Human & Holy

A conversation with Chanie Krasnianski, a seasoned educator and shlucha on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, NY, about the beauty of the Jewish perspective on sexuality, mikvah, and marriage. Explore the spiritual depth of physical attraction, the beauty and struggles that can arise with the laws of family purity, how to navigate religious differences in a relationship, and the deep potential for holiness and profound connection within our most intimate spaces.

Contact Chanie at [email protected].

To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected]

To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨

Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00:00 - The Bedroom is the Holy of Holies

0:00:41 - Partner With Human & Holy

0:01:57 - Guest Introduction: Chanie Krasnjanski

0:03:01 - Welcome Chanie

0:03:27 - Topic: Holy Intimacy

0:03:33 - Chanie’s Background

0:05:53 - Bringing Holiness to Marriage

0:07:07 - You Want to Fix the World, Fix Your World

0:08:05 - In Times of Crisis, Strengthen the Home

0:09:11 - The Art of Holy Intimacy: Connection

0:09:42 - How Do You Begin This Conversation?

0:10:27 - Reclaiming Your Sexuality

0:12:48 - Boundaries as Protection, Not Restriction

0:14:08 - What is the Jewish Perspective on Sexuality?

0:14:28 - The Physical Reality Mirrors the Spiritual Reality

0:15:11 - The Kabbalistic Understanding of Male & Female Attraction

0:18:22 - Attraction Outside of Marriage

0:19:05 - The Torah's Perspective Keeps You Honest

0:20:27 - You Choose How to Satisfy Your Hunger

0:22:13 - Halacha Is Not a Checklist

0:26:39 - Accepting the Imperfections in Our Relationship with G-d

0:27:48 - Judaism is Not a Religion

0:28:17 - A Child Learns Faith In Infancy

0:30:36 - Reframing Your Understanding of the Mikvah

0:31:10 - The Spiritual Significance of Mikvah Immersion

0:33:01 - Femininity is a Divine Vessel

0:34:42 - You Can't Override the Spiritual Level of Your Spouse

0:35:59 - Building a Relationship with G-d

0:38:26 - Overcoming Personal Discomfort with Mikvah Ladies

0:41:42 - Your Triggers are Signals

0:43:41 - When Your Spouse Wants Something But It Isn't the Highest Halachic Standard

0:46:07 - When You Feel Uncomfortable Speaking to a Mentor About Intimate Topics

0:52:02 - Religious Guilt Around Sexuality

0:55:11 - G-d as a Loving Father

0:56:40 - You Are Not Your Spouse’s Rabbi

0:57:10 - When a Spouse Is Resistant to the Other's Spiritual Growth

01:02:58 - Your Spouse is a Mirror

01:04:09 - When Niddah Draws You Apart

01:08:21 - The Seasons of Marriage

01:10:49 - There’s Usually a Deeper Reason

01:12:30 - Differentiating Between Law & Custom (Halacha & Chumra)

01:15:13 - Strengthening the Mitzvah of Family Purity

01:19:13 - The Jewish Ideals of Sexual Intimacy Are Designed to Encourage Connection

01:23:24 - Seeking Out the Right Rabbi or Mentor

01:25:24 - Inviting G-d into Our Bedrooms

1:27:31 - Through Intimacy, We Become G-dlike

1:28:02 - Host's Outro

A deep lesson from the Purim story about who we give our power to, showing up to create imperfect vessels while believing that G-d can send miracles that far surpass our efforts, and learning to see past the veneer of concealment and experience the soul's identity as primary in our lives.

Video episode is available on Youtube.

To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor.

To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected].

Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨

Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

A conversation about the lessons we can learn from Megillas Esther for our current times, walking through the doorways G-d calls us to, navigating responsibilities that we didn't sign up for, the synthesis of modern wisdom with Torah, differentiating between the sacred and unsacred, and how to begin developing a relationship with Torah study. 

