JOWMA (Jewish Orthodox Women's Medical Association) Podcast

In this podcast episode, Zoya Treyster, MD explores the most common food allergies in children, why they’re increasing, and the latest methods for diagnosing and managing them. We discuss the role of oral immunotherapy, strategies for preventing allergies, and the impact of early introduction of allergenic foods. Plus, we cover promising new treatments, the use of medications like Xolair, and offer advice for parents dealing with the stress of managing food allergies. Join us for a comprehensive look at the current landscape and exciting developments in the field!

Zoya Treyster, who is board-certified in both Pediatrics and Allergy/Immunology, works at Uptown Pediatrics in NYC.  Dr. Treyster completed her undergraduate and medical school training at George Washington University, her pediatric residency at New York-Presbyterian Columbia, and her fellowship in Allergy/Immunology at Hofstra Northwell. Prior to joining Uptown Pediatrics, Dr. Treyster was a faculty member at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore where she served as Associate Medical Director of the Pediatric Asthma Center for three years. Dr. Treyster has expertise in treating asthma, environmental allergies, food and drug allergies, eczema, immunodeficiency, and autoinflammatory disorders. When not in the office, Dr. Treyster enjoys reading, hiking, and spending time with her husband, two young children, and two dogs. 

This week's episode is sponsored by Toveedo! The Jewish videos your kids love, all in one happy place. Use code JOWMA10 for $10 off at ⁠⁠https://toveedo.com/⁠⁠!

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In this episode, we sit down with a Aliza Eisenstein who transitioned from traditional dietetics to intuitive eating coaching. We explore the core principles of intuitive eating, common misconceptions, and how it helps individuals break free from diet culture to trust their bodies. We also discuss the unique challenges faced by the frum community, how intuitive eating connects to mental health, and how it addresses concerns about nutrition, weight, and body image. Tune in for practical advice and tools to get started on your intuitive eating journey and insights into its future in health and wellness.

Aliza Eisenstein is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist (RDN), licensed in the US and Israel, with close to 25  years of experience in health & nutrition. Aliza taught at Stern College before making aliyah in 2004. She managed the Special Diets department at the HASC Summer Program for 8 years. Aliza currently works in private practice, seeing clients virtually and in person. She recently developed a program combining her experience in the nutrition field with the increasingly popular coaching model to help women and girls eat right and feel good without the struggles of dieting. Aliza lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh and is a proud wife, mother, and recently minted grandmother.

Learn more at https://www.alizaeisenstein.com/

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This week's episode is sponsored by Toveedo! The Jewish videos your kids love, all in one happy place. Use code JOWMA10 for $10 off at ⁠https://toveedo.com/⁠!

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Rachel Offenbacher, MD is a Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM). She received her Medical Degree from SUNY Downstate after completing the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education (a 7 year BS/MD program at CUNY). She completed her residency and fellowship at CHAM and is an Assistanr Professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. In addition to seeing patients clinically, she is a member of a translational sarcoma research lab where she is investigating difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) on Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma. Dr. Offenbacher recently received funding from Hyundai Hope on Wheels to continue this work with the plan to move it into a phase II clinical trial. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, also a physician, and their three children.

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This episode is dedicated in memory of Dr. Rachel Offenbacher's mother, Devorah bas Chaim. May her memory be a blessing.

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Deena Levine Davidovics, MD grew up in Miami Beach Florida where she attended the RASG Hebrew Academy. After high school she spent a year in Israel studying at Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim and then attended a 6 year BA/MD program at Lehigh University and Drexel University College of Medicine. Deena went on to Pediatric Residency Training at UMDNJ, and completed fellowships in pediatric hematology oncology at Johns Hopkins, Bioethics at the NIH, and Hospice and Palliative medicine at UTHSC. She moved to Memphis with her family in 2012 to join the faculty at St Jude Children's Research Hospital as a pediatric palliative oncologist and ethicist. She practices clinical medicine and research and is currently the director of the division of Quality of Life and Palliative Care in the Department of Oncology at St Jude. 

Deena has also been active in community service, education, mentorship, and leadership. Deena lives in Memphis with her husband Noam, and 5 children, Moshe, Ezra, Rafi, Maytal, and Eli.

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This week's episode is sponsored by Toveedo! The Jewish videos your kids love, all in one happy place.

