Meaningful People

Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff takes us on a journey through the entire Jewish timeline, from Adam and Chava in Gan Eden to the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, the long exile, and the prophecies surrounding the coming of Moshiach. Together with Nachi Gordon, they explore why history unfolds the way it does, what Chazal and the Nevi'im teach about the end of days, the role of Eretz Yisrael, and whether...

In this powerful conversation, Nachi sits down with Zahava Farbman, a crisis, trauma, and bereavement expert, to talk about what families really need after tragedy. Zahava shares why grief is not something people simply "get over," how to speak to children after painful loss, what not to say to someone in pain, and why we never really know what is happening behind closed doors. She also opens up a...

Yossi Farro has turned a mitzvah into a global mission. In this episode of Meaningful People, he shares how a childhood spent putting tefillin on strangers in New York grew into a journey that has taken him around the world, connecting with celebrities, billionaires, entrepreneurs, influencers, and everyday Jews. From chance encounters with actors to live streams and meetings with some of the bigg...

On the ninth yahrzeit of Malki Klein, her father, Avrami Klein, joins Nachi Gordon to share the story of a daughter whose struggles were often invisible to the people around her. From learning challenges and school rejection to addiction and ultimately her tragic passing, this conversation explores the pain Malki carried, the misconceptions surrounding struggling teens, and the lessons her family...

This special Gimmel Tammuz episode of Meaningful People explores the Lubavitcher Rebbe's letters and the conversations, questions, and life experiences behind them. Rabbi Shais Taub, Shmuel Greene, and members of the Sichos In English team join Nachi Gordon to share stories of the Rebbe's correspondence with people from all walks of life and what those letters reveal about his perspective on life,...

In this episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, Nachi Gordon sits down with Rabbi Shmuel Diamond for an unforgettable conversation about one of the most dramatic transformations you'll ever hear. Rabbi Diamond grew up completely secular in North London, in a world where the very idea of God was treated as ridiculous, and didn't learn the Aleph Beis until he was 21. He takes us back through his y...

In this episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, Nachi Gordon sits down with Rabbi Tzadok Katz, a shadchan with over 23 years of experience, for one of the most honest and entertaining conversations about shidduchim you'll ever hear. From speed dating and picture sharing to the stigma facing working boys and the pressure that's been built into the system, Rabbi Katz pulls no punches about what's...

In this week's episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, Keshet Starr, CEO of Shalom Task Force and a leading advocate in the fight against domestic abuse in the Jewish community, joins Nachi Gordon for a powerful and eye-opening conversation about one of the most difficult issues facing the Jewish world today. Keshet shares what domestic abuse actually looks like behind closed doors, why it is of...

In this episode of the Meaningful People Podcast,  and  dive into one of the biggest struggles facing the Jewish world today: are we creating people who truly think, feel, and connect… or are we just creating followers? From anxiety and burnout to authenticity, leadership, inner purpose, and the fear-based versions of Yiddishkeit many people quietly wrestle with, this conversation goes far beyond...

In this week's episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, Dr. David Rosmarin challenges one of the biggest assumptions people have about mental health: that anxiety is something to eliminate. A Harvard professor and leading anxiety expert, Dr. Rosmarin explains why trying to avoid discomfort may actually be making people weaker, more anxious, and less resilient. From parenting and dating to fear of...

In this episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, Rabbi Manis Friedman returns for one of the most thought-provoking conversations yet. From modern dating and marriage to masculinity, loneliness, relationships, and what it really means to need another person, Rabbi Friedman challenges some of the most accepted ideas in today's world. He explains why he believes marriage is not about compromise, wh...

This episode dives into one of the most talked about trends in the Jewish world right now: Rolex raffles. Are they a creative, effective way to raise money for important causes, or are they feeding into something deeper and more problematic? We unpack the criticism, the psychology behind incentivized giving, and whether intention really matters when it comes to tzedakah. Along the way, the convers...

Answer the Polls Here: https://thisorthatpolls.com/events/pesach In this special live episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, the conversation goes beyond theory and straight into reality, marriage, connection, and what actually happens behind closed doors. Through live polling and raw discussion, we uncover surprising truths: nearly 70% of people didn't feel prepared for marriage, and almost ha...

