Another Jewish Podcast

What is Elul actually supposed to feel like, and what does “the King is in the field” really mean beyond the bumper sticker? In this episode, Moishe Nadech joins me for a conversation about Elul, teshuvah, desire, intuition, Tehillim, perfectionism, mental health and preparing for Rosh Hashanah without destroying yourself in the process. We get into why the smallest spiritual actions matter, how our relationship with our thoughts affects our emotional health, what children can teach us about natural happiness, the role of desire in spiritual growth, and even Moishe’s perspective on consciousness and AI. More than anything, this is a conversation about approaching Elul with intention, honesty and a little more gentleness.

Timestamps0:00 Elul, Teshuvah & Emotional Health0:19 What Does “The King Is in the Field” Mean?3:31 How Elul Shows Up in Real Life5:59 The Unique Spiritual Energy of Elul6:53 Desire, Ratzon & Opening the Pipeline10:56 Can Spiritual Growth Really Start With 60 Seconds?13:00 Divine Inspiration, Consciousness & Where Ideas Come From14:40 Kabbalah, Consciousness & AI20:25 Elul Customs, Selichot & the 13 Attributes of Mercy23:31 Tehillim and Why Small Actions Matter27:46 Perfectionism and the Lie That “It Doesn’t Matter”30:01 Elul, Mental Health & Taking Care of Yourself32:30 The Secret to Happiness and What Children Understand35:07 You Are Not Your Thoughts39:44 Awareness, Negative Thoughts & Emotional Regulation43:25 Mochin D’Katnus and Recognizing a Low State44:34 How Your Thoughts Affect Rosh Hashanah45:38 Five Things to Focus on During Elul47:22 Why Rosh Hashanah Comes Before Yom Kippur51:35 Turning Inspiration Into Action52:25 A Blessing for Another Jewish Podcast

Zalmy Mochkin joins us for a conversation about art, discipline, Judaism, and what it actually takes to become great at something. We talk about his journey from cooking to painting, moving to Israel, building stronger Jewish roots, losing his sibling, and the years of work behind becoming a professional artist. Zalmy shares his thoughts on AI, why you can’t skip the steps, finding the thing you’re meant to become great at, and the importance of humility, reliability, and lifting up the people around you.

TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Meet Zalmy Mochkin00:23 When a Good Life Still Isn't Good Enough01:20 The Discipline of Learning Rambam Every Day02:22 You're Never Too Old to Change03:11 Building Stronger Roots04:12 Losing His Sibling and Moving to Israel04:27 He Came to Israel to Study Art—and Built a Shul05:35 October 7th and Remembering Where You Come From07:52 The Biggest Lessons From His 30s08:59 Take Risks and Follow Your Passion11:20 Becoming a Chef Before He Knew He Was One16:17 Painting Jewish Life18:28 Inside the Daily Life of a Working Artist21:29 The Biggest Misconceptions About Art27:17 Finding the Thing You're Meant to Become Great At31:44 What AI Can't Teach You34:00 The Problem With Skipping Steps40:01 Humility, Service, and the People Who Shaped Him43:26 Becoming Someone People Can Rely On52:15 Why Where You Start Doesn't Matter53:47 Make Something Worth Noticing55:34 Lift People Up56:29 Zalmy's Final Blessing

Sydney Altschul shares her journey from a spiritual awakening and life at an ashram to discovering Judaism, building Diaspora Hotline, and creating a community centered on meditation, Torah, music, and authentic connection. We talk about intuition, the divine feminine, womanhood, Shabbat, Vipassana, leadership, and the challenge of staying rooted while helping others grow. Throughout the conversation, Sydney reflects on what it means to cultivate a genuine relationship with Hashem, build community from a place of authenticity, and become a vessel capable of bringing more light into the world. This conversation was facilitated and hosted by our dear friend, Zachary Spiewak, whose thoughtful questions helped shape many of the episode's deepest conversations.

TIMESTAMPS00:00 Sydney's Spiritual Awakening

01:23 Meet Sydney Altschul

02:14 The Birth of Diaspora Hotline

04:03 From Ashram to Judaism

06:25 Birthright, Jerusalem, and Finding Hashem

09:16 Creating the Community She Couldn't Find

10:09 Learning to Trust Your Intuition

12:18 What Does It Mean to Be a Woman?

