The Curious Middle

Practicing Judaism was the last thing Miriam Racquel Feldman ever wanted. In fact, it was something she denied, preferring instead to be a free spirit, and a citizen of the world.  After repeatedly rejecting her Jewish roots, Mriam found herself reluctantly following the love of her life to retrieve him from an “orthodox cult”. But that is not the fate that awaited Miriam.

In Miriam’s memoir,  “God Said What?!", you will follow the story of how a letter from a former boyfriend, who had joined a religious community in Israel, set Miriam on her life’s path.  Miriam shares the day-to-day stories and moments during her studies at a women's yeshiva, as she was slowly captivated and  drawn towards the beauty of an orthodox Jewish life.

Miriam also addresses some common  misconceptions about the role and treatment of women in orthodox Judaism as was portrayed in several popular Netflix dramas over the last couple of years. We discuss meanings behind some of the Jewish laws and traditions she practices, and the universal message of peace and kindness that transcends religious boundaries. Whether you're Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, or of any other faith, Miriam's story offers encouragement for anyone seeking a deeper connection to their spiritual path.

Drop in and say hello to us on Instagram @meantforit.

Sign up for our free newsletter here on substack. to get a curated list of things we loved during the week to read, watch or listen to.

Email us directly at [email protected]  - we do a happy dance  when we get listener emails .

Visit our website at www.meantforit.com

 

Top quotes from Interview:

"I went to a rabbi and showed him this letter. The rabbi looked at it and said, "Your boyfriend's in a cult.""

"I had totally rejected my Judaism. I thought if Jews blend in with non-Jews, there won't be antisemitism."

"I love having this spiritual way of looking at the world that is just beyond what I see with my physical eyes."

"Jewish prophecy says there will come a time of peace, and I believe we are evolving towards that."

"Chabad is very not insular. It's very out there, out there, out there all the time."

Tracy McCubbin is a professional declutterer, but what she really does is help people manage their relationship to stuff. When Tracy realized she had a talent for helping people organize their stuff, she turned it into dCluttefly, a thriving business.

In our part 2 of our conversation with Tracy, we discuss the 7 emotional clutter blocks people us to avoid their emotions or problems. We discuss some of the ways our society is rigged against our desire to buy less and how your home can become a more peaceful and joyful place when you remove the things that you don't need. Whether you are hanging on to the past, creating a fantasy life, feeling guilty about your purchases or feeling shame for not using the stuff you bought, Tracy can help. After 18 years helping people declutter their homes, Tracy has seen it all and can help people move past common emotional mistakes.

Tracy's book, Making Space Clutter Free: The Last Book on Decluttering You Will Ever Need

Hear how Tracy McCubbin took her biggest pyschic wound and turned it into her life's work. Tracy helps people destress, save money and. precious time.. If you want to focus on what you can control, buying less stuff is something you can immediately start doing to mprove your life. We aren't saying you shoudn't buy those shoes, or that item that makes you happy (yes, buy the shoes) but be intentional about the things you buy so you can free up more of you precious time and money for things you will enjoy. That means don't get things you don't need because they are on sale, learn about the common clutter and shopping traps most of use to avoid loneliness, boredom or to seek joy in the wrong places. Also, on a macro level, when we buy less junk, or things that we don't realy need, we add less garbage to our planet. Collectively, we can shift how we spend our resources! 💪 We also discuss the most common emotional clutter blocks that trap people into buying more stuff , like when you buy a ton of gear for the fantasy life of being a biker, photgrapher, runner , but never even start the hobby or take the trip. Sound familar? 1 in 4 Americans has a clutter problem, so if this episode isn't for you please send it to a friend. We also talk about how decluttering is a greatr small business or side job. Since 25% of Americans can't park in their garages due to their stuff, you will have job secucity. Tracy is a decluttering queen! https://www.instagram.com/tracy_mccubbin/

Meet DeNora Getachew, CEO of DoSomething.org, the largest online platform for youth activism. DoSomething.org, with its 1M  active users, gets young people aged 13 to 25 into volunteerism and activism. DeNora shares how the organization meets young people where they are, including finding them on gaming platforms (whatever works).

