America's Top Rebbetzins (Vera Kessler)

Empower yourself!  

Rebbetzin Shterna Ginsberg is the co-founder, along with her husband, of Mosdos Chinuch Gan Yisroel, where she has served as an educator since 1998.  In 2012, Rebbetzin Shterna founded Energized Living https://www.energizedliving.org/ Rebbetzin Shterna shares with us some of the life changing principles from her book, Your Awesome Self. She reminds us that there is really only one operative truth in this world, and that is Hashem. Rebbetzin Shterna gives us practical tools for how we can stop listening to that voice of shame inside of our head, telling us that we are not good enough, and instead, start tuning into our authentic truth--each one of us is a holy neshama; a divine spark of Hashem. No one is better than us, and we are not better than anyone else. In this podcast, we learn how to develop a true sense of self and to see how that sense of self is connected directly to Hashem. Learn how to let your authentic self shine and empower yourself!

If you have teens, you need to listen to this interview!

Dr. Tamar Perlman teaches us practical and effective strategies to parent our teenagers. This is where Torah meets psychology. In order to develop a relationship with our teens, where they will talk to us and open up to us, we need to be curious about them--we need to deeply listen to what they are telling us. When we speak with our teens, we need to to respect who they are as individuals; they are not us, they are their own person. Respect leads to impact. If we want them to listen to us, we need to begin by respecting them. Once we develop a relationship with us, our words and advice will have a deeper impact on them, and we will be able to better guide them.  They want to see that they really matter to you. This interview has so many more nuggets of wisdom, and the ones mentioned above are explained more deeply in the interview. 

Every Hebrew month has its own unique and powerful energy. Those challenges and issues that seem insurmountable to us at one point of the year "seem" to resolve themselves quickly and easily at other times of the year. It's not just a coincidence. There is a reason and a season for everything:) In this deep conversation with Devorah Bloom Kur, we learn about the hidden meaning and energy of the Hebrew month of Adar. Specifically, the month of Adar offers profound opportunities for personal growth and spiritual connection to Hashem (G-d), through INCREASED joy, happiness, and laughter. Devorah speaks about how our thoughts play a tremendous role in our happiness. mindset, and outlook on life. She explains to us that what we think about comes about. Devorah speaks a lot about self-compassion, using our challenges as stepping stones to personal growth, rising above our limitations, and using our own unique strengths to help us overcome our current predicaments.Each Hebrew month has its own Hebrew letter, organ that it represents, sense, and astrological sign.Specific to Adar:Hebrew Letter: KoofOrgan: SpleenSense: LaughterAstrological Sign: PiscesDevorah speaks about the Jewish holiday of Purim, and how Queen Ester (Esther) saved the Jewish people by stepping into her royalty. She started off as scared, insecure and unsure of herself, but then rose into her power and dignity as a queen. Her actions created a miracle and revealed the hidden. Through Ester coming into her own power, the Jews were saved. It's because of Ester's heroism that we call the scroll that we read, Megilat Ester, which means "reveal the hidden." We can all come into our own personal power, just like queen Ester. If we all did that, imagine all the good and all the miracles that could occur! Devorah Bloom Kur is a professional Logotherapist, SEP--Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (trauma therapy), IFS level 3 practitioner, reflexologist, and bereavement counselor. She is passionate about supporting people through their illnesses, challenges, grief, and losses in life. Devorah has a practice in Raanana, Israel, and sees online clients internationally as well. She combines her expertise to empower people to achieve wellbeing of their mind, body, and soul. Her strength is helping people find meaning in their lives by asking, "What now?" which is meaning focused, instead of "Why me?" Devorah is the author of "Man's Search for Healing--A Logotherapy approach to healing through meaning," which explores the mind-body connection, the difference between being healed and being cured, how she overcame her own broken neck, forgiveness, post traumatic growth, and more.Devorah's information is below:Amazon link to my book, 'Man's Search for Healing': https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJQ6WNG5Website - www.dkwellness.co.ilEmail - devorah@dkwellness.co.ilFacebook page - https://www.facebook.com/dkwellbeing/Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5YDsijkbETm1T70Lc2B2AgLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/devorah-kur-b692a725/Contact: atrebbetzins@gmail.com

Rebbetzin Rivka Slatkin and her husband, Rabbi Shlomo Slatkin, run The Marriage Restoration Project (https://themarriagerestorationproject.com/) to help couples learn what to do when the dream that they had for their marriage turns into a nightmare. Rebbetzin Rivka and her husband help couples learn to communicate and get to know each other using various techniques, including Imago therapy, which she discusses in the interview. She teaches couples how to stop fighting and how to make their marriage stronger. Point to Ponder: Get Curious About Your Spouse.

When we proclaim what we want, we have the ability to create miracles! Israel is at war with Hamas. Each and every Jew is fighting this battle. Some Jews are on the ground, fighting with guns and tanks; that is the physical war. However, even if you are not fighting the physical war, you can still be engaged in the spiritual war. We are all Spiritual Warriors, each of us helping to win this war in our own way. Orly speaks to us about how each Jew can do something that they connect with in order to help Israel win the war. Some people bake challah, others send much needed items to Israel, and you should do what resonates with you. Orly shares an interesting story about how her friend, who loves to drive, donates her time driving goods all around Israel to those who need them. We are all soldiers in Hashem's army; we all have to man our post in our own way. Orly talks about a few of the campaigns that she is implementing on the spiritual war front to help protect the soldiers. Through her free app, Abraham's Legacy, she holds an event every evening, Sunday-Thursday, via Zoom (link below) where people read Tehillim (Psalms), finishing the entire book of psalms multiple times a night. Psalms are a HUGE spiritual protection for our soldiers! Orly also speaks about the mitzvah of netilat yadaim (spiritual washing of the hands.) She has a company called Netilah, which makes special hand washing cups made our of 100% pure copper. Copper has a tremendous connection to healing. Aside from being a natural antibacterial metal, kabbalistically, copper has a deep spiritual purpose. Copper connects with and purifies water upon contact; it protects the water before it reaches your hands. For more information on Netilah, please visit www.netillah.com There is a link between our voices, which we use for davening (praying), and our hands. When we refrain from speaking badly about others, we purify our voices. When we have pure voices, our prayers can reach G-d more quickly and easily; they don't get stuck in the energy of negativity. We can achieve this purification of our voices by JUDGING OTHERS FAVORABLY and speaking well of others. When we think good, we speak good. Think good, and it will be good. Regarding our hands, when we sleep 1/60 of our soul dies. Death is considered impure. When we wake up from sleep, we use a netilat yadaim cup (also known as a klee), to do a spiritual washing of our hands, which Orly explains to us. This washing of our hands, done slowly, and with focus and good intention, can purify our hands. When our hands are purified, the things that we do with them are elevated; baking challah, cooking, making cards for soldiers, packing supplies for the IDF, etc. What you do with pure hands and pure intentions is an elevated mitzvah. Orly can be reached at: info@abrahamslegacy.com or via Whatsapp: +1-917-748-8032 In trying times such as these we find ourselves asking what can we do to help? Tefillah has always and will always be something we can turn to. As we know every prayer said, every chapter of Tehillim brings a tremendous level of protection. And so Orly asks you to join her each night for 30 minutes at 8:30pm Israel time to read Tehillim in unison. WATCH the video below, share and encourage others to join us. https://youtu.be/4ayuHzyhiQ8 *Date: Sunday-Thursday* *Time: 8:30pm Israel | 1:30pm NY* Same time and link every night *Join the Zoom:* https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7340551834 *Download the app in preparation:* qrco.de/bbD92t ABRAHAM’S LEGACY is an app that allows ppl *around the world to complete the entire Tehillim within moments!* Tehillim Warriors Project https://youtu.be/rcNJPY9oYsI Join our Unit of Tehillim Warriors by taking on the same 5 min window every day to say Tehillim for our soldiers and hostages. You’re being called to battle with your tefillot…are you READY to answer the call? Enlist NOW! Please SHARE! www.abrahamslegacy.com/warrior

Rebbetzin Devorah Buxbaum is the co-founder of the LEV Experience. She talks about the power that we, as human beings, have to positively affect ourselves AND those around us JUST with our thoughts. We are able to affect POWERFUL changes in our lives and in those around us, simply by rewiring our thoughts. First, we need to be aware of our thoughts. Then, we need to envision our goal in detail--really create a strong visual in our minds of how we will think and feel when we actually reach our goal. Make our vision so real that we can almost feel it as reality. Then, we need to rewrite the narrative that we tell ourselves. Instead of thinking negative thoughts like we will never reach our goal, we don't deserve it, etc., we need to think of the type of person we will be WHEN we reach our goal. Our thoughts create our reality! Rebbetzin Devorah thoroughly explains each step in detail. She also talks about how we can love others the way we love ourselves (Ahavas Yisroel.) The things she says about loving yourself first, before you can love someone else, are truly eye opening.

Are you looking to lose weight--5 pounds, 10 pounds, 20 pounds, 50 pounds or more? Are you wondering if Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound, the big names in weight loss drugs at the moment, might be right for you? Who qualifies for these medications and what are the side effects? In this comprehensive conversation with Dr. Adrienne Youdim, board certified physician specializing in clinical nutrition and obesity medicine, we get the inside scoop. We learn that these drugs were formulated specifically with health outcomes, not aesthetic outcomes, in mind. In other words, people do lose weight on these drugs, but they were specifically designed for people with certain health conditions, such as diabetes. Dr. Youdim talks about GLP-1 semaglutides and their effects on the body. She explains that they slow down the digestion of food in your gut, keeping you feeling full for longer periods of time, thereby curbing your appetite. This helps fight obesity. Dr. Youdim also explains that since these drugs are directed to function in the gut, the side effects are also felt in the gut. Side effects include, but are not limited to diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, and, in some cases, pancreatitis. You will hear Dr. Youdim speak beautifully about a mind, body and soul approach to medicine, including weight loss. She emphasizes that nothing is without a cost; there is a cost to taking action, and there is a cost to not taking action, when it comes to your health. Dr. Youdim's TED Talk can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=AFpeEOeEZVg Dr. Youdim's book, Hungry for More can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Hungry-More-Stories-Science-Inspire/dp/0578875632/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2G7ZWPMWL46FR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.78U2LlbpNiwLNjROfhnPj6JWABK7hu10MktR8CPD4JMuKLf6DA3Dqbex8sq1VWhH.e2tjG3HwVxDg2juoMVzbkPcZn96yEs2_78KktZiNmgU&dib_tag=se&keywords=hungry+for+more+youdim&qid=1738091582&sprefix=hungry+for+more+youdim%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-1 To be connected to Dr. Youdim, please email Vera Kessler, host of America's Top Rebbetzins at atrebbetzins@gmail.com

In this lively conversation with Rebbetzin Tehilla Birnbaum, we talk about the Torah approach to physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. We learn to understand WHY it is so important for us to care for ourselves in these realms, since they all affect each other. The age old question is..."Am I a body, or am I a soul?" The answer is both. The body is a vessel that contains our soul. Since our body is a vessel that contains our soul, we need to take the best care of it possible. We need to incorporate physical activity into our lives. We need to sleep properly, make sure that we have good physical hygiene (like bathing daily and brushing our teeth at least twice a day), we need to take the time to get dressed properly so that we are put together. We use our physical being to elevate ourselves spiritually. Our thoughts and emotions also play a large role in the way we perceive the world and elevate ourselves. When we are able to look at a situation in a positive light and show gratitude for the blessings, and also the challenges, in our lives, we elevate ourselves emotionally and mentally. Focusing on the positive in people, situations, and circumstances promotes clarity of the mind. When our mind is clear, we can make good decisions. We can keep ourselves spiritually healthy through prayer. It could be through traditional written prayer like you find in a siddur (prayer book) or Tehillim (psalms), or it could be through having a conversation with G-d in your own words (hitbodedut.) By speaking with G-d in your own language throughout the day, our soul is in constant connection with Him. We begin to feel calm and protected. To be connected to Rebbetzin Tehilla Birnbaum, please email Vera Kessler, host of America's Top Rebbetzins at: atrebbetzins@gmail.com

Rebbetzin Channy Lapine is the co-director of the Chabad Jewish Center of Missouri University and Mid-Missouri. She talks about the basics of keeping a kosher home, as well as the foods that we can and cannot eat. She also explains the fundamentals of Cholov Yisrael kosher dairy, as well as Glatt kosher meat. Rebbetzin Channy answers a listener's question about why it's not permissible to eat chicken parmesan (but a veggie cheeseburger or a Beyond Burger cheeseburger is totally find to eat.)

