Meaningful People

Rivka Shotkin, a 16-year-old teenager living in Passaic, NJ, is the youngest guest yet on the Meaningful People Podcast. As a result of a devastating skiing accident that severed her spinal cord, she is paralyzed from the chest down. In this episode, she vulnerably shares her story and the struggles through her journey that will leave you crying, smiling, and truly inspired   ** SPONSORS **   Beco...

Internationally renowned speaker, educator, and author Rav Mordechai Burg is the Menahel of Mevaseret, Mashpia of NCSY Summer, Mashpia of Nitzotzos, author of Nitzotzos on Chumash and a senior Rebbe at Tomer Devorah and Bnot Torah Institute. His shiurim can be found on Nitzotzos.com **SPONSORS** Become a trailblazer at Touro University! Find out more: 50.touro.edu _________________________________...

Gavriel Aryeh Sanders' spent twenty years as a Protestant evangelical minister, including several years of missionary activity in Israel, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, before a spiritual odyssey eventually led to his taking on Torah-observant Judaism. He has spoken to to Jewish audiences in synagogues, yeshivas, kiruv organizations, and conferences across North America, as well as in Costa Rica, Sing...

Dr. Henry Abramson, a native of northern Ontario, earned a PhD in History from the University of Toronto and has held visiting and post-doctoral positions at Cornell, Harvard, Oxford and the Hebrew University of Toronto. He currently serves as a Dean of Touro University in Brooklyn New York. The author of several books, including Torah from the Years of Wrath, 1939-1943: The Historical Context of...

Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits is an American-born Rav, Rosh Yeshiva, Rosh Kollel, and Posek in Israel. In 2001, he founded The Jerusalem Kollel, a rabbinic ordination and training program that prepares students for kiruv positions worldwide. In 2019, he was appointed rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Aish HaTorah in Yerushalayim. He also serves as Rosh Kollel of an international network of evening Kollelim in I...

Rabbi Eitiel Goldwicht is the founder of Aish Israel, the Israeli division of Aish Hatorah, and the Associate Rabbi of Beit Knesset Hanassi in Yerushalayim. His deep understanding and passion for the Jewish people fuel his work across the religious spectrum. Tens of thousands visit the Aish World Center yearly and have experienced Rabbi Goldwicht's dynamic and engaging classes and programs.  He cu...

Just as drips of water over millennia can carve out caves and canyons, one small mitzvah multiplied several times over can move mountains as well. That's the belief of Dr. Jonathan Donath, a legendary chiropractor in White Plains, New York, who got an epiphany in 2018 while dropping a dollar bill into the tzedakah box at his shul. "No matter how much money I give to charity, I still get a mitzvah...

On this special edition of The Meaningful People Podcast, Rabbi Dr. Ben Epstein guides an extraordinary meditation experience for people in preparation for Rosh Hashana. Rabbi Dr. Benjy is an experienced psychologist who blends traditional Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) with cognitive-behavioral, spiritual, and acceptance techniques. He is the author of Living in the Presence: A Jewish...

Two Lungs, Two Hearts, One Soul. This is the Story of Alter A"H and Rivky Morel. ____________________________________ **SPONSORS** This episode is brought to you by Touro University! To learn more about how you can excel at Touro University, Visit Touro.edu/more ____________________________________ Book an IV Infusion or Wellness Injection in the Comfort of Your Home! Visit: https://bit.ly/3Bk9IVL...

Ari Schonbrun was the Chief Administrative Officer of Cantor Fitzgerald, and is an author, speaker and 9/11 survivor. Ari was on the 78th floor of Tower One when the first plane hit on September 11, 2001. He helped a colleague suffering third-degree burns to safety and was thrown into the national spotlight thereafter. His miraculous first-hand account of survival has been retold in newspapers, ma...

Kayla Levin is the creator of How to Glow, the podcast and membership community for Jewish women who want a fresh take on relationship development. She lives in Beit Shemesh with her husband and five kids. You can find her at kaylalevin.com and subscribe to her podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts . ____________________________________ This episode is brought to you by Touro University! To learn...

Yoshi Falber is the CEO of The Chessed Fund, and has extensive experience in fundraising and business development, having worked in both non-profit and for-profit sectors. Previously, he was VP of Sales and Marketing at the Chesed Fund.   After experiencing success in marketing for major motion pictures, and projects in the music and fashion industries, his passion and purpose became the developme...

Berel Solomon has been a professional salesperson for 15 years and has built 7-figure companies.  When Berel was 18 years old he started his first business, More To Life Entertainment, which brought celebrities to nightclubs in Montreal. When he was 21 years old he became more observant of his Jewish roots and stepped away from the nightclub business. Berel went to go work for his father in their...

