Dr. Yehudah Pryce reflects on his time in prison and personal transformation.

Dr. Yehudah Pryce's story is one of resilience and reflection. At just 19 years old, he was sentenced to 24 years in prison, a reality that felt incomprehensible to someone so young. In our latest episode, we dive deep into his experiences, focusing on the raw emotions and mental struggles he faced during his incarceration.

Confronting Reality

When he first received his sentence, the gravity of spending a quarter century behind bars was overwhelming. Yehudah recalls, "How do you conceptualize having to spend a quarter century of your life behind bars?" The initial shock led him to push the reality aside, clinging to a glimmer of hope that an appeal might allow him to escape his fate.

Identity and Survival

In prison, Yehudah developed a new identity, one that he felt was congruent with his past actions. He describes this transformation as a defensive mechanism, saying, "I kind of just pushed it from my mind as much. Yes, it was sad. I felt a certain loss of myself... that was essentially taken away from me." He found himself grappling with anger and victimhood, feeling that the system had failed him.

The Shift Towards Acceptance

However, it wasn’t until he had served nearly nine years that Yehudah began to accept his reality. He reflects, "What am I sacrificing my life for?" This question catalyzed a profound shift in his mindset. By recognizing the power of his choices, he began to craft a new narrative for his life.

Empowerment Through Choices

Yehudah emphasizes the importance of finding agency within the confines of prison. "I found a certain empowerment by taking all the choices, all the opportunities I had for choices... that gave me so much agency," he explains. This mindset ultimately propelled him towards personal growth and self-discovery, allowing him to visualize a future beyond incarceration.

The Bigger Picture

Dr. Pryce also shares insights into the broader patterns he observed among fellow inmates. Many had faced significant trauma before entering prison, highlighting systemic issues that contribute to cycles of incarceration. He notes, "Up to 98% of people who are incarcerated have experienced at least one lifetime traumatic event."

Reflecting on his journey, Yehudah Pryce’s story stands as a testament to the human spirit’s capacity for resilience and transformation. As he continues to share his experiences, he encourages others to recognize the power of their choices, no matter the circumstances.

This week on Talk2Tamara, Tamara sits down with saxophonist and 613 Music Academy founder Sarah Koussevitzky for a conversation about what happens when the identity you’ve built your life around suddenly disappears. Sarah spent years immersed in music, performing at jazz festivals, studying jazz at the University of Texas at Austin, and building a life around being a musician. Then COVID brought that world to a halt, and somewhere along the way, Sarah stopped playing, took down her websites, deleted pieces of her musical past, and eventually stopped calling herself a musician altogether. What followed was a journey of searching. Through Judaism, community, teaching, marriage, and eventually motherhood, Sarah continued to redefine who she was. But becoming a mother brought another unexpected identity shift, forcing her to confront the parts of herself she thought belonged to an old life and decide which ones she wanted back. Sarah shares how Jewish music ultimately helped reconnect her to the part of herself she had walked away from and inspired her to create 613 Music Academy, a space that brings together her love of jazz, Jewish music, education, and community. Tamara and Sarah also talk about burnout, hustle culture, learning to listen to yourself, letting go of labels, balancing ambition with motherhood, and realizing that growth doesn’t always require becoming someone new. Sometimes, it means finding your way back to who you’ve been all along. It’s a conversation about identity, faith, motherhood, music, and learning that every version of yourself can belong in the same story.

This week on Talk2Tamara, Tamara sits down with Isaac Rudansky, author, entrepreneur, and

lifelong creative, to talk about the nearly decade-long journey that eventually led him to a

three-book deal with Penguin Random House.

Isaac’s story didn’t begin with a publishing deal. It began with hundreds of pages written in the

early hours of the morning, an editor telling him his manuscript simply wasn’t ready, and a

decision to put it away. He went on to build a successful advertising business, start a family, and

spend nearly nine years away from the book. But the feeling that he had started something and

never finished it never fully went away.

When he finally returned to writing, the road wasn’t any easier. Isaac rewrote the manuscript,

studied the craft, attended workshops, queried roughly 350 middle-grade literary agents, and

faced rejection after rejection. Even the agent he wanted most turned him down multiple times.

Instead of accepting the no, Isaac kept refining the book and trying again.

Eventually, the same agent who had previously passed on his work read the new manuscript

and wanted to represent him. That journey ultimately led to something Isaac had spent years

chasing: a three-book deal with Penguin Random House.

But this conversation goes far beyond becoming a published author.

Tamara and Isaac get candid about ambition, rejection, creativity, insecurity, growing up in a

creative and religious home, the need for external validation, and why achieving the thing you

thought would finally make you feel “enough” doesn’t necessarily stop you from searching for

the next thing.

