mom of 7, rebbetzin to many and a Momentum trip leader, so she’s worked with a lot of parents. We’re really curious to find out what she feels we need to hear more about in our parenting journeys.
In this episode we discuss:
- How Ruchi got into parenting coaching
- What it’s like to be in the limelight as a parent coach when you’re having your own parenting struggles
- Ruchi’s top topics that are either missing entirely from parenting classes, or not emphasized enough
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or you can email us at dmcthepodcast@gmail.com.
Show notes:
Ruchi’s books:
- Soul Construction: Shape Your Character Using 8 Steps from the Timeless Jewish Practice of Mussar
- Conversations with God: Prayers for Jewish Women
Ruchi’s podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-book-of-life-weekly-wisdom-with-ruchi-koval/id1548215793
Recommended book:
Raising a Loving Family - Essential Guidance from the Talks and Wisdom of Rabbi Shimon RussellDMC YEARLY SPONSOR:
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Behind Between Carpools with Leah Schapira
We could all use that "older sister" who knows the answer to everything and gives us those tips and tricks to make our lives run smoother. Between Carpools, the lifestyle website for the busy Jewish woman run by five talented women, fills that need beautifully. We sat down and had a DMC with Leah Schapira, known at the ultimate connecter. Like it says on their website, every team needs a mover, shaker, and motivator (and great recipe developer!) like Leah, who keeps the team moving with our eyes focused on the goal, and is always on the lookout for talent. Leah has authored and co-authored nine (!) cookbooks, and most recently, with the BCP team, helped create Artscroll’s brand new Best of Kosher Cookbook. Leah describes herself as a creative and is always juggling new ideas and projects with her team of very talented frum women whose goal is to make the lives of frum women easier, more enjoyable and more beautiful. On this DMC we discuss:
- Tips about when to quit a project and when to keep pushing
- The type of content BCP provides frum women and how the team comes up with fresh ideas
- Why Leah and her team decided not to include their faces in the branding of BCP (but yes, pictures of women are featured on their website)
- Staying focused and how not to let exciting new ideas get in the way of long term goals
- Leah’s perspective on the increased focus on aesthetics in the frum world
- What inspires Leah in meeting her career goals
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or you can email us at dmc@meaningfulminute.org.
Show notes:
Alex & Rivki on Jordana Baruchov’s podcast “Drink it In” https://anchor.fm/jordana-baruchov0/episodes/Alex-Fleksher--Rivki-Silver---Podcasters-Unite-e1qfdj0/a-a8ohdb1
Between Carpools website:
https://betweencarpools.com/
Link to Best of Kosher
https://amzn.to/3Fgq0Rz
DMC is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertisement program designed to provide a means for sites and creators to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This means we will be compensated if you choose to utilize the links that we provide.
Sarah Schenirer’s Legacy with Dr. Leslie Ginsparg-Klein
In this DMC, we’re talking with Dr. Leslie Leslie Ginsparg Klein about the history of the Bais Yaakov Movement, the lessons and legacy of Sarah Schenirer, and about girls education today. Dr. Klein is the Academic Dean of Women’s Institute of Torah Seminary & College in Baltimore. She speaks on Jewish history, Tanach, leadership and communication skills across the United States and internationally. Leslie received her Ph.D. from New York University, where she researched the history of Orthodox girls’ education in America and the Bais Yaakov movement, so she has a lot of insights to share with us on this topic.
Here’s what we discuss in this episode:
- Leslie’s background and influences in her life which formed her passion for women’s education
- How Leslie decided to pursue a PhD on a religious topic in a secular institution
- Her favorite takeaways in her study of the Bais Yaakov movement
- Sarah Schenirer’s leadership legacy for us all
- The successes in today’s girls’ education that are in line with Sarah Shenirer’s legacy; what still needs improvement
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or you can email us at dmc@meaningfulminute.org.
Show Notes:
Dr. Klein’s website:
WITS:
Lesle’s book recommendations:
-Sarah Builds a School by Ann Koffsky and Leslie Ginspurg-Klein
-The Rebellion of the Daughters by Rachel Manekin
-Jewish Girls Coming of Age in America by Melissa Klapper
-Reading Jewish Women by Iris Parush
- Any of the books by Eliana Adler
-Carry Me In Your Heart by Pearl Benisch
How To Enjoy Cooking with Esty Wolbe
Love it or hate it (or some feeling in between), meal prep and cooking is a big part of our lives as frum women. Some of us are systems people, with our weekly menu plan and shopping list carefully constructed and executed. Others are more off the cuff, preparing meals that feel right at the moment, as needed (and praying that we have the ingredients already defrosted in our refrigerator!) In addition to cooking styles, some of us feel an inherent satisfaction and creativity in cooking, while others feel either intense dislike, or at the very least, that they have other better things to do. On today’s episode, we DMC with Esty Wolbe, “food entertainer” extraordinaire of Kosher.com, who shares her cooking journey and tips along the way to help us make our cooking more manageable, and enjoyable.
