Join me as I discuss the connection between Purim and Bitachon- trust in G-d. 

The Nesivos Shalom explains that Purim is not just a historical account of what happened to the Jewish people when we avoided near annihilation in ancient Persia; it is a primer in how to effect these types of yeshuos- salvations. The key is bitachon- trust in G-d.

What is bitachon? How does it work? What are the spiritual and material benefits of trusting in G-d? How can we achieve personal and national salvation through bitachon? Join me as I speak about this and more. 

Modern Jewish Girl Website

Sponsor: Nishmat

In our post-October 7 world, are you seeking to connect more deeply with your Jewish heritage? Are you a mom with kids at camp, looking to spend a week—or even three—immersed in Torah? A Torah teacher seeking a summer of in-depth learning in Yerushalayim? Or maybe an entrepreneur eager to explore the Jewish laws of business in detail? No matter your stage of life, Nishmat's Summer Beit Midrash is the place for you. This program offers transformative Torah learning for women of all backgrounds, in the heart of Jerusalem. Visit nishmat.net/summer-beit-midrash to learn more and sign up!

Sources: 

Gems From the Nesivos Shalom, Purim

The Concise Shaar HaBitachon of Chovos HaLevavos (Duties of the Heart)

Gitty Layosh and I explore the women's mitzvah of lighting Shabbos candles in the last part of this three-part series. We discuss the practical aspects of the mitzvah and its deeper significance. We share inspirational stories related to the mitzvah of candle-lighting and we talk about the connection between Shabbos and Chanukah candles.

Episode Sponsor: Nishmat
Are you a post-high school young woman looking to spend a meaningful time in seminary next year? Are you looking to have a year of high-level Torah learning, fun activities, discover Eretz Yisrael and meet Israeli students? Look no further! Liba at Nishmat is for you. For more information and to apply, go to: nishmat.net/liba

Shabbat Candlelighting Prayer:

Baruch ata Adonoy
Eloheinu melech ha-olam
asher kid'shanu be’mitzvo’sav
ve-tzivanu lehadlik ner shel Shabbos.

(Blessed are You, God, King of the Universe,
Who made us holy with His commandments
and commanded us to kindle the Shabbat light.)

Special Prayer for After Lighting the Candles: 

May it be Your will, Lord my God and God of my fathers, to be gracious to me
(and to my spouse, children, parents) and to all my family; grant us and all
Israel good and long life; remember us for good and blessing; consider us for
salvation and compassion; bless us with great blessings; make our household
complete, crowning our home with the feeling of Your Divine Presence dwelling
among us. Make me worthy to raise learned children and grandchildren, who
are wise and understanding, who love and fear God, people of truth, holy and
attached to God, who will dazzle the world with Torah and goodness and service
of God. Please hear our prayers, in the merit of our matriarchs Sarah, Rebecca,
Rachel and Leah, and ensure that the glow of our lives will never be dimmed.
Show us the glow of Your face and we will be saved. Amen.

Modern Jewish Girl Website  

Join my close friend Gitty Layosh and I as we dive in (pun intended) to the second episode of a three-part mini-series on the women's mitzvot: mikvah. We talk about what a mikvah is, why men and particularly women use the mikvah, the spiritual depth of immersing the mikvah, as well as the connection of water to the current Hebrew month of Cheshvan. We also share stories of Jews throughout history who sacrificed to be able to use the mikvah, and much more!

Episode Sponsor: Nishmat
Are you a post-high school young woman looking to spend a meaningful time in seminary next year? Are you looking to have a year of high-level Torah learning, fun activities, discover Eretz Yisrael and meet Israeli students? Look no further! Liba at Nishmat is for you. For more information and to apply, go to: nishmat.net/liba 

More Resources:
Mikvah.org
The Secret of Jewish Femininity by Tehilla Abramov
Mikvah on the Mountain: One Woman's Miracle
Modern Jewish Girl Website 

Join my close friend Gitty Layosh and I in the first of a three-part mini-series on the women's mitzvot! First up: challah. We talk about the beauty of the mitzvah, the symbolism of each ingredient, how to do the mitzvah, ridding ourselves of guilt if we can't make challah right now, and much more! We also discuss the connection between challah and the upcoming holiday of Rosh Hashana.

More on the mitzvah of challah: https://www.modernjewishgirl.com/post/challah-what-we-knead-to-know

Gitty's Challah Recipe:
1 cup warm water
3 tablespoon yeast
Sprinkle of sugar
Mix the yeast water and sugar and let bubble for a few minutes. 
In another large bowl, mix:
3 tablespoons of salt and 5 pounds of flour
1/2 cup of sugar
Mix
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 eggs
Mix
Pour in the yeast and add 4 cups warm water (2 cold and 2 hot)
Knead the dough; fold press and turn
Cover with two dish towels and let it rise for an hour/45 min
Take the challah and make the blessing (see below)
Bake at 325 when it starts to brown switch to 350- in total about 30 minutes

The Blessing on Separating Challah 

In this amazing episode, I speak with Mrs. Devorah Kigel, a dating coach and mentor who has helped hundreds of women "marry a mensch." We speak about Mrs. Kigel's new book, "Marry a Mensch: Timeless Jewish Wisdom for Today's Single Woman." Mrs. Kigel tells us about her Jewish Journey and how she became a dating coach. She shares her relationship and dating wisdom, both from the Torah and her own life experiences, in hopes that Jewish women can find their mensch with more clarity and ease. 