 

We discuss the core areas of focus for DoSomething.org: safety and well-being, equity and justice, and climate and sustainability. DeNora tells us about the impactful Camp Reboot program, which trains young people to become mental health advocates.. DoSomething.org makes activism accessible and actionable for young people, guiding them from curiosity to committed change-makers.

DeNora tells us about career as a legislative attorney to leading DoSomething.org, and her belief in the power of young people to drive real  change. If you're interested in youth activism, mental health advocacy join us as we explore how DoSomething.org is encouraging the next generation of leaders. And, if you are a DoSomething.org activist, we want to hear from you!  Drop us a message on IG or email us atL  [email protected] and tell us your activism  story.

Visit our website at www.meantforit.com,

and sign up for our newsletter here on substack. or email us directly at [email protected]  - we do a happy dance  when we get listener emails .

 

Zoom in to our conversation:

(02:33) How do you get to young people through volunteering and service opportunities

(04:00) Dosomething. org is the largest online platform for youth activism

(08:19) We have a million active users on our platform so far this year

(16:51) Camp reboot is training young people to be mental health upstanders

(25:03) Tell us who your earliest, greatest influences were

(30:05) A big component of our new platform will provide young people with opportunities to recommend programming

(32:12) Are there some books you think young people should read around social change

(33:16) If you could have a dinner party and invite four people, who would you invite?

 

In one of the most important and timely conversations on our podcast, Izabella Tabarovsky shares her research in tracing the roots of anti-zionism rhetoric to the Soviet Union. Izabella's article, "Zombie Anti-Zionism" for Tablet magazine shares the striking similarities between today's anti-Israel language and Soviet propaganda from the 1960s to the 1980s, revealing a dangerous connection that many are unaware of. Izabella explains how this rhetoric, which demonizes Zionism and Israel, has been meticulously and expertly transmitted to the West and passionately adopted by the global left.

We discuss Izabella's process of tracing the origins of anti-zionism to the communist party of the Soviet Union and cover some of the channels, major players, publications and methods that allowed it to infiltrate American society. Izabella's research shows the explosive growth of this rhetoric after the 1967 Six day Arab-Israeli war. When Israel won the war, the Soviet Union started to see that there was an Israeli and US alliance, with Zionists firmly aligned with the West against the USSR and its allies. Izabella shares the significant influence of Soviet propaganda, the role of third-world publications, and the geopolitical chess moves that led to the widespread, and highly successful adoption of anti-Zionist rhetoric as a "peace movement".

Similarly to the discredited and fraudulent Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the anti-zionist rhetoric coming from the modern left, is an echo of Soviet led propaganda that equated zionism with fascism, colonialism, and portrayed zionists as traitors to their homeland.

If you want to know the historical context of the propaganda around the Israel-Gaza war, and the origins of today's anti-Israel, anti-zionist movements, do NOT miss this conversation, and please share it with a friend.

https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/zombie-anti-zionism

(08:26) Why did the Soviets invest such an incredible amount of resources into propaganda

(14:23) More people from the former Soviet Union know about Angela Davis than Americans do

(19:30) Mahmoud M. Abbas and the Soviet Union Connection

(24:21) How Anti zionist language came from the Soviet Union

(31:51) Today's language is even more radical than we had in the seventies and eighties

Please stop by and say hello to us on Instagram @meantforit.

Visit our website at www.meantforit.com,

and sign up for our newsletter here on substack. or email us directly at [email protected] - we do a happy dance when we get listener emails .

Quotes:

"What we hear on college campuses is not criticism, it's demonization of Zionism in Israel."

"The Soviets invested an incredible amount of resources into this propaganda."

"The Soviets had geopolitical interests in targeting Israel, and in targeting Zionism as an ideology."

"So today, essentially, the dividing line is that Zionists are people who believe that Israel has a right to exist."

"The Soviets completely redefined the word Zionism."

"For us, the United States most certainly was a force for good."

Jessica Tarlov, the co-host and only democratic voice on Fox News Channel’’s 🌟The Five ( a brave role to take on!) is back on our podcast to share her insights om Kamala's campaign and key issues most important to voters. Whether you agree with her or not, Jessica’s informed, moderate and balanced perspective is rejuvenating. Join us as we cover everything from foreign policy to domestic issues and the future of American politics. We think you will love Jessica as much as we do!