18:00 The Divine Feminine in Judaism

29:09 Vipassana, Silence, and the Gift of Shabbat

40:51 Why Diaspora Hotline Works

45:02 Leading a Community While Still Growing

50:30 Learning Torah While Building Something New

53:29 The Pressure of Leadership

56:00 Responsibility vs. Pressure

1:00:01 Becoming a Better Vessel

CREDITS

Co-Producer: Zalman Gavriel Sachs

Editor: Zalman Gavriel Sachs

Technology has become one of the most powerful forces shaping how we think, often without us realizing it. In this episode, we read and discuss Tristan Harris' article How Technology Hijacks Your Mind and unpack the psychological tricks apps use to capture our attention—from infinite scrolling and intermittent rewards to social validation and fear of missing out. More importantly, we talk about what this means for the way we live, why protecting our attention is becoming one of the most important skills of our generation, and how creating healthy boundaries with technology can help us build a more intentional, focused, and meaningful life.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction: Why I'm Reading This Article

01:26 How Technology Hijacks Your Mind

02:21 If You Control the Menu, You Control the Choices

04:02 Why Algorithms Don't Serve Your Best Interests

05:15 Technology Is Replacing Independent Thinking

06:54 Don't Give Away Your Best Morning Energy

08:44 Your Phone Is a Slot Machine

11:07 Fear of Missing Out Is Keeping You Hooked

14:14 Why Social Approval Is So Addictive

16:14 Infinite Scroll and Doom Scrolling

17:51 Why Notifications Destroy Your Focus

19:32 How Apps Keep You Inside Their Ecosystem

20:22 The Hidden Cost of Every Click

21:14 Technology Is a Tool—Not Your Master

22:06 Is Technology the Modern-Day Idol?

What does Tisha B’Av actually mean in 2026? Rav Yair Halevi joins us for a conversation about brokenness, the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, and why Judaism asks us to slow down and confront what is missing in our lives. We explore the deeper meaning behind Tisha B’Av, the Third Temple, relationships, success, suffering, and the tension between the physical and the spiritual. Rav Yair also shares practical ways to experience the day, reflects on his work with Kol HaNearim, and offers a powerful perspective on what it means to rebuild a broken world, starting with ourselves.

TIMESTAMPS00:00 What Is Tisha B’Av?00:52 The Beit HaMikdash and a Perfect World01:54 Why We Fast and Mourn02:34 Why the Destruction Is Still Happening04:00 “I Feel Apathetic to Tisha B’Av”05:32 Roots, Branches, and What’s Really Broken07:54 Rav Yair on Pain, Loss, and Living in Israel09:59 Why Tisha B’Av Takes Everything Away11:14 Success, Relationships, and Modern Distraction14:48 Waking Up to What Matters15:08 Learning to Break18:12 Brokenness, Relationships, and Redefining Success21:20 The Third Beit HaMikdash Explained27:35 Five Practical Ways to Experience Tisha B’Av33:48 The Mission of Kol HaNearim38:13 Living With Children Who Need Hope41:02 The Future Vision of Kol HaNearim43:00 The Message Every Child Needs to Hear43:46 Introduction to Rav Yair and Closing Thoughts

Levi Saada came on for a real conversation about friendship, healing, boundaries, asking for help, and what it means to build a life that actually feels aligned. Levi left a successful career in tech sales to dedicate himself to breathwork, coaching, and helping people reconnect to themselves. We talk about real friendship, people-pleasing, the fear of disappointing others, Israel, dating, inner child work, and why healing is not about feeling better, but getting better at feeling.TIMESTAMPS00:00 Meet Levi Saada02:48 What Makes a Real Friendship?05:23 Friendship Through Hard Seasons07:00 Boundaries, Capacity, and Love09:51 Why We’re Afraid to Disappoint People13:34 Learning to Trust Someone’s No15:57 Why Asking for Help Changes Everything16:59 Building His Breathwork Certification20:05 Borrowing Someone Else’s Belief in You21:44 Normalizing Support and Encouragement24:36 The Power of Being Honest About Struggle27:20 Early Believers and Taking a Bet on People28:59 The Problem With Looking Perfect Online33:15 Can You Separate the Teacher From the Teaching?36:21 Leaving Tech Sales to Follow His Calling40:20 Building a Business Without a Paycheck41:54 Discovering His Gift for Facilitation43:52 The Organic Self46:20 Dating as a Therapist50:19 Healing vs. Integration53:43 The Magic of Living in Israel1:00:30 Learning to Keep Dreaming1:06:05 A Practical Blueprint for Renewal1:09:17 Reconnecting With Your Inner Child1:10:09 Phone Away, Body Connected, Fully Present1:12:39 Revisiting Your Why1:14:15 Levi’s Vision for the Future1:18:12 Healing Is Getting Better at Feeling1:18:45 Building a Family and a Life in Israel