In our conversation with Esty, we discuss:
- What teenage Esty was like in her mom’s kitchen
- How Esty’s career in cooking developed
- Advice for women who dislike cooking
- Tips to add life and motivation into the grind of meal prep
- Esty’s favorite recipes and creative process
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or you can email us at dmc@meaningfulminute.org.
Show notes:
Esty’s amazing recipes shared in this episode!
https://cookingwithtantrums.com/2017/01/ultimate-potato-kugel/
https://www.kosher.com/recipe/best-challah-ever-3236
https://cookingwithtantrums.com/2016/05/chicken-and-rice/
https://www.kosher.com/shows/video/1224/spaghetti-cheatballs
See you next episode!
Unconditional Parenting with Blimie Heller
Parenting is all-encompassing and all-consuming, even if you’re not a helicopter parent. At the very bare minimum, we are tasked with keeping our offspring alive. Yet we also want to facilitate our children’s emotional, spiritual, psychological, physical, social and academic growth! And we very much don’t want to hinder their growth and development with our mistakes, missteps and full-blown fails.
Enter Blimie Heller with her compassionate unconditional parenting approach, and parenting feels a lot more manageable. We’re grateful that Blimie shares her wisdom with us on this episode of DMC about how to be more compassionate towards our children in understanding the root of behaviors, as well as how to be more compassionate towards ourselves in our parenting journeys.
In our conversation with Blimie, we discuss:
- what unconditional parenting is and how she discovered it
- strengthening the parent/child relationship
- the power of empathy in parenting
- dealing with feelings of failure in parenting
- how to see the root causes driving children’s behavior
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or you can email us at dmc@meaningfulminute.org.
Show notes:
Blimie’s website:
On instagram as @unconditional_parenting
Blimie’s book recommendations:
Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn
Hold On To Your Kids by Dr. Gordon Neufeld
Non-Violent Communication by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg
Dreaming of Parenthood with Chanie Bochner of Bonei Olam
24 years ago during candlelighting erev Yom Kippur, Chanie Bochner made the decision that she wanted to help others who were going through the same struggle as she was. What started as a grass-roots effort to support couples experiencing infertility morphed into an international organization that to date, has helped bring over 10,000 babies into this world.
For this episode, we have the honor of speaking with Chanie Bochner who founded Bonei Olam. Bonei Olam is a Jewish organization that provides millions of dollars annually in fertility treatment funding. They leave no stone unturned to help couples achieve the dream of parenthood. They also provide various levels of support to couples facing infertility, from medical referrals to counselor support. Bonei Olam is also the founder of the incredible V’zakeini initiative that has almost 50,000 women donating a dollar at candlelighting to support couples infertility treatments. Chanie tells us about her personal journey and how she started Bonei Olam.
By the end of today’s episode, we hope you walk away inspired by Chanie Bochner’s story and have a greater understanding and sensitivity to the experience of those who struggle with infertility. If you yourself struggle with infertility, we hope you gain chizuk from this conversation with the woman who has helped so many Jewish couples make their dream of parenthood come true. We also hope you appreciate Chanie’s comments about what she wants people to understand about the experience of couples facing infertility.
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or you can email us at dmc@meaningfulminute.org.
Show notes:
Bonei Olam’s website:
V’zakeini initiative:
Vzakeini - A Project of Bonei Olam
Kesher Networks Shidduch Initiative:
The Power Of Forgiveness with Hudy Abrams
We’re entering the high holiday season. Quick, what’s the first word that enters your head?
If it has anything to do with lists, shopping or cooking, don’t worry, you’re not alone. But brownie points to any of you who thought teshuva!
This period is filled with both spiritual and physical demands. And as busy women, it’s easy to get stuck in the material demands of this season, and neglect the spiritual side. Especially if we aren’t spending much – or any – time in shul.
This episode, we were privileged to sit down with Hudy Abrams who shares her incredible personal story about forgiveness, and what she learned from it. Hudy Abrams lives in Dallas, TX, where she is the co- director and Rebbetzin of The Jewish Learning Center, an outreach center and shul in the heart of Dallas. She runs programs, events and classes for Jewish families, and has led hundreds of women on life- changing missions to Israel. Hudy is passionate about empowering Jewish women to uncover their unique gifts and to step into their greatest selves. Her authenticity and ability to connect easily with others, as well as her transformational teaching style, have made her classes, talks and workshops popular among women across the country. To book her for a speaking engagement, email hudisabrams@gmail.com
We wanted to know how she got to the point of being able to forgive someone close to her and what benefits she experienced from granting forgiveness. Also, we wanted to know what she would tell any of us who are living with hurt and pain, and how we can move forward from it, even if we aren’t ready to fully forgive.
