Your Jewish Life Your Way with Karen Cinnamon

Karen focuses on one of the biggest topics in the Jewish world: how to stand up to antisemitism in a safe, effective way - whether we’re talking about overt acts of hate or subtle microaggressions. 

We can either diminish our Jewish identities - in other words, giving antisemites exactly what they want - or we can rise up and beat the shame imposed on us as Jews. Karen shares her top tips for how to take the second path and own our identities in an empowering way - gleaned from some of the biggest names in Jewish advocacy, as well as from her own experience as a Jewish public figure. 

LINKS:

My PDF guide to fighting antisemitism - including reading list 

http://yourjewishlife.co/stop 

Smashing Life, my private Jewish community

https://smashinglife.club/ 

Noa Tishby on the Your Jewish Life podcast

https://yourjewishlife.co/podcast/the-truth-about-israel-with-noa-tishby/ 

Hen Mazzig on the Your Jewish Life podcast 

https://yourjewishlife.co/podcast/how-to-love-being-jewish-10x-more-than-anyone-hates-you-for-it-with-hen-mazzig/ 

JMeetups.com, where you can find love across our global Jewish community

https://jmeetups.com/

Karen sits down with Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll, a writer and activist committed to taking a clear-eyed look at where things are going wrong in the Jewish world in 2022 - and how we can fix them. Shoshanna discusses her work to advance the rights of Jewish women in the Orthodox community and shares some much-needed advice on how we can come together as a unified Jewish people (even when we disagree!). Whatever your place in the Jewish world, this is such an important conversation filled with so much wisdom about how to stop being a bystander and make change happen.

You’ll find out:

- Why we need to stop judging each other as Jews

- The importance of differentiating between what people do and what God says

- The dangers of increasing polarization in the Jewish world

- How Shoshanna’s fighting against the erasure of women by Jewish extremists 

- Why being holy doesn’t mean being hidden

- Why we always need to remember that rabbis are human beings too 

- The importance of being the bigger mensch 

- Why every Jews should feel empowered to own their own Judaism

- The damage caused when people forget that Judaism is all about the middle ground

- Why the worst thing in the world is a bystander

- Shoshanna’s strategy for talking about Israel 

LINKS:

How to Stand Up to Antisemitism

https://yourjewishlife.co/stop 

Shoshanna’s Website

https://www.skjaskoll.com/ 

Shoshanna on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/shoshanna_keats_jaskoll 

Shoshanna on Twitter

https://twitter.com/skjask 

Chochmat Nashim

https://www.chochmatnashim.org/ 

Jewish Life Photo Bank

https://jewishlifephotos.com/ 

Smashing Life, my private Jewish community

https://smashinglife.club/ 

JMeetups.com, where you can find love across our global Jewish community

https://jmeetups.com/

If you want to bring more Jewish joy into your life, you’ve come to the right place. Karen - who’s been referred to as “the Oprah of Jewish Joy” - shares all about what Jewish joy is and how to tap into it. She shares tons of ideas for bringing Jewish joy into your own life in ways both large and small - as well as a reminder that there’s no one right way to be Jewish. There are so many beautiful, non-intimidating ways to make your life more Jewishly joyful, right now, you’re going t love this episode!

LINKS:

Smashing Life, my Jewish community

https://smashinglife.club/ 

Jewish Joy Journal

https://jewishjoyjournal.com/ 

30 Ideas for Instant Jewish Joy

http://yourjewishlife.co/joy 

My 10 Favorite Jewish recipes

http://yourjewishlife.co/recipes 

Jewish Joy Playlist

http://yourjewishlife.co/playlist 

Micaela Ezra on the podcast

https://yourjewishlife.co/podcast/overcoming-jewish-impostor-syndrome-bringing-jewish-tradition-to-life-with-micaela-ezra/ 

Micaela Ezra’s website

http://www.micaelaezra.com/ 

Jewish home checklist 

http://yourjewishlife.co/jewishhome 

The Queen of Jewish Positivity

https://www.thejc.com/life-and-culture/all/'i-want-everyone-to-be-happy-'-how-a-weddings-website-grew-into-a-brand-new-community-1.522492 

JMeetups.com, where you can find love across our global Jewish community

https://jmeetups.com/

Karen sits down with Nata Goldberg, a Jewish life, mindset, and manifestation coach, for a chat about what exactly manifestation is - and what it means to approach it from a Jewish perspective - how Nata learned to tap into her Jewish spirituality to build the life of her dreams, why she encourages you to drop your New Year’s resolutions, living simply in 2022, and so much more. 