Get  40% off Meaningful Minute Plus with code APRIL26 — and unlock the full, unfiltered episode. No one really prepares you for what marriage actually feels like. Not the first few months. Not the doubts. Not the expectations that quietly fall apart. In this Off The Record conversation, Kayla Levin breaks down the things most people don't talk about — from Shana Rishona struggles to miscommunicati...

Lakewood has become one of the fastest-growing Jewish communities in America, and with that growth has come controversy, criticism, and a lot of misunderstanding. In this episode, we sit down with a key insider to break down what's really happening behind the headlines: the expansion, the backlash from surrounding towns, accusations of "hostile takeovers," and the viral narratives shaping public p...

From struggling to sit still in class to becoming one of the most impactful voices on and off the court, Zevi Samet's journey is anything but typical. In this episode, he shares how sports gave him confidence, how failure fueled his growth, and how a relentless work ethic during COVID completely transformed his life. What started as a drive to become a better basketball player turned into somethin...

This episode of the Meaningful People Podcast dives into a reality most people don't want to talk about. How good, well-meaning people can end up making decisions that change their lives forever. Through real stories and firsthand insights from Project 432 and the Aleph Institute, we explore the hidden pressures, rationalizations, and "small" choices that can spiral into serious consequences. From...

As war continues in Israel, daily life has completely lost any sense of normalcy. Sirens, uncertainty, and constant disruption have turned even the simplest routines into impossible challenges. In this powerful conversation, Danielle Renov shares what it actually feels like to raise a family under these conditions, where every decision, from going to the store to putting kids to sleep, is shaped b...

Rod Bryant was once a Christian pastor with a thriving congregation of hundreds. Today, he teaches Torah to a global community of Noahides. In this conversation, Rod shares the remarkable journey that led him from growing up in a deeply devout Christian home in Louisiana to serving as a U.S. Army chaplain during the Gulf War, pastoring a large church, and ultimately leaving it all behind in pursui...

El Al has been getting a lot of heat lately. Canceled flights, no callbacks, passengers feeling abandoned. Our community sent in hundreds of questions and I sat down with Alon Lavi, El Al's head of customer experience, to get real answers. He's answering from a bomb shelter. That tells you everything about what they're dealing with. We cover why flights are leaving half empty, how they're deciding...

Born in Iran in the 1970s, Sammy grew up in a thriving Jewish community in Shiraz during the final years of the Shah's rule. But when the Islamic Revolution erupted, everything changed overnight. In this powerful conversation, he recounts what it was like as a child sensing the fear around him, hearing crowds chanting from rooftops, and eventually fleeing the country with his family. He shares the...

This episode of the Meaningful People Podcast features Dovi Neuburger, a popular comedian and influencer who grew up as the son of a prominent rabbi and built his brand by poking at the frum world from the inside. In this conversation, he opens up about guilt over influencing younger followers, using religious culture as comedy material, and whether Jewish "inspiration" today is actually inspirati...

In this deeply personal episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, Sruli Stern shares the hidden double life he lived for years as a compulsive gambler. From a childhood scratch-off card to high-stakes nights in Atlantic City, Sruli walks listeners through the slow escalation of an addiction that hijacked his logic, strained his marriage, buried him in debt, and nearly cost him everything. With raw...

In this episode of Meaningful People, we sit down with Rabbi Avi Landa, LCPC, Mashgiach at the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore Middle School, Director of Education for Amudim, and Director of the Landa Counseling Center, to tackle one of the most pressing issues facing children and teens today: bullying. Drawing on his work in schools, private practice, and prevention programs worldwide, Rabbi Lan...

In this episode, Emunah and Yaakov share their extraordinary journey from the Christian South to a fully observant Jewish life in Israel. Married young and raised in different Christian backgrounds, they describe years of deep questioning, searching for truth, and slowly uncovering Judaism, often completely on their own, without a Jewish community, rabbi, or guide. What began as questions about fa...