Becoming Home

What does Yiras Shamayim really mean? Rabbi Greenwald and Rabbi Yudkowsky challenge the common assumption that fear of Heaven means anxiety, dread, or living under constant pressure. They explore the difference between unhealthy fear and a kind of fear that deepens a person’s life, relationships, and inner world. The discussion moves from childhood ideas of punishment and consequence into somethin...

What does real discipline look like in a Jewish home? In this episode of Becoming Home, Rabbi Greenwald and Rabbi Yudkowsky explore a deeper framework for parenting — one that challenges the way we think about discipline, punishment, and love itself. They unpack three aspects of love – how they work together and how in their absence disciplinary measures fail and create unintended damage. They als...

As Pesach approaches, many families feel the pressure long before they feel the joy. In this conversation, Rabbi Greenwald and Rabbi Yudkowsky explore how to prepare for the Seder in a way that is calmer, sweeter, and more connected. The atmosphere we create around Pesach shapes what our children will carry with them for years to come. They share practical preparation to the deeper meaning of the...

Everything you need to properly prepare for your seder.

In this episode, Rabbi Greenwald and Rabbi Yudkowsky tackle a challenge that many parents feel deeply but struggle to explain: the difference between yelling and hitting today vs earlier generations. They explore shifts in children, parents, and society, and contemporary consequences of traditional discipline. Along the way, they touch on anger, fear, authority, self-control, and the deeper goal o...

In this episode, Rabbi Greenwald and Rabbi Yudkowsky tackle a question every parent faces: how do we raise children who know how to be good friends? They discuss how to model and empower children to share and get along with each other, and examine the role of character in interpersonal relationships and obligations. The conversation also addresses boundaries—what to do when a child feels used, ove...

In this conversation, Rabbi Yudkowsky and Rabbi Greenwald delve into the subject of friendship, for ourselves and for our children. Rabbi Greenwald outlines three fundamental elements of friendship - the role they play in our lives and the core of true friendships. It also addresses the pain of rejected friendships, especially in children, and how parents can guide their children in building meani...

Building Trust in the Home: Practical Insights for Parenting What does it really mean to build trust with our children, and what quietly erodes it over time? In this episode, Rabbi Yudkowsky and Rabbi Greenwald explore trust not as a technique, but as a way of being in the home. They touch on the subtle messages parents send through consistency, communication, and everyday interactions, and how th...

Rabbi Yudkowsky and Rabbi Greenwald explore one of the most complex and emotionally charged challenges of parenting: trust. This is episode two of a three-part series focused on what it truly means to trust our children. The rabbis unpack some common fears that if unacknowledged or ignored can block our ability to trust. They distinguish between external compliance vs internal motivation -- obedie...

Rabbi Yudkowsky and Rabbi Greenwald explore what it truly means to build trust with our children. They discuss how trust is formed from early childhood through consistent care, emotional safety, empathy, and clear expectations. The conversation examines trust as a two-way relationship, balancing boundaries with understanding, and allowing children to learn from mistakes without fear. Drawing on pa...