Chai on Life

[This episode originally aired on July 29, 2024] Hi everyone, welcome to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal and today, we are speaking with Dr. Hilla Aboody, an amazing teacher, mother, wife and mentor currently living in Eretz Yisrael who I invited to come on to speak about this heavy time on the Jewish calendar. Hilla has such a beautiful way of explaining things — it’s...

Today, I’m speaking with Aliza Tropper. Aliza is a licensed psychotherapist and the founder of Heartful Mental Health, a therapy practice based in Cedarhurst, NY.  Aliza has more than a decade of experience helping adolescents and adults navigate anxiety, trauma, relationship challenges, and life transitions. She takes a holistic approach, integrating mind, body and soul, and uses evidence-based t...

Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal and today I’m speaking with Katia Bolotin, the author of Making it Relevant: Timeless Torah Wisdom for an Ever-Changing World which came out at the end of last year. Katia is an author and speaker as well as a pianist, songwriter and composer of contemporary classical music. She is known for inspiring audience...

Welcome back to The Chai on Life Podcast! Today, I’m speaking with Guila Sandroussy, the creator of Tasty and Hasty which is an Instagram account and website filled with kosher food recipes that as the name suggests, are both fast and delicious. Since summer is finally here, I’m sure we all want to spend less time in the kitchen and more time in the sunshine and Guila is helping us with just that....

Welcome back to The Chai on Life Podcast! Today, ’m speaking with Rebbetzin Sara Yoheved Rigler. For those who do not know Rebbetzin Rigler, she is a best-selling author, speaker and teacher and this is actually her second time on The Chai on Life Podcast. She is our first second-time guest and I am so grateful for her for returning. The reason she is back is to discuss her brand new book, 8 Secon...

Today, I’m speaking with Rivky Rothenberg. Rivky is a CPA and financial coach who helps families make sense of their money and build a strong, values-based financial foundation.  She works with couples to create clear, practical systems at home so they can raise children with healthy money habits and avoid the patterns that lead to entitlement. She also guides engaged and newlywed couples through...

This episode originally aired on June 3, 2024 but is just as relevant today. Enjoy and wishing everyone a beautiful Shavuos! Today we have a really exciting episode to gear up for Shavuot with Esteemed Educator, Speaker and Kallah Teacher Nalini Ibragimov. If you know Nalini, you already know how special she is. I had the privilege of meeting her nearly 12 years ago now when she co-founded a group...

Today, I’m speaking with Rebbetzin Miriam Katz. Rebbetzin Katz is a mother of seven children, bli yin hara and lives in Jerusalem with her husband,  Rabbi Doniel Katz  who is a well known teacher on meditation and psychology through the lens of Kabbalah and Chassidus. She has a degree in elementary education, but explains she has learned the most about children by raising them. She has become a tr...

Today, I’m speaking with Esther Wein, Torah educator extraordinaire. For more than 35 years, Esther has guided students of all backgrounds in Torah learning. Along the way, she became increasingly aware that even well-educated learners were often working with over-simplified explanations or incorrect ideas about the core ideas of Judaism and the unfolding story of Am Yisrael.  Critical tools for n...

Today, I’m speaking with Anat Ishai, otherwise known as the Challah Mom on Instagram. Anat is known for her challah dance parties both in her kitchen and on tours with communities around the world. Whether you are reveling in challah again after Pesach, are looking for inspiration to get back into the mitzvah, or just are learning about it for the first time, this episode is for you. You will not...

This episode originally aired on March 24, 2025 — but it's still just as relevant today! I am so excited about today’s guest because it is Chanie Apfelbaum of Busy in Brooklyn. If you are not already familiar, Chanie is a food writer and photographer who has a really unique way of blending traditional Jewish foods with modern flavors. She started her blog, Busy in Brooklyn, in 2011 so it’s bee...

Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal, and today I’m speaking with Batya Kahan, founder of Batya’s Kitchen. Batya’s Kitchen is a full scale catering business that delivers home-cooked kosher food to Jews all over the country. Started in 2007, Batya has become well known for her delicious Pesach cuisine and so many order from her whether they’re tr...

Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal and today, I am speaking with Rebbetzin Rivky Slonim. Rivky is the Associate Director at the Chabad Center for Jewish Student Life at Binghamton University. An internationally known teacher, lecturer, and activist, she travels widely, addressing the intersection of traditional Jewish observance and contemporar...

Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal and today, I am speaking with Gvira Milworm. Gvira is the CEO of Temech, a Jerusalem-based nonprofit dedicated to helping women from Israel’s Haredi community advance professionally while protecting and honoring Jewish values. Gvira was born in the Bronx and made aliya with her parents from Peoria, Illinois, a...

This episode originally aired on March 10, 2025 — but is just as relevant today! Hope you enjoy :) -- Hi everyone! Welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal and today, I am speaking with Rivka Lerner. Originally from Switzerland, she works as a software developer and coach as well as a kallah teacher, but her love is in teaching and discussing profound ideas with...

Hi everyone! Welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal, and today I am speaking with Rebbetzin Lisa Babich all about Purim. Lisa is a Queens-raised New Yorker, full-time Rebbetzin, and licensed speech and language pathologist. She has been involved in Jewish education and outreach since the age of 19, teaching at TBY, EMETT Russian outreach, the Jewish Enrichment...

Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast! I’m Alex Segal and today, I’m speaking with  Cathy Heller , podcaster, author and speaker. Cathy is a renowned teacher, top ranked podcaster and bestselling author. She hosts one of the top spiritual podcasts,  The Cathy Heller Podcast , which has been downloaded over 45 million times, and she’s the author of the USA Today b...

This episode originally aired on February 10, 2025 (but it's just as relevant today!) Enjoy the replay as we begin Tu B'Shevat tonight. -- Welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal and if you're anything like me, Tu B’Shevat is kind of a holiday you acknowledge, but maybe gloss over on a deeper level. This year, I am putting a stop to it. Yehudit Refso...

Welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal, and today, I am speaking with Nilli Grutman . Nilli is a functional nutritionist who works with women to feel empowered and in control of their health. She has a degree in biochemistry and nutritional sciences and really looks at health from a macro approach to see the full picture of what her clients are dealing with. Sh...

Hi everyone! Welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal and today, I’m speaking with Yael Sunshine Komer, a parenting coach and sleep consultant. Yael (Sunshine) Komer, M.A. in Child Development, helps families navigate sleep and behavior challenges with evidence-based tools and real-world understanding. With years of private practice experience, she brings science...

Today, I am speaking with Batya Sherizen, who is the author of the newly released book,  “Dying to Be Me,”  which speaks about her personal journey through a harrowing life-threatening condition she was diagnosed with when she was pregnant with her sixth child. During the pregnancy, she had to be on bed rest for months, live in the hospital for a month at a certain point and ultimately, give birth...

Hi everyone! Welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal, and today I am speaking with Sarah Chana Radcliffe , a psychologist from Toronto, Canada. If her names sounds familiar to you, that is because her expertise, depth and breadth is vast and she has been sharing her wisdom and advice for years now through books, articles and classes. She is the author of “Raise...

Hi everyone! Welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. This episode is one that is long awaited for me to release. It is my birth story from my third son that happened over the summer. As I share in the podcast, with Chai on Life we often speak about self-growth, spirituality, connection to Hashem, self-love and compassion and more all along those lines, so it feels like a misse...

Today, I’m speaking with Ayelet Polonsky, a Kabbalistic Manifestation Expert. She is the Creator of The Manifestation Method and a skilled, passionate and trauma-informed facilitator in the world of manifestation and healing. She’s had quite a journey to get to this point in her life — after college she was led to the Amazon jungles of Peru, then India for six years and then finally to Israel wher...

Hi everyone, welcome back to The Chai on Life Podcast! I’m so happy to be back after a postpartum hiatus. Baruch Hashem I am so grateful for the little miracle baby that I now have in my life and so grateful to have had the quality time with him and now so grateful to be able to focus back on the podcast a bit more. Gd willing, I will be doing a full episode on the birth story and some reflections...