Aaron Holder shares how he nearly gave up on music after years of struggling to find his sound, and how October 7th changed the direction of his life. We talk about bringing music, chiropractic care, and supplies to soldiers, learning to trust Hashem’s timing, using your gifts to serve others, Jewish unity, creativity, and what it takes to keep going when you feel stuck.TIMESTAMPS00:00 Meet AAron Holder00:47 Why He Almost Quit Music07:01 Experiencing October 7th in Israel08:22 Finding Purpose and Driving South to Help10:41 Music, Chiropractic, and His Father’s Legacy14:37 Treating Soldiers After October 7th17:45 Driving 4,000 Kilometers to Serve Israel20:51 Think Good, Trust Your Gut, and Take Action23:24 Life in Israel Requires Emunah25:14 Jewish Unity and Loving Your Fellow28:21 Finding Good in People You Disagree With34:56 Judaism Without Judgment43:01 Music as Therapy and Spiritual Expression46:28 The Miraculous Story Behind “Noach”49:01 Tuning Your Life to a Higher Frequency50:45 Why Helping Others Opens Your Own Doors57:55 Gratitude, Surrender, and Overcoming Struggle1:07:41 Advice for Young Artists1:15:19 Live Musical Performance

Jeremy Orbach, better known as Gishmak Herring, shares why October 7th pushed him to leave Canada, make Aliyah, and become a lone soldier in the IDF. We talk army life, Jewish pride, social media, Mashiach, Israel, herring, and what it means to use chaos for something holy.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Meet Gishmak Herring00:30 What It Means to Be a Lone Soldier01:20 Why October 7th Made Him Join the IDF03:01 IDF Training and Becoming a Sniper06:01 The Story Behind Gishmak Herring07:37 Inspiring Jews Through Social Media09:17 Growing Up Jewish in Toronto10:53 How Israel Made Shabbat Click12:38 What War Mode Feels Like13:30 His Grandmother, the Farhud, and Jewish Pride16:26 Life After the Army17:09 What Bringing Mashiach Means to Him18:00 Why Jews Should Come Home to Israel23:29 Turning Chaos Into Kedusha26:29 Advice for New Content Creators31:23 What Diaspora Jews Don’t Understand44:49 Brotherhood and Loss in the Army47:49 Rapid Fire Questions

Yechezkel Abulafia shares how a Birthright trip, family history, and Jewish meditation led him from a secular upbringing to a life of Torah in Tzfat. We explore Avraham Abulafia, Kabbalah, depression, spiritual discipline, and why slowing down may be the first step toward feeling connected again to Hashem and yourself.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Introduction01:22 Are Jews Allowed to Meditate?02:19 The Origins of Jewish Meditation05:32 Bringing Intention Back Into Judaism06:37 Spiritual Journey08:18 Discovering His Abulafia Family Legacy10:31 The Loss That Changed His Life13:14 Leaving College for Yeshiva14:41 The Controversial Story of Avraham Abulafia20:38 His First Shabbat and Becoming Observant25:05 How Judaism Completely Changed His Life27:35 Torah Tools for Depression31:00 The Power of Tikkun HaKlali32:52 Jewish Meditation Techniques35:44 Trauma, Somatic Healing and Breathwork37:13 Guided Jewish Meditation50:31 Reflecting on the Meditation51:15 Why Beginning the Day With Stillness Matters53:42 Gratitude, Prophecy and the Future

In this episode, I sit down with Dov Kram to talk about what it really means to start over.Dov shares how he drifted away from religious observance, found his way back through one small mitzvah, and eventually walked away from a successful 17-year construction career in Boston to rebuild his life and business in Israel.We speak about faith, Aliyah, marriage, career, mental health, patience, gratitude, and the small wins that keep us moving when success still feels far away. Dov also recounts the near-death car accident that changed the way he sees his life and inspired his mission to spread gratitude.This is a conversation about rebuilding from zero, trusting the process, and remaining open to the possibility that everything can change in an instant.Timestamps00:00 Opening and soundcheck04:13 How Yosef and Dov met06:13 Growing up Orthodox and drifting away17:28 The Israel trip that changed everything22:09 Meeting a mystic who saw into his life27:00 One mitzvah becomes the first spark31:22 Returning to observance and bringing friends along34:50 Building a career from the ground up45:19 Losing his father and choosing Aliyah48:41 Walking away from a 17-year business50:36 Rebuilding from zero and counting small wins56:02 Social media, patience, and the long road to success01:02:19 Surviving a near-death crash and choosing gratitude01:10:24 Rebuilding his business in Israel01:18:35 Career advice and accepting help01:24:14 Marriage, communication, and not sharing a brain01:27:45 Caring for a parent with bipolar disorder01:35:07 Is Aliyah actually hard?01:42:39 Living in the present and growing spiritually together01:54:01 Regret, faith, and salvation in the blink of an eye