🎧 Jewish Grit | A Podcast by Olami Mentorship: Hosted by Rabbi Shlomo Landau and Abbey Wolin

As the founder of the largest ambulatory anesthesia group in New York and New Jersey, you could say that he is already busy saving lives. But for Avishai Newman that was not enough. He joined Hatzala - the largest volunteer emergency service organization, then he helped launch Hatzalah Air, and then drove back and forth between hospitals in Israel saving lives after October 7th. Avishai shares fas...

Most people spend their careers trying to climb one ladder. Jordan Kavana has built a career by knowing when to switch ladders entirely. He’s moved across industries, launched new businesses, followed opportunities others might have ignored, and reinvented himself more than once along the way. And in a world where very few of us will have one job, one company or even one career for life, that abil...

David Moore has seen it all: sudden loss, near-business collapse, explosive successes, and reinventing himself as both a CEO and a stand-up comic. David's title of “Chief Appreciation Officer” is not a gimmick, but a philosophy that pays off far beyond perks. In this episode, he shares: ✅ A view of responsibility that will change how you view your team ✅ How to cultivate an authentic attitud...

Adam Sasouness of Hudson Oak Development and Dwight Capital spent years grinding with almost nothing to show for it — and almost quit before it clicked. In this episode, he shares: ✅ How to tell the difference between stuck and slow ✅ How to keep going when your peers seem further ahead ✅ Why quitting early is the only guaranteed way to lose ✅ Why daily consistency — not one big break — builds...

Sara Sicherman used to work 12–18 hour days and wear it like a badge of honor — until one night at the printer, missing her family's celebration, she realized the hustle wasn't serving the life she actually wanted. In this episode, she shares: ✅ Why "grit" and "grind" aren't the same thing — and how to tell which one you're doing ✅ The book that changed everyt...

Shai Stern is a serial entrepreneur. He has built and sold multiple companies — not because he had a grand master plan, but because he knew how to spot an opening and "go." In this episode, he shares: ✅ How to spot the next opportunity before you feel ready for it ✅ Why you should treat the Jewish community as a growth strategy, not just a support system ✅ How to pair hustle with fait...

You don't need everything figured out to get far. Steven Biondolilo didn't start with a plan — he started with what life handed him, and made every opportunity count. In this episode, he shares: ✅ Why setbacks are setup, not the end of the story ✅ How to recognize an open door and walk through it before you talk yourself out of it ✅ Why the right mentor can help you see further than you can alo...

When Ivan was a young man, his father gave him one piece of advice on his deathbed. Years later, that advice would be put to the ultimate test. As the financial crisis brought businesses across his industry to their knees, Ivan's company was one of the few that survived - not because he predicted the crash, but because he never forgot what his father had taught him. In this conversation, Ivan shar...

Businesses don't survive by staying the biggest — they survive by staying willing to change. In this episode, Mark Hirshberg shares lessons from decades of leading a family business through shifting markets, customers, and technology. What you'll learn: •⁠ ⁠How to spot the moment it's time to pivot — before you're forced to •⁠ ⁠Ways to challenge assumptions that no longer serve you...

Ann Zeilengold didn't start with charisma or connections — she started $90K in credit card debt with three kids, determined to fix what she'd broken. Nearly four decades later, she runs a thriving mortgage practice built on a simple formula: know your field cold, ask more questions than anyone else in the room, and never let one bad day define the next one. In this episode, she breaks down...

You can have the degree, the hustle, and the ambition — but if you don't know how to build real relationships, you're leaving your biggest opportunities on the table. Networking isn't about collecting contacts. It's about showing up for people before you need anything from them. In this episode of Jewish Grit, Jeffrey Meshel — real estate veteran, master networker, and author of On...

You're starting out in your career, trying to figure out: •⁠ ⁠Which skills to build •⁠ ⁠Which doors to walk through •⁠ ⁠Which bets are worth taking In this episode of Jewish Grit, Howard Morgan — one of the earliest internet pioneers and a venture capitalist behind companies like LinkedIn and Uber — shares: •⁠ ⁠How he learned to see around corners •⁠ ⁠What it really takes to build a career wit...