Our first podcast with Jessica from April 2024

Watch Jessica on The Five

Can you please share our podcast with a friend? 

Please stop by and say hello to us on Instagram @meantforit.

visit our website at www.meantforit.com,

and sign up for our newsletter here on substack. or email us directly at [email protected]  - we do a happy dance  when we get listener emails .

 

A few topics we covered:

• (03:53) Democrats are feeling relief about the candidate switch
• (16:01) It feels like the entire election is really a  personality vote
• (22:37) “Baruch” Shapiro came out early for Obama in 2008
• (25:37) How big money is corrupting democracy
• (32:16) Immigration issues
• (37:36) How Kamala is injecting optimism into the Democratic presidential campaign

In this life deeply soulful conversation we speak with Nicole Avant to discuss her tribute to her mom in her new book "Think You'll Be Happy." We explore themes from Nicole's book including living a life centered around love of family, community, the arts, gratitude and serving others.

Nicole's mindset is an example of the power of positive energy and the importance of being a blessing to others, no matter the circumstances. Nicole talks about her upbringing in a household filled with love, wisdom, and how she learned from so many wonderful people that were friends with her parents. Nicole's parents, Clarence Avant and Jacqueline Avant were both extraordinary leaders in the music industry and in their communities. The Avant home was a meeting place for some of America's greatest artists and leaders such as Ella Fitzgerald, Maya Angelou, the Clintons and the Obamas. Despite her glamorous and successful life, Nicole remains humble and grounded, attributes she credits to her mother's teachings.

We discuss how Nicole intentionally turned a tragedy into a source of inspiration, the importance of traditional values and the impact of small acts of kindness.

We know you will not forget the lessons Nicole shares on being good, spreading good, supporting people who are grieving and choosing to be the blessing every day of your life.

Nicole Avant https://thinkyoullbehappy.com

Nicole's father Clarence Avant

Clarence Avant, Mighty Engine Behind Black Superstars, Dies at 92

Please stop by and say hello on Instagram @meantforit. visit our website at www.meantforit.com, and sign up for our newsletter here on substack. or email us directly at [email protected].

Zoom in:

(00:00) Nicole Avant's new book is about love and gratitude

(05:22) The book is focused on grit, grace, and gratitude

(09:10) How your mother taught you to be the blessing

(16:20) This book really made me want to be a better friend

(22:13) You left your ambassadorship in the Bahamas to support your family

(27:08) In your book, you talk about bullying among children in today's society

(34:00) Your mom taught you to always be grateful. What are some of your favorite life lessons

(38:26) You talk a lot about energy and intuition in the book

(42:27) You talk about learning from your ancestors, and your father had incredible life story

(46:11) Investment in the arts

(51:35) Lessons from Nicole's mom

(55:25) Paying it forward

(59:47) Lead with generosity that really is the message out of this book

Are you tired of the constant stream of bad news? Angus Hervey shares his story of being a depressed news junkie overwhelmed by negativity to a source of hope through his good news site, Fix the News. Angus discusses the negativity bias in the media and how it skews our perception of the world. He explains that while the news often focuses on what's wrong, there's a wealth of positive progress happening globally that goes unreported.

Angus's Ted Talk

We discuss the importance of shifting the narrative from problems to solutions, particularly in areas like climate change, where positive developments are often overlooked. Angus explains how a deliberate pursuit of good news changed his outlook on the world, improved his mental well-being and his approach to parenting. Teachers and parents are using his newsletter to have more balanced and hopeful conversations with children. Angus' work is filing overwhelming gap in mass media. Since most people don't have the time to search for good news, buy subscribing to Fix the News newsletter, you can also have a more accurate picture of the world. When you balance the negative with the positive it is more likely to inspire action since the world doesn't seem so hopeless.

Subscribe to Fix the News here

Memorable Quotes

"Optimism isn't a reaction to the world around me. It's a choice by which you can navigate the world around you."

"For every story of death, disaster, and destruction, I can very easily tell a story of kindness, connection, and hope."

"The future is going to be messy and unpredictable and chaotic, but I don't think that we're all doomed."

"We need to shift our focus now and start talking about the solutions as a way to get more action."

