A deep lesson from the Purim story about who we give our power to, showing up to create imperfect vessels while believing that G-d can send miracles that far surpass our efforts, and learning to see past the veneer of concealment and experience the soul's identity as primary in our lives. Video episode is available on Youtube. To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor . To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.com. Find us on In...
Mar 12, 2025•23 min
A conversation about the lessons we can learn from Megillas Esther for our current times, walking through the doorways G-d calls us to, navigating responsibilities that we didn't sign up for, the synthesis of modern wisdom with Torah, differentiating between the sacred and unsacred, and how to begin developing a relationship with Torah study. Dr. Erica Brown is the Vice Provost for Values and Leadership at Yeshiva University and the founding director of its Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks-Herenstein C...
Mar 09, 2025•51 min
A conversation about believing in ourselves as much as G-d does, rising to G-d’s call for our mission in this world, moving past numbers as our metric of success, and what we can each learn from Chabad Shluchim. Rachel Jacobs , originally from Los Angeles, California, currently serves as Rebbetzin of Singers Hill Synagogue in Birmingham, England. She is also the Educational Director of the Torah Tots nursery school, the Cheder, and the Jewish studies program at the local King David Primary Schoo...
Mar 02, 2025•1 hr 10 min
A conversation about embracing the many ways of seeing the Torah while remaining rooted in our values, the difference between judgment and discernment, impacting people without preaching, and how to approach the decision to have another baby. Dena Schusterman is a founder of Chabad Intown in Atlanta, a Jewish educator and a founding director of both the Intown Jewish Preschool and Hebrew School. Dena writes about parenting and applied Torah and Chassidic thought, her articles have appeared on Kv...
Feb 23, 2025•1 hr 19 min
Orthodox Jewish singer Shaindy Plotzker discusses her journey within the music industry, using our talents and voices for the sake of a higher purpose, performing for women’s only crowds and the blessings she’s seen come of it, seeing G-d as the source of both our successes and hardships, learning how to rest, elevating other women in her industry, advice for aspiring artists, and the deep intention that guides her every move. Discover more from Shaindy Plotzker at shaindyplotzker.com and by str...
Feb 16, 2025•1 hr 39 min
A thorough conversation about women’s roles, the beauty and significance of Jewish law, and the lived experience of women’s Judaism. This episode is dedicated by Schwartzie’s daughters in honor of the 8th yartzeit of their father, Shlomo Yitzchak Ben Moshe, aka Schwartzie. Do a mitzvah in his honor. Today’s episode explores questions like: What is the ideal definition of a Jewish woman’s role within Judaism? Do we have an impossible vision of what a Jewish woman is? Should we meet women's desire...
Feb 09, 2025•1 hr 38 min
A conversation about the chassidic work of V'atah Tetzaveh. This conversation explores the generational shift from serving G-d through self sacrifice to a generation that is asked to serve G-d through abundance and an integration of our individual selves, as well as the role of a Tzaddik in helping us reveal the light of our souls. Contact Sara Blau and learn more about her work at www.sarablau.com. Some terms to know: Maamer | a divinely inspired teaching shared by a chassidic rebbe to his disc...
Feb 02, 2025•1 hr 28 min
A conversation with Chaya Lester , a psychotherapist, author, speaker, and poet, about the significance of internal, spiritual work during a time of collective upheaval, how we can become more attuned to divine messages through our daily interactions and dreams, and how we are all being invited to practice spiritual chutzpah in order to reveal the divine reality of the world. Video episode is available on Youtube. Episode is sponsored in honor of Yosef Dovid ben Yehoshua's birthday, by his paren...
Jan 26, 2025•54 min
Episode is sponsored in honor of Uziel ben Moshe Yakov, whose yartzeit is Yud Tes Teves. May his neshama have an aliyah. A conversation with Shternie Rosenfeld -- who is a shlucha, Torah teacher, and single mother -- about her transformative journey through divorce within the Orthodox community. Shternie talks about her darkest moments and how she found light through an unwavering relationship with G-d. We also explore her unique role as a shlucha running a Chabad house alone and the daily choic...
Jan 19, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Recording of a Human & Holy Open Mic night hosted in LA, with the theme " I Am a Jew". Women shared their writings, original music, poetry and more. Video episode available on Youtube. This evening was sponsored by SOLIKA, a modest women's clothing brand based in LA. Find their clothing at solika.com This evening was sponsored anonymously in honor of the refuah sheleima of Penina Sara bas Gittel Mindel. Episode Partners:TOVEEDO: An online children's streaming subscription featuring exclusive...