You’ll find out:

- What manifestation really is - and how to embrace it in your own life 

- Why it’s so important to focus on your authentic desires, not “shoulds” imposed on you by others

- How childhood bullying shaped Nata’s journey 

- What it was like for Nata making aliyah to Israel from Germany 

- How Nata manifested her dream apartment in Jerusalem

- How keeping Shabbat changed Nata’s life - and her brilliant hack for remembering all the great ideas that come to her on Shabbat when she can’t write them down!

- The importance of mindset

- What it was like for Nata growing up Jewish in Germany

- How living in Israel has helped Nata grow into her most authentic self 

- Why Rosh Hashanah is Nata’s favorite holiday

- Nata’s top tip for making the world a better place

LINKS:

Nata’s website

https://www.itsnata.com/ 

Nata on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/itsnata/ 

Nata’s podcast

https://www.itsnata.com/podcast 

Nefesh b’Nefesh

https://www.nbn.org.il/ 

Smashing Life, my private Jewish community

https://smashinglife.club/ 

JMeetups.com, where you can find love across our global Jewish community

https://jmeetups.com/ 

Karen dives into one of the hottest topics in the Smashing Life community: Jewish dating! As someone who always wanted to get married and have children but ended up taking a little longer to get there, Karen’s been through it all - and now she’s sharing the wisdom accumulated from 15 years of dating to answer Smashing Lifers’ burning questions about single life, the world of Jewish dating, and the importance of finding the courage to live your best life on your own terms, whatever your relationship status. 

LINKS:

Join Smashing Life, my Jewish community

https://smashinglife.club/ 

Karen and Jeremy’s wedding on Smashing The Glass

https://www.smashingtheglass.com/karen-jeremy-london-wedding-at-the-wallace-collection/ 

Podcast episode about Smashing The Glass and Jewish weddings

https://yourjewishlife.co/podcast/tradition-tradition-the-joy-of-jewish-weddings/ 

JMeetups.com, where you can find love across our global Jewish community

https://jmeetups.com/ 

Jewish Joy Journal early access

https://www.jewishjoyjournal.com

Welcome to a very special episode of the podcast in which Karen talks your through her long-awaited ‘Jewish Joy Journal’ that you can pre-order today!

Part goal planner, part gratitude journal, part non-judgmental Jewish BFF, the JJJ will fill your life with daily joy, purpose, and nourishing Jewish values.

Within the journal’s pages you’ll find space for daily gratitude, goal planning, kvetches and kvells, as well as thoughtful Shabbat prompts to encourage you to pause and reflect on what really matters in your life.

For 14 days only, you can pre-order the Jewish Joy Journal at jewishjoyjournal.com. When you pre-order, you’ll also receive a limited edition set of 5 Jewish joy postcards, and the first 50 pre-orders will get a hand-written card with a personal message from Karen too!

Grab the Jewish Joy Journal before we order just a limited amount that will sell out at jewishjoyjournal.com!

LINKS:

Pre-order the Jewish Joy Journal

http://jewishjoyjournal.com/

Join Smashing Life, my private Jewish community

https://smashinglife.club/

Karen sits down with food writer and Israeli cuisine expert Adeena Sussman for a chat all about how Adeena came to serve as an ambassador of Israeli flavors to diaspora audiences, what it was like for Adeena moving to Israel seven years ago after meeting her husband Jay, and how the perspective she’s gained learning to navigate Israeli food culture as an outsider has reaped unexpected rewards. Of course, they also chat about Adeena’s favorite Rosh Hashanah recipes, and easy ideas for giving your High Holiday table a little bit of Israeli flair wherever you are in the world!

You’ll find out:

- The story of how Adeena became an unlikely Israeli food expert

-  How a spontaneous blind date led to marriage and a move to Tel Aviv for Adeena

-  What it’s like living smack in the middle of Tel Aviv’s Shuk HaCarmel market

-  How putting her personal life first paid off for Adeena – and led to even greater career success

-  What it’s like adjusting to Israeli culture as an American

-  Why Adeena believes in being unapologetically Jewish more than ever since moving to Israel

-  What Rosh Hashanah means to Adeena

-  How Adeena’s grown into owning the things that make her different

-  Adeena’s top Rosh Hashanah recipes

-  How to infuse your High Holiday season with Israeli flair

-  What it’s like celebrating Jewish holidays in Israel

-  How Adeena decorates for Rosh Hashanah 

-  All about Adeena’s upcoming Shabbat cookbook – and why Adeena wholeheartedly endorses your Shabbat, your way