They also explore the power of what Isaac calls “idiotic optimism”: believing in something

even when the odds are stacked against you, being willing to look a little crazy while chasing it,

and using that chip on your shoulder as motivation to keep going.

This episode is about unfinished dreams, relentless persistence, and the complicated

relationship between success and self-worth.

Because sometimes the dream you put away is the exact one you’re supposed to come back to.

In this deeply personal episode of Talk2Tamara, Tamara sits down with Shelby Armstrong, a

former D1 athlete, fitness manager, and entrepreneur, for an honest conversation about

relationships, emotional abuse, resilience, and finding your way back to yourself.

Shelby opens up about the patterns that followed her through several serious relationships, from

feeling responsible for someone else’s happiness to confusing intensity with intimacy. She

shares the reality of her most recent relationship, where love bombing and feeling deeply cared

for slowly turned into walking on eggshells, sleepless nights, emotional manipulation, and

feeling like she had lost pieces of herself along the way.

She also shares the moment she realized she needed to leave, the people who helped her find

the strength and resources to do it, and what it took to rebuild her life on her own terms. Now on

the other side, Shelby reflects on learning that healthy love may not feel intense or chaotic at all.

Sometimes, it simply feels calm, safe, and easy.

This conversation is about more than leaving an unhealthy relationship. It’s about recognizing

patterns, trusting yourself again, allowing others to support you, and rediscovering the version of

yourself you thought you had lost. As Shelby puts it, she finally feels free to show up fully as

herself and wants a future with someone who allows her to keep doing exactly that.

In this episode, Tamara sits down with Hannah Schuster, a New York attorney, entrepreneur,

founder of Shuster Law, and creator of Legal Bestie, for a conversation that goes far beyond

the courtroom. Hannah shares how an unexpected divorce during law school, years of helping

families navigate high-conflict situations, and becoming a stepmom completely transformed the

way she approaches both life and law.

Together, they dive into blended families, conflict resolution, co-parenting, setting healthy

boundaries, and why "winning" a divorce often comes at the expense of the people who matter

most. Hannah also opens up about her breast cancer diagnosis, the life-changing perspective it

gave her, and the importance of prioritizing your health, relationships, and peace over

perfection.

Whether you're navigating divorce, blending a family, facing a personal challenge, or simply

trying to create healthier relationships, this episode is filled with practical advice, heartfelt

stories, and powerful reminders that your hardest seasons can become the foundation for your

greatest growth.

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

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In this episode, Yakira Apfel — fitness studio owner and mom of four — opens up about a road

that wasn't always visible from the outside. She talks about the eating disorder that took root in

seventh grade and followed her into seminary, the shame of wondering if what she went through

was even "real enough" to count, and the honest admission that she didn't get help until years

later. She's candid about postpartum anxiety, a decade of hypochondria, and what it actually

took to come back to herself — including the role movement and purpose played in pulling her

out of it.

We also go into her religious journey — how becoming a mother reshaped her relationship with

observance, the moment her family was turned away from a school over a single photo, the

quiet grief of being judged on appearance instead of character, and what it meant to finally set

down something she'd been carrying for years.

By the end, Yakira lands on what she calls mental agility: not the absence of struggle, but the

capacity to actually feel the hard stuff — the anger, the grief, the fear — and come back from it.

A raw, honest conversation about eating disorders, motherhood, faith, and learning to trust

yourself.

In this powerful episode, Tamara sits down with bridal makeup artist, entrepreneur, and content

creator Chava Lowy for an honest conversation about resilience, rejection, and finding purpose.

After being isolated from her classmates, rejected by schools, and struggling with severe acne

as a teenager, Java shares how those painful experiences shaped her confidence instead of

breaking it. She opens up about building a successful makeup business at a young age,

learning to trust herself, healing from childhood wounds, and why your greatest setbacks can

become the foundation of your biggest success. Whether you've ever felt overlooked,

misunderstood, or like you weren't enough, this episode is a reminder that your story isn't over

and your hardest seasons may be preparing you for something far greater.

From Controlling Wife to Empowered Woman: Esther Malka's Marriage Transformation | Talk2TamaraIn this powerful episode of Talk2Tamara, host Tamara Gestetner sits down with Irina, also known as Esther Malka — a speaker, podcast host, and content creator who helps women strengthen their marriages by embracing traditional feminine values. Esther opens up about her own marriage struggles — being controlling, ungrateful, and living in "victim mode" — and how she transformed her mindset to build a happy, healthy relationship. We talk about the difference between masculine and feminine energy, why women are natural "receivers" and men are natural "givers," the danger of rejecting your husband's efforts, and how embracing femininity (not feminism) can actually empower women in marriage. This conversation is honest, controversial, and eye-opening — a must-watch for any woman who wants to understand her marriage on a deeper level. 🎙️ Follow Esther Malka: Instagram @whatyourhusbandwonttellyou.pod 🎙️ Follow Tamara Gestetner: Instagram @talk2tamara 🌐 Website: tamaragestetner.com#feminineenergy #relationshipadviceforwomen #Talk2Tamara #EstherMalka #MarriageTips #jewishpodcast #WifeGoals #healthymarriages #podcastbrasil

Your body never stops talking to you — the question is, are you listening?