Every Hebrew month has its own unique energy that is specific to that month. The energy of Nissan is that of new beginnings and miracles--POWERFULIn the month of Nissan, G-d does for us, as opposed to in Tishrei, when we do for G-d. So what did G-d do for us in Nissan? He took us out of Egypt! In the story of Pesach (Passover), Hashem (G-d) physically took us out of Egypt (Mitzrayim.) The word, Mitzrayim, means narrow or limited. Hashem took us out of a limited place, and into an open, expanded place--eretz Israel. On a personal level, during the month of Nissan, Hashem helps take each and every one of us out of our own personal Mitzrayim, our own personal limitations. We can use the energy of Nissan to begin removing our own personal klippot--shells/blockages, LIMITATIONS. When we work on eliminating our personal limitations, G-d helps us. Once we remove our limitations, we have boundless, endless capacity to actualize our potential in this world, and fulfill our life mission.On a national level, our limitation is that we are not a unified people; we are fragmented. However, the month of Nissan is not only the month of new beginnings, but it is also the month of miracles. When we unite as a nation, Hashem can literally make miracles for us, like He did with the splitting of the Sea of Reeds (Red Sea.)The astrological sign for Nissan is Aries, the ram. This animal, the ram, is associated with the lamb. At the time that the Jews were in Egypt, the lamb was worshiped as an idol by the Egyptians. Hashem commanded the Jews to take a lamb into their house, tie it to their bedpost, and then kill it. Then, they were commanded to smear the lamb of the blood on their doorpost, in the place which we now put up a mezuzah, indicating to the angel of death that he should jump or skip over this house because it was a Jewish house. In this way, the Jews elevated an idol from being something that was wrongfully worshiped, into something that was elevated by being used to save lives.Rebbetzin Mattie Pil suggests that we can take our modern day idol of technology and use it to listen to Torah classes, Torah podcasts, read Jewish texts online, and overall use this "idol" for holy purposes.Rebbetzin Mattie, also shares with us that the Hebrew letter associated with the month of Nisan is the letter "hey." She explains that G-d created the world with the letter, "hey," as He spoke the world into existence. We can use our words to tap into our G-dly soul through prayer, which is a form of meditation with our Creator.Rebbetzin Mattie, is the rebbetzin of the Schneerson Center, a synagogue in San Francisco, California. She has been an educator for over 40 years. She is also a certified life coach, and teaches kabbala for women.Contact: atrebbetzins@gmail.com

Rebbetzin Lea Goldstein, is the principal at Derech HaTorah in Rochester, New York. She shares with us practical tools for raising strong, confident and happy kids--and she does it from a principal's point of view. Her strategies for instilling self-worth and self-confidence in children are right on target! She delves into being a firm parent and setting boundaries as well as the pitfalls of being an overprotective parent. Rebbetzin Lea also speaks about giving a child recognition for things that they have authentically worked hared for, and she tells us how exactly to make a child feel valued, safe, and worthy.

Rebbetzin Devora Boroosan talks about how women can enjoy physical intimacy with their husbands, even after experiencing emotional and/or physical trauma in the past. She emphasizes that women need to take care of themselves so that they can better connect with their husbands, both emotionally and physically. Don't underestimate the enjoyment of physical intimacy for women. Hashem created physical intimacy for women to feel pleasure too!  Key point to ponder: I'm going to think about the good today.

Rebbetzin Ariela Davis offers insightful perspectives on how women can find strength, meaning and resilience to face life's challenges through Torah learning. The words of Torah that she shares are meaningful and relatable. She also talks about how handling life's struggles with strength leads to resilience. It's never too late to change your life, no matter what has happened in the past. There is always strong hope for self-growth and a happy future. Rebbetzin Ariela is currently the principal of Ulpanat Orly in Bet Shemesh, Israel. Ulpanat Orly is a high school for Anglos and recent Olot who are having a challenging time finding their place in the Israeli school system.

You're feeling stressed, tired, angry, or sad...so, of course you go into the kitchen and start eating that box of cookies, bag of chips, and the chocolate bar before starting on the peanut butter, the leftover chicken, and anything else that looks good in your fridge or pantry. This happens again and again. It's called emotional eating. You are feeling some type of painful emotion from an outside stimulus--the argument with your husband, your child that didn't behave, your friend that didn't show up, the situation that didn't go as planned--and instead of feeling the pain of the emotion, you stuff yourself instead (sometimes with food you don't even want.)

In this raw and authentic conversation, yoga instructor and Certified Health Coach (with an additional certification in the Psychology of Emotional Eating), Aviva Aberman, talks about the psychology of emotional eating...and how to stop. She brings in Torah concepts to help connect our mind, body and soul--true somatic healing. Aviva runs programs for women, on Zoom, in order to help them overcome emotional eating by feeling their emotions, and then healing them. You need to feel in order to heal.

Aviva takes women through her 8 step guidelines that help women go from unconscious eating (emotional eating) to conscious eating. But most importantly, Aviva shows, explains, and teaches people how to love themselves, which is REALLY what it's all about. She teaches women how to take care of themselves properly. Although manicures and pedicures are nice, the best self-care options include things like:

--thinking kind thoughts about yourself

--truly listening to your body and communicating with it about what you really want to eat (and it's not always chocolate cake)

--taking a short (or long) walk in fresh air

--davening (praying)

--meditating (it could be for just 15 minutes)

For more information on Aviva and her programs, please visit:

https://www.healwithaviva.net/

You can also email: atrebbetzins@gmail.com

Rebbetzin Chaya Malka Abramson, author of Who By Fire, shares her story of how she was caught in a horrific house fire that burned over 85% of her body, as she repeatedly went back into her burning apartment to save her three children and her grandmother. Rebbetzin Chaya Malka turned tragedy into triumph by starting the Chaya Malka Burn Foundation, which provides burn patients with support and wide-range tools for healing. For more information on the foundation, please visit http://cmburnfoundation.com/

In a burn emergency, you can call the Chaya Malka Burn Foundation Hotline at +972 587 627 954 (Israel phone number.)

Rebbetzin Devorah Leah Marrus is the co-director of programming at Chabad of South Carolina. She is also a marriage, couples and family psychotherapist. 

In this engaging interview, Rebbetzin Devorah Leah emphasizes how important it is for a new mother to have support as she transitions into this new chapter of her life, whether it's her first child or her 6th child. She also tells us how important it is for a new mother to communicate with her husband before, during and after the pregnancy, so that they can build a stronger bond, making things easier, once the baby arrives. They should have clear goals on what roles the mother and the father will have--who will do the cleaning and cooking; who will get up with the baby each night; who will take care of the other kids while the mother is resting and recovering, etc. It's so important that a mother understands what her needs are so that she communicate those needs and asks for the right help and support.  

Rebbetzin Devorah Leah also outlined an interesting strategy to communicate with your husband. It's called the "Daily Temperature Reading." She clearly goes through each of the components that go on during this very effective type of communication.   

Rebbetzin Devorah Leah also talks about the symptoms of post-partum anxiety and depression, and whom to reach out to for help.  If you are struggling with post-partum depression or anxiety, please reach out for help to your doctor, friend, family, or member of the community. People want to help you.

Rebbetzin Nechama Dina Laber is the co-director of the Jewish Greenbush Retreat Campus, and also of the Chabad of Greenbush and Southern Rensselaer County. She is also the founder and director of the Jewish Girls Retreat and Jewish Girls Unite, as well as the GROW Connection Network global online community for girls and women. Rebbetzin Nechama Dina is a certified life coach and the author of several books, including GROW Through Prayer and 3 GROW planners. In this deep and profound interview, Rebbetzin Nechama Dina shares with us her effective GROW method for meaningful prayer, and for living a meaningful life. She encourages us to be a spark of light that illuminates the darkness, and she teaches us how to do it through the GROW method. GROW G: Gratitude, which corresponds with the prayer of Birkat Ha Shahar. With gratitude, we open our heart to connection. Even if we are struggling with a challenge, we can be grateful to be alive. R: Recognition, which corresponds to the prayers of Pesuki d'Zimrah. In this step, we process gratitude in more detail. We recognize what is going on in our world, and we open our heart to connection. We realize the divinity is in the details. O: Oneness, which corresponds to the Shema prayer. Hashem (G-d) is one. Everything has the oneness of Hashem inside of it, including our challenges. He wants us to find him. Through oneness, we create an action step. We think, "What does Hashem want from me at this time?" We take on one small action. Hashem is our partner in every situation in live, and He guides us. Through oneness, we create a spiritual intention to connect to Hashem. W: Wish, which corresponds to the Shemona Esrei prayer. We take ownership of our connection with Hashem and with others. We ask Hashem to please fulfill our wishes and needs by creating a dwelling space for Him in this world. When we daven, it's important to remember Who is before You. "Daven" comes from the French word, devant, in front of. Remember in front of Whom you stand. Tefillah means attachment and connection. Siddur is from the word, "seder," which means order. That is why there is an order to our prayers. For more information on GROW, or to contact Rebbetzin Nechama Dina, please visit www.growconnectionnetwork.com

I have a secret. It's the secret to staying happy in challenging times. Whether it's raising children with special needs, going through a financial crisis, difficulty with marriage or relationships, the secret to staying happy applies to all of the above and more. Rebbetzin Feige Slavaticki is the co-director of the Chabad Israeli Center in Skokie, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. In addition to running a Chabad house, Rebbetzin Feige is the mother of 11 children, two of whom have special needs. Rebbetzin Feige shares with us some powerful and poignant stories that contain precious pearls of Torah wisdom. It's the wisdom that is gleaned from these stories that shapes the way we stay happy in challenging times. Here is a sneak peak into one of the stories that Rebbetzin Feige shares: There is a Mosad agent (secret service agent) who gets into a taxi. Once he is inside, he sees two men in the backseat with guns pointed at his head. They take him and lock him in a prison cell. They torture him to try to get him to tell all his national secrets. He doesn't tell them anything. Then, by accident, he overhears his captors talking amongst themselves. They were speaking Hebrew. All of a sudden, he understood. Those men weren't his enemies; they were fellow Mosad agents testing him to make sure that he is strong enough to do the job to which he was assigned. The above story is a parable. When "bad" things happen to us, we get mad or upset. We think the person who put us in this situation is bad. We think that these circumstances are awful. In reality, it is Hashem who caused that person to do whatever they did, and it was Hashem who caused you to be in those difficult circumstances. Hashem often test us in order to bring out our strength. When we recognize that these challenges and difficulties are really tests from Hashem, that He gives to us, from a place of love, in order for us to bring out our own strengths, then we understand that we are not dealing with a captor or an enemy. Rather, it's our Father in Heaven who is strengthening us and preparing us for upcoming challenges we may face in life. Rebbetzin Feige also shares another parable about a taxi driver that has two steering wheels in his car. One is for his toddler son who likes to "drive," and one is the actual steering wheel that he drives. This story shows us that no matter how much we think we are in the driver's seat, it's really Hashem who is driving the taxi. Emunah (faith.) Divine Providence. Letting go and letting G-d. It's not up to you to run the world. The responsibility of controlling everyone and everything is not on your shoulders. You need to do your best, focusing on what you can do, as opposed to what you can't do, and Hashem will handle the rest.

