Human & Holy

A conversation with Bruria Efune from Be'er Sheva, Israel about October 7th, the days and months that have followed, and the way time has stopped still. The heroes Bruria has met, the fierce helper she has become, and the ways we, too, can step up to help. Sensitive content, not suitable for young children. || Link to buy helmets for soldiers with PTSD: https://www.jgive.com/new/en/usd/donation-ta...

What are the costs of the systems we build around Chassidus? What does "chassidishkeit" even mean? Has Chana received judgment around her journey, does she experience resentment in her Judaism, and why, to her, is Chassidus the call to live authentically? Join us for a follow up Q & A with Chana Dubinsky, where we address listener questions, talk more about her internal process around her Judaism,...

A conversation about Jewish identity, the experience of being a soul in a body, and the journey to finding balance between different elements of who are. || To sponsor an episode of Human & Holy, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor or email us at info@humanandholy.com. To become a monthly supporter, visit patreon.com/humanandholy.

Today, Faigy Blumstein shares how her journey to discovering Chassidus kindled a vibrancy in her life that had been lost through the drudgery of daily routines. Faigy talks about the power of song in Jewish life, learning to live her daily life with intention, and discovering an entirely new vocabulary in the pages of the Tanya. Faigy can be found on instagram @faigy.blumstein. || To sponsor an ep...

Today’s episode is a practical exploration of the Beinoni of the Tanya – who she is and how she shows up in the world when her humanity weighs on her. What does it actually look like to bring our animal soul in alignment with our G-dly soul? How do we interact with our triggers, and the guilt and shame that often follows our hardest moments? || To sponsor an episode of Human & Holy, visit humanand...

What happens when our lives take a detour? When our journey shifts and asks us to become something new? Manya's life -- like many of ours -- is continuously surprising her. Today, we discuss how to embrace the road G-d sends us on, and stay open to the continuous evolution of our lives. || To sponsor an episode of Human & Holy, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. To join our online community, visit hu...

Today, we talk about reclaiming our personal sense of desire and the experience of pleasure in our Judaism. What it looks like to move from ‘I have to’ to ‘I *want* to’ and how shutting ourselves down in service of our Judaism ends up sapping it of its strength. Rishi shares her personal journey of victimhood, how she felt like life – and her Judaism – was happening to her, and how getting back in...

Join the 12th grade class of a Chabad high school for a joyous celebration of Yud Tes Kislev and a discussion on the role of Chassidus in their lives. || To sponsor an episode of Human & Holy, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. To join our online community, visit humanandholy.com/community. To become a paying subscriber of the podcast, visit patreon.com/humanandholy.

How do we shake the terror from our bones and experience trust in G-d when the world is shaking? Where do we find the confidence in victory when everything seems uncertain? In this episode, Hindel Swerdlow, an American woman living in Israel, shares how she has moved through the trauma of the first few weeks after October 7th into the strength and empowerment she is experiencing now. Hindel talks...

Human & Holy is currently on a season break! Season 4 of the podcast launches on Sunday, Nov. 26. Today’s episode is a re-airing of one of our most popular episodes from the first season of the podcast. || In this episode, I interviewed my mother, Rochel Lazaroff, about the definition of joy according to Chassidus. What does it mean to use our mind as the root of our emotions? How can we choose to...

Human & Holy is currently on a season break! Season 4 of the podcast launches on Sunday, Nov. 26. Today’s episode is a re-airing of one of our most popular episodes from the first season of the podcast. || In this episode, I interviewed Raizel Deitsch about a verse from Mishlei which encourages us to ‘find G-d in all our ways’. Raizel speaks about giving herself permission to find G-d in the human...

Human & Holy is currently on a season break! Season 4 of the podcast launches on Sunday, Nov. 26. Today’s episode is a re-airing of one of our most popular episodes from the first season of the podcast. || In this episode, I interviewed Nechama Caplan about the promise the soul made before coming down into the body and how that oath inspires her daily life. Nechama speaks about shifting her consci...