-  What it was like spending lockdown at Chrissy Teigen and John Legend’s house – and how Adeena helped Chrissy explore her Jewish roots

LINKS:

Adeena on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/adeenasussman/

Adeena’s website

https://www.adeenasussman.com/

Sababa

https://www.adeenasussman.com/books

Adeena’s tahini and olive oil granola

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdB3fSjgPKi/

Adeena’s cabbage, apple, and pomegranate slaw

https://www.adeenasussman.com/apple-pomegranate-slaw

Adeena’s sheetpan honey harissa kitchen

https://www.adeenasussman.com/sheepan-chicken

Adeena’s matzo cinnamon toast crunch

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CcVqUW6jyxF

Smashing Life, my private Jewish community

https://smashinglife.club/

JMeetups.com, where you can find love across our global Jewish community

http://jmeetups.com/

Karen shares some of the Jewish values that are nearest to her own heart - and delves into why Jewish values are so essential for making not only our own lives better, but the entire world too. This episode will help you figure out which values are most important to you, how you can use that knowledge to light you up in your Jewish life, and how you can put more goodness out into the world - while receiving more joy at the same time. 

LINKS:

Jewish values guide 

https://yourjewishlife.co/values 

Jewish Joy Journal early access

https://www.jewishjoyjournal.com 

Smashing Life, my private Jewish community

https://smashinglife.club/ 

JMeetups.com, where you can find love across our global Jewish community

https://jmeetups.com/

In this episode, Karen sits down with Your Jewish Life team member Sam for a chat about a different side of Rosh Hashanah. While everyone loves chatting about menu plans and tablescapes (and there is a little bit of that here), this time the focus is on a side of the Jewish New Year that doesn’t necessarily get as much attention as it deserves: self-reflection. This time of the Jewish year is all about reflection and growth, and Karen and Sam go deep about what the past year has meant for them, what they hope to bring into the new Jewish year, and how they’re planning to make 5783 a year of growth.

You’ll find out:

- What Karen and Sam want to bring into the new Jewish year of 5783 

- The ordeal that is taking time off work or school for the Jewish holidays 

- Why Sam’s decided to be unapologetically Jewish at work all year long 

- How Karen will be bringing her beloved mother’s legacy into the new year 

- The importance of making sure we make space for our own needs heading into the new year

- How you can make 5783 a year of growth

- Why it’s important to make time for self-reflection at Rosh Hashanah 

- All about the forthcoming Jewish Joy Journal - the perfect tool for making 5783 your best year yet 

- Why banana bread is Sam’s go-to Rosh Hashanah dessert 

- What gets Karen’s daughters excited during the High Holidays

-  Why Karen thinks everyone should spend at least one Rosh Hashanah in Israel

LINKS:

Rosh Hashanah 2022 Guide

https://yourjewishlife.co/rosh

Rosh Hashanah Spotify playlist

https://yourjewishlife.co/roshplaylist

Jewish Joy Journal early access

https://www.jewishjoyjournal.com

Smashing Life, my private Jewish community

https://smashinglife.club/

JMeetups.com, where you can find love across our global Jewish community

https://jmeetups.com/

Karen sits down with Laur Plawker for an emotional discussion about Jewish mental health, intergenerational trauma, and the beauty of finding an unexpected sense of home in Israel. Laur is a mental health professional whose own struggles with anxiety, eating disorders, and more brought her closer to her heritage after a secular upbringing - and her moving story of finding faith in recovery is a must-listen.

You’ll find out:

- How a 12-step program brought Laur closer to Judaism

- The role of resilience in mental health

- How being the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor has impacted her life - and spurred an interest in epigenetics 

-  All about Laur’s incredibly moving first-ever trip to Israel earlier this year

-  How Laur went from rejecting the idea of Israel as the Jewish homeland to identifying as a Zionist

- The importance of always staying true to your core self 

- What it means to Laur to be a Jewish woman 

LINKS:

Laur on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/thehealinghappycook/?hl=en

Smashing The Glass Jewish wedding blog

https://www.smashingtheglass.com/

Laur’s Jewish mental health podcast, Kvetching on the Couch

https://www.callin.com/show/kvetching-on-the-couch-jMwTDPOtrM 

Smashing Life, my private Jewish community

https://smashinglife.club/

JMeetups.com, where you can find love across our global Jewish community

http://jmeetups.com/