Dr. Erica Brown is the Vice Provost for Values and Leadership at Yeshiva University and the founding director of its Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks-Herenstein Center for Values and Leadership. She previously served as the director of the Mayberg Center for Jewish Education and Leadership and an associate professor of curriculum and pedagogy at The George Washington University. Erica is the author or co-author of 15 books on leadership, the Hebrew Bible and spirituality. Erica has a daily podcast, “Take Your Soul to Work.” Her book Esther: Power, Fate and Fragility in Exile (Maggid) was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. Her latest book is Kohelet and the Search for Meaning (Maggid). She and her husband live in Maryland and have four children, another four through marriage, and six exquisite grandchildren. Explore more of her work at ericabrown.com.

Video episode is available on Youtube.

To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected] support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor.

Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations. Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms.

New episodes every Sunday on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

2:50 Welcome Dr. Erica Brown 

4:43 What We Can Learn from Megillas Esther 

10:10 How Can We Show Up Right Now?

12:58 A Relationship with G-d is Dynamic

15:10 Harnessing the Jewish Shift in the Diaspora 

18:00 The Power of Invitation

19:00 Developing a Personal Interest in Tanach

21:58 Bringing the Totality of Ourselves to the Text

23:10 The Story of Jonah: The Wishful Fantasy of Adulthood

24:45 When Your Responsibilities Feel Like Too Much 

27:58 Getting Guidance From Those Who Have Walked the Path

20:55 When You Didn't Sign Up for What Life is Asking of You

33:50 Asking for Help: Esther and Mordechai's Partnership 

35:05 The Mezuzah: Walking Through the Doorway With G-d

37:50 Bringing All Worlds of Wisdom to the Torah 

40:50 Filtering Out the Unholy

43:20 Will AI Change the Way We Study Torah?

47:10 Advice on Developing a Relationship with Torah Study

A conversation about believing in ourselves as much as G-d does, rising to G-d’s call for our mission in this world, moving past numbers as our metric of success, and what we can each learn from Chabad Shluchim.

Rachel Jacobs, originally from Los Angeles, California, currently serves as Rebbetzin of Singers Hill Synagogue in Birmingham, England. She is also the Educational Director of the Torah Tots nursery school, the Cheder, and the Jewish studies program at the local King David Primary School. Over the past 20 years, Rachel has gained recognition as an inspiring Jewish speaker, with a particular focus on women’s issues and marriage. Her warmth, charisma, and insightful teachings have touched the lives of Jewish women across the United States and Europe.

You can contact Rachel via [email protected] and on Instagram @Rachelcjacobs.

Today's episode is dedicated in honor of Levi Yizchok ben Chaim Tzvi a"h. Support his family here: https://raisethon.com/leviwolosow. Do a mitzvah in his honor and share it here: https://onemitzvah.org/leviw.

Episode Partners:

TOVEEDO: An online children's streaming subscription featuring exclusive Jewish content created and sourced by Toveedo. Use code HH10 for 10% off at Toveedo.com.

To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected]

To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor.

Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨

Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

TIMESTAMPS

00:27 Toveedo Sponsorship

01:48 Dedication to Levi Wolosow (Levi Yitzchok ben Chaim Tzvi a"h)

02:38 Welcome Rachel Jacobs

10:10 We Were Born Because G-d Believes in Us

20:01 How to Build True Self Esteem

25:40 How to Respond to G-d's Call When We Don't Feel Perfectly Suited

30:06 Moving Past Numbers as a Metric for Success

39:17 Focusing On the Needs of Your Community

42:14 Showing Up Without Expectation of Results

46:16 Consciously Elevating Others

51:37 Stepping Back to Appreciate Our Roles

55:50 Nurturing the Potential in Others When We Don't See It

01:01:10 We Can't Control the Outcome of Our Guidance

01:06:06 Every Person Has a Mission to Fulfill

A conversation about embracing the many ways of seeing the Torah while remaining rooted in our values, the difference between judgment and discernment, impacting people without preaching, and how to approach the decision to have another baby.

Dena Schusterman is a founder of Chabad Intown in Atlanta, a Jewish educator and a founding director of both the Intown Jewish Preschool and Hebrew School. Dena writes about parenting and applied Torah and Chassidic thought, her articles have appeared on Kveller, Chabad.org, Groknation, Ami magazine and the Atlanta Jewish Times. Dena is currently working on writing her first book. She and her husband Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman are native Californians and have been living in Atlanta for 20 years. They have 8 children. You can contact Dena at [email protected] and on instagram @denads.