Human & Holy is currently on a season break! Season 4 of the podcast launches on Sunday, Nov. 26. Today’s episode is a re-airing of one of our most popular episodes from the first season of the podcast. || In this episode, I interviewed Dena Shusterman, about how her understanding of Ein Sof, G-d’s limitlessness within the world and her own self, empowers her to make choices beyond her perceived l...

Human & Holy is currently on a season break! Season 4 of the podcast launches on Sunday, Nov. 26. Today’s episode is a re-airing of one of our most popular episodes from the first season of the podcast. Today's episode is dedicated to the safety and security of our Jewish nation and our Jewish family in Israel. || In this episode, I interviewed Eta Cotlar about her relationship with Bitachon. Eta...

In honor of the holiday of Sukkos, join a group of women in discussing our experience of some of the key teachings of this special holiday. What does it mean to build a Sukkah of unity? What does it mean to be hugged by G-d when we enter the sukkah? How can we find the joy in the uncertainty of our temporary dwellings? Join us, for an intimate conversation about the deeper meaning of this beloved...

What does it mean to choose our Judaism, not just in one, pivotal moment, but every day of our lives? How did Raizy move away from defining her life choices as a past experience and reimagining them as something she made every day? What does it mean to not only choose life — but to choose the juiciest, most precious life within the life we already have? || To sponsor an episode of Human & Holy, vi...

Based on a talk from the Lubavitcher Rebbe about Chai Elul, Sima and I discuss what it actually means to serve G-d in the deepest way possible, and how Chassidus invites us to bring our full selves to the table. Where do we struggle in bridging the gap between our desire for personal authenticity and our belief in our G-dly souls? How is that process an invitation to go deeper, and an opportunity...

How can we approach the people we care most about with clear communication? What can the mitzvah of mikvah teach us about the deepest level of communication in our romantic relationships? And in general, when it comes to all our relationships, how can we work from the inside out, so that we show up with our words in the most wholesome, connected way possible? || To get in touch with Sara Esther, e...

Cancer was Amanda’s catalyst to returning to her soul. How did the stillness of treatment force her to step off of the rat race of her life? How did it help her tune into the still, small voice inside that she’d had since she was a young girl, the voice that whispered that there was more to life than what could be seen on the surface? || Amanda can be reached via amandaspiro.com || This episode wa...

What blocks us from connecting deeply to the people around us? How do our futile attempts to circumvent our humanity, end up shutting us down from connecting to our loved ones and to G-d? Today, Tzippy Piekarski describes her struggle to connect with her loved ones, and how making space for her humanity ultimately allowed her to connect deeply with her soul and the world. || Tzippy can be reached...

Joyce Azria is an entrepreneur in the fashion industry, daughter of BCBG’s late CEO Max Azria, and a woman who found her Judaism through some of the darkest moments of her life. What internal processes led her to where she is now? How does she maintain her equilibrium through the ups and downs of life as a businesswoman and mother? How did becoming fully aligned with her values allow her to step i...

Why do we feel the instinct to skip to the happy ending of our story? What makes us so resistant to the long way home? Based on the long short way described in Tanya, Sandra talks about all the ways she wishes she could skip to the destination, and what she does to keep herself anchored in the present. || To get in touch with Sandra, find her on instagram @shluchamama. || To sponsor an episode of...

Today, Chana Kornfeld speaks about her journey to owning the choices she made as a young person to have a large family, and get married at a young age. Based on a talk by the Lubavitcher Rebbe about our matriarch Rochel being buried on the side of the road – and the differences between giving wholeheartedly to others and a loaded martyrdom, Chana outlines her own journey of reclaiming the choices...

What does it mean to be truly open and curious to the world around us so that we can make space to hear G-d’s gentle hellos? How has Olivia’s life been so clearly guided by G-d’s hand, from her days seeking spirituality in India, to finding it in the birthright of her Jewish soul and the daily experience of meeting G-d? || Today’s episode is sponsored leilui nishmas Yaakov Yosef ben Avraham Akiva...

Today, Esther Sitbon talks about the mitzvah of hair covering, how a medical scare led her to the wig salon and began her hair covering journey. Hear one woman’s precious story of how she began covering her hair, some teachings from Torah about hair covering that have guided her, and the advice she would give to other women on strengthening or beginning the journey. || To sponsor an episode of Hum...