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or you can email us at dmc@meaningfulminute.org.
Hudy’s recommended reading/listening/watching on the topic of forgiveness:
Rabbi Dr. Twerski’s book on forgiveness - Forgiveness: Don’t Let Resentment Keep You Captive
Lectures by:
Rabbi YY Jacobson
Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz
Stopping Mental Health Stigma with Zahava List
Welcome to our 20th episode of DMC! In this episode, we sit down with Zahava List to discuss mental health. She shares with us her own journey to mental health, her perspectives on stigma surrounding mental health in the frum community, and how and why she founded Chazkeinu, an organization which provides chizuk for all Jewish women coping with mental illness. By the end of today’s episode, we hope you come away feeling inspired by one woman’s mental health journey and have developed a greater awareness about the mental health issues facing so many of us in our communities.
In this episode of DMC you’ll hear:
- Zahava’s personal mental health journey
- How she filled a communal need by founding Chazkeinu
- The roles of peer-led mental health support and professional guidance
- The stigma surrounding mental health in the frum community – how far we’ve come and what work we have left to do
- First steps for someone embarking on his or her mental health journey
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or you can email us at dmc@meaningfulminute.org.
Show notes:
- Increase in anxiety and depression due to pandemic:
- Dr. Chaya Lieba Kobernick's Jerusalem-based practice, The CBT-DBT Center
https://thecbtdbtcenter.com
- Chazkeinu’s contact information
info@chazkeinu.org
314-643-7627
- Zahava’s recommended books and websites:
Battle of the Mind - R' Avrohom Steier
With All I Am - Naomi Shulman
What's going on with my mother? - Rivka Kaufman
Depressed - Yoni Palmer
Calling out to you - Tehila Edelman
Work-Family Synergy With Dean Marian Stoltz-Loike
For this episode, we’re going with “work-family synergy” instead of the ubiquitous “work-life balance.” Why? Because balance, quite literally, means 50/50. And we all know when it comes to work and home life, that’s not always realistic or ideal. Synergy connotes a combination, hopefully one that is mutually advantageous. And it doesn’t tell us that our work and our home life needs to be balanced. Sometimes it’s combined in a chaotic mixture!
Join us for this DMC with Dr. Marian Stoltz-Loike who is the Dean of Touro’s Lander College for Women and guides young women not only on their educational journeys, but also in finding ways to balance work, family and community.
In this episode of DMC you’ll hear:
The challenges facing frum women in careers, trying to juggle professional and domestic responsibilities
Tips about managing school/work and family
How women can know how and when to contribute communally
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or you can email us at dmc@meaningfulminute.org.
See you next episode!
Kallah Classes 2.0 with Rochel Goldbaum
This episode really feels like a tackle. We’re talking about kallah classes, in other words, premarital education. Frum women have many feelings about their kallah classes. Kallah classes are typically where engaged women learn about the laws of family purity. When it comes to premarital education about intimacy, the amount of information shared in a kallah class is going to depend on numerous factors: when you took your kallah classes, who your teacher was, and possibly the community you’re in. So in hindsight, some women feel that their kallah teacher did a thorough job of preparing them for marital intimacy, and others feel that the topic was hardly addressed.
Kallah classes have changed over the past number of years. There has been a communal recognition that kallah classes need to be thorough in covering more ground, from intimacy education to addressing relationship-building skills. Long gone are the days when kallah classes were just about niddah and preparation for the mikvah.
At the forefront of this educational shift in kallah classes is Rochel Goldbaum. Rochel is a highly-sought after international speaker and focuses on marital harmony and intimacy in the Jewish home. She’s a dating and relationships coach, and mentors other professionals in the field. Rochel’s a leader in dating mentor training and kallah teacher training. She’s also the Education Director of MyGiftofMikvah.org.
In this episode of DMC you’ll hear:
- How kallah classes have changed over the past few years
- Why changes were made; what was realized
- How we prepare kallah who may have too deeply internalized the middah of tsnius for marital life
We’d love to hear from you. You can find Deep Meaningful Conversations on social media, or you can email us at dmc@meaningfulminute.org.
Why Humor is Good For You with Yaffa Palti
Humor is much more than cracking jokes and stand-up comedy routines. Tapping into the full power of humor has emotional and physical therapeutic benefits. It’s also a tool that is sourced in our Torah tradition. All in all, humor is actually good for you, and we wanted to know how we can utilize it more in our everyday interactions to improve our lives. Enter Yaffa Palti, who uses humor masterfully in her shiurim and social media content. As you’ll hear in this episode, Yaffa had us laughing – and we definitely felt great after this interview!