Talking to your kids about sex might be embarrassing or uncomfortable, but it's an important topic, and we have to talk about it. The truth is that if we don't talk to our kids about sex, they are going to find out about it from other kids or other sources (possibly the internet.) We want our kids to know our values about sex, and learn the correct information, preferably from us. Rebbetzin Dr. Hadassah Fromson, a sought after kallah teacher, sex therapist and counselling psychologist, helps guide us in talking to our kids about a subject that many parents find taboo. She suggests that parents talk to children about sex in bits and pieces, starting off at a very young age. She also encourages us to use the proper clinical terminology for our body parts. We need to feel comfortable using words like "penis" and "vagina." Our kids need to see that we are being open and honest with them about the subject of sex. When parents are comfortable talking about a subject (any subject), it gives kids the confidence to feel that we know what we are talking about and that we are giving them factual information. Rebbetzin Dr. Hadassah tells us that we should take cues from our children about what we should talk about. In other words, we need to be open to answering their questions, no matter how sexual and detailed they might be. We want to be the person that our kids come to about sex, and if we don't answer their questions, they will find out from somebody else. However, she cautions us to create boundaries. We are our children's parents, not their friends. Do not give them details about what happens in your bedroom. That information is private, just between the couple. We need to respect our children as individuals and give them the answers to difficult questions. This way, they will be more apt to turn to us when they have an issue or a challenge, especially if they are being peer pressured to have sex. Contact: atrebbetzins@gmail.com

If G-d didn't need YOU, He would not have woken YOU up today. You are here because you are NEEDED.A Jew is never Stuck. People are built to stand upright because their minds rule over their hearts.Mitzvot are the spiritual clothing of the soul. They are your responsibility, and they give you purpose. Mitzvot are a connection point between you and Hashem.Above are just some of the deep insights that Rebbetzin Chani Shemtov, a Chabad Emissary at the University of Illinois in Chicago, shares with us in this very powerful conversation. We start off speaking about the Modeh Ani prayer, which is the very first thing that we say when we wake up in the morning. This prayer doesn't have Hashem's name in it. This is because we have just awoken from sleep, and we need to do the traditional washing of our hands (netilat yadayim ) before we say Hashem's name. However, Modeh Ani is said right when we wake up, before we wash our hands. It is for this reason that Hashem's name is not said during this prayer.The first word of the Modeh Ani prayer is "Modeh," translated in English as "grateful." We literally start off our day with gratitude. It has been scientifically researched, studied, and proven that gratitude leads to happiness. By starting off our day with being grateful that G-d gave our soul back to us, we are beginning on a positive, optimistic, and happy note. (When we sleep, we are 1/60 dead, so G-d needs to restore our soul to us in order for us to wake up. We are therefore grateful to Him for giving us life, each and every day.) Remember, if G-d woke you up, He gave you life. The reason He gave you life is because you have a purpose in this world that you still have an opportunity to fulfil. Otherwise, He would not have woken you up.Following the Modeh Ani prayer, we have the morning blessings, birkot hashakar. These are a series of 15 blessings. Each of these blessings begin with the words, "Blessed are You, Hashem, our G-d, King of the universe...," and then goes on to mention specific things.Rebbetzin Chani and I spoke about several of the 15 blessings, in detail.We talked about, "Blessed are You, Hashem, our G-d, King of the universe, Who frees those who are bound." From this, we learn that a Jew is never stuck. We have free will every single moment of the day. What we said or did 5 minutes ago, yesterday, or last year, doesn't need to define what we do or who we are 10 minutes from now. Hashem recreates the world every single moment. Because of this, we are never stuck, and we always have the ability to move forward in any direction, at any moment.Then, we spoke about, "Blessed are You, Hashem, our G-d, King of the universe, Who stands upright those who are bent over." Many animals are made such that their head, heart and lower organs are on the same level. However, humans are created such that our head is on top, our heart is below our head, and then come our lower organs. This structure shows that our head rules our conduct, not our emotions, or our desires. It is the head that must make clear choices for us to follow. We then get to the controversial blessing that a man says in the morning, "Blessed are You, Hashem, our G-d, King of the universe, for not having made me a woman." The reason behind this blessing is that mitzvot are a point of connection between Hashem and humans. In His infinite wisdom, Hashem gave men more commandments that He gave to women. They need these commandments for their spiritual growth, and since they are commanded with more mitzvot, they have a more points of connection to Him than women. Women, however, do have many mitzvot that they have the responsibility to fulfil. However, they are not confined to time-bound mitzvot because their primary responsibility is taking care of their family. Rebbetzin Chani explains this beautifully!If you don't know how to read Hebrew, you can say the blessings in your native language.

Whether you are a Jew living in Israel, Los Angeles, New York, or Mexico City, we are all part of one national collective soul. We are one family; one nation; one people. We are connected on an intrinsic, cellular level. Miriam Tawil, founder and director of Midreshet Eshel, a Sephardic seminary in Eretz Israel, shares with us about the connection between Israeli Jews and Jews who live outside of Israel (diaspora Jews.) She reminds us that Jews are actually supposed to live in Israel. We were exiled from the Holy Land as a punishment, but the ultimate goal is for all Jews, from everywhere in the world, to come together to live in Israel. For those Jews who are thinking about making aliyah, Miriam encourages them to know their Why. Why do you want to come to Israel? Knowing your why gets you through the How. Miriam says that there is something very special that binds together each and every Jew, no matter where they live. She also shares stories of Jews from various backgrounds (Ashkenazi, Sephardic, liberal, conservative, etc.) who come together to help each other. Jews give to other Jews, even if they don't know each other. There is something in the DNA of the Jewish people that enables them to be one big family. Contact: atrebbetzins@gmail.com

Rebbetzin Shaindy Eisenberg, daughter of Rebbetzin Slovie Jungreis-Wolff and granddaughter of Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, talks about having inner dignity and a strong sense of self. Being truly confident about the holy being you are on the inside is reflected in the way you present yourself on the outside.

Rebbetzin Mina Eisenbach, along with her husband, Rabbi Joseph Eisenbach, are the co-directors of Chabad Lubavitch of Northeast, Connecticut. This is one of the smallest Chabad houses in the world. Chabad is actually an acronym for Chochma, Bina, Da'at; Chochma means Wisdom, Bina means Understanding, and Da'at means Knowledge. Rebbetzin Mina beautifully illustrates the importance that each and every one of us has as human beings. We all have a piece of G-d (Hashem) inside of us. We are all G-dly beings. This makes us inherently valuable and precious in His eyes. He seeks a two-way relationship with us. It's not just us praising G-d and asking Him for things; it's about G-d interacting with us too. We receive part of our Jewish soul at birth, the second part of our soul at our bris (for a boy) or at our baby naming (for a girl), and the third part of our soul at our bar or bat mitzvah. As the mother of 13 children, Rebbetzin Mina shares her wisdom about raising children, keeping at the forefront of her mind that each and every child is a blessing.

Rebbetzin Tamar Taback is the founder of the Nexus School for Transformational Torah. In this conversation, she delves deeply into the meaning of the 22-verse poem known as the Ayshet Chayil. She shares with us that you are ALREADY an aishet chayil. Hashem made each one of us unique and innately precious to Him. We need to give ourselves permission to be ourselves. Rebbetzin Taback talks about the 4 levels of  interpretation of this poem that is sung to a woman, by her husband, on Friday night before kiddush (blessing over the wine.) She also gives us three way to help us rise more deeply into our own aishet chayil: 1. Start each day with prayer--connecting with your Creator first thing in the morning is very powerful. 2. Do what you already do with more awareness and intention. 3. Make Torah learning a priority--it will make a significant difference in your life.  Rebbetzin Taback wrote a book called Rising! Into Your Aishet Chayil, spinning the story of feminine growth through Torah.  22 verses = 19 women.  $18 https://www.school.thenexus.org/courses/aishet-chayil Visit The Nexus, home to Rebbetzin Taback's free shiur treasury and the Nexus School of Transformational Torah for Women, including the flagship Rise! into your highest Feminine series (and more).  Subscribe at www.thenexus.org, or contact info@thenexus.org.    To watch the first class of Chava, foundations of femininity free, click HERE: https://thenexus.org/riseseries/.

Rebbetzin Leah Shemtov, Executive Co-Director of Chabad of Stamford-Jewish Center for Life and Learning opens our eyes to the fact that challah is not just bread--it's SO much more! Women have the power to bring out and elevate the hidden. Challah is recognition that everything we have is from Hashem. The MORE we recognize that what we have is from Hashem, the more abundance and blessings He will give to us.

Amazing Speaker!!! Rebbetzin Sarah Deitsch beautifully explains the meaning of Chassidism (Chassidut), and Chabad Chassidut in particular. Chabad is an acronym for Chochma, Bina, Da'at, which means Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge. Chabad Chassidut encourages Jews to use an intellectual approach to connect with G-d (Hashem.) The intellectual connection to our Creator will then go into our heart, and we will love Him completely with both our mind and our soul, and our body too. Rebbetzin Sarah emphasized that another major component of Chabad Chassidus is love of our fellow Jew. We are all equal as Jews, and we all know something about Judaism (even if it's very little.) It's our responsibility as Jews to teach another Jew something that we know about Judaism so that their lives can be enriched. Chassidus really intertwines love of our fellow Jew, with love of Torah, and love of G-d. Another meaningful aspect that Rebbetzin Sarah shared is the concept of hashgaha pratis, Divine intervention. G-d is involved in every aspect of our lives; not just the major events in our lives, but the little day-to-day moments too. He is always with us and watching over us. We need to make a dwelling place for G-d in this world. When we surrender to G-d, He enters our lives--this is why humility is important. Also, Moshiach (messiah)! Chassidism emphasizes the coming of Moshiach. We can bring Moshiach by doing mitzvot to the best of our ability. Once Moshiach is here, there will be revealed G-dliness in the world. Hashem's presence will be revealed, not hidden. We are encouraged to develop a deep connection to the Lubavticher Rebbe. When we visit the Rebbe's Ohel (burial spot) in Queens, NY, his presence is very much felt there, and it's easier to connect to him. When we pray at the Ohel, we are praying directly to G-d in the merit of the Rebbe. (We don't pray to the Rebbe, we pray to G-d.) If you would like to learn more information about visiting the Ohel, please email me at atrebbetzins@gmail.com Some ways that you can bring Chassidus into your life today are: 1. Realize how important you are to G-d. 2. Educate yourself. Leah the book of Tanya (there are many English translations that are available in bookstore and online.) Learn the Rebbe's sichos too. The sichos are the talks that the Rebbe gave to his followers when he was alive. (Check out www.chabad.org) Rebbetzin Sarah Deitsch is the co-director of the Schottenstein Chabad House on the campus of Ohio State University. She offers meaningful educational and social programming for the students to engage and deepen their connection to Judaism.

Rebbetzin Chana Bilek is a Korean-American Orthodox Jewish woman who was born into poverty in South Korea, and was adopted as a young child. She is now a life coach, consultant, public speaker, and the wife of an Orthodox rabbi in Baltimore, Maryland!  

Chana shares with us some very practical strategies for effectively managing relationships with our friends, co-workers, in-laws, and extended family. She explains to us how we can set specific goals for our relationships and realistic expectations for achieving those goals. She also teaches us to respect our feelings--our feelings matter and they count. If we don't respect our feelings, we will end up feeling resentful and doing this out of resentment. Self-care is not selfish! Chana shows us how to say "no" with dignity.

Tzirel Liba Greenberg is a singer and composer who has written over 100 original songs! (She plays one of her songs on a guitar, and sings toward the end of the interview--kol isha alert!) Tzirel Liba also started The Shabbos Queen Project podcast, which can be heard on SoundCloud. Her friendly, easy approach, performing talent and inspirational messages make The Shabbos Queen Project lessons SO powerful! She consistently captivates her audiences as she shares Emunah tools, Torah wisdom, and beautiful music to help guide Jewish women through the ups and downs in life. Tzirel Liba speaks beautifully about the deeper meaning of shabbos. She says that shabbat is the source of all blessings. Our yearning for a connection with Hashem brings abundance upon us. We have the potential to create miracles by bringing Hashem into our lives through the things that we do, especially the things we do to prepare for shabbat. We need to be mindful each day to do something to prepare for shabbos, whether it's buying food or shabbos candles, making our shabbos menu, inviting guests, cleaning our house, cooking, and many other things that we can do each day to mindfully bring us into the realm of shabbos, and of course, closer to Hashem. Tzirel Liba speaks about shabbos candles being a woman's most powerful weapon. When we light shabbat candles 10 minutes before the candle lighting time on the Jewish calendar, we open up the gates of blessings to fall upon us. We do this through the prayers that we say right after we light the candles. We show Hashem that we are so excited about shabbat that we want to take it on early by lighting the shabbat candles early. Then, we pour our hearts out to Hashem and ask him for anything and everything we need. Tzirel Liba also speaks about the holiness of kiddish and challah. In addition, she speaks about the importance of gratitude in order to help us get into the mind frame of connecting to Hashem. Tzirel Liba and her husband will be going on tour of the United States, speaking about shabbat and its magic. This tour is called A Peak Behind The Vail. If you would like to reach Tzirel Liba, please email her at theshabbosqueenproject@gmail. com or email me at atrebbetzins@gmail.com

Devorah Leah Andrusier is an addictions coach who helps people overcome their battle with all different types of addictions.  Devorah Leah tells us that for the addict, their addiction of choice (alcohol, drugs, sex, food, etc.) is the solution, not the problem. They are trying to numb themselves and escape their pain. Most addicts feel unseen; they have no one to lean on for support; they are wrestling with their pain alone.   