You've worked hard, done everything right, and then something outside your control threatens to take it all away. What do you do next? In this episode of Jewish Grit, Yael Simon, a philanthropic strategist who has helped deploy over $300 million for some of the world's most influential family offices, opens up about the career crisis that almost ended everything — and how it became the foundation...

You're early in your career, trying to figure out your path — and the fear of making the wrong move can feel paralyzing. What if the wrong move is actually the point? In this episode of Jewish Grit, Arash Gohari, founder of 27 Capital, breaks down the exact mindset that took him from law school dropout to real estate fund manager. Arash fled Iran as a child and built his career from a payphone cal...

huva Morris is the first female divorce mediator at the Beth Din of America, bringing legal training, Jewish law, and deep emotional sensitivity into one of the most difficult moments a family can face. In this episode of Jewish Grit, Ahuva shares her journey from law school to the Beth Din, the challenges of carving out a new role as a woman in a traditional space, and the wisdom she has gained a...

His Mom believed in him. The banks didn’t. His parents gave him their entire life savings. The banks still said no. So he got on a plane to New York — and refused to come back empty-handed. That moment became the foundation of a 50-year career building some of the most iconic developments in the U.S. This isn’t just a real estate story. It’s about belief, resilience, and what happens when someone...

Everyone wants success. Very few know what to do after they get it. In this episode, Harvey Pava breaks down the mindset required not just to win—but to stay in the game. From learning the hard way about complacency, to building a life anchored in responsibility, faith, and consistency—this is a masterclass in long-term thinking. This conversation isn’t about one big moment. It’s about the habits...

She thought she was losing weight. She ended up gaining an entirely new career trajectory. What started as a personal struggle turned into a complete career pivot — from law school ambitions to building a wellness brand with 12 locations, a national product line, and a loyal following. But this isn’t a story about weight loss. It’s about what happens when you stop overthinking — and just try. No m...

He had everything, then it all collapsed. Meet British-born financier Henry Stimler. His story isn’t just about success — it’s about how he lost everything and built it all back again. Henry arrived in New York with just $400 and no formal training, yet built a fast-moving financial empire in his 20s… only to see it collapse overnight in the 2008 financial crisis. In this episode, Henry shares the...

What do you do when logic says you’re done — but you’re not? When you hit your limits — in work, in life, or within yourself? Jonathan Landau shares a powerful mindset: you always have another gear. Finding that next gear is what builds resilience, fuels optimism, and helps you move forward when things don’t go to plan — in your career and far beyond it. This isn’t just about business. It’s a stra...

Chaya Sokol is a registered dietician who took a risk, built a company with 300+ employees, and wakes up every morning loving her job. In this episode she shares her journey, her thoughts on why many entrepreneurs don't succeed and her advice to anyone starting out.

Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist, shares the story behind one of the internet’s most influential platforms — and the personal lessons that shaped his journey. In this conversation, he reflects on humility, learning to listen, and why success ultimately comes with a responsibility to give back. A thoughtful look at leadership, empathy, and using your influence to help others.

If winning is your only motivator, you won’t stay in the game. Before coaching leaders at Google and Facebook, Tania Friedlander was a professional athlete. Catch her sage advice: ✔️ Pursuit of perfection will burn you out. ✔️ Don't live in the gap. Stop defining yourself only by how far you still have to go. ✔️ Get a mentor — you can’t see your own blind spots. ✔️ Anchor yourself in purpose. Tani...

He’s argued before the United States Supreme Court. He’s also gifted a Boston Celtics jersey to a Chassidic Rebbe. Josh Kahane is a partner at Glankler Brown PLLC in Memphis who lives at the intersection of ambition and faith. In this episode of Jewish Grit, he shares: ⚖️ What it felt like to win a constitutional case at the highest court in the land 🏀 How a high school basketball tournament beca...

After losing his mother at seven, resilience became part of his DNA. From Wall Street to launching his own firm, he climbed fast — only to discover that money without meaning isn’t success. In this episode: •⁠ ⁠The loss that shaped his drive and how grit is daily. •⁠ ⁠The career move mistake that forced him to rethink everything •⁠ ⁠Why success is never linear •⁠ ⁠His blunt advice to his sons and...