In this episode of DMC you’ll hear:
- How and why Yaffa uses humor professionally and personally
- Why humor is important to our mental health
- Why humor is important in our relationships
- How we can integrate humor if we’re not naturally funny
We’d love to hear from you. You can find us on social media, or email us at dmc@meaningfulminute.org
Mini DMC about Parenting with Alex & Rivki
Five Habits Of Highly Effective Marriages with Kayla Levin
Tackling the topic of marriage DMC-style, we’re going with the assumption that everyone who is married experiences some sort of struggle or conflict. That there is at least one area in everyone’s marriage that needs improvement. But sometimes when we hear about “habits of highly effective marriages”, we can easily walk away feeling deflated and uninspired, disappointed that we don’t have those “effective habits” in my marriage. In this episode, we speak to Kayla Levin, Jewish marriage coach and the host of the “How to Glow” podcast, about her pick of 5 effective traits of a healthy marriage and what role we can take to make our marriages stronger. Even if we aren’t where we want to be yet, our goal with this episode is for us all to walk away feeling that we have the tools and newfound perspective to get there.
We’d love to hear from you. You can find us on social media, or email us at dmc@meaningfulinute.org. Don’t forget to check out the video of this episode on Meaningful Minute’s YouTube channel!
Show Notes:
Kayla’s website
Kayla’s podcast, How to Glow with Kayla Levin
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-glow/id1447257206
Mini DMC about Social Media with Rivki & Alex
Social media: keep or delete? This has been the conversation of late in the Orthodox world, and Alex and Rivki get deep and meaningful about their relationship with social media, and why they're choosing to grapple with it -- and silence notifications.
If you have any topics that you’d like to listen to Alex and Rivki have a mini DMC about, email them at dmc@meaningfulminute.org.
Show notes:
The Social Dilemma documentary
https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/
Faces of Orthodoxy social media account
https://instagram.com/faces.of.orthodoxy?igshid=YzAyZWRlMzg=
Body Image with Rachel Tuchman
On this episode of DMC, Alex and Rivki tackle body image. They share their thoughts on how this impacts frum women: the messaging we receive about our weight and size during our upbringing from home and peers, pressure due to shidduchim, pressure to keep off weight after the wedding and post pregnancy, and more. The guest for this episode is Rachel Tuchman, LMHC. Rachel’s specialty is educating on weight stigma and diet culture, as well as starting conversations about mental health on social media.
In this DMC with Rachel, you’ll hear:
- The concept of “health at every size”
- Main challenges facing frum women regarding body image
- Pressures about body size with shidduchim, and what changes need to be made
- Helpful guidance for women struggling with body image issues
- Advice for helping our children with body image
We’d love to hear from you. You can find us on social media, or email us at dmc@meaningfulinute.org. Don’t forget to check out the video of this episode on Meaningful Minute’s YouTube channel!
Show Notes:
Rachel Tuchman’s website
https://www.racheltuchman.com/
Mini DMC about Staying Connected with Rivki & Alex
Staying connected to our Yiddishkeit during the various seasons of our lives is a challenge for many. In this mini DMC, Rivki and Alex share the times they’ve felt it, the times they haven’t, and what they’re doing these days to help keep connected.
If you have any topics that you’d like to listen to Alex and Rivki have a mini DMC about, email them at dmc@meaningfulminute.org.
The Power Of Sisterhood with Aliza Bulow
Keeping up our friendships seems like a nice thing in our hectic lives, but is it a necessity? Well, according to research on loneliness, it actually is. Having friends benefits us emotionally, physically and spiritually. There is real power in sisterhood. Don’t believe it? Believe it but don’t have the time or energy to invest in finding and maintaining friendships? Take a listen. On this episode of DMC, Alex and Rivki speak with Aliza Bulow, the founding director of Core, an organization designed to nourish and network frum women as the core of inspiring Jewish communities. Aliza is chock full of insights. We discuss:
- Why adult friendships are so crucial
- Takeaways from The Art of Gathering and Together than we can apply as frum women
- The biggest challenges to creating and maintaining adult friendships
- What we can do to prioritize connecting to other women in a meaningful way
We’d love to hear from you. You can find us on social media, or email us at dmc@meaningfulinute.org. Don’t forget to check out the video of this episode on Meaningful Minute’s YouTube channel!
Show Notes:
Core’s website
Aliza’s Torah website:
https://www.abiteoftorah.com/
The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
Together: The Healing Power of Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World by Vivek H. Murthy
Mini DMC about Jealousy with Alex & Rivki
Jealous? Who's jealous? Me? NEVER.
In this mini DMC, Rivki and Alex talk take a vulnerable plunge into the areas of their lives in which they struggle with jealousy (and maybe a little envy too), and how they work on being more content.
We’d love to hear from you. You can find us on social media, or email us at dmc@meaningfulinute.org. Let us know if you have topic requests for future Mini DMC episodes. And don’t forget to check out the video of this episode on Meaningful Minute’s YouTube channel!