Jan 12, 2025•51 min
A conversation with Nechama Schusterman about how to live with an internal Moshiach consciousness, based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. This episode is our second episode with Nechama, where we took listener questions, and dove deeper into the practical experience of integrating G-d into our daily lives. Video episode with Nechama is available on Youtube. Listen to our first episode with Nechama here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2G1xzVTiIrtxV9Kl2txAOV?si=hl3xK3GISYKaPwWBMLDVDw E...
Jan 05, 2025•1 hr 36 min
Nechama Dina Hendel from Baka, Jerusalem speaks about her community work in Israel during the war, the interconnectedness of the Jewish people from all over the world, her relationship with Rachel Goldberg-Polin and how to process the crushing losses of people we spent months praying for. Video episode available on Youtube. Contact Nechama Dina here: chabadofbaka18@gmail.com Link to donate to Chabad of Baka: https://www.chabadofbaka.com/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/4897078/jewish/Donate-form-US-...
Dec 22, 2024•1 hr 13 min
A conversation with Gitty Rappoport about finding a personal sense of identity within her Judaism, how she navigated her religious questions growing up in Boro Park, and how Chassidic wisdom helped her develop a deep sense of connection to her Judaism. Episode sponsored in honor of the yartzeit of Chana Bracha bas Isser. May her neshama have the highest aliyah. Episode Partners:TOVEEDO: An online children's streaming subscription featuring exclusive Jewish content created and sourced by Toveedo....
Dec 15, 2024•1 hr 15 min
When we are crushed, what do we do the broken pieces? And when our faith wavers, can we lean on the tiny flickers of faith? This episode chronicles the inner process that followed the crushing losses of Malki's babies and the way she opened up her heart to transform her pain into a source of light. TW: Malki speaks about pregnancy loss and death in this episode. Human & Holy is currently on a season break. Season 5 airs on Sunday, Dec. 15. This episode is a rerun from April 2023. Conversatio...
Dec 08, 2024•1 hr 9 min
A conversation about moving away from our obsession with productivity to embrace the value of simply being. Through a teaching about the diminishment of the moon, Rivky challenges us to consider that sometimes, our mere presence is enough. We are human beings, not doings. Some days, G-d asks us, simply, to be. Human & Holy is currently on a season break. Season 5 airs on Sunday, Dec. 15. This episode is a rerun from Dec. 2021. Conversation begins at 6:38. Human & Holy Partners: TOVEEDO: ...
Dec 01, 2024•1 hr 8 min
An exploration of Jewish sacrifice with Chana Silberstein, through the lens of the Akedah. How can we mature in our faith, so that we make choices rooted in a deep safety with G-d? What is the ideal motivator of our lives, a sense of sacrifice or desire? And how do we process the inevitable pitfalls of our carefully chosen paths? Chana Silberstein came to Ithaca in 1984 with her husband to establish a Chabad house for Jewish students and community members. She serves in the role of Education Dir...
Nov 17, 2024•1 hr 4 min
A conversation about the rich, Jewish tradition of women's voices expressed through informal prayer, how to unlock that ability within ourselves, and personal reflections from her new book, “ Az Nashir - We Will Sing Again: Women’s Prayers for Our Time of Need, ” which is an anthology of personal prayers written by Jewish women in Israel. Purchase Az Nashir here: bit.ly/48L0zFT Shira Lankin Sheps is a writer, editor, workshop facilitator, and clinically-trained therapist. She founded and publish...
Nov 10, 2024•56 min
A conversation with Chana Traxler about experiencing flow within our Judaism, leaning into abstract spiritual experiences, and choosing simplicity as the deepest experience of G-d. This episode is sponsored in honor of Lauren Nagel. Human & Holy Partners: TOVEEDO: An online children's streaming subscription featuring exclusive Jewish content created and sourced by Toveedo. Use code HH10 for 10% off at Toveedo.com. ZELDA HAIR: A wig company that champions the holistic process of hair covering...
Nov 03, 2024•1 hr 1 min
A conversation with Esther Piekarski about a new woman to woman helpline created by Mikvah.org, the differentiation between a Rav and a woman's scholarship, Yoatzot Halacha, women's roles in shul, and the power of receiving support from another woman for sensitive mitzvos. Interview begins at 8:53. You can reach the helpline by calling 833-4MIKVAH | 833-464-5824 and find more information at mikvah.org. You can reach Esther at estherpiekarski@gmail.com. This episode is sponsored in honor of Laure...
Oct 27, 2024•1 hr 19 min
A conversation about the unity of G-d that we experience over Sukkos, and how can we can draw that all-encompassing embrace into the fragmented pieces of our lives. Source mentioned in this episode: Chassidic discourse of the Lubavitcher Rebbe from Motzei Simchas Torah, 5738. This episode is sponsored in honor of Lauren Nagel. Episode Partners: TOVEEDO: An online children's streaming subscription featuring exclusive Jewish content created and sourced by Toveedo. Use code HH10 for 10% off at Tove...
