Rise & Shine with Adrienne Gold Davis

Every child carries something precious inside, even when the world cannot see it yet. In this episode of Rise and Shine, host Adrienne returns to the teaching of the Lubavitcher Rebbe that every soul is a diamond, infinitely valuable and waiting to be polished until its light shines through. Drawing on the story of Helen Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan, Adrienne explores a truth at the hear...

Repair is possible, even when parenting feels painful, complicated, or far from what we imagined. In Part 2 of this special Rise and Shine episode, Adrienne continues her conversation with Momentum Educators Ruchi Koval and Jael Toledo about Jewish motherhood, adult children, family dynamics, grief, and repair. This conversation explores what happens when children make choices that challenge our e...

Motherhood often comes with a deep desire to protect and hold everything together, but what happens when our children need us to step back? In this first part of a special Rise and Shine episode, Adrienne Gold-Davis introduces the parenting practice of “watch, wait, wonder". Together with Momentum Educators, Ruchi Koval and Jael Toledo explore radical acceptance, parenting anxiety, the instinct to...

What can Jewish wisdom teach us about dealing with disability? Adrienne turns to the words of our sages for guidance.

For 25 hours each week, Adrienne Gold Davis takes a vacation. Slip into endless summer, every week. Being Jewish makes that possible.

Adrienne Gold Davis sits down with Tanya Tsikanovsky, known online as Highly Jewish , for a powerful conversation about what it means to be visibly and unapologetically Jewish after October 7. Tanya shares how a community she once trusted began to see her differently, why she now centers Jewish identity in every part of her life, and what Jewish pride can look like when rooted not only in activism...

In this episode of Rise and Shine, Adrienne offers practical language for raising children with strong family values without judging families who live differently. From playdates and kosher standards to teen peer pressure and household boundaries, Adrienne explores how Jewish wisdom can help us protect our children, respect privacy, avoid lashon hara, and model unity without uniformity. For any pa...

Adrienne explores anti-Israel celebrities, antisemitism in entertainment, and whether Jewish audiences can still separate art from the artist after October 7. The Rise & Shine Podcast Series is made possible by the generous support of Bonnie Vozar of Chicago, Illinois. If you would like to sponsor an upcoming podcast, please email us at info@momentumunlimited.org

Our differences make it difficult to see eye-to-eye – but what if those same differences could unite us instead?   The “Rise & Shine” podcast series has been made possible by the Zitelman Family Foundation’s generosity. If you would like to sponsor an upcoming podcast, please email us at info@momentumunlimited.org  

What if the broken parts of your life are not something to fix, but something to carry with purpose? In this episode of Rise and Shine, Adrienne explores a deeply Jewish perspective on resilience, identity, and growth. Drawing on a powerful story about a familiar bridge, the wisdom of the Talmud, and the enduring strength of the Jewish people, she reframes what it means to live with both joy and p...

What happens after death in Judaism? Adrienne explores the Jewish perspectives on the afterlife, the soul, and mourning, and how these ideas shape how we respond to loss. Drawing on personal experience, she reflects on why words often feel inadequate in grief and why presence can matter more than explanations. Through a well-known Jewish parable and classic sources, this episode offers insight int...

One of the most powerful ideas in Jewish thought is this: We are not just living for ourselves, we are building for the next generation. In this episode, Adrienne reflects on what it means to “choose legacy over self” and why effort doesn’t always lead to immediate results. It’s a perspective shift that feels especially relevant right now, when so much of life feels urgent and immediate. But the r...

Adrienne Gold Davis sits down with Momentum CEO Tara Brown to reframe tzedakah not as charity, but as a core expression of Jewish identity, leadership, and purpose.   Together, they unpack why a generation of committed givers often directs that energy elsewhere, and how Jewish mothers are uniquely positioned to change that.   Drawing on personal stories and Jewish wisdom, Tara and Adrienne show ho...

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the bad news in the world. Adrienne explains how to avoid this paralysis and reclaim your joy. 

A sugary epiphany helped Adrienne Gold Davis reimagine all that Passover can be.   Have a Happy Passover!   If you would like to sponsor an upcoming podcast, please email us at info@momentumunlimited.org

What would it look like if your home felt genuinely peaceful, not just conflict-free, but whole?   Adrienne Gold Davis and Jessica Berkowitz explore Shalom Bayit, the Jewish value of peace in the home, and what it actually takes to build a family life shaped by wholeness and intentional relationships. Through personal stories and Jewish wisdom, they unpack why the people we love most often see our...

Making a choice can feel terrifying. But not choosing is still a choice. In this powerful conversation, Dr. Deborah Gilboa and Adrienne Gold Davis explore the science of fear and the Jewish concept of courage. From the amygdala’s instinct for safety to the idea of "Holy Chutzpah", this episode reveals how small moments of awareness can transform the way we respond to life’s challenges. A conversat...

“Why can’t they just listen?” We’ve all thought it. But what if the moment that frustrates you most… is actually an invitation to grow? Momentum's Director of Education and Evaluation, Dr. Ronit Ziv Kreger shares research on why praising effort builds braver, more resilient children and how adopting a beginner’s mindset can transform the way we parent. Instead of: “She’s so smart.” Try: “I see how...

Enjoy this encore episode - Have a Happy Purim!   Purim isn’t just for partying! It is also an opportunity to pursue peace and increase our generosity. Adrienne Gold Davis explains.    If you would like to sponsor an upcoming podcast, please email us at info@momentumunlimited.org

Adrienne welcomes back Jessica Berkowitz to explore a Jewish approach to gratitude that makes room for sadness, struggle, and unanswered questions. This episode pushes back on toxic positivity and offers a gentler, truer practice, one rooted in awareness, intention, and compassion.   If gratitude feels hard right now, you’re not doing it wrong. This conversation meets you exactly where you are. Th...

What does human dignity look like when it’s lived, not explained? In this episode of Rise and Shine with Adrienne Gold Davis, Adrienne shares a powerful experience from ADI Negev, an inclusive rehabilitation village in Israel. During a visit with Jewish educators, a six-year-old nonverbal child offered a wordless but unmistakable lesson in kevod habriyot, the Jewish value of honoring every human b...

What is the real antidote to baseless hatred?   In this episode, Adrienne Gold Davis is joined by educator and thought partner Jessica Berkowitz for a grounded, honest conversation about unity, disagreement, and what Jewish wisdom actually asks of us in divided times. Drawing on classical sources and lived experience, they explore why “baseless love” is not enough, how boundaries can be an express...

When does nostalgia strengthen us, and when does it keep us stuck? Adrienne explores the pull of memory through everyday moments and classic Jewish texts, asking when looking back builds connection and hope and when it becomes an escape from the present. A reflective invitation to choose intention over habit and to live fully in the moment while staying rooted in what matters most.   The Rise &amp...

What does it mean to remain faithful when life feels uncertain?   Adrienne Gold Davis sits down with Momentum’s Founding Director, Lori Palatnik, for a thoughtful conversation about Emunah, not as blind belief, but as lived faithfulness rooted in responsibility, courage, and presence.   In This Episode What Emunah really means beyond blind belief. Practical ways Jewish mothers can find strength an...

From creeping in the bushes to protect her child to learning the divine art of stepping back, Adrienne Gold Davis candidly shares her struggle with boundaries in parenting. Joined by Jessica Berkowitz, this deeply honest episode explores Jewish teachings on gevul (boundaries), eruv (communal space), and tzimtzum (divine contraction)—offering timeless wisdom for raising confident children with love...