Link to Dena's first episode with Human & Holy: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5rZZHw2SdusrTq6xiz1FHC?si=4b9607a0f2d74ac5

Episode Partners:

TOVEEDO: An online children's streaming subscription featuring exclusive Jewish content created and sourced by Toveedo. Use code HH10 for 10% off at Toveedo.com.

ZELDA HAIR: A wig company that champions the holistic process of hair covering for Jewish women. Shop Zelda Hair at zeldahairshop.com and discover the heart behind the brand on Instagram @zeldahair.

To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected] support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor.

Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨

Human & Holy podcast available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

Timestamps:

0:00:23 Toveedo Sponsorship

0:00:45 Zelda Hair Sponsorship

0:01:15 Host’s Introduction

0:02:48 Welcome Dena Schusterman

0:06:36 Why I’m Publishing a Memoir

0:10:37 You Can’t Tell People How to Think

0:13:00 Don’t Give People Answers to Questions They Never Asked

0:16:00 People Will Misunderstand You

0:17:08 Standing in Front of the Rebbe as a Child

0:19:34 Why Do We Feel the Need to Source Everything?

0:20:39 Chiddushei Torah: Writing Down Our Thoughts on Torah

0:22:58 Humility When We Interpret the Torah

0:23:43 Trusting Our Barometers for Truth

0:24:22 Knowing When Other People’s Ideas Are Not For You

0:25:41 The Difference Between Judgment & Discernment

0:27:25 Seventy Ways of Understanding the Torah

0:28:50 Can Women Choose Not to be in Magazines?

0:33:20 Respecting Other Communities’ Religious Choices

0:35:22 Judging People Who Are More Religious Than Us

0:38:50 Trusting Other People’s Spiritual Paths

0:41:50 Having Strong Jewish Values

0:44:50 Live in a Way That Speaks for Itself

0:46:38 Being a Shlucha Without Preaching

0:49:31 Sharing Our Convictions

0:53:00 Educating Our Children Without Fear

0:54:15 Being Role Models for Our Children

0:56:00 The Rebbe Met People Where They Were At

0:57:10 How to Make the Decision to Have a Baby

0:58:25 What is the Jewish Perspective on Pru U’rvu?

1:03:44 Have One More Child Than You Ideally Want to Have

1:04:37 Approaching Hashem with Receptivity

1:06:23 When We Face Discomfort, Hashem Comforts Us

1:07:25 The Difference Between Trust and Free Falling

1:08:15 What to Do When Having Another Child Feels Like Too Much

1:09:43 What Does Having a Large Family Actually Mean?

1:10:27 Showing Up as Ourselves

1:11:25 We Are Each Called to be Leaders

1:13:45 Learning How to Live with What is

Orthodox Jewish singer Shaindy Plotzker discusses her journey within the music industry, using our talents and voices for the sake of a higher purpose, performing for women’s only crowds and the blessings she’s seen come of it, seeing G-d as the source of both our successes and hardships, learning how to rest, elevating other women in her industry, advice for aspiring artists, and the deep intention that guides her every move.

Discover more from Shaindy Plotzker at shaindyplotzker.com and by streaming her music on Youtube, Spotify, and all music streaming platforms. Connect with her on Instagram via @shaindyplotzkermusic.

Episode Partners:

TOVEEDO: An online children's streaming subscription featuring exclusive Jewish content created and sourced by Toveedo. Use code HH10 for 10% off at Toveedo.com.

ZELDA HAIR: A wig company that champions the holistic process of hair covering for Jewish women. Shop Zelda Hair at zeldahairshop.com and discover the heart behind the brand on Instagram @zeldahair.To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected] support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨Human & Holy podcast available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

Timestamps:

0:15 Toveedo Sponsorship

1:06 Host's Introduction

2:20 Welcome Shaindy Plotzker 

3:00 What Makes Shaindy Who She Is?

5:17 Shaindy's Journey into the Music World

8:02 What Do I Want to be Known For?

9:50 Putting the Spotlight on Others

11:00 The Spiritual Significance of Women's Concerts

14:20 The Challenges & Rewards of Singing for Women Only 

15:45 Getting Halachic Guidance on Her Career

18:10 Seeing Open Blessings from Doing the Right Thing

20:00 I Am Not Motivated by Self Expression

25:00 My Talent is a Vessel for G-d

27:28 How Does Faith in G-d Impact Her Business?