⁠⁠⁠Visit www.toveedo.com and use code JOWMA10 for $10 off!⁠⁠⁠

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In this episode, Jennie Berkovich, DO interviews Gail Gutman, MD to explore the critical role of specialists in supporting young people's health. We'll discuss the alarming rise in eating disorders, uncovering the factors contributing to this trend. Our conversation delves into the complex relationship between body image and disordered eating, highlighting why eating disorders are about more than just distorted perceptions of self. Parents and caregivers will gain valuable insights into the warning signs of disordered eating and learn what steps they can take if they suspect a problem. We'll also cover first-line interventions and discuss practical prevention strategies to help protect the well-being of adolescents.

Dr. Gutman is a board-certified pediatrician, and just finished a fellowship in adolescent medicine at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. She will be an adolescent medicine attending at Columbia University Medical Center in August. Her clinical interests include eating disorders, pediatric gynecology and promoting healthy habits in teenagers. Her research focuses on the change in the quality and outcome of eating disorders on patients that presented during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Dr. Gutman served for 2 years as the co-chair of JOWMA’s Teen Health Committee, and continues to stay active on the committee. 

Dr. Gutman originally earned her Bachelors of Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she majored in English literature. She completed post baccalaureate premedical program and went to medical school at Tel Aviv University. She then went to Jacobi Medical Center for a residency in pediatrics, where her research focused on sickle cell disease—back in those days, she believed she would specialize in pediatric hematology/oncology. In the middle of residency, Dr. Gutman realized that adolescent medicine was more enjoyable and rewarding than anything she’d experienced in residency so far. She quickly knew it was the field for her.

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This week's episode is sponsored by Toveedo! The Jewish videos your kids love, all in one happy place.

⁠⁠Visit www.toveedo.com and use code JOWMA10 for $10 off!⁠⁠

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Eating Disorder EDucation with Dr. Frani Pollack, PhD, LSW, RD

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/MEptCceE6Kb

Weighty Issues: A Whole Family Approach with Dr. Joey Skelton, MD, MS

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/RKAq2RfE6Kb

OMG! You Think I'm Fat!?! How To Talk (or Not Talk) about Your Child's Weight with Madeleine Berg, MS, RD, CDN

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/wgYaLDiE6Kb

Special Episode: We Have a Weight Problem with Yaffi Lvova, RDN, Alisa Minkin, MD, FAAP, Tobi Ash, RN, BSN, MBA and Dr. Marcy Forta, EdD, MBA

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/cTRUXIiE6Kb

Atzmi: My Body Is Not My "Self"

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/3eVrkDnE6Kb

Sick of Eating: A Review of Eating Disorders with Devorah Levinson from Relief

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/2UXubRuE6Kb

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In this episode, we sit down with Beatie Deutsch, a champion marathon runner and mother of five, to explore her remarkable journey as a professional athlete living with celiac disease. Beatie shares how her diagnosis impacted her approach to nutrition and training, and the unique challenges of maintaining a kosher, gluten-free diet while competing at the highest levels. She also opens up about balancing the dietary needs of her family, including supporting a neurodivergent child, and the role of positive thinking in her success. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on resilience, faith, and the power of determination.

Beatie Deutsch is the Israeli national champion in the marathon and half marathon. As a mother of five young children, she has learned to apply her training to the real marathon of life. Beatie took up running just seven years ago and is now training as an elite athlete, representing Israel on the international stage. More than anything else, her journey has empowered her to dream big and keep reaching higher, a message Beatie is passionate about sharing with audiences around the world.

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This week's episode is sponsored by Toveedo! The Jewish videos your kids love, all in one happy place.

Visit www.toveedo.com and use code JOWMA10 for $10 off!

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Jordana Herschthal, M.D., is a board-certified dermatologist and a diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology. With 15 years of expertise in both medical and cosmetic dermatology, Dr. Herschthal specializes in cosmetic dermatology, injectables, and laser procedures. She is sought after for her detailed and comprehensive approach to facial harmonization and balance. Dr. Herschthal appreciates the beauty of subtlety and respects each person’s individual attributes, producing a naturally rejuvenated result. She is passionate about creating treatment maintenance plans and curating skin care regimens to complement in-office treatments. She is among a select group of injectors who train fellow physicians on best techniques for injectables. Dr. Herschthal also serves on the Medical Advisory Board for Cartessa Aesthetics and Sciton, Inc. She is in private practice at The Herschthal Practice in Boca Raton, FL, and treats patients in Aspen, CO. She earned her medical degree and completed her Dermatology residency at the University of Miami Leonard School of Medicine, where she was awarded for her Excellence in Dermatologic Surgery. Prior to medical school, Dr. Herschthal received her BA at Brown University. Dr. Herschthal regularly lectures at national and international dermatology meetings and has been published in several journals and magazines.