Jamie Geller influences millions every day. Dubbed the "Queen of Kosher" and the "Jewish Rachael Ray", she is a 7-time best-selling author. After graduating magna cum laude from NYU, she enjoyed an illustrious career as an award-winning TV producer and marketing executive for HBO, CNN, and FOOD NETWORK. Jamie is the Founder and CEO of Kosher Network international, the #1 Global Kosher Food Media C...

Rabbi Ari Bensoussan grew up in Brooklyn, before attending Yeshiva of Far Rockaway, Mir and Beis Medrash Govoah. A Musmach of the Yerushalayim Rabbinate and Rav Yitzchok Berkowitz, Rabbi Ari co-founded Yeshivas Ruach Chaim, and was a Senior Lecturer at Derech before moving with his wife and 4 boys to Los Angeles, where he heads a branch of Chazak International. A renowned lecturer and sought-after...

Rabbi Naftali Miller is the director of development for Agudas Yisroel of America, catering to the evolving needs of the Jewish community from coast to coast. He previously served as director of development at Yeshiva Derech Chaim and Artscroll. He is the co-founder of Chasdei Lev, an organization that helps teachers nationwide alleviate the financial strain of the yomim tovim.  __________________...

Akiva Perlman, PhD, LCSW is an international expert and speaker on topics of school counseling, addiction treatment, compulsive sexuality, and trauma. He has educated and trained thousands of social workers from the Orthodox community and is currently serving as a professor at the Wurzweiler School of Social work. Dr. Perlman is also the Clinical Director of ODA's Wellness Institute, a clinic serv...

Rav Shlomo Katz is a renowned Torah teacher & Musician who has led hundreds of people on transformative journeys through Torah, Jewish history, Kivrei Tzadikim, and the foundations of Chassidus. His unique style empowers individuals to explore, grow, and form new connections to themselves, others, and Hashem. Shlomo was born in New Jersey before his family subsequently moved back and forth between...

Sruli Besser is a bestselling author and one of the premier journalists of the Jewish world. He has published numerous books and reaches over 200,000 readers weekly with popular in-depth Mishpacha Magazine features and profiles. Along with interviewing revered Rebbes and roshei yeshiva, Jewish leaders, and prominent politicians — including the President of the United States and Prime Minister of C...

Yehiel Kalish is a former Illinois House of Representatives member and currently serves as the CEO of Hatzalah, the largest volunteer ambulance service in the United States. Kalish is the only rabbi to serve in the Illinois state legislature. He is a chazzan at Shaarei Tzedek Mishkan Yair in Chicago, and the brother of Dafna Michaelson Jene t , a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. A...

Originally from New York, Rabbi Gavriel Friedman has spent the last 2 decades teaching and learning in Eretz Yisrael. He is currently teaching at Aish HaTorah, where his lectures highlight the entire gamut of Aish programs. A star of the Jewish speaking circuit, Rav Gav has lectured in dozens of cities around the globe. His infectious energy and humor captivates audiences of all ages and inspires...

Gedale Fenster is a teacher and motivational speaker with followers all over the world. His teachings are based on the writings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. Originally from Cali, Colombia, Gedale is the founder and CEO of the People's Insurance Claim Center and Evolutions Treatment Center in Florida. He has also established the Breslov Center, and has helped thousands of Jews from across the relig...

Conservative columnist and podcaster Ben Shapiro is a best-selling author, syndicated columnist, and Harvard Law School graduate. He is a committed Orthodox Jew, an avid baseball fan, and a loving husband and father. He has become famous for his razor-sharp intellect and uncompromising political values. Ben is editor-in-chief of The Daily Wire and host of "The Ben Shapiro Show," the top conservati...

In this episode we are taking a look back at some of the most inspiring stories that were said on these episodes! Story #1: Yaakov Shwekey Story #2: Shloime and Chani Bochner Story #3: Joey Newcomb Story#4: Charlene Aminoff Story#5: Shloime and Chani Bochner Subscribe to our Podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2WALuE2 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/39bNGnO Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/MPPGoogle...

Raquel Kirszenbaum was born in Isla de Margarita, part of Venezuela, before moving to Panama. After a life-changing experience at Neve Yerushalayim, she chose for herself a life pulsing with vibrant Judaism. After studying in Israel for some time, she began teaching in Panama where she started her career teaching Judaic studies at a local high school and at Midrasha Horev. She has extensively deve...