30:26 Put Your Trust in G-d, Not People

31:30 The Jewish People's Story (Kol Isha)

35:35 Advice On Faith When Business is Hard

38:00 My Voice Doesn't Define Me

39:30 Defining Yourself Beyond Success

42:12 Lifting Up Fellow Artists in Her Industry

49:16 Can Jewish Music Hold Sorrowful Emotion?

54:55 Music Writing Process

56:15 Joy and Sadness Can Coexist

58:35 Being Intentional About How I Share 

59:42 A Moving Concert in Israel After Oct. 7th

1:06:27 Hold Onto Hope 

1:08:54 Knowing When to Say No to an Opportunity

1:12:04 Learning How to Rest

1:21:18 Advice to Jewish Women With Unique Talents

1:25:08 Stop Being a Perfectionist and Start Somewhere

1:30:00 Rapid Fire Questions and Closing Thoughts

1:37:12 Zelda Hair Sponsorship & Host's Outro

A thorough conversation about women’s roles, the beauty and significance of Jewish law, and the lived experience of women’s Judaism.

This episode is dedicated by Schwartzie’s daughters in honor of the 8th yartzeit of their father, Shlomo Yitzchak Ben Moshe, aka Schwartzie. Do a mitzvah in his honor.

Today’s episode explores questions like:

What is the ideal definition of a Jewish woman’s role within Judaism?

Do we have an impossible vision of what a Jewish woman is?

Should we meet women's desires for more spiritual engagement with suspicion?

Do women belong in shul?

What does it mean for the Jewish woman to be the heart of the home?

Has Laurie ever struggled with Jewish womanhood?

What is the halachic significance of women’s mitzvot?

Laurie Novick is the Director and Head Writer of Deracheha, a comprehensive resource for women and mitzvot. She has worked as a Yoetzet Halacha since Fall 5763 and teaches at Migdal Oz. Laurie is also a Yoetzet Halacha Fertility Counsellor, a member of a pilot cohort of Yoatzot Halacha who have received advanced training in fertility issues and Halacha and taught for many years at Nishmat. She has degrees in Bible, Jewish Education, and Talmud and has also done graduate work in Counseling.

Contact Laurie here: [email protected]

Link to Deracheha here: deracheha.org

Link to the piece that includes discussion of Rebbitzen Bayla Falkhttps://www.deracheha.org/concepts-introduction/

Episode Partners:

TOVEEDO: An online children's streaming subscription featuring exclusive Jewish content created and sourced by Toveedo. Use code HH10 for 10% off at Toveedo.com.

ZELDA HAIR: A wig company that champions the holistic process of hair covering for Jewish women. Shop Zelda Hair at zeldahairshop.com and discover the heart behind the brand on Instagram @zeldahair.

Email us at [email protected]

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:00:30 Toveedo Sponsorship

00:01:00 Zelda Hair Sponsorship

00:01:28 Host’s Introduction

00:03:00 Welcome Laurie Novick

00:05:25 Developing a Personal Interest In Women and Halacha

00:07:30 Every Jewish Woman Deserves Access to Sources On This Topic

00:10:00 Does Exploration of this Topic Have to be Motivated by Discontent?

00:12:24 All Topics of Torah Are Interconnected

00:13:00 We Used to Learn About Jewish Womanhood From Our Mothers

00:17:00 The Lived Experience of Judaism Begins in the Home

00:19:20 Deepening Our Experience of Judaism Through Study

00:20:00 How Would You Define a Woman’s Role?

00:23:40 Do We Have an Impossible Vision of what a Jewish Woman is?

00:28:00 Honing in On Your Personal Values

00:29:45 Is The Woman the Heart of the Home?

00:34:38 Honing in On What Each Holiday Means to You

00:36:48 When Your Spiritual Yearnings as a Woman Are Met With Suspicion

00:40:00 Trusting Your Desire To Do Mitzvos

00:42:38 Eating In The Sukkah as a Woman

00:43:30 How to Channel Your Desire To Be More Engaged

00:46:00 The Halachic Significance of Women’s Mitzvos

00:47:27 This Is Not a Problem, It Is An Opportunity

00:47:55 Women’s Relationship to Shul & Torah Reading

00:51:00 There Are Many Women Within Each of Us

00:52:50 Shutting Down Our Channels of Connection

00:54:15 Is This for the Sake of Heaven?

