What if Torah learning isn’t just about understanding, but about creating?

In this powerful conversation, Hadassah Shemtov sits down with Tonia Chazanow to explore the creative process of learning Torah in a way that is rooted, rigorous, and deeply personal. Tonia shares how she approaches texts like Tanya with honesty and imagination, staying true to the source while allowing her own voice, metaphors, and visual language to shape how she teaches and understands Torah.

They discuss the inner work of developing your own perspective, the courage it takes to innovate in the world of Torah, and how even struggle and discomfort can be invitations to deeper connection. Tonia reflects on how she learns through questions, tension, and artistic thinking, offering a model of Torah study that is vibrant, integrated, and uniquely her own.

This episode is an inspiring exploration of what it means to trust yourself in Torah learning, to bring your whole self to the text, and to see Torah not just as a tradition to uphold, but as a creative relationship to grow in.

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Tonia Chazanow is a writer, host of the Human & Holy podcast and Torah teacher. She is passionate about Torah study, gathering Jewish women, and the power of the arts as a way of better understanding ourselves and G-d.

Website: humanandholy.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mo2kXBh03DA218ZmfBqRb?si=uDmGyySHQROnVTOnwwlnCw

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/human-holy/id1543330611

Instagram: @humanandholy

Email: [email protected]

Show Notes:

The introduction of Igros Moshe:

https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/INTRI-IGROT-MOSHE-1.pdf

Article by R. Solovetchik: 

https://www.bjpa.org/content/upload/bjpa/rupt/RuptureAndReconstruction.pdf