In this episode, I’m joined by the amazing Jackie Glaser—psychologist, educator, and transformational coach—for a powerful conversation about dating, marriage, and emotional healing. Jackie shares her own journey from psychologist and Today Show guest in Australia to deep Torah learning in Jerusalem, and how she now helps women tune into their inner world to unlock clarity in dating and life.

We explore:

✨ When a relationship goes too deep before marriage

✨ How sure someone really needs to be before they say “yes”

✨ The difference between dating to assess and dating in a relationship

✨ How these experiences might play out beyond the chuppah

Jackie answers from the dating perspective, and I chime in from the newlywed side—it’s real, honest, and packed with gems for wherever you are in your relationship journey.

🔗 Mentioned in this episode:

👉 Learn more about Jackie: jackieglaser.com

👉 Follow Jackie on Instagram: @datingbyjackieg

👉 Jackie and her husband Aharon share their dating journey on Stories of Hope Youtubeyoutube.com/watch?v=7TJpGLGPRYE&pp=0gcJCdgAo7VqN5tDYoutubeyoutube.com/watch?v=7TJpGLGPRYE&pp=0gcJCdgAo7VqN5tD

👉 Explore my resources for newlyweds and beyond: kaylalevin.com

💌 Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss Part 2, where we dive into dating mindset, emotional triggers, surrender, and what to do when your spouse changes.

This week I've got a quick exercise for you to do some "eavesdropping" on that beautiful brain of yours. Enjoy!

 Other resources mentioned in the episode:

• First Year Married Course - ⁠kaylalevin.com/newlywed
• Private Coaching - https://www.kaylalevin.com/private-coaching
• The Glow Community - https://www.kaylalevin.com/coaching

When you got married, you didn’t just marry him—you married his personality, his family, his past experiences… the whole package. In this episode, we’re unpacking what it really means to accept our spouses (and in-laws!) as a package deal, and how to shift from frustration to curiosity when things feel hard.You'll learn:

• Why every middah (character trait) comes with its own pros and cons
• How to handle personality clashes—like chessed vs. gevurah types
• The importance of addressing challenges early to avoid long-term resentment
• A gentle reminder: you’re a package deal too

Whether you’re dealing with in-law dynamics or learning to navigate your husband’s quirks, this episode will help you approach it all with more compassion and clarity.

💬 Want to go deeper?

📅 Book a free consult call to explore if private coaching is the right next step for you. 💛 kaylalevin.com/coaching

💍 Just married? Want to feel confident and connected in shana rishona? Start the First Year Married course now: 👉 kaylalevin.com/newlywed

In this episode, we’re diving into the challenges you sent in that come up around Pesach—

• navigating in-law dynamics and family expectations
• coming to an agreement over budgeting for yom tov clothes
• finding time to actually connect with your husband amidst all the chaos
• managing less-than-comfortable yuntif arrangements

I’ll walk you through how to prioritize your relationship even when things feel hectic, why quality matters more than quantity, and how to start thinking long-term when it comes to family harmony.

You’ll also hear some practical tips and a gentle reminder that your version of a successful Pesach might look different—and that’s okay.

Mentioned in this episode:

📞 Looking for more support? Sign up for a free consult with Kayla: https://kaylalevin.com
🎓 First Year Married course: https://kaylalevin.com/newlywed
🎙️ Episode on improving your relationship with your mother-in-law:
https://www.kaylalevin.com/post/ep-147-a-better-relationship-with-your-mother-in-law-with-rachel-glasser

In this week's episode I'm discussing Rav Aharon Feldman's book, The River, the Kettle, and the Bird and how we can use the concept of the peace of the river to create a foundation for growth and connection in our marriages.

Resources:

The First Year Married Course: kaylalevin.com/newlywed

The Glow Community (limited time offer: get the FYM course included when you join the annual subscription!) kaylalevin.com/coaching

Reach out for private coaching at kaylalevin.com

Don't forget to send in your questions for next week's PESACH episode!!

Have an awesome week!

A good relationship with your in-laws is possible—even if it doesn’t always feel that way. In this episode, we’re tackling one of the most common struggles I hear from newlyweds: feeling criticized or undermined by their mother-in-law.

But what if the issue isn’t confidence, boundaries, or even her intentions? What if the key is simply allowing yourself to be new at this? I’ll walk you through a mindset shift that transforms interactions with your MIL from stressful to supportive—so you can embrace her advice (or let it roll off your back) with ease.