Oct 13, 2024•1 hr 7 min
A recording of a live, follow up conversation with Tzivie Greenberg, where we discussed podcast listeners' questions, as well as questions that came in from the audience as we spoke. Some questions that were asked: Is therapeutic language authentic to the Tanya? What are some practical ways to live in a way that emanates from the light of our souls? How can we find a healthy balance between being and doing when doing inner work, and how can we differentiate between recognizing our genuine capaci...
Oct 06, 2024•1 hr 58 min
A conversation about the connection between Rosh Hashana and centrality of the home within Judaism, the role that Jewish women's candle-lighting plays in welcoming a new year, the rising of a feminine energy within Judaism, the challenges of being wrapped up in domestic tasks or the role of motherhood when you want to be absorbed in the deeper meaning of the day, and more. Based on a talk from the Lubavitcher Rebbe given to a women's only audience. This episode is sponsored by Zelda Hair, a wig ...
Sep 29, 2024•58 min
Is Teshuvah a return to an untouched state of purity, or an acceptance of the past mistakes and experiences that have led us to where we are today? A deeply moving teaching from Rav Tzadok of Lublin about the conversation between growth and self-acceptance in the journey of Teshuvah, and on how the darker parts of our journey are the most generative parts, too. This episode is sponsored by Zelda Hair, a wig company that champions the holistic process of hair covering for Jewish women. Shop Zelda...
Sep 22, 2024•20 min
What would it look like to have a spiritual relationship with financial abundance? How can we move out of control and into an open trust in G-d's ability to provide everything that we need? This episode is a conversation with Sarah Barash about experiencing the spiritual depth of money and dissolving some of the blockages we have to receiving the resources we so desire and need. Sarah can be reached at csbarash@gmail.com. This episode is sponsored by Zelda Hair, a wig company that champions the ...
Sep 15, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Is inner healing truly a Jewish value? How do you know when to stop? What is the relationship between emotional wellness and spiritual growth? How do we dissolve the blockages to our soul’s innate voice? Explore these questions and more in this conversation about Teshuvah, personal healing, spiritual growth, and returning to our divine soul’s voice. Tzivie Greenberg is a facilitator of emotional healing for soul-led living. She is Internal Family Systems Trained, IFSCA Certified. You can contact...
Sep 08, 2024•1 hr 20 min
The unlikely story of a woman who found Judaism as a teenager, married young, and became a Chabad Rebbetzin in her own hometown. What propelled her to choose her Judaism at such a young age? And what it is it like, fifteen years later, to be living a life so different than the one she was raised with? To get in touch with Ariella, you can email her at gawronsky.a@gmail.com. This episode is sponsored by Zelda Hair, a wig company that champions the holistic process of hair covering for Jewish wome...
Sep 01, 2024•37 min
A conversation about learning how to love other people, the medicine for judgment, and knowing when to reflect the flaws we see in others as a catalyst for our own introspection and growth. Based on Chapter 30 of Tanya. This episode is sponsored by Zelda Hair, a wig company that champions the holistic process of hair covering for Jewish women. Shop Zelda Hair at zeldahairshop.com and discover the heart behind the brand on instagram @zeldahair. We love hearing your feedback! Email us at info@huma...
Aug 25, 2024•1 hr 8 min
A solo episode about Moshiach and why I can't stop thinking about Nachshon stepping into the sea. ______________ We love hearing your feedback! Email us at info@humanandholy.com to get in touch. To sponsor an episode, reach out to us via email or visit www.humanandholy.com/sponsor . Become a monthly supporter of the podcast on www.patreon.com/humanandholy . You can find us on instagram @humanandholy....
Aug 18, 2024•27 min
A conversation about shifting from seeing G-d as a tool, but as our anchor in life, the struggle to access the wisdom of Torah when we are experiencing personal blockages or mental health struggles, knowing when to say 'enough' in terms of our emotional wellbeing...and so much more. You can contact Musia at musia@jewishhamptons.com. We love hearing your feedback! Email us at info@humanandholy.com to get in touch. To sponsor an episode, reach out to us via email or visit www.humanandhol...
Aug 11, 2024•52 min
In honor of the nine days, Nechama Schusterman, a woman who has spent the last few years studying talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe about Moshiach, explores our role in preparing the world for Moshiach and refining ourselves and homes to make a vessel for a world of revealed G-dliness. Is Moshiach escapism or is it a reality that we set the stage for? How do we channel the pain of our current experience into a strong boundary against evil? What are some tangible ways that we can face the areas in o...
Aug 04, 2024•1 hr 1 min
