Human & Holy

Tonia Chazanow
  • 5.0 (14)
  • JUDAISM
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Honest, spiritual conversations to unravel the essence of the human experience. Exploring Jewish & Chassidic wisdom, women's Torah, and the lived experience of Judaism. Hosted by Tonia Chazanow. Learn more about Human & Holy's work at humanandholy.com. 

  1. What Matters More: My Grandparent's Name or My Own?

    2D AGO

    What Matters More: My Grandparent's Name or My Own?

    The Medrash teaches that every person has three names: the one our parents give us, the one our friends give us, and the ones we make for ourselves. In this episode, we dive deep into a single verse in Parshat Vayakhel to explore what it truly means to name ourselves, and why the greatness of our ancestors only becomes relevant once we become a person in our own right. * * * * * * * Join our new virtual Tanya class! We will be hosting a live, three part series on the divine soul, through Chapter 2 of the Tanya, a space to explore the text through shared study, poetry, curated illustrations, songs, and guided reflection. Link to join us here: https://humanandholy.mykajabi.com/tanyaclass * * * * * * * To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.com To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨ Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

    13 min
  2. Darkness: Don't Leave Until You Bless Me | Kiki Newman

    5D AGO

    Darkness: Don't Leave Until You Bless Me | Kiki Newman

    A deeply personal and Torah-rich conversation on facing darkness from within. Kiki opens up about her own journey with anxiety and depression, sharing how she moved from resenting the darkness she experienced to believing in its inherent blessing. Drawing on biblical stories, Kiki weaves profound insight with raw personal honesty. She explores what it practically means to face darkness, professional help as a prerequisite to faith-based tools and the belief that our inner light is inextinguishable, no matter what darkness we are facing. Kiki is a Chabad Shlucha for a community in Israel, teaches weekly Chassidus and Kabbalah classes in person and online. She is a bridal educator and mikvah attendant, and is passionate about learning and teaching chassidus. Find her classes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kabbalahwithkiki Find her classes on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6uscGnRqwgd2j8qwkk542M?si=FIxIy73QQNWw7qVSbDYRUg Email her at chabadofefrat@gmail.com and find her on instagram at @kabbalahwithkiki. * * * * * * * Join our new virtual Tanya class! We will be hosting a live, three part series on the divine soul, through Chapter 2 of the Tanya, a space to explore the text through shared study, poetry, curated illustrations, songs, and guided reflection. Link to join us here: https://humanandholy.mykajabi.com/tanyaclass * * * * * * * To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.com To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨ Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. * * * * * * * Timestamps: 00:00 — Introduction 01:43 — Today's topic: Torah wisdom on facing inner and outer darkness 02:14 — Why this is personal: Kiki's journey with anxiety and depression 03:30 — Showing up to teach even on the hardest days 05:14 — Biblical context: Abraham, Yaakov, and descending into Egypt 06:00 — The Kabbalistic purpose of exile: 07:38 — Descent before ascent 08:20 — Yaakov wrestling with the angel 10:00 — What blessing is this bringing me? 11:15 — The blessing is not external 13:13 — Practically speaking: what does facing darkness actually look like? 15:00 — The Hillel model: lighting one candle when the darkness feels overwhelming 16:50 — Going outward as a tool: moving out of yourself to find light 18:35 — The fear of being swallowed by darkness 20:30 — Balancing inward processing and outward giving 23:10 — Designating time for pain 25:00 — When mental health requires medical treatment first 26:24 — Yosef vs. his brothers: two worldviews on how to live in a dark world 28:30 — The brothers' approach: protect holiness by withdrawing from the world 29:30 — Yosef's approach: engage with darkness and elevate it 30:45 — Galus as a dream: the power of opposites coexisting 35:00 — Two kinds of dreams: exile's confusion vs. Yosef's redemptive vision 40:50 — What happened to our dreams? 43:00 — Changing "if only" to "only because" 46:00 — Two approaches to supporting people in their darkness 48:00 — Yaakov's model: sometimes when you're in the pit can't climb out alone 50:00 — Yosef's model: the power of presence 52:30 — Just sitting with someone is enough 54:30 — Kiki's personal postpartum depression 56:30 — The inextinguishable light 58:30 — How to support someone in darkness 59:26 — Soul-to-soul closing message

    1h 4m

  3. MAR 1

    The Things We Don't See About Ourselves | Purim 2/2

    The power of having our blindspots revealed to us, why seeing ourselves clearly (both our flaws and potential) is the beginning of all growth, the spark of Moshe in each soul that allows us to experience an unfiltered version of our soul's descent, and the subtle movements we make in our lives that initiate a much larger expansion. Source: Maamer Vekibel Hayehudim 5738 Join our new virtual Tanya class! We are hosting a live, three part series on the divine soul, through Chapter 2 of the Tanya, a space to explore the text through shared study, poetry, curated illustrations, songs, and guided reflection. Link to join us here: https://humanandholy.mykajabi.com/tanyaclass * * * * * * * To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.com To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨ Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – Intro & Tanya Class Info 01:15 – Part One Recap 02:02 – A Life of Learning 03:00 – Seeing Your Inner Gap 04:50 – Two Types of Enemies 06:18 – Blindspots and Honest Self-Awareness 08:40 – Humility 09:10 – A Spark of Moshe Within 11:01 – The Soul's Descent 13:27 – The Purim Story 15:38 – The Gift in Response to Our Initiation 17:54 – Shema Yisrael: Witnessing G-d's Oneness 19:00 – God As Our Shadow 20:17 – Accepting the Torah from Within