This is the final day of the Shana Rishona Challenge—let’s finish strong! 🎉

Resources:

• Join our Shalom Challenge on WhatsApp to find out when the next challenge comes out: bit.ly/4shalom
• Check out the First Year Married course, open now! kaylalevin.com/newlywed
• Looking for more? I have a few spots open for private coaching. Maybe one of them is yours. Book a free consult call with me and let's find out! kaylalevin.com/coaching

Shana Rishona Challenge Day 7: Communication Upgrade

It wasn't easy for me to pick which communication hack to use, but yesterday someone told me that after DECADES of marriage, this tool gave her a new insight into her husband. That's enough HP for me.

Here's the idea: women talk back-and-forth. We interrupt to show we get it. We finish each other's sentences.

Men don't. Men talk until the idea is finished. If they see they won't get to finish the idea, they might not bother to start it.

It's tricky, because when he IS talking, we might feel disengaged--after all, we're not used to being so passive. On the other hand, we might not know he even HAS much to say, because he's never really had the chance.

So here's your challenge today: at some point today, listen to your husband AD HA SOF. Until he's done. No interruptions, agreements, disagreements, sentence-finishers, "here's what you're probably trying to say"s.

Enjoy the gift of seeing more and more of him.

The full Communication Masterclass (basically a course in and of itself) is inside the First Year Married program. Check it out at kaylalevin.com/newlywed

Looking for more support? Book a call to learn more about private coaching availability.

💞 Shana Rishona Challenge Day 6: What Do You Need?

Have you ever wished your husband would get you a drink/tell you to get some sleep/bring you something to eat so that you could feel like he really cared?

Good. That's what you're supposed to feel like during shana rishona.

At the beginning of a marriage (I'm talking the first decade), it's about her feeling totally secure that she's a priority. And it's about him learning how to make her a priority.

Where we get stuck is when we forget that we actually can go get ourselves something to eat 🥪, a glass of water 🥤, and put ourselves to bed 🛌🏻. Because we are smart, grown women who know how to do these things. 💪

What happens next? She's hangry and whining that he doesn't care and he's honestly not really sure what just happened. 😣😳

It's funny now but it's not funny in the moment!

One of the best ways to invest in your marriage is to invest in YOURSELF. YES, you want acts of love from him, but they don't need to be for your basic functioning. You don't have to be drowning for him to show he cares. The damsel in distress is so not a Jewish thing.

Today's challenge is a fun one: do something for you!

Resources:

• Class 6 in FYM is about Self Care-designing a life for yourself that you love despite all the changes of shana rishona. Check it out at kaylalevin.com/newlywed

• Want to be part of the WhatsApp challenge? Join us at bit.ly/4shalom

💞 Shana Rishona Challenge Day 5: The Male Mind & You

I feel like I could talk for a year about the male mind and not lose interest. If I could go back and talk to MYSELF as a newlywed, this is what I'd share with her first:

Listen to what he's saying.

I don't mean listen to what he seems to be saying. Or listen to what he's implying. Or listen to what he means.

I mean the actual words.

Men are refreshingly, amazingly, brilliantly direct.

I can't tell you how many times a woman I was coaching was telling me about the disapproval/frustration/judgment she was getting from her husband. When I asked her for the actual WORDS he said, she paused.

And thought.

And asked, "wait... do you think he really meant... what he was saying?"

He did.

Phew. 😅

💬 Your challenge today: Listen to the actual words. If you think he means more than he's saying, just ask. He'll tell you.

It's such a treat to be married to a man!

➡ Class 4 is a deep dive into what makes your brains tick differently--PLUS an entire Communication Masterclass--waiting for you inside (along with a chance to say goodbye to misunderstandings, unnecessarily hurt feelings, and missed opportunities). Have you joined us? kaylalevin.com/newlywed

Resources:

• Want to be part of the WhatsApp challenge? Join us at ⁠bit.ly/4shalom

• Episode 179 Purim Your Brain
• Episode 143 Purim Thoughts
• Episode 65 Purim - He's not a reflection of you

Shana Rishona Challenge Day 4: A Day in Unconditional

Unconditional love, by definition, is loving someone when they're not meeting your conditions. Loving someone who's doing it all "right" is easy. Unconditional love can ONLY be practiced when he's not doing what you wanted or expected.

Sometimes the answer IS more communication or understanding. And sometimes it's deciding--this is the part where I practice unconditional love.

That's your challenge for today: choose one area where he's a bit outside of your conditions--the part that's not so easy to love. And focus on letting it go and loving him anyway. Just for today.

Resources:

• Class 4 in First Year Married covers Intimacy--both emotional and physical. To go deeper, check it out at kaylalevin.com/newlywed

• Want to be part of the WhatsApp challenge? Join us at bit.ly/4shalom