01:01:16 What Is Halacha?

1:05:29 Jewish Law is Responsive to Life’s Nuances

1:07:30 Why Learning the Backstory to Halacha is Important

1:10:40 The Variety of Halachic Opinions

1:12:36 The Lived Experience of Jewish Law

1:17:00 The Significance of Learning Halacha From a Woman’s Perspective

1:20:23 Women’s Halachic Obligations Reveal the Fundamental Definition of Mitzvos

1:22:00 Women Should Not Be a Footnote

1:25:22 Has Laurie Ever Struggled with What It Means to be a Jewish Woman?

1:27:50 Questions Are a Healthy Part of Our Spiritual Paths

1:28:22 Making Simchas Torah More Woman Friendly

1:31:00 What Has Torah Study Given Laurie As a Person?

1:31:31 Jewish Role Models

1:33:20 What Does It Mean to be a Jewish Woman?

A conversation about the chassidic work of V'atah Tetzaveh. This conversation explores the generational shift from serving G-d through self sacrifice to a generation that is asked to serve G-d through abundance and an integration of our individual selves, as well as the role of a Tzaddik in helping us reveal the light of our souls.

Contact Sara Blau and learn more about her work at www.sarablau.com.

Some terms to know:

Maamer | a divinely inspired teaching shared by a chassidic rebbe to his disciples

Rebbe | a spiritual leader

Sechel | intellect

Middos | character traits

Mesiras Nefesh | self sacrifice

Matan Torah | receiving the Torah at Mt. Sinai

Purim Katan Maamer | a Chassidic teaching shared by the Lubavitcher Rebbe before Purim Katan

Kriyas Yam Suf | splitting of the sea

Gzeira | decree

Yehudim | Jews

Sicha | talk given by a rebbe

Rebbe Rashab | the fifth Chabad Rebbe

Koach | strength

Ahavas Hashem | love of G-d

Ahavas Haolam | love of the Creator based on a love of the Creator's world

Ohel | Lubavitcher Rebbe's resting place

Study the original text that this conversation is based on here: https://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/145191/jewish/Maamar-Veatah-Tetzaveh.htm

Episode Partners:

TOVEEDO: An online children's streaming subscription featuring exclusive Jewish content created and sourced by Toveedo. Use code HH10 for 10% off at Toveedo.com.

ZELDA HAIR: A wig company that champions the holistic process of hair covering for Jewish women. Shop Zelda Hair at zeldahairshop.com and discover the heart behind the brand on Instagram @zeldahair.

To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected]

To support our work, visit patreon.com/humanandholy or humanandholy.com/sponsor.

Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨

Human & Holy podcast available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

Timestamps:

00:00 Host's Introduction

00:01:30 Toveedo Sponsorship

00:02:28 Zelda Hair Sponsorship

00:03:17 Conversation Begins

00:10:30 Self Sacrifice Vs. A Conscious Relationship With Your Essence

00:14:18 Spiritual Adrenaline Doesn't Always Last

00:15:30 Can You Become Something You're Not?

00:20:24 A Generation Seeking Authenticity

00:27:00 Serving G-d For External Reasons

00:31:11 Why You Don't Have to be in Survival Mode

00:32:00 Creating a Lasting Judaism

00:34:12 I Want to Connect to G-d

00:37:25 A Tzaddik Empowers Us to Lead Our Own Selves

00:43:00 A Collective Desire for Spirituality

00:45:00 When Our Judaism Becomes Who We Are As People

00:47:35 Navigating The Uncomfortable Parts of our Jewish Practice

00:56:12 Is It Selfish or Is It Selfless?

01:01:44 Utilizing Our Unique Gifts When It Feels Indulgent

01:04:00 When Our Souls Are Expressed We Love People for Who They Are

01:07:39 What Does It Mean to Love G-d?

01:12:00 Do We Have a Leader?

01:16:30 Knowing Where to Dig Within Ourselves

01:17:30 What is the Role of the Rebbe After His Passing?