(00:00) Introduction and the concept of Fix the News

(05:20) The negativity bias in media

(10:45) Finding good news: sources and strategies

(15:30) Personal transformation through positive news

(20:15) Impact of positive news on society

(25:50) Challenges of running a good news media outlet

(30:10) The role of good news in education and parenting

(35:00) Angus' early influences and personal background

(40:15) Final thoughts and future goals for Fix the News

Find us on Instagram @meantforit. You can also visit our website at www.meantforit.com, and sign up for our newsletter here or email us at [email protected].

Sophia Khalifa, an engineer, working on AI at Amazon AWS, has a story we need to hear. Sophia is a muslim Bedouin Arab, born and raised in Israel. In Sophia's culture and community, girls traditionally do not receive an education, but Israeli policies mandating schooling for all children, changed her entire life. Sophia graduated from Tel Aviv University with a BS in Electrical Engineering, moved to the US, worked as an engineer for Intel, received her MBA from Stanford, and started working at Amazon leading trust and safety for generative AI. SInce October 7, Sophia's life changed again when she added activism to areas where she excels.

Sophia says, " ​​if ​Israel ​was ​not ​established, ​I ​probably ​would ​be, ​ ​illiterate, ​married ​to ​my ​cousin ​and ​herding ​sheep, ​somewhere ​in ​Galilee. ​Because ​that ​was ​ ​generation ​after ​generation. ​That's ​the ​culture ​that ​we ​had ​but ​Israel ​actually ​up ​leveled ​the ​field ​for ​the ​Arabs. ​And ​if ​you ​look ​at ​the ​number ​of ​like ​20% ​of ​the ​population ​of ​citizens ​and ​the ​population ​in ​Israel ​are ​Arabs. ​Most ​of ​them ​are ​Muslims. ​ And ​in ​universities ​today, ​the ​percent ​of ​Arabs ​pursuing ​bachelor ​degree ​is ​20%, ​same ​as ​their ​percent ​of ​the ​population."

As a muslim Arab who grew up in Israel straddling two cultures, Sophia speaks from first hand experience about the cultural divisions in Israel. In our conversation, Sophia dispels the damaging lies against Israel as an apartheid state guilty of genocide and oppressing Arabs. Sophia breaks down how each of these lies is absurdly false and how the repulsive jew hatred that is poisoning our society and hijacking the social justice movement should concern all of us. Sophia tells us that the real problem is not Israel vs Hamas, it is the western world vs. radical Islam.

Sophia emphasizes the importance of identifying Islamist anti semitism, and the need for honest conversation about this global threat.

When we talked about those who try to attack Sophia's honesty because her experience doesn't match up with the story they believe about Israel, Sophia had wise words, "first ​they ​try ​to ​spread ​lies. ​ ​And ​then ​when ​you're ​able ​to ​fight ​against ​it ​because ​you're ​sharing ​the ​facts, ​the ​truth, ​then ​they ​try ​to ​discredit ​you."

Must Read Quotes from this episode:

"​​And ​then ​I ​think ​that ​as ​long ​as ​you're ​using ​this ​social ​justice ​language, ​you ​are ​kind ​of ​like ​protected, ​you ​are ​righteous, ​and ​then ​that ​gives ​you ​the ​legitimacy ​to ​say ​anything. ​But ​no ​one ​comes ​and ​tries ​to ​question ​what ​you're ​saying. And ​what ​is ​happening ​is ​that ​we ​have ​the ​islamist, ​anti ​Semitism. ​And ​I'm ​not ​saying ​Muslim. ​I'm ​saying ​islamist, ​extreme ​Islam, ​antisemitism ​that ​is ​exploiting ​that ​language ​and ​using ​that."

"​They ​try ​to ​be ​for ​the ​oppressed, ​for ​women's ​rights, ​for ​LGBTQ ​rights ​and ​all ​that they're ​trying ​to ​be ​on ​the ​right ​side ​of ​history. So ​they ​hear ​that ​social ​justice ​lingo ​about ​like, ​ah, ​genocide, ​colonialism, ​white ​supremacy Which ​is ​like, ​if ​you ​went ​to ​Israel, ​you ​would ​laugh ​to ​think ​that ​this ​is ​like ​white ​supremacy. ​You ​cannot ​tell ​the ​difference ​between ​a ​Jew ​and ​Arab ​in ​Israel."