So what can we do to help? Devorah Leah talks about the signs of addiction. She then emphasizes that if we have a loved one who is struggling, we should give them complete and unconditional love and acceptance--JUST BECAUSE WE LOVE AND ACCEPT SOMEONE DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE APPROVE OF THEIR BEHAVIOR. 

Devorah Leah really gives us some great tools to use when building relationships with our family and friends so that we can prevent a possible addiction in the future, and also, so that we help them if they are currently struggling.  Devorah Leah also talks about the difference between guilt and shame, which many addicts have.  

Devorah Leah suggests that if you have a loved one who is struggling with drug addiction to please consider carrying the nasal spray called Narcan. (She talks about it during the interview.) If you administer Narcan during the first 2-3 minutes that someone has an overdose, you can save their life.  

The opposite of addiction is connection.

If you have ever wondered about what is truly behind our obsession with food and eating, and if you really want to know how to achieve optimal health, you must listen to this interview. It was FASCINATING!!! Thank you Shimona Krengel Tzukernik!!!

A coach and an international lecturer, Shimona Tzukernik is the creator of The Method, a practical approach to personal transformation, rooted in Torah principles and ancient mystical teachings. The Method is offered live, via teleconference and on the web. However, her most intimate work is done one-on-one as a coach for private clients. Having coached hundreds of individuals, she now offers certification in The Method.

Shimona is also a certified Somatic Therapist who helps people recover from trauma.

Shimona is offering America's Top Rebbetzins podcast listeners her program, 7 Foods for 7 Habits free! To receive the program materials, visit: https://shimona.org/product/7-foods-habits-nutrition/.

Enter code: Vera at checkout for a free gift.

Rebbetzin Fay Kranz Greene was an emissary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe for more than 30 years in various cities, including Detroit, Michigan and Richmond, Virginia. She was the managing editor of The Richmond Jewish News, and is a contributor to various Chabad publications and websites. Rebbetzin Fay shares her truly incredible journey from a seemingly ordinary young girl to an extraordinary rebbetzin and Chabad shlucha (emissary). She reminisces about memories with her family growing up, including a poignant ode to her mother, who was an extraordinary person--listen to the interview to hear all those details and more! This is truly a nostalgic and inspirational episode!

Dr. Chavi Goldberg, founder of CyberSem (https://cybersem.com/) passionately discusses the significance that Jewish learning has in a woman's life. Just like doctors, lawyers, electricians, and other workers need to take courses and classes to keep up to date on the skills in their field, Jewish women need to do the same. When we learn Torah, it's not just an intellectual pursuit. We learn the skills that we need to run our homes, be good wives, good mothers, good friends, and good Jews. We need to keep current on how Judaism affects our lives now--this applies to any age. CyberSem offers accredited courses, as well as independent study courses on a variety of Jewish topics. With the flexibility of online learning, women can learn at their own pace and at their own convenience. To contact Chavi directly, please email her at cgoldberg@machontemima.org.

Rebbetzin Yael Kaisman explains to us how to achieve our true greatness; it's based on internal success, not external success. Hashem gives us "gifts" in life. Those "gifts" include our talents, abilities, skills, and financial circumstances, as well as our situation in life (both good and seemingly bad.) The way we use those "gifts" to develop our internal strength and to refine our personality traits and characteristics is what defines our true success. People praise us and applaud us for achieving external success, but no one but ourselves and Hashem sees our internal success. At the end of our life, we will ultimately be judged by our internal success and all the hard work and effort we put into developing who we are as people. Hashem is in control of everything. We have no control over our external success, but we do have control over our internal success, and internal success is forever!

Evonne Marzouk is the author of the Jewish novel The Prophetess. She was also the founder and former Executive Director of a Jewish environmental organization called Canfei Nesharim, and is currently a board member of its successor organization, GrowTorah. She worked with rabbis, scientists, educators and community leaders to create and distribute Torah teachings on the environment. Evonne has worked at the United States Environmental Protection Agency for over 20 years. Evonne also created Heroine's Journal: A Jewish Mystical Journey of Growing into Your Gifts, to empower Jewish women to live their greatest dreams. Evonne speaks in detail about the process of forgiving someone who has hurt you. Step 1: be willing to fully feel the pain that the person caused you Step 2: be willing to acknowledge that you don't know every detail in the situation (you don't know what that person was thinking at the time they hurt you, what you may have needed to learn from being hurt, etc.) Step 3: make space in your heart (feel compassion) for the imperfect person who hurt you in order to forgive them with your whole heart When you are trying to forgive someone, it is helpful to process your feelings. One way to do that is to write down your feelings in a journal or notebook. Writing takes the feelings out of your head and body, and puts them on paper. It is also very important to understand that no one is perfect and that we need to have compassion for the other person's imperfections and humanity. Ultimately, forgiveness is a choice.

Rebbetzin Yocheved Goldberg, rebbetzin of the Boca Raton Synagogue in Boca Raton, Florida, discusses the importance of belonging to a Jewish community, as well as the roles and responsibilities of a community rebbetzin. The feeling of belonging, brought about through the warmth of the community rebbetzin, and by the programming offered by local synagogues is the cornerstone of a Jewish community.

Chabad of the West Side's Rebbetzin Sarah Alevsky creates programs to bring Jews back to Judaism. Through her innovative "Chalk Shabbat" campaign, Hebrew school, and children's shul services, Rebbetzin Sarah provides fun and engaging programming that draws Jews back to their roots.

If I take Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, or any other GLP-1 weight loss drug, will I need to take it forever?

What are the side effects of Ozempic? Do we know the long term effects of these weight loss drugs?

Can Ozempic be prescribed for women in perimenopause or menopause?

What can women do to create sustainable weight loss? How can we lose the weight and keep it off?

Diana Isaacs, an endocrinology clinical pharmacy specialist answers the questions above and many others, as they pertain to the safety, sustainability and effectiveness of GLP-1 drugs. Diana serves as the Co-Director of Endocrine Disorders in Pregnancy and the Director of Education and Training in Diabetes Technology at the Cleveland Clinic Endocrinology and Metabolism Institute.

From this educational conversation, I learned that certain GLP-1 medications can be used to lower blood pressure, help with cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and sleep apnea!

To be connected with Diana Isaacs, please email Vera Kessler, host of America's Top Rebbetzins at atrebbetzins@gmail.com

Rebbetzin Brynie Stiefel of Chabad of Voronezh, Russia, talks about the real meaning behind the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, the holiday of atonement for our mistakes. On Yom Kippur, we focus on our soul, not our body. Rebbetzin Brynie also discusses forgiveness of ourselves and others. She delves into the 4-step process of teshuva, returning our soul to its original state of holiness and purity:

1. Confession--say out loud what you did wrong

2. Feel sincere and true regret about what you did wrong 

3. Commit to not making that same mistake again--action step 

4. Give extra tzedakah (charity) to atone for the mistake 

Rebbetzin Brynie also talks about the connection between Yom Kippur and Purim, highlighting that our goal in this world is to take the physical and elevate it to the spiritual.

Miriam Racquel (Meryl) Feldman is a wife, mom, Somatic Healer, Marriage Coach, Trauma & Anxiety Specialist and award-winning Author of the memoir, God Said What?! #MyOrthodoxLife. She helps empower women to trust the wisdom of their bodies, emotions, and souls as well as blogging about the mystical happenings of an ever-changing world. She once got her kicks from rehabilitating seals in California and now leads an adventurous life raising a bunch of kids along with her husband. If you meet her, be prepared to take part in philosophical discussions about the healing of humankind and the transformation of the world into a place of peace. Download free e-guides and receive Somatic Healing Tips at: MiriamRacquel.com YourMarriageMagic.com and link to purchase: God Said What?! #MyOrthodoxLife (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1737745402?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860)

Sunny Levi is a 7th-degree black belt Taekwondo Master. She is also a personal fitness trainer. She teaches martial arts, self-defense, strength training, yoga, and kickboxing to women and children. In addition to teaching others how to defend themselves and be physically fit, Sunny also teaches women to be spiritually fit through her Hitbodedut Spiritual Bootcamp. Hitbodedut is personal prayer. Through personal prayer, speaking to G-d in our own words, we can form a deep, close and personal connection to Him. This connection turns us into a vessel to receive miracles. Sunny speaks in details about the three major components of hitbodedut: 1. Gratitude 2. Self-reflection 3. Request Sunny also speaks about the magnitude of thanking Hashem for the things in your live that are the most difficult. She also talks about how when you pray for someone else who is in a similar situation to yours, G-d will answer your prayer first. For more information on Sunny Levi's Hitbodedut Spiritual Bootcamp, please email me at atrebbetzins@gmail.com

Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match! We wish it was that simple! Singles of all ages have are having a challenging time meeting their soulmate. They are all looking for "the one," but are having a tough time finding him or her. Rebbetzin Sarah Rabin from the Caulfield Shule in Melbourne, Australia, speaks about why people are having challenges in shiduchim (the Jewish system of matchmaking.) According to Rebbetzin Sarah, the top 5 challenges contributing to today's shidduch crisis are: 1. The fast pace of life--in our society, we race from one thing to the next--the next person, the next appointment, the next job, the next social event. People don't make the time to connect deeply. 2. Technology and distractions. In today's world, people have easy access to technology and dating apps. They are too busy swiping left and right, checking emails, texting, and scrolling social media to get to know someone in person. 3. People have high expectations and fear of commitment--people want their prospective wife/husband to fit all of their ideals. They have many expectations, which are not always realistic. Also, people are afraid of committing because they think that they could potential meet someone better...and better...and better...and... 4. Social circles and geography--Jews who live in smaller Jewish communities are hesitant to date "that guy they went to school with," or "their best friend's brother." It can be challenging to date when you have known the same people since nursery school. Likewise, in larger Jewish communities, it's harder to date because people are always looking around for someone potentially better. One suggestion is to branch off and visit other Jewish communities in different geographic locations. 5. Emotional readiness and past experience. Not everyone is mature and ready to enter into a committed relationship. Also, people might have had negative experiences with previous relationships, which makes them fearful of entering into another relationship. Fortunately, Rebbetzin Sarah offered possible SOLUTIONS to the shidduch crisis, including: 1. Singles need to have clarity on their values and their priorities. When a person knows what they believe in, what they value, and what they find most important in life, it makes it easier to identify those same beliefs in another person. 2. Seek guidance. Singles need to resolve past issues of trauma or bad relationships with a therapist, and they need to seek guidance for dating from a rabbi/rebbetzin, mentor, or happily married friends. Singles need guidance in order to develop a healthy perspective on relationships and the work that they entail. 3. Hishtadlus (effort) and Emunah (belief in G-d). Singles need to understand that if they are going out on a date or to a singles event, they need to put effort into getting ready for the evening. They need to look attractive and presentable, and they need to be open to meeting people. Once they have done their part, the rest is in G-d's hands. He will orchestrate two people meeting, and He will guide singles to their soulmate. 4. Fostering connection. Jewish singles really need to give people a chance when they meet them. They need to establish a connection and put in the time and effort to get to know someone in order to see if they are a compatible match. Singles, stay strong! Your soulmate is out there waiting for you. Contact: atrebbetzins@gmail.com

Raquel Kirszenbaum helps us redefine our definition of happiness. It's NOT comfort=pleasure=happiness; it's happiness=acceptance. It's through acceptance of our challenges that we grow. Raquel emphasizes that we are sometimes upset because G-d doesn't give us what we want. In that instance, we are saying to G-d: "If I were G-d, I would do things differently. He should do what I think is right." However, this is not the case, and that type of thinking doesn't bring us happiness. We must strengthen our emuna to understand that G-d doesn't always give us what we want, but he does always give us what we need. It is really He who knows better than us what we really and truly need because He is the one who sees the big picture. We need to fully trust G-d.

