A Soul Grows in Israel

In times of war and uncertainty, how do we practice gratitude? In Israel right now, we’re all navigating fear, intrusive thoughts, and the question: where is faith when everything feels unstable? This episode explores a Torah based approach to gratitude that doesn’t require you to feel okay, it requires you to know what’s true. A teaching for anyone living through Iran tensions, conflict, or any moment when your mind won’t stop catastrophizing. Featuring Chassidic wisdom on da’at (knowledge), tikkun (elevation), and how to stay conscious when uncertainty is loudest.

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In this episode, Rabbi Akiva Gersh, "the Vegan Rabbi" explores veganism through the lens of Judaism, Genesis, Rav Kook, compassion toward animals, spirituality, holiness, and the future of food. We discuss the Garden of Eden, the ethics of eating meat, Jewish thought, modern industrial farming, and whether the Torah points humanity toward a more compassionate world.

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Paula Kweskin is a documentary filmmaker, human rights attorney, and founder of The 49%, a nonprofit focused on women’s storytelling and global women’s rights. In this conversation, we discuss Judaism, feminism, Israel, documentary filmmaking, faith, identity, and the power of storytelling.” 

 #PaulaKweskin #Judaism #WomenInJudaism #DocumentaryFilm #JewishWomen #Feminism #Israel #WomenRights #Podcast #JewishPodcast

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In this episode, Millie Schweky, lpelvic floor specialist, joins us for a conversation on women’s health, healing, and the topics many women quietly struggle with but rarely talk about openly.

We discuss pelvic floor health, postpartum recovery, body awareness, physical symptoms women often dismiss, and the connection between emotional and physical well being. This conversation goes beyond quick fixes and trends and looks at what it means to actually understand and support the female body through different stages of life.

This is an honest, informative, and deeply validating conversation about women’s health in a more real and grounded way.

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As Shavuot approaches, I found myself thinking deeply about femininity, spirituality, and what it truly means to receive Torah in the modern world.

In this episode, we explore the role of women at Har Sinai, the spiritual power of receptivity, why softness in Judaism is often misunderstood, and the quiet exhaustion so many Jewish women carry today. From motherhood and identity to intuition, ambition, nurturing, burnout, and holiness hidden inside ordinary life, this is an honest conversation about the feminine soul of Shavuot.

Maybe receiving Torah was never only about laws and learning. Maybe it was also about becoming open enough to hear something Divine.

Topics include:

•  Shavuot and the Jewish woman 
•  Torah and femininity 
•  The feminine experience of receiving Torah 
•  Ambition vs softness in modern Jewish life 
•  The spiritual role of women in Judaism 
•  Why receptivity is a form of strength 

A thoughtful pre-Shavuot episode on Torah, femininity, identity, and the deeper inner world of the Jewish woman.

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This episode started light. We went outside, tried to be funny, and it got real fast.

We get into Lakewood, its culture, the nuance people miss, and how quickly conversations shift when you actually look a little deeper. We even break down a Lakewood influencer and what people see versus what is actually there.

What starts as jokes turns into something more honest about identity, perception, and the way we talk about communities from the outside.

This is unfiltered, unscripted, and very much us, moving between humor and something more real in the same conversation.

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In part two, Yakira Apfel returns for a deeper conversation on what it actually means to be fully yourself.

We talk about health beyond trends, the nuance that often gets lost in simple advice, and the ongoing work of staying honest with yourself even when it is uncomfortable. This is not about perfection or performance, but about paying attention to what is real and what is not.

We also touch on life in Israel, not as the focus, but as part of the broader conversation around environment, identity, and how where you live shapes how you show up.

This is a conversation about clarity, self trust, and the complexity of living in a way that actually reflects who you are.

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In this first part, Yakira Apfel from Fit Studio and The Yard joins us for a conversation about confidence, insecurity, and the unfolding of her life's journey.

We explore how confidence is built, shaped, and sometimes questioned, what insecurity really looks like beneath the surface, and how personal history and lived experience influence the way someone shows up in the world.

This is an honest and grounded conversation about identity, perception, and the tension between how we feel inside and how we are seen from the outside.

Part two is out next week. Stay tuned.

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https://www.instagram.com/the.fit.studios/

https://www.instagram.com/fitattheyard/

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In this soul-o episode, I share something very real. I was in the middle of a conflict and needed something to hold onto, so I went back to my favorite lines from the Tanya, a foundational text from Chabad on the inner life, the mind, and the soul.

What I found wasn’t abstract. It was immediate.

I gathered quotes that speak directly to sadness, joy, and the power of our thoughts, and tried to actually apply them in real time. Not as an idea, but as a way to move through something difficult.

This is a conversation about what it looks like when these teachings stop being theoretical and start becoming usable. About the tension between how we feel and how we want to think and about whether we can actually shift our inner world when it matters most.

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In this episode I sit down with Shira Melamed for an honest and thoughtful conversation about tzniut, Jewish modesty, and what it really means to walk humbly with Hashem in the modern world.

I play devil’s advocate and bring the questions many women quietly think about but rarely say out loud. Why do the laws of modesty sometimes feel challenging. What are the common objections people have to tzniut today. And how can we understand the deeper purpose behind these halachic guidelines.

Together we explore the Torah idea of humility and inner dignity inspired by the words of Prophet Micah who taught that we are meant to walk humbly with our God. We discuss Jewish values around modesty, identity, femininity, and spiritual growth while examining how ancient wisdom meets contemporary life.

This conversation touches on Jewish law, women in Judaism, faith, and the tension many people feel between modern culture and traditional religious values. Rather than avoiding difficult topics we open the door to thoughtful dialogue about tzniut, halacha, and what modesty can mean in a deeper spiritual sense.

If you have ever questioned modesty laws, struggled with the concept of tzniut, or wondered how Jewish women can find meaning within these practices, this episode invites you into an honest exploration of faith, humility, and living a life connected to Hashem.

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