"But ​all ​of ​a ​sudden, ​your ​teacher, ​someone ​that ​you ​look ​up ​to, ​come ​to ​you ​and ​tells ​you ​you ​don't ​have a ​future. ​ ​I ​felt ​like ​so ​helpless ​in ​those ​moments. ​But ​then ​luckily, ​I ​have ​this ​critical ​thinking ​that ​today ​is ​missing ​from ​our ​college ​students a​nd ​I ​saw ​that ​my ​experience ​with ​the ​jewish ​people ​is ​different. ​It's ​not ​what ​he's ​saying. ​So ​he ​probably ​doesn't ​know ​what ​he's ​talking ​about, ​or ​maybe ​he ​knows, ​but ​he's ​like ​lying ​to ​us. ​And ​I ​just, ​just ​ignored ​it."

"The hate to the Jews is more important and stronger than the love for their own future."

"We need to understand that this is the thing that is going to take our liberty, in the name of being liberal or tolerating other people."

"The problem here, it's not Israel versus Palestine. It's really about extreme Islam, who is trying to take power and control all over the world."

"I stand for my truth, and I don't care what people think about it."

(00:00) Sophia is grateful that Israel made education mandatory for all children

(05:55) People are using this word to label Israel as an apartheid state

(08:34) I think that antisemitism is not something that ever disappeared

(17:57) Sophia: Americans have a lack of understanding of fundamentalism

(19:37) Sophia's growing up in Israel

(25:21) Sophia's experiences in Israel on 9/11 happened

(29:25) A turning point for Sopha when your friend told you she wanted to a suicide bomber

(57:29) Arab Israelis support of a two state solution

(01:00:37) Israel disengaged from Gaza in 2005

(01:03:19) Everyone should be united against Hamas

(01:05:31) First step in solving problem is being explicit about what the problem is

Find us on Instagram @meantforit. You can also visit our website at www.meantforit.com, and sign up for our newsletter here or email us [email protected].

In this episode, Susan Griffin-Black, co-founder of EO Products, shares her story. Susan tells us about her path from her early days in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to becoming a pioneer in the natural products industry. Raised by a father who was an early feminist and advocate for women's economic empowerment, Susan's entrepreneurial spirit was nurtured from a young age. She recounts her experiences in the fashion industry, opening her first retail store in San Francisco, and eventually co-founding EO Products.

In 1995, Susan founded EO Essential Oils, starting with a few essential oil blends. Her vision was to create a company that she would want to work for, one that prioritized sustainability, community, and holistic well-being. Over the years, EO has grown significantly, becoming a trusted name in the natural products industry.

Susan's story is one of intentional living. Susan's dedication to holistic, sustainable practices has been unwavering. "Our premise was we wanted to create a company that we would want to work for. And so what does that look like?" Susan's Buddhist spiritual practice has also been a guiding force, helping her navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Susan has always believed in meeting people not for what they can do for you, but to understand their journey and learn from their experiences.

As EO Essential Oils approaches its 30th anniversary, Susan is optimistic about the future. She plans to continue growing the business while staying true to its core values. New products are in the pipeline, and there are exciting plans to celebrate this milestone with the community.

Susan Griffin's journey is a reminder and model that success is not just about financial achievements but about values based living. We hope Susan's story inspires you to stay committed to your dreams. We also discuss the months when it was a struggle for Susan to make payroll and a living wage. It was not easy, but the alignment of values, purpose, great products and smart business decisions led to EO's success. Susan says, "You just have to collectively aim for the highest good for the most amount of people. Always, always, always."

Memorable Quotes

"I've had a Buddhist spiritual practice for 30 years. This is, I don't care what all of the external voices are saying, but if I go down this path, it's just not aligned with my values."

"Our premise was we wanted to create a company that we would want to work for. And so what does that look like?

"Essential oils are like very, very distilled flowers and plants and bark and, you know, all sorts of plant material, but they have so much vitality."

"You just have to collectively aim for the highest good for the most amount of people. Always, always, always."

EO Products