Orly Wahba is an international motivational speaker, educator, entrepreneur, author, and community activist. She is passionate about inspiring people to make the world a kinder place. In this engaging interview, Orly shares with us a powerful message: When We Value Ourselves, We Value the Choices that We Make. Our choices have an impact on other people. When we choose to be kind to others, we literally have the power to change not only their lives, but the lives of hundreds of other people through a ripple affect as our one small act of kindness is payed forward. It is so important to know that When We Understand Our Own Value, We Understand the Value of Other People. Orly also talks about discovering and actualizing our life purpose. The first step is to write down your dream and WHY you want to achieve it. Don't worry about HOW to achieve it; just fully and deeply understand WHY you want it. Then, write down your dream or vision on a piece of paper; go into as much detail as you can. Don't be overwhelmed by the gap between where you are now, and where you want to be. The next step is to write down one or two small actions that you will take that will be bring you closer to your dream. Once you complete those actions, write down the next actions that will bring you even closer to your dream. This is a process that takes time. As you start to manifest your dream, Hashem (G-d) will send you opportunities and resources to continuously take you to the next level. Don't give up! Orly is the founder of Life Vest, a non-profit organization with a mission to inspire, empower, and educate people of all backgrounds to lead a life of kindness. (Life Vest website: https://www.lifevestinside.com/about/our-founder/) Orly also created the Abraham's legacy app, which she named after her grandfather. With the Abraham’s Legacy app, groups of people can complete the book of tehillim thousands of times a day, collectively with the entire world. Saying tehillim has been known to heal people and create miracles. The Abraham's Legacy app puts this process at your fingertips. To download the app, visit: https://abrahamslegacy.com/

Rebbetzin Simone Broide of the Boca Raton Synagogue discusses a variety of chesed activities that can be done by people of all ages. She also talks about family chesed projects. There are so many ways that people can get involved in acts of kindness and touch the lives of others, affecting then in a positive way.  Acts of kindness benefit the giver as well as the receiver.

Rebbetzin Sarah Barash is the co-founder of the Chabad Jewish Center of Jupiter, Florida. She talks about getting in touch with your inner essence; your divine soul. When we say Modah Ani in the morning, we start off the day by getting in touch with our soul and thanking Hashem for returning our soul to us. Hashem has infinite compassion for us as He wakes us up in the morning. It is part of our mission in life to expand our soul and spread that compassion to others. When we connect to Hashem through prayer and mitzvot, we shed light on the darkness and reveal Hashem's essence, thereby fulfilling our soul mission. That is deep!!!

Rebbetzin Sara Yoheved Rigler is the author of several books, including her latest I've Been Here Before: When Souls of the Holocaust Return. This riveting books talks about souls coming back into this world in order to do a tikkun. Rebbetzin Sara Yoheved specifically addresses the return of souls who were alive during the time of the Holocaust. She shares true stories from her book about people, alive today, who are reincarnations of souls who went through hardships during the Holocaust. The stories are gripping and fascinating. I've Been Here Before: When Souls of the Holocaust Return can be purchased at https://menuchapublishers.com/gsp48ppqd6 Rebbetzin Sara Yoheved also teaches a marriage class through Jewish Workshops. For more information on this class, please visit: https://jewishworkshops.com/jw/product/the-kesher-wife-workshop/ For additional information on Rebbetzin Sara Yoheved and her articles and books, please visit: https://sararigler.com/

The teenage years can be a challenging time, both for kids and for parents...but there is a way to make things easier, and to actually create a great relationship with your teenager. Rebbetzin Shifra Fried, Empowerment Coach and the rebbetzin of Young Israel of Bedford Bay, in Brooklyn, New York, shares with us that the real work begins by us parents working on ourselves. We need to love and value OURSELVES, BEFORE we love and value our teenagers. The way that we think and feel about ourselves reflects in the way we treat others, especially our children. We need to take care of ourselves and show ourselves compassion. Most importantly, we need to recognize who we are, which leads us to the question, "Who are WE?" We are a divine piece of Hashem (G-d). We have a spark of divinity within us. When we recognize this divinity, this piece of G-d within ourselves, we begin to see it in others, including our children. When we learn to love and respect ourselves, we learn to love and respect our children. This is the turning point in our relationship with our teenagers. Rebbetzin Shifra encourages us to approach our children with a loving energy. Teens can read our energy, even if our words don't match the energy we are giving off. We can be really angry and still have a smile on our face, but our teens know that something is off. We need to be ok with dealing with our emotions privately, without judging our emotions. We need to feel whatever it is that we need to feel so that we can process our emotions and not repress them. Once we are able to regulate our emotions, we are in a much better position to be able to smile at our teenager warmly, while also radiating that warmth. We also need to listen to our children and acknowledge and validate their feelings. We need to hold back from fixing their issues, offering advice, saying "I told you so," and JUST LISTEN TO YOUR TEENAGER so that they feel heard and validated. If you have a teen that doesn't want to talk, remind them constantly that you love them and that you are always here for them. Even if they never talk to you about their challenges, feeling your love and them knowing that you love them makes a huge difference in their inner world. If you would like to connect with Rebbetzin Shifra for her coaching or workshops, please visit: https://coachshifra.com/ Contact: atrebbetzins@gmail.com

Michal Horowitz regularly teaches classes and presents guest lectures on various topics related to Torah, Judaism and Jewish thought. Her goal is to bring the beauty, inspiration, and depth of Torah to others, no matter their age, affiliation, or prior Torah background. Michal believes that life can be beautiful, turbulent, joyous, and painful. As complex as life is, it is the teachings and wisdom of the Torah that helps to guide us along the way. Michal helps us better understand the Torah commandment of, "You shall love your fellow Jew as you love yourself. I am Hashem, your G-d." She explains that the actual commandment is, "Love for your fellow Jews what you love for yourself. I am Hashem, your G-d." This means, that you should want for your fellow Jews what you want for yourself. For example, if you want money for yourself, want money for your fellow Jew. If you want food to eat, a house to live in, happiness in your life, etc., want all these things for your fellow Jew as well. Hashem can give to you as much as He gives to others. His love for you and all the Jews is unlimited, and all the things that He has to give are unlimited as well. Feel free to ask Hashem for abundance for yourself, as well as your fellow Jew. Don't set limits on your love. Also, don't hold a grudge against a fellow Jew. We are strong when we are united. Our enemies can't harm us when we are unified. In order to want good for our fellow Jews, and value them as human beings, we must fist truly understand our own self worth and value. It's vital to know that you are here because you are important, and because you have a mission. Hashem, who knows everything, put you here because He feels that you matter and He loves you. If Hashem loves you and thinks that you are worthy of being in this world, then you should value yourself as well. Only when we believe in our own self-worth and believe that we have something to contribute, can we want good for our fellow Jews. Contact: atrebbetzins@gmail.com

Rebbetzin Debbie Greenblatt is a popular lecturer, columnist and coach on a wide range of topics, including Jewish thought, marriage and relationships. She is also the founder of the Women's Division of the Gateways kiruv organization, as well as the educational director of a mentorship program through Core.  

In this deep and powerful interview, Rebbetzin Debbie talks about developing the character trait of ayin tov--a good eye. She tells us that the soul is drawn to the positive, and the body is drawn to the negative. In order to combat that negative pull, we have to cultivate a positivity bias to judge others favorably, and to see our circumstances in life in a positive light.   

It's important to note that eyes take in, and also, eyes transmit. It is possible to transmit a tremendously positive effect on a person or a situation, by seeing it through the perspective of a "good eye." Rebbetzin Debbie illustrates this point by telling a true story, involving Bibi Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin.  Having an ayin tov does not refer to the strength of our sight; it refers to the generosity of our vision.   

Goodness is hidden beneath the surface, and you need to dig deeply to find it.   

Powerful interview!!

Rebbetzin Orit Esther Riter offers solid strategies to help us transcend the difficulties and challenges in our lives through emuna. She explores the healing power of emuna energy and gives us direction to help us surpass our own perceived limitations so that we can become the best version of ourselves. For more inspiring words of wisdom from Rebbetzin Orit Esther Riter, please visit: www.dailydoseofemuna.com and www.oremunaenergy.com

Why do Jews eat kosher food? Why do Jews keep shabbat? Why do Jewish women dress modestly? Yes, the Torah says to keep the above mitzvot (commandments), but WHY? The answers to those questions on Jewish Law (Halakha), and many more can be found in the Talmud.What is the Talmud? What is Halakha? And why is it relevant for women (and girls) to learn these holy teachings? Most importantly, how does learning Talmud help us on a practical, daily basis? Rabbanit Chamutal Shoval, Director of the Susi Bradfield Women's Institute of Halakhic Leadership, sheds light of the importance of Talmud and Halakha study for women.The Talmud is:--a record of rabbinic debates about the Torah that took place between the 2nd and 5th centuries --includes a codification of laws called the Mishnah, and a commentary on the Mishnah called the Gemara --contains rules for social and family life, such as marriage, taxes, and criminal law --helps to explain how the Torah applies to modern situations --an essential source of halakha, or Jewish religious law Simply put, the Talmud contains rabbinic commentaries, and explanation of traditions and laws that were given to us through the Torah’s infinite wisdom.Halakha, also known as Jewish law, is a set of rules and practices that guide Jewish life. It covers religious observances, daily life, and personal/professional conduct.In this eye opening conversation, Rabbanit Chamutal explains to us how women can elevate themselves and grow spiritually and personally though learning the Talmud. We see, through the rabbi's discussions, how they struggled with the same types of issues and challenges with which we struggle. And the struggle is real! Learning the Talmud helps us understand how to respectfully listen to other people's points of view and opinions that might be different through ours. It teaches us how to interact with and communicate with people who are different from ourselves. The Talmud also gives us insights and perspectives into why Jews do what we do--shabbat, kashrut, laws of how to conduct business, interactions between men and women, and explains, in depth, a multitude of other Jewish commandments. It really helps us understand WHY we do what we do on a daily basis. As women (and girls) learn the Talmud, it begins to affect our self-conduct on a daily basis, as we connect with and understand more deeply, the teachings of the Torah.Torah is not a subject like biology, math, history, or language arts. The point in learning Torah, including Talmud and Halakha, is for the teachings to enter your heart, change you as a person, on a spiritual level, and help you to become more elevated. Rabbanit Chamutal is available to answer women's questions on Torah and Jewish law. To be connected to her, please email Vera Kessler, host of the America's Top Rebbetzins podcast at atrebbetzins@gmail.com

Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller teaches us how to navigate life and move forward in our chaotic world. Our control is in how we choose to respond to situations. We are not in control of what happens to us, but we are in control over how we respond. She also talks about developing meaningful connections through spiritual bonding, which is what gives us true pleasure in life.

Rebbetzin Yaffa Palti talks about acceptance, the power of the Jewish woman, and achieving inner peace and happiness.

Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum, founder and director of Midreshet B'erot Bat Ayin: Holistic Torah Study for Women on the Land, talks about the hidden power of the Hebrew month of Tevet. Listen to find out what Tevet has to do with anger and how it is a particularly good time to transform this emotion.  As part of her school, Rebbetzin Chana Bracha will be giving an inspiring and interactive online program called Return to Your Roots, which is offered in December 2021. To sign up for that program, and to learn about other programs that she offers, email her at director@berotbatayin.org or visit https://www.berotbatayin.org/

Chana Weisberg is the editor of TheJewishWoman.org, the author of six books, and a speaker for My Gift of Mikvah. Chana offers an engaging, in-depth perspective of the mitzvah of mikvah. It's not just a physical immersion in a body of water; going to the mikvah is a spiritual action that has the power to significantly enhance your relationship with your husband, help you develop a closer connection to G-d, and bring you closer to achieving your purpose in life.   

Also, if you are having difficulty getting pregnant, going to the mikvah can help unclog spiritual blockages that have led to the challenge of physically manifesting a baby.   

Chana also talks about how it's never to late to go to the mikvah--even if you are in menopause! Going to the mikvah at whatever point you are in your life (whether you still get your period, or if you are in menopause), has the power to retroactively turn your past sins into mitzvot!! Chana explains that you can turn all those times you didn't fulfil your obligation to go to the mikvah into mitzvahs (instead of sins) just by going to the mikvah at the proper time in the near future!   If you have any questions about mikvah, please email me, and I will connect you with someone who will be able to answer even the most intimate questions. 