01:19:30 An Eye Towards the Future

01:22:00 What Is the Call of the Hour?

01:27:00 Host's Outro

A conversation with Chaya Lester, a psychotherapist, author, speaker, and poet, about the significance of internal, spiritual work during a time of collective upheaval, how we can become more attuned to divine messages through our daily interactions and dreams, and how we are all being invited to practice spiritual chutzpah in order to reveal the divine reality of the world.

Video episode is available on Youtube. Episode is sponsored in honor of Yosef Dovid ben Yehoshua's birthday, by his parents, Josh & Goldie Grinberg.You can find out more about Chaya Lester, as well as links to purchase her work, here: www.chayalester.comEpisode Partners:TOVEEDO: An online children's streaming subscription featuring exclusive Jewish content created and sourced by Toveedo. Use code HH10 for 10% off at Toveedo.com.ZELDA HAIR: A wig company that champions the holistic process of hair covering for Jewish women. Shop Zelda Hair at zeldahairshop.com and discover the heart behind the brand on Instagram @zeldahair.To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected] support our work, visit patreon.com/humanandholy or humanandholy.com/sponsor.Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨Human & Holy podcast available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.Timestamps:00:00 Host’s Introduction01:55 Dedication to Yosef Dovid ben Yehoshua 2:15 Toveedo Sponsorship3:16 Zelda Hair Sponsorship03:36 Conversation with Chaya Lester Begins08:07 Chaya's Spiritual Journey13:14 The Torah is Our Story16:53 Developing Spiritual Sensitivity18:40 Embracing Spiritual Chutzpah22:00 Who Am I in the Face of Our Jewish History?25:19 The Impact of Spiritual Work on Current Events26:12 Paying Attention to Divine Messages27:42 Messianic Era: Dystopian or Utopian?28:34 Transforming Destruction into Expression29:17 The Journey from Exile to Redemption31:25 The Higher Consciousness Within Pain32:32 Three Ways to Integrate Divine Consciousness 34:24 Personal Work Reflects Collective Work38:04 Dreams as a Source of Guidance40:53 Chaya’s Dream 49:15 Poem52:50 Host’s Outro

Episode is sponsored in honor of Uziel ben Moshe Yakov, whose yartzeit is Yud Tes Teves. May his neshama have an aliyah.

A conversation with Shternie Rosenfeld -- who is a shlucha, Torah teacher, and single mother -- about her transformative journey through divorce within the Orthodox community. Shternie talks about her darkest moments and how she found light through an unwavering relationship with G-d. We also explore her unique role as a shlucha running a Chabad house alone and the daily choice to see our circumstances with gratitude and faith.

Contact Shternie at [email protected]

Video episode is available on Youtube.

Episode Partners:

TOVEEDO: An online children's streaming subscription featuring exclusive Jewish content created and sourced by Toveedo. Use code HH10 for 10% off at Toveedo.com.

ZELDA HAIR: A wig company that champions the holistic process of hair covering for Jewish women. Shop Zelda Hair at zeldahairshop.com and discover the heart behind the brand on Instagram @zeldahair.To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected]

To support our work, visit patreon.com/humanandholy or humanandholy.com/sponsor.

Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨Human & Holy podcast available on all podcast streaming platforms.

New episodes every Sunday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

Timestamps:

00:00 Host's Introduction

01:33 Toveedo Sponsorship

02:23 Zelda Hair Sponsorship

03:11 Introducing Shternie Rosenfeld

04:26 Shternie's Life and Community Work

06:55 The Dark Period: Divorce and Its Aftermath

12:07 My Relationship With Hashem Saved Me

17:12 Seeing People's Kindness as G-d's Love

21:25 Choosing Not to Wallow in the Pain

23:55 We Are Worthy, But Not Owed

26:38 Gratitude for Small Gifts

29:00 Modeh Ani

33:26 The Struggles Brought Me Here

35:42 Having a Relationship With My Ex

40:33 If You Roll In the Mud, You Get Dirty

46:42 Getting Comfortable With Inner Peace

51:30 Being G-d's Banker

54:56 The Highs and Lows Make Life Rich

01:01:00 Running a Chabad House on My Own

01:07:42 Host's Outro