Some topics we cover:

• How the Hollywood view of dating differs from the Jewish approach
• How to work on self-esteem in dating
• How to make a dealbreaker list
• Whether to continue dating if the attraction is neutral 
• Touch in dating 
• and much more!

This was one of my favorite episodes on the Podcast- fun and filled with wisdom- you don't want to miss it! 

More about Mrs. Devorah Kigel: 
As a professional Dating Coach, Mrs. Devorah Kigel has helped well over 300 women get clarity in their dating life and marry their bashert.  She has also been teaching classes for women on Judaism since 2001. She has her Masters in French and lived in Paris for 2 years, before discovering Torah Judaism and becoming observant. Devorah and her husband, Reuven, who is the Campus Director for Emet Outreach, host Shabbos guests most weeks. Using humor and honesty, Devorah shares the entertaining personal journey that led her to develop powerful tools to have the relationships you desire. Devorah’s first book, “Marry a Mensch: timeless Jewish wisdom for today’s single woman “ was released on September 3rd by Gefen Publishing.


Connect with Mrs. Devorah Kigel:

• Her Website
• Her Instagram

I am very excited to present my conversation with Chava Green, a women's studies scholar and a Chassidic Jew. Chava's dissertation, “the Hasidic face of feminism," explores how the idea of feminism expresses itself in the Chabad community, both through the Rebbe's teachings and in the lives of Chabad women.

In our conversation, Chava and I define feminism and discuss this seemingly paradoxical idea of a "Chasidic Feminist." We hear about her journey to becoming a Chasidic feminist, and dive a bit deeper into her research. We touch on some common struggles that many Jewish women face and how the Rebbe spoke to those challenges. We also speak about sheitels (wigs) and cleaning help, among other things-this is a must-listen!

A bit more about Chava:
Chava Green received her PhD in Religious Studies from Emory University in May 2024. She has a BA in Women’s and Gender Studies from Rutgers University–New Brunswick. In between her undergraduate and graduate work, she lived in Israel for two years studying Judaism in Jerusalem and Tzfat (Safed).  Chava lives in Philadelphia with her husband and three children. This coming year she will be a visiting scholar at UPenn in the Jewish Studies department while also teaching classes in the Chabad girl’s high school. Chava is passionate about bridging her academic work to the Jewish community and to a popular audience. Her writings can be found on TheJewishWoman.org.

To contact Chava: [email protected]
 
Nishmat Online Beit Midrash Program Fall 2024

Modern Jewish Girl Website

I was surprised to learn that the Three Weeks, when we mourn the loss of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, is actually filled with the greatest light. Drawing on teachings from the Nesivos Shalom and Rav Shimshon Pincus, join me as I explore why our Sages tell us that TshB'Av, the darkest day on the Jewish calendar, is actually the "greatest festival" and what this means for us. 

Modern Jewish Girl Website

Sources:
https://torah.org/torah-portion/ravfrand-5780-terumah/

Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus, Moadei Hashanah: Exile and Consolation - The Three Weeks and Tishah b'Av

Gems from the Nesivos Sholom-Three Weeks and the Holocaust, Hashem’s Love Revealed at the Time of Destruction, p. 59 

Join me as I speak again with my close friend, teacher, and mentor, Yael (Seruya) Zdanowitz, who co-founded Chamal Har Nof, an emergency relief organization that helps displaced families, army bases, and wives of soldiers in Israel. Yael gives us an update on how Chamal Har Nof has shifted its focus to match the changing needs in Israel.  She highlights two crucial initiatives they are working on right now: 1. To raise money for displaced and special needs children to attend camp this summer and 2. To supply the army with much-needed sources of protein. We speak about donor fatigue and how we can continue to help support our brothers and sisters in Israel. 

Click here for the new Modern Jewish Girl Website!

Click here to donate to Chamal Har Nof
(Tax receipts are available in the US, UK, Canada and Israel) 

Join me as I chat with one of my Torah teachers, Faigy Blumstein. We talk about Faigy's Jewish background, how she started teaching Torah, how she began davening at the Ohel- the Lubavitcher Rebbe's resting place,  how she began teaching Tanya (Chabad Chassidus), what we can learn from Tanya in our lives, her family's involvement in the Thank You Hashem movement, connecting to Chassidus, and more! This was a fun one filled with nuggets of wisdom, great stories, and lots of laughs. 

More About Faigy:
Faigy has been working with Olami Manhattan for 13 years now! Although born and bred in Brooklyn, she is currently a “Real House Wife” of Long Island. She is married to the entrepreneur Elimelech Blumstein and has a boatload of kids (6 to be exact). She spent 4 years living in Israel while attending College abroad. After receiving her Masters in Psychology, she works as a school psychologist for the Board of Education. 
She teaches Torah on Monday evenings at Olami Manhattan and hosts the "Ignite" program for women. Faigy is known as a “Mystic Millenial” and teaches Chassidus to the masses, specifically through her Tanya with Faigy class.  Along with learning one-on-one with students, she spends time with brides and teaches them the secrets behind the beauty of a Jewish Marriage. Her favorite things are manicures, running, and Starbucks. She prides herself on trying out new recipes and loves hosting for Shabbat.

Resources:
Learn Tanya with Faigy
Follow Faigy on Instagram
Olami Manhattan
Thank You Hashem
Modern Jewish Girl

In this Pesach minisode, I speak about the process of liberation we can experience on Pesach. Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, I discuss our obligation to feel as if we were freed from Egypt every day and how to view the marror, or bitterness, in our lives. 

Click here for the new Modern Jewish Girl Website!

References:
The Kol Menachem Haggadah
From Bondage to Freedom