My email is atrebbetzins@gmail.com.

Rebbetzin Raizel Rosenfeld is the rebbetzin of Chabad of Portugal, located in Lisbon. She talks about accepting ourselves just as we are, imperfections and all. Accepting ourselves makes it easier to accept others. No one is perfect; only Hashem is perfect. You just need to try your best, and if you fail, just pick yourself up again. Hashem wants us to use the talents that He gave to us. We need to focus on cultivating and refining our own talents, and not worry about keeping up with what others are doing. Rebbetzin Raizel also offers some concrete tips on preparing for Pesach without going crazy. Remember: dust is not chametz and our children are not the korban.

Rabbanit Batya Ivry-Friedman talks about the important role that Jewish women have in sharing their own unique gifts in order to bring a community together. She emphasizes that there is so much beauty in the diversity of the Jewish community because we all have something to contribute that will help others. We were all given our personal strengths from G-d, and as Jewish women, we have the power to be leaders by using those gifts to commit ourselves to fulfilling the needs of our community. Now, more than ever, Jewish women have a variety of platforms, like social media, podcasts, and roles of leadership in their community, where they can really and truly elevate the mundane and make it holy.   

Rabbanit Batya also talks about how her mother inspired a love of Judaism in her and her siblings because she always had G-d in her life. She set a beautiful example of doing chesed in her community--whenever someone needed help, they would call her, and she would be there to offer what she could to help them. In this way, Rabbanit Batya's mother embodied a love for G-d and Torah, and passed that example on to her children.  

Rabbanit Bayta mentioned the Kosher Food Expo that she is putting together, which will be taking place at Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood, NJ on Monday, November 7, 2022. For more information, please visit: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/fooexp202/event/856327/

We all have challenges in life. In this engaging interview, Rebbetzin Maryashie Deren, Chabad emissary at the Chabad of Greenwich, Connecticut, teaches us how to develop trust in G-d through 7 steps:

1. G-d is full of compassion and love 

2. G-d is attentive and never ignores us 

3. No one knows us better than G-d 

4. Any harm or benefit that we receive is all from G-d 

5. G-d can get us out of any situation, no matter how dire or hopeless  

6. Only G-d knows what we really need (better than we know for ourselves) 

7. We are always deserving of G-d's blessings  

The book that Rebbetzin Maryashie talks about in the interview is Shaar Habitachon--The Gates of Trust. Let go and let G-D!

Rebbetzin Chaya Chitrik of Chabad of Istanbul, Turkey, shares with us some powerful life changing perspectives on seeing the revealed good in our lives. When we proactively seek out the positive aspects of people and situations, and when we really rewire our brain to look for our blessings (instead of things that are going wrong), we draw down revealed good from Hashem. You see what you focus on. When we seek out the positive, our world doesn't change; how we see it and how we experience it changes. Think good and it will be good is not just a saying--it's a way of life.

Rebbetzin Devorah Kigel helps women figure out how to find the husband that is right for them. She discusses the "non negotiable list," as well as the "must have" list, and goes over how to spot red flags in a relationship. She also gives us great advice on how to put our best foot forward, and how to connect with our partner before and after he becomes our husband.

Miryam Swerdlov is the wise Jewish woman behind the inspirational and meaningful "Coffee with Miryam" videos and What's App messages. 

In this very real, engaging and funny interview, Miryam talks to us about how to believe in ourselves and how to pursue the life path and mission that was meant uniquely for us. She warns us not to try to be somebody else--it's important that we be ourselves because there is no one in the world who can fulfil the mission that was given specifically to us!  

Miryam also encourages us to reach out to other people and connect with them. You never know how much a phone call or a visit means to someone. You can make a huge difference in a person's life, just by extending yourself to include them.  

Be real! Use what you have--your strengths, your abilities, your talents--in order to be the best you possible. Live your life to the fullest!  

To watch "Coffee with Miryam," click on the link below: http://www.coffeewithmiryam.com/

Rebbetzin Bassy Landa is the Chabad Rebbetzin of the Chabad Jewish Center in St. Charles, Missouri. Rebbetzin Bassy talks about the two souls that each of us has: the G-dly soul and the animal soul. Hashem created us with both physical and holy inclinations and both of those inclinations is what makes us human. She tells us that our animal soul is actually a vehicle of expression for our G-dly soul, and that both souls have value for us. As human beings, we have a choice to be more elevated (to be kinder, more patient, judge with a favorable eye. etc.) and we should always do our best, but when we fall short of our expectations, we should have compassion on ourselves. Hashem created us with all our flaws, and when we make mistakes, He has compassion on us. We must also have compassion on ourselves and on others. We are all putting forward our best efforts to do the best we can with what we have. We need to acknowledge that within ourselves and others. The beauty is in the struggle.

Rebbetzin Elana Mizrahi brings the Torah to life and makes it real for us on a practical level. She shows us how to incorporate Torah teachings into our every day lives. She gives us brilliant advice on raising children, setting goals and lets us know exactly who is in charge of all the outcomes in our lives--Hashem! Rebbetzin Mizrahi is relatable, funny, and to the point. This interview is not to be missed! Lots of nuggets of wisdom here!

Rebbetzin Nechamy Simon is the co-director of the Teaneck Chabad House. She gives an amazing, in-depth interview about the kabbalistic aspects of the holiday of Hanukkah (Chanukah), including the dreidel, the lighting of the Hanukkah menorah, and the darkness associated with this time of year.   

Concepts to remember: 

*Everything comes from Hashem--our periods of personal darkness and light are just facets of the greater picture. 

*Everything physical is a manifestation of something spiritual 

*Jews are here to be a light in the darkness--a light to other nations 

*We should take a moment each day just to experience the pleasure of simply being 

*Just as we light the Hanukkah candles incrementally, one at a time, so too we increase our personal growth one step at a time. We celebrate each little step.  The journey itself is part of the mission. 

*Our soul is like a ladder; we must focus on going up one rung at a time 

*Things in life don't get easier, but we get stronger 

*8 is the number of transcendence. We are above nature, and G-d can create miracles for us, even if we don't deserve them

Rebbetzin Dahlia Topolosky is the rebbetzin at Kehilat Pardes in Rockville, Maryland. She is also a psychologist at Integrative Therapy of Greater Washington. Rebbetzin Dahlia talks about the different symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks. She gives us many concrete strategies to reduce anxiety and minimize panic attacks. She also talk about how parents can help teens manage anxiety.

Rebbetzin Lifshy Ajzenszmidt is the rebbetzin of South Caulfield Hebrew Congregation in Melbourne, Australia. She talks about our intrinsic value as human being and as Jews. Rebbetzin Lifshy talks about self-acceptance as well as our responsibility in this world. The world was created for us, and by just being alive, we each have our own individual value. 

Kol Isha Warning--there is a moment in this video, toward the beginning, where Rebbetzin Braha Bender says a word in a sing-song type of voice. If you would like to avoid hearing the "singing," please start watching the video toward the middle.  

Rebbetzin Braha Bender is an excellent story teller. She shares with us the story of Purim, in richness and in depth. She talks about how G-d concealed his presence throughout the story, although He was really there, every step of the way, guiding the Jews to salvation.  

Rebbetzin Braha also talks about the way we fulfill the four mitzvot (commandments) of Purim: hearing the Megillah reading, giving mishloah manot (baskets of food and drink); matanot L'evyonim (giving money to the poor; and having a Purim seuda (the festive Purim meal.)

Are you a single mother, widow or divorcee who dreads shabbos (shabbat)? Do you cry at the thought of having to spend shabbat alone, without your kids or anyone else to keep you company? Yehudis Sherman felt the exact same way. After her divorce, she discovered, first hand, the loneliness that many women experience when they spend shabbat isolated from their families. In response to this situation, she created an organization called Mishpachtainu, to help other women, like herself, celebrate shabbat with joy, unity and the warmth of community. Mishpactainu is located in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn, but Jewish women from all over attend Yehudis' shabbat meals. She has a home that sleeps over 10 women, so out of town guests are welcome. Yehudis' shabbat table is beautifully decorated, and she cooks all different types of foods to accommodate everyone's diets (gluten free, etc.) In addition to the shabbos meals, Yehudis offers a food pantry to provide women with basic household items from ketchup and napkins to tablecloths and makeup. Mishpachtainu has helped many women make the turn around from lonely and depressed to supported and happy. They build a new network of friends from the women that they meet at Yehuds' shabbat table. There is a significant cost in running Mishpachtainu. Yehudis is in need of financial donations, as well as donations of goods and services. For more information about the organization, and how to donate, visit

mightymoms.love

You can also donate via Zelle: donate@mishpachtainu.org

To learn more about Mishpachtainu, visit: https://www.mishpachtainu.org/You can also email me, and I will put you in touch with Yehudis: atrebbetzins@gmail.com

Rebbetzin Abby Fink, the rebbetzin of Young Israel of New Rochelle, talks about the importance of being part of the Jewish community. She discusses the significance of every single Jew in the community and also talks about how each person has their own unique talents that they can contribute to make the community strong and vibrant. Rebbetzin Fink also talks about the delicate subject of what a person can do if they feel that another congregant hurt them or wronged them. It's a great perspective on why Jewish community is so vital to Jewish life and how each Jew is special and needed.

Chany Rosengarten talks about the importance of creating boundaries in our lives in order to have healthy relationships with our husbands and children, and also in business. You need to know where you stop and where the other person begins. You are you; you are not your child, or your husband, or your friend, or your boss; YOU ARE YOU. You need to discover yourself; get to know yourself and who you are. Having boundaries helps you develop self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-respect.  These are Chany's 4 Steps to Creating a Boundary: L--love--you are a manifestation of love. You are enough. A--autonomy--know who you are and what you want. N--negotiation--ask for what you need. It's your job to take care of yourself. D--direction--know where you want to go and what that destination looks like.  For more information of Chany Rosengarten and the courses she offers, visit her website: https://gitty-chany-s-school.thinkific.com/

Rebbetzin Gila Ross is a certified parent educator who blends the latest research together with Jewish wisdom to help parents develop strong relationships and bring out the best in their teens! In this engaging interview, Rebbetzin Gila offers practical answers to tough parenting questions. She addresses what to do when teens show chutzpah or are non-compliant. She talks about communicating with your kids and how to develop relationships with them. By developing a strong relationship with our teens through engaging them in conversation at times that work for THEM, we create a safe and easy forum for teens to open up to us. Rebbetzin Gila speaks about what to do when your teen engages in risky behavior.  We are given amazing strategies to deal with our teens' emotional outbursts and chaotic inner turmoil. We need to recognize our own emotions and regulate them so that we can model proper behavior to our children. We also need to show them how to set boundaries by setting our own boundaries and protecting them. Lots of amazing and helpful information in this interview! 

To contact Rebbetzin Gila Ross directly, please email her at gilaross@gmail.com

If you have ever considered (or are now considering) adopting a child (or multiple children), this is the conversation for you! Rebbetzin Chavie Bruk, and her husband, Rabbi Chaim Bruk, founded Chabad Lubavitch of Montana in Bozeman, in 2007. Soon afterward, Rebbetzin Chavie was diagnosed with infertility. She was 23 years old. During our discussion, Rebbetzin Chavie shares her story about what it was like for her to adopt five children; how she felt when she adopted her first child, and why she and her husband decided to adopt more children. She tells us not to limit Hashem (G-d.) He is capable of giving to us in abundance. We should never decide for Hashem what He will give us or how much He will give us. Rebbetzin Chavie also opens up about the ups and downs of motherhood, and how raising adopted children is different that raising biological children. She tells us that every parent has a unique situation, so we shouldn't compare and despair. Instead, we should find a support group of people who are going through something similar to us so that we can be strengthened by each other's support. Rebbetzin Chavie has a fun blog called, Clear As Mud, which can be found by clicking this link: https://www.totallyunexpected.blog/ She also has a podcast called Totally Unexpected, which you can listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else that podcasts are found. Contact: atrebbetzins@gmail.com

Rebbetzin Shayndel Plotkin is the Executive Director of Liumi West Retreat in South Florida. She is a also teacher, writer and facilitator of educational seminars, as well as a community farmer.    