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In this episode, we dive into the personal journeys of Rochel and Esther, the inspiring founders of Insight Beyond Eyesight, as they share their experiences living with vision impairment. They discuss the assistive technologies and accommodations that make everyday life easier, both at home and in professional settings. We explore how they manage parenting, cooking, and household tasks, as well as how community members can foster a more inclusive environment for those with vision impairments. From dispelling common myths to discussing the latest advancements in accessibility, this conversation is full of valuable insights and inspiration.

Rachel (Rochel Yenti) Bodek holds a degree in Teacher of the Visually Impaired from Hunter College. She is visually impaired herself and has some family members with the same eye condition. Rachel teaches blind and visually impaired students of all ages. She teaches various skills to her students including reading and writing with adapted methods, using assistive technology, self-advocacy, and coaching them to obtain other needed services and supports. She co-runs a support group,  called Insight Beyond Eyesight,  for Jewish families with visually impaired members providing information, support, and advocacy. She is also involved in other organizations servicing the blind and people with other disabilities like the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and she's a board member of TRIPS (her local paratransit service).   

Esther Markowitz has lived in Monsey, NY, for 50 years. She works at Cheder Chabad of Monsey as the office manager, a position she has held for 20 years. Esther is a proud mother and grandmother to many adorable grandchildren, each cherished individually. Additionally, she is the proud mother of her 21-year-old daughter, Hindy, who is blind.

She is the co-founder, along with Rochel Bodek, of the organization "Insight Beyond Eyesight," which serves Jewish visually impaired children, adults, and their families.

insightbeyondeyesight.org

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Dr. Emily Hoffman was born and raised in New York. She graduated from SUNY Downstate College of Medicine in 2017. She did her Internal Medicine residency at Montefiore Medical Center from 2017-2020 and served as chief resident in 2021. Dr. Hoffman is passionate about medical education and was part of a medical education pathway in both medical school and residency. She completed her Infectious Disease fellowship at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in 2023 and joined the faculty at NYU as a Clinical Assistant Professor. In addition to caring for patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting, Dr. Hoffman also serves as “Content Lead”, a role that includes contributing to and supporting educational endeavors related to infectious disease and immunology at the UME and GME level. She lives on Long Island with her husband and two children.

Dr. Ellie Carmody is an associate professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.  She obtained her MD at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, completed her residency in Internal Medicine at New York-Presbyterian, Columbia University and Infectious Diseases fellowship at NYU School of Medicine.  She has a clinical practice as an attending physician on the Infectious Diseases service at Bellevue Hospital and is an investigator at the NYU Langone Vaccine Center.  Dr. Carmody has been a researcher with the Jewish Orthodox Women's Association (JOWMA), assessing effectiveness of health education programs and evaluating strategies to build confidence in vaccines and preventive health measures. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and three children.  

In this episode, Jennie Berkovich, DO sits down with Sunny Levi, a dedicated martial arts therapist from Kids Kicking Cancer to explore how martial arts is used as a powerful tool to support children with cancer and chronic illnesses. We discuss the specific techniques taught and how they help improve the physical and emotional well-being of these young warriors. Sunny shares insights into the innovative "Ninja Needle" technique, along with inspiring stories of transformation within the program. We also explore how martial arts can build mental confidence and empowerment in a non-violent, wellness-centered approach.

Sunny Levi is one of ten female certified-seventh-degree black belts in the country. She has been training in Taekwondo for over 35 years and has been teaching and coaching children, teens, and adults for over 20. 

In addition to being a Taekwondo master and an elite athlete who was once on a path to the Olympics, Sunny is also a faith based life coach, a martial arts therapist for kids kicking cancer, a personal fitness trainer, and a yoga, and self-defense instructor. Sunny is passionate about empowering her students with the skills and mindset they need to survive dangerous situations in both body, mind, and spirit. 

Sunny is also a mother of 6 kids, and an Orthodox Jew who is passionate about eating clean, hiking, and being best friends with God. 

You can keep up with her on Instagram @sunnyblackbelt or Facebook @ Sunny Ariella Levi or Sunny’s martial arts and fitness or you can find out more about her coaching at sunnylevi.com

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