In this episode, I sit down with Adina Erez, CEO of Bleu Glove Concierge, who blends evidence-based medicine with a whole-person approach to healing. We talk about how chronic stress, grief, and "survival mode" show up in the body as real physical symptoms — from Crohn's disease and IBS to burnout and emotional eating.

Adina shares the hard truths she tells patients every day: that hunger is a life force, that compassion (not perfectionism) is the real healer, and that you can't expect anyone else to be on your team if you're not on your own. We get personal — I open up about my own diagnosis with Crohn's after losing my mother, and how "the body keeps score" became more than just a phrase for me.

This is a conversation about medicine, but it's also about grief, self-abandonment, and finally coming home to yourself.

🩺 In this episode:

• Why the same diagnosis can lead to completely different outcomes

• The link between grief, trauma, and autoimmune disease

• Why hunger is often the first thing we ignore

• Compassion vs. perfectionism — and why one heals and one harms

• Learning to be okay with not being okay

• "Are you on your own team?" — the question everyone needs to ask themselves

💙 About Adina Erez & Bleu Glove Concierge: Bleu Glove is redefining what healthcare can be. We bring expert medical care to patients at home, in the office, in our clinic, and virtually, while partnering with businesses and healthcare organizations to provide comprehensive corporate medicine, occupational health, medical clearances, and wellness solutions. Personalized care. Exceptional medicine. Wherever you need us.

📱 Instagram: @bleugloveconcierge 🌐 Website: Bleugloveconcierge.com

🎙️ Find Tamara: 📱 Instagram: @talk2tamara 🌐 Website & all podcast platforms: https://tamaragestetner.com/

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more real conversations on health, healing, and being human.

#TheBodyKeepsScore #GutHealth #CrohnsDisease #HolisticHealing #MentalHealthMatters #SurvivalMode #SelfCompassion #TalkToTamara #BleuGloveConcierge #EmotionalHealing #WomensHealth #Burnout #TraumaHealing #ConciergeMedicine

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Comedian Chani
Lisbon sits down with Tamara on Talk2Tamara for one of the rawest, most honest conversations yet — covering alcohol addiction, losing her faith, living with alopecia, and how she found her way back to sobriety, Hashem, and herself.
Chani
 opens up about taking her first drink at 15 and feeling like it was “the answer to her entire life,” becoming a functioning alcoholic in her 20s in New York, the random encounter on Kingston Avenue that led her to recovery, and the painful moments of relapse-adjacent temptation — including living with alopecia and losing her hair three times.
This episode is honest, vulnerable, and unexpectedly funny. Chani
shares how she rebuilt her relationship with Judaism, became a full-time Jewish comedian, moved from New York to Florida, and learned to forgive the people who hurt her most — including a moment where she looked at her abuser across a room and, for the first time, felt only love.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, faith, identity, or forgiveness — this conversation will give you hope.
🎤 Guest: Chani
Lisbon — Comedian
🎙️ Host: Tamara — Talk2Tamara
WHAT WE COVER:
00:00 - Hook: A really hard day before the podcast
01:00 - Intro: Meet Chani
Lisbon
03:00 - Growing up, divorce, and finding alcohol at 15
08:00 - Moving to New York and becoming a functioning alcoholic
14:00 - The moment that led to getting sober
19:00 - Alopecia, pain, and choosing not to drink
22:00 - Becoming a full-time Jewish comedian
28:00 - Moving from New York to Florida
35:00 - Forgiveness, faith, and looking at her abuser with love
49:00 - Dating, marriage, and surrendering to Hashem
58:00 - Where to find Chani
+ closing thoughts
FOLLOW TAMARA:
Instagram: @talk2tamara
Website: Tamaragestetner.com
FOLLOW CHANIE LISBON:
Instagram: @chani_lisbon
Merch: “Hashem is Legit” / “Good Jewish Girl”
#Talk2Tamara #ChaniLisbon #SobrietyJourney #AddictionRecovery #JewishComedian #FaithAndRecovery #AlcoholAddiction #MentalHealthPodcast #PodcastInterview #RecoveryStory #Alopecia

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