In this meaningful interview, Shayndel talks about the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shevat. Celebrated on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat. Tu B'Shevat is the birthday of the trees. We can learn a lot about life from this holiday. One of the most important things we learn, is that time is sacred. Judaism marks milestones of time. There is a time to give and a time to receive. When we first plant a tree, we need to wait three years before we can eat from the fruit of the tree. Also, before we eat the fruit, we need to say a blessing so that we elevate the physical, and turn it into something spiritual. When we eat, we flourish.  

Shayndel also talks about the 7 species that we eat on Tu B' Shevat. These foods grow in the land of Israel: 

figs

olives

dates 

grapes

barley 

wheat 

pomegranates  

For more information on Liumi West, please visit: https://www.liumiisrael.com/upcoming-events

Gitty Stolik is an educator who helps challenged children. She is also the author of two books, "It's Okay to Laugh, Seriously" and "New Joy, Response to a Changing World."  

Gitty differentiates between joy and happiness. She emphasizes that joy is a G-dly attribute; it's the natural state of the soul. Joy is internally generated and has no ego. Happiness, goes up and down (it's not steady). Happiness is dependent on our situation; it depends on our circumstances and is self-centered.  Gitty speaks about how to create sustainable joy in our lives. Perspective and reframing are key, as is laughter.  Laughter connects us on a G-dly level.  

To be in touch with Gitty, or to participate in her classes, please email me at atrebbetzins@gmail.com

Rebbetzin Adina Landa is a certified life coach who specializes in helping moms go from stressed and overwhelmed to calm and confident.  

In this fun and informative interview, Rebbetzin Adina talks about what to do before, DURING, and after an incident when a child really triggers you to the point of rage.  She shares with us practical strategies about how we can work on ourselves by creating new positive mental highways and rewire our thinking as well as having compassion on ourselves.  

Rebbetzin Adina also discusses the importance of taking care of yourself and filling your tank so that you are fulfilled and living the life that YOU want to live. She emphasizes that we, as women, are doing the most important job in the world--being a mom; it's a job that only a woman can do. Rebbetzin Adina describes to us what taking care of yourself realistically looks like. (Hint: she talks about creating a Wellness Menu of things that you personally need to have in your life, in addition to food, drink, sleep, and exercise, in order to fulfill yourself so that you can give to others.)  

Rebbetzin Adina has a group coaching membership program: https://www.group.adinalanda.com/membership/  The program is called The Calm & Confident Chabad Mom Tribe, and ALL moms are welcome, because the truth is that we all deal with the same stuff!

Devori is a psychotherapist. She is a trauma therapist who has a multidisciplinary approach to challenges by addressing them through mind, body and breath. Some of the modalities that she has trained in include IFS, Body Psychotherapy, EMDR, Comprehensive Resource Model, Logotherapy, and the Imago model of relationship therapy. Devori uses her knowledge of human psychology and relationships to help people face their fears and break free of all that they feel is holding them back from living an inspired and meaningful life. In this deep interview, Devori explains the intersection of spirituality and psychology. She explains that spirituality is everything that you can't touch; thoughts, feelings, emotions, and the life force energy that animates you. Devori also explains that psychology deals with our inner world, which also includes our thoughts, feelings and emotions. In other words, psychology helps us manage our spirituality. When you fuse the two together, you can have a deep and full understanding of who you truly are as your authentic self. Devori talks about having two souls--the animal soul and the G-dly soul. The animal soul protects us--it's our defense mechanism. It often motivates us to mask our pain through food, alcohol. drugs, shopping, and other forms of escapism. The G-dly soul helps us to live our lives and make decisions from our own value system. Devori encourages us to feel our pain, instead of masking it with addictions, avoidance, anger, or any other defense mechanism. She explains that to truly heal ourselves, we need to face our emotions and give ourselves an opportunity to feel our emotions in our body, and observe our emotions as they move through our body. When we face our fears by feeling our emotions our pain, they moves through us, and eventually, move out of us. When we are no longer operating from a place of fear, we are able to access our G-dly soul, and make decisions based on what we truly value.

Rebbetzin Rivkah Slonim, Chabad emissary at Binghamton University in Binghamton, NY, shares practical Jewish wisdom, coupled with modern psychology, in an effort to guide parents in raising their children. It's important to give children a strong sense of their own unique purpose in this world, and show them that fulfilling their purpose leads to true happiness. We must deeply love our children, and connect them to Hashem through our love. We must also model the type of moral, elevated behavior that we would like our children to emulate. We are their role models. Lots of great nuggets of wisdom in this interview!

Have you ever wondered how Chabad emissaries are chosen? Have you ever thought about why some Chabad emissaries go to places like Zambia, Nigeria or Peru? What are the challenges of opening a Chabad house, and what are the enormous benefits of being the person who kindles and rekindles Jewish souls? Rebbetzin Rivky Herzel, co-director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Zambia (Africa), speaks about her experience growing up as the daughter of Chabad emissaries to Anchorage, Alaska. She also talks about why she and her husband decided to become emissaries themselves, and why they chose to serve the Jewish community in Zambia. Rebbetzin Rivky talks about what is involved in running a Chabad center, the new kosher store that they are opening, and her monthly flights to the mikveh in South Africa because Zambia doesn't have a mikvah just yet. Rebbetzin Rivky has a deep passion for touching the life of every single Jew, and it shows when she speaks about the events and programming that she does for the Jews in her community.

Currently, Chabad of Zambia is in the middle of a major fundraiser. They need funds to purchase a generator, since they now have no electricity or running water for up to 10 hours a day.It would mean so much if you would take a small part in their mission.You can donate here: Www.charidy.com/zambia Contact: atrebbetzins@gmail.com

Rebbetzin Rachel Isaacs, the rebbetzin at the Rebibo Center for Jewish life in Phoenix, Arizona, talks about the importance of being yourself. We are all unique individuals created by G-d. We all have a unique purpose in life. When we feel comfortable in our skin, we can feel free to be who we are, and only then, can we accomplish what we are meant to do in this world. Everyone contributes to the world with their own talents and abilities. Rebbetzin Rachel also talks about helping our kids feel like they belong and also to feel proud of who they are. There is a balance between fitting in with everyone else and still being true to yourself. Children (and adults alike) need to be the best version of themselves.

Bracha Goetz, a popular author of inspirational books for children, did what many people struggle to do everyday...she overcame an eating disorder. For those who have been down this road--emotional eating, binge eating, bulemia, anorexia, overeating--Bracha offers hope in the form of the Pleasure Ladder. Bracha tells her story of disordered eating while she was a student at Harvard University. She explained that the purpose of life is to experience the greatest pleasure possible. She refers to the 5 levels of pleasure that can be found on the Pleasure Ladder. These 5 levels of pleasure correspond to the 5 levels of our soul.   

Level 1 (the lowest level corresponds with the Nefesh soul): Physical Pleasure--this includes natural foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meats, etc., as well as movement like walking in nature and doing yoga.  

Level 2 (corresponds with the Ruach soul): Love--focusing on the virtues of another person fills us with an emotional feeling toward that person.  

Level 3 (corresponds to the Neshama soul): Doing things that are meaningful, like acts of chessed (acts of kindness) where we help others.  

Level 4 (corresponds to the Chaya soul): Creativity--bringing out our uniqueness by using our G-d given talents and putting them to action in this world.  

Level 5 (the highest level corresponds to the Yechida soul): Being in a state of transcendence, otherwise known as a state of awe where you feel connected to yourself, to those around you, and to Hashem.  

Bracha Goetz wrote a book teaching kids to make healthy food choices, enjoy exercise, and get enough sleep to stay healthy. This book is called Let's Stay Healthy.  All of Bracha's books can be found on this website: https://www.goetzbookshop.com/

Manifest your dreams and turn your deepest desires into reality. We all have things that we want--a big house, money, close relationships, a loving marriage, well-behaved children...the list goes on...and it should because we are worthy of receiving that which we desire. Through manifestation, we co-create our reality with Hashem (G-d.) We need to understand that Hashem WANTS to GIVE to US. In order to receive, we must know that we are worthy of receiving from Him. We need to daven (pray) to Him for that which we desire, and we need to have emunah (faith) that we will receive what we ask for. Ruth Hilu, a master life coach from Mexico City, explains to us in detail what manifestation is, and how we can use this powerful tool in our lives. She explains that we need to look deeply into our desires in order to make sure that we really want them. We need to deeply visualize exactly what we want, in great detail. We need to ONLY focus on the positive aspects of what we desire, not looking at any roadblocks or difficulties potentially associated with it--only visualize the end product. We must do this 1-3 times a day, every day, for 21 days (3 weeks.) During this time, we also pray for what we want, believe that we will receive it, and align ourselves with our desire in thought, speech and action, as if we already have that which we want. In this way, we create our vessel to receive our blessing. While we wait for our desire to manifest, we need to be our own companion, and act with compassion toward ourselves. Finally, we need to be open to receiving our desires by fully and completely knowing that we ARE worthy of receiving that which we want. Contact: atrebbetzins@gmail.com

An incredible interview with Rebbetzin Rivka Malka Perlman! If you have ever thought about making true transformation in your life, this podcast will get you started in the right direction. After a near-death experience during the birth of her youngest child, Rebbetzin Rivka Malka came to realize her true mission in life. To date, she has helped hundreds of women change who they are by changing what they do. She taught them how to nurture their innate strengths and guide them toward healing and self-love. You do not want to miss this episode! If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, or if you would like to sponsor a future episode, please email me at atrebbetzins@gmail.com. 

Rebbetzin Yehudis Golshevsky, director of SHIVITI www.shiviti.org.il, teaches us how we can all achieve true joy, starting by changing our perspective/mindset. Rebbetzin Golshevsky shares with us concrete tools on how to look at the positive aspects of a person/situation and how to thank Hashem for the good AS WELL AS the seemingly bad. She shows us how to discover the pleasure in simplicity, and also how to cultivate gratitude. Joy revitalizes the body. We find strength and joy in our connection with Hashem. Rebbetzin Golshevsky explains how to make the concept of joy a reality in our lives.

Rebbetzin Margie Szerer talks about the two souls that are present inside of each Jew; the animal soul and the G-dly soul. The two souls are always fighting inside of us. The animal soul pulls us down toward our most basic needs, and our G-dly soul yearns to connect to Hashem. When we are connected to our G-dly soul, we are able to be in a state of emunah (faith in Hashem) and bitachon (trust in Hashem.) Hashem is with us at all times. He often disguises himself in nature. Those who live in the "natural" world live by the forces of nature (weather, stock market, normal explanations for everyday occurrences). People who live with the infinite reality of Hashem are able to see His hand in everyday situations (like the sunrise, a sick child getting healthy, receiving unexpected money.) They know that Hashem is with us all the time everywhere.  When we bypass the natural world and are able to see Hashem in our everyday lives, we train ourselves to live in closeness with Him. The greater our bond to Hashem, the greater our trust (bitachon) in Him.

Rebbetzin Chana Goldstein of Phoenix, AZ discusses 6 attributes that women should work on developing in order to live a more fulfilled and meaningful life. Those attributes are ambition, courage, confidence, self-esteem, resilience, and determination. Rebbetzin Chana speaks about each attribute in detail, and discusses the important role they play in our lives.

Rebbetzin Toby Bernstein is the co-founder of the Chabad Romano Center in Richmond Hill, Canada. She shares some interesting insights about how we can encourage Jews to become more interested in fulfilling the mitzvot, and what we can do to help our family and friends become more engaged in Yidishkeit.

