A conversation with Rivky Kaplan exploring what it means to lean into the feminine spirit in both the private and public sphere, the Lubavitcher Rebbe's vision for Jewish womanhood, the wisdom available to us in our cycles and the seasons of our life, how to stay connected to the woman beneath the role of mother, and the power of sisterhood in helping us find our voices.

Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in Tzfat, Israel with her husband Chaim and family. Rivky teaches Torah and Chassidut in various seminaries as well as many adult education classes both in Israel and abroad. She is passionate about engaging her students in the text and making Torah concepts personal and relevant. Rivky is a Yoetzet Halacha and has recently opened a one of a kind Educational Visitors center in their newly renovated Mikva. She is also a trained Fertility Fellow providing guidance to couples navigating the challenges of infertility. Rivky is also a very proud Bubby. You can contact Rivky at [email protected]

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Sneak Peek

00:27 - Host's Intro

02:13 - Welcome Rivky

05:51 - Rosh Chodesh: A Gift to Women

07:35 -The Lubavitcher Rebbe's Vision for Jewish Womanhood

10:26 - Why Chana Decided to Stay Home

15:00 - Giving Your Child That Little Bit More

16:26 - Why Dena Went Out to Lead

17:35 - Personifying Internality: The Feminine Spirit

19:03 - Beyond Biological Motherhood: A Spiritual Role

21:00 - Expanding the Walls of the Home

23:46 - Capitalizing on What is Unique About Us

25:40 - If the Workplace Was Designed for Women's Needs

28:55 - The World is Waking Up to Feminine Values

29:55 - Listening to Our Bodies

32:50 - I Expected Myself to Be a Full Moon Every Day

33:25 - Understanding the Hormonal Phases

35:15 - Attuning Ourselves to Our Bodies

37:58 - The Phases of Our Menstrual Cycles

38:44 - Wishing My Mother Could Hold My Babies

42:55 - Our Bodies Hold Paradox

44:28 - Carrying Life and Grief in Israel

46:40 - A Disconnect From Our Bodies

47:50 - Navigating Life's Seasons: We Are Both Chana and Dina

50:33 - Being Present Where You Are

52:50 - Staying Connected to What Fuels Me

56:33 - What is a Feminine Way of Giving?

57:56 - Story of the Rebbe: What is the Identifier of a Jewish Girl?

1:01:30 - Shifting the Way the World Sees Jewish Women

1:04:30 - Have We Internalized That Vision?

01:07:05 - Menopause and Its Impact on a Woman’s Identity

1:09:24 - Expanding the Why's That Carried You

1:11:30 - How to Nurture Yourself When You're a Mother

1:13:37 - G-d Trusts Us

1:17:35 - Having a Firsthand Experience of the Torah

1:20:48 - Teaching From a Place of Trust

1:24:25 - Textual Learning Makes Space for Critical Thinking

1:30:58 - There Are Many Ways of Serving G-d

1:33:18 - I Felt Escorted to the Mikvah by the Chain of Jewish Women

1:37:33 - The Contemporary Sisterhood

1:40:00 - Female Soldiers Immersing in the Mikvah

1:41:42 - How to Create Your Own Sisterhood

1:43:28 - You Need One Person to Truly See You

1:49:00 - The World is Waiting for Every Woman's Voice

01:50:05 - Host’s Outro