Rebbetzin Tali Wohlgelernter, and her husband, Rabbi Tzvi Wohlgelernter, are the directors of Mizrachi OU JLIC in Givat Shmuel and Bar Ilan. In this very candid interview, Rebbetzin Tali shares her personal story about raising a daughter with Dravet Syndrome (a severe form of epilepsy with seizures that are long and unpredictable.) Rebbetzin Tali shares how her daughter, Sarena's, illness impacted hers, her husband, and her three other daughters. She also talks about her faith in Hashem (G-d) and how that is helping her get through her life being as human as possible, with good days and bad days, just like everyone else. Rebbetzin Tali speaks about how Sarena's illness united her entire family--not just her immediate family, but her extended family as well. She also talks about the best things to do (and not to do) when we reach out to families who are struggling with caring for a special needs child. Three nuggets of wisdom and empowerment that we can take away from today's conversation are: 1. Ask for help--reach out to a friend to go out for coffee (or invite her to come over for coffee or to keep you company); if you need help making meals, ask for help; if you need help taking care of your other kids, ask for it; don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help. 2. Don't lie to yourself. Take some time for yourself and be really honest about your situation. 3. Read the book, Living in the Presence; A Jewish Mindfulness Guide for Everyday Life by Benjamin Epstein. This book will help you to live in the moment without worrying about the past or the future. Being in the moment will help you get through your day. If you would like to contact Rebbetzin Tali, she can be reached at: ttw613@gmail.com She also wrote a blog earlier on in Sarena's journey. If you would like to read about her story, please visit www.talismidnightmusings.com

Rebbetzin Chaya Chava Pavlov is the founder and director of She'arim College of Jewish Studies for Women, located on Jerusalem. Rebbetzin Pavlov talks about the reasons why we are jealous, and gives us tools and strategies to work through this often counterproductive, albeit human, emotion. One of the three reasons that Rebbetzin Pavlov states is the root of our jealousy, is that we feel something in our life is missing and someone else has it! Among the multiple strategies that she offers to help us move past our jealousy is that we need to strengthen our emuna muscles: Each and every day, Hashem gives us exactly what we need, including our blessings AND our challenges. Rebbetzin Pavlov does say that we are sometimes able to use our jealous feelings for productive purposes.  To do this, we need to be of the mindset to figure out what we REALLY want without taking away from what the other person has.

Rebbetzin Miriam Mammon talks about the often forgotten mitzvah of self-care. When you take care of yourself, you are really and truly able to give of yourself to others. When you just give and give and give, you feel depleted emotionally and exhausted physically. You become bitter and resentful, and then no one really benefits from your giving. However, if you do make the time to take care of yourself (and it doesn't have to be a lot of time), you fill yourself up so that you can give to others without resentment. Rebbetzin Miriam also talks about what self-care really is, and she also discusses knowing the right type of self-care to give yourself. If you are giving to yourself physically, but what you really need is emotional or spiritual self-care, you will not feel fulfilled. When you give yourself the right kind of care, you begin to come to life!

Rebbetzin Chaya Teldon is the Director of Major Events for Chabad of Long Island. She shares her story of losing her son at the age of 13, after his bar mitzvah. Rebbetzin Chaya speaks about the Jewish way of grieving and mourning. She explains that men handle grief differently from women. Her insights into the way the world runs and the journey of the soul are amazing. In this interview, Rebbetzin Chaya speaks about the Jewish way of burial versus cremation. She also talks about the role that the Chevra Kadisha (Jewish Burial Society) plays in the preparation of a body for burial. 

Our takeaway message from this conversation is that G-d never makes mistakes. He always has a plan. Everything is predestined for us EXCEPT for the way we conduct ourselves. We need to have a positivity bias--always looking at things in a positive way. We also need to treat people with kindness. By living in this way, we elevate ourselves and those around us.  

Rebbetzin Chaya's husband, Rabbi Tuvia Teldon, wrote a book about living your purpose, that was inspired by the grief he felt after losing his son. The book is called Eight Paths of Purpose, and can be purchased on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Eight-Paths-Purpose-Tuvia-Teldon/dp/1977215807

Rebbetzin Rachel Welfeld gives us a first-hand demonstration on how to heal our inner child. Many of the issues that we are struggling with today are due to traumatic experiences we had when we were younger. Once we learn how to properly heal our inner child, we can deal with our current struggles from a position of calmness and confidence. Rebbetzin Rachel also teaches us the importance of truly being in the moment, and she gives us the tools to help us be present in the current moment of our lives. To get in touch with Rebbetzin Rachel, you can What's App her at 404-819-9444 or email rachelwelfeld@gmail.com

Rebbetzin Nomi Freeman gives a powerful interview on near death experiences (NDE). She shares stories from people who have had near death experiences (NDE). Rebbetzin Nomi also speaks about the after death communications she received from her father who passed away. She emphasizes that in the after world, good deeds, forgiveness and Torah knowledge are the currency and those are the things that matter most to Hashem. We have an opportunity now, in this life, to amass our "riches" and to do teshuva for the things we have done wrong. This is a very powerful and meaningful in-depth interview that has the potential to be lifechanging!

Lori Palatnik is a world-renowned Jewish educator, speaker, writer and media personality. She is also the Founding Director of Momentum (formerly known as the JWRP.)   

In this powerful interview, Lori talks about Moshiach, also known as the Messiah, the long-awaited Jewish leader who will usher in an era of world peace and    G-dly awareness. Moshiach is a human being that will be born into the world. We will all have unbelievable clarity when he comes. 

Lori talks about the two conditions under which Moshiach can come: 

1. The world is dark, confused and upside down; values of family and community are low.  

OR 

2. The Jewish people rise up and become a powerful light to the nations 

Lori emphasizes that love with a purpose will bring Moshiach. We must have Jewish unity. In order to have Jewish unity, we need to actually love each other. Lori shares three ways how we can learn to love a person: 

1. Focus on the virtues (good qualities) of the other person 

2. Live by the motto: "What is important to you is important to me." 

3. The more you give to a person, the more you love them  

For more information on the Momentum program, and the opportunity to join thousands of women on a life changing trip to Israel, please visit: https://momentumunlimited.org/

Rebbetzin Devorah Eisenbach helps us learn how to be truly happy by following the Golden Triangle principle from Chovos Halevavos--Duties of the Heart, or as Rabbi Avigdor Miller calls it, Duties of The Mind. Rebbetzin Devorah gives us some interesting and practical tips on not taking life for granted and seeing how a situation that we think is bad, is actually for our good. 

Rebbetzin Chanie Goldman is the co-director of the Chabad Lubavitch Jewish Center at the University of Florida in Gainesville. She shares her special journey as the Chabad rebbetzin on a college campus, as well as the mother of a child with Downs Syndrome. The life lessons she shares with us are meaningful and deep. She tells us that all Jews are one soul and that soul is part of Hashem. Our true essence is Hashem. We need to really work on looking at each other as neshamas, instead of focusing on our outside characteristics. Each soul is inherently valuable, not because of what it contributes, but because it is a part of G-d...we are innately holy.  Regarding our own personal struggles, we need to know: It's not GOING to be good, it's ALREADY good!

When the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change--that's when authentic growth happens. We break free from "playing small" and step into our greatness. We break free from our fears and start taking action and doing the things that we are meant to do in our lifetime. Rachel Leah Ismaili, the founder of MAYYIM Myofascial Release, creates a safe space for authentic healing to occurs. She offers women a fully integrative mind/body/emotions and soul healing journey. In this VERY DEEP DISCUSSION, Rachel Leah explains to us how we can begin to heal our traumas, physical, sexual and emotional, and tune into ourselves to rediscover who we are. Rachel Leah speaks about the deepest healing of ourselves through the 5 levels of our soul: Nefesh--the part of our soul that is most bound to our physical realm. It is here that healing of the nervous system through hands-on therapeutic body work liberates the body of the pain it is holding energetically. Ruah--the emotional sphere of our soul where we can use breathwork to release our subconscious fears. Music plays a key role here, in addition to breathwork. Neshama--this is the part of our soul that is our cognition center. It includes our self-perception; our thoughts; our pre-frontal cortex. This is where cognitive behavioral therapy comes in to help us change our thoughts and thought patterns. Chaya--this is the part of our soul that observes the ego; the mindfulness part of our soul. We are not our thoughts, we are the observers of our thoughts. This is our true ratzon (our true will). This is where we can align our will to Hashem's will. This is the transcendent part of our soul. Yehida--this is our pintele yid--the very essence of our soul as a Jew. This is our truest self.

How do your survive domestic abuse? Maybe you are married to an abusive or neglectful person. Maybe you had parents who would yell, scream and/or hit you. Most people who are in abusive or neglectful relationships develop physical symptoms as a sign of their emotional trauma--thyroid issues, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, autoimmune illnesses. Dr. Miriam Adahan, a psychologist, therapist, popular author, and founder of EMETT (Emotional Maturity Established Through Torah), has over 60 years of experience in counseling, lecturing and writing. In this candid interview, Dr. Adahan shares tools and practical strategies for surviving if you are in an abusive relationship. She also has tips and techniques for parents to teach their children about how to be resilient and stay emotionally strong, operating from the pre-frontal cortex (the smart brain), and not from the amygdala (the baby brain.) The first thing that Dr. Adahan suggests to people who are (or have been) abused, is to recognize that you are a SURVIVOR. Understand that you were conditioned to believe that you were unworthy, but the OPPOSITE is true; YOUR ARE WORTHY. Next, stop feeling like you are a failure--YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE! Practice radical acceptance that you are in this situation/circumstance because Hashem wants you to be here right now (it doesn't mean forever, but for right now, this is where He wants you to be.) Say the DAYEINU prayer. (If you email me at atrebbetzins@gmail.com I will send you the prayer.) Stay physically healthy--take multivitamins, Vitamin B with FOLATE (not folic acid), Vitamin D with K2. Stay away from sugar. You should exercise, meditate, and do breathing exercises. Disengage when you are around your abuser--be nice and polite, protective of yourself and shallow in your responses (don't engage in an argument; don't take things personally), and be compassionate to yourself. Dr. Adahan give us some tips from her book, Raising Spiritual Champs, Including Yourself! It can be purchased on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Spiritual-Champs-Hardcover-Miriam/dp/1614659370 This is the kids version of the book, called, Solution Champs: https://www.amazon.com/Solution-Champs-Miriam-Adahan/dp/1614658099 Dr. Adahan talks about all these things and more! This conversation has so much information that is necessary for you to survive and THRIVE. For further information, email me at atrebbetzins@gmail.com

Our kids have all types of feelings and emotions, and they may not yet know how to process those feelings and regulate their emotions. This can result in temper tantrums, yelling, crying, stealing, and expressing a wide array of behaviors that tend to drive us crazy as parents. So what is our children's bad behavior REALLY trying to tell us? When kids act out, they are telling us that they have deep and strong emotions. They need to be heard; they need to have their feelings acknowledged and validated. They need us, as parents, to remain calm and in control, because when we are calm and in control, we make them feel safe. We need to be present for our children in a loving way, even when we set boundaries for them. We can let them know that they are not able to do something, while at the same time showing then compassion and empathy. Emunah Steier, a psychiatrist, therapist, and mother of 3, who is passionate about family communication, shares the following tips for parents: 1. We need to cultivate our consciousness that our kids are innately good; they are precious, holy souls that were hand picked specifically for us to parent. We don't always know what is going on inside of them that causes them to behave a certain way, and we need to connect with them to open a dialogue so that they can share their thoughts and feelings with us. 2. We need to let our children know that ALL feelings are ok. Certain behaviors are not ok, but all feelings are acceptable. 3. When our children do something to trigger us, we need to realize that it's not really them who is triggering us; it's something that already exists within us that is being triggered. We then need to take some time to sit with ourselves and explore what it is inside of us that we need to address and heal. Throughout our conversation, Emunah shares many examples and relatable personal stories that show how we can address "bad" behavior with our good kids, while judging them favorably. For further information, please email: atrebbetzins@gmail.com

Rebbetzin Aidy Kuravsky is the Chabad emissary to Pushkino, Russia, which is right outside of Moscow. Rebbetzin Aidy shares inspiring stories of discovering Jewish "diamonds," in the most remote places in Russia and bringing those Jews back to Judaism. Rebbetzin Aidy talks about her experience of having moved from Toronto, Canada to Russia with her husband and 9 children so that she can reach the Jews in that area of the world. This interview is very meaningful and illustrates the message of living life with purpose.

Rebbetzin Haya Uzan, and her husband, Israel Uzan, are the Chabad emissaries in Abuja, Nigeria. In this fascinating interview, Rebbetzin Haya talks about the Jewish community of Nigeria, and the incredible infrastructure that she and her husband were able to create to serve the Jewish community. Rebbetzin Haya worked with her husband to build a mikvah, create a pre-school, and teach classes to women and also to men in the community. They even built a kosher supermarket in Abuja with kosher meat imported from South Africa! Rebbetzin Haya and her husband also started a program called Chabad Aid, which helps the non-Jewish Nigerian population. There is such incredible work that is being done by the Jewish community of Nigeria!