    23 min
  4. Becoming a Student of Life | Purim 1/2

    FEB 26

    Becoming a Student of Life | Purim 1/2

    A lesson from the Purim story about self-education, becoming a student of life, waking up to the gap between where we are and what is possible for our soul's expression in this world, and the internal, conscious choice that the Jews during the Purim story were finally able to make to accept the Torah in their lives. Source: Maamer Vekibel Hayehudim 5738 Join our new virtual Tanya class! We will be hosting a live, three part series on the divine soul, through Chapter 2 of the Tanya, a space to explore the text through shared study, poetry, curated illustrations, songs, and guided reflection. Link to join us here: https://humanandholy.mykajabi.com/tanyaclass * * * * * * * To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.com To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨ Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

    31 min
  5. Religious Doubt, Jewish Womanhood and Accepting the Cost of Our Choices | Shani Taragin

    FEB 22

    Religious Doubt, Jewish Womanhood and Accepting the Cost of Our Choices | Shani Taragin

    In this deeply honest conversation, Shani opens up about the origins of her love for Torah, a genuine religious crisis she experienced in college, and how wrestling with philosophy ultimately widened her faith. We talk about Jewish womanhood, halacha, and why Shani wants women to stop being afraid of their own bodies and their own questions. With remarkable vulnerability, Shani reflects on the cost of a life given to community, the nights she wasn't home, and the conversation with her daughter that taught her a powerful lesson about accepting the hidden costs of our most idealistic choices. Rabbanit Shani Taragin directs and teaches in Israel and worldwide. She currently serves on the advisory committee for the Mizrachi Olami Shalhevet program, as Rosh Beit Midrash for the women in Yeshiva University’s new academic program in Israel, and together with her husband, Reuven, as Educational Director for Mizrachi Olami. Join our new virtual Tanya class! We will be hosting a live, three part series on the divine soul, through Chapter 2 of the Tanya, a space to explore the text through shared study, poetry, curated illustrations, songs, and guided reflection. Link to join us here: https://humanandholy.mykajabi.com/tanyaclass * * * * * * * To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.com To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨ Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: [00:00] — Intro [00:03] — Host's intro [00:06] — Online Tanya Class Launch [00:09] — Welcome Rabbanit Shani [00:12] — How My Love of Torah Developed [00:15] — The Merging of Study and Teaching [00:18] — Torah Changes Who I Am [00:21] — Bible Criticism in the Beit Medrash [00:24] — Have You Ever Experienced Religious Doubt? [00:27] — A Personal Faith Crisis [00:30] — What is the Foundation of Faith? [00:33] — Judaism Where We Can Question While We Study [00:36] — Not Just an Ethical System, A Relationship with God [00:39] — A Love Letter to the Torah [00:42] — Ideals Put Into Daily Practice [00:45] — Women's Torah Study [00:48] — Torah and Daily Life Are Naturally Intertwined for Jewish Women [00:51] — I Want Women to Feel More Comfortable in Their Bodies [00:54] — What I'd Like to See Changed [00:57] — The Human Dimension of My Role [01:00] — The Hidden Costs of Our Choices [01:03] — A Conversation with My Daughter About Balance in Motherhood [01:06] — Communicating the Why Behind Your Choices [01:09] — Evolving in the Balance Between Family and Public Work [01:12] — Rapid Fire [01:19] — Outro

    1h 20m
  6. Holy Laughter and Taking Ourselves Less Seriously

    FEB 18

    Holy Laughter and Taking Ourselves Less Seriously

    In honor of Rosh Chodesh Adar, we talk about the mystical underpinnings of this month of joy: why humor is the very space where contradictions can breathe, how the soul finds expression in lighthearted depth, why taking ourselves less seriously can be a conduit for our fullest expression, and play as a way to find expression for our soul's experience. * * * * * * * Join our new virtual Tanya class! We will be hosting a live, three part series on the divine soul, through Chapter 2 of the Tanya, a space to explore the text through shared study, poetry, curated illustrations, songs, and guided reflection. Link to join us here: https://humanandholy.mykajabi.com/tanyaclass To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.com To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨ Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

    20 min
  7. Joy, Giving, and Letting Yourself Dream With My Mother, Rochel Lazaroff

    FEB 15

    Joy, Giving, and Letting Yourself Dream With My Mother, Rochel Lazaroff

    A live conversation with my mother about joy, reflections on life when living so close to hardship, her work caring for people in their most tenuous moments, the privilege of being in a position of giving, raising children with Jewish values outside of a Jewish community, letting yourself dream, and so much more. Rochel Lazaroff is the co-founder and co-director of Aishel House, a hospitality home for patients and their families visiting the Texas Medical Center, a shlucha, mother of eleven, and Torah teacher. Find out more about her work here: aishelhouse.org. Contact her at rochel@aishelhouse.org Join our new virtual Tanya class! We will be hosting a live, three part series on the divine soul, through Chapter 2 of the Tanya, a space to explore the text through shared study, poetry, curated illustrations, songs, and guided reflection. Link to join us here: https://humanandholy.mykajabi.com/tanyaclass * * * * * * * To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.com To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨ Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

    1h 30m
  8. Truth Is a Moving Target

    FEB 11

    Truth Is a Moving Target

    Episode sponsored by Naomi Gruber. Dedicated in honor of my dear father’s neshama, דב ברל בן יצחק . May his neshama have the highest aliyah! * * * * * * * Can any of us experience objective truth? What do we make of the ebbs and flows of our inner worlds? If a spiritual experience felt real, but didn't last, was it ever genuine? Sharing one of my favorite ideas from the Tanya about truth as a moving target, and why the imperfect, shifting experience of truth is the only way to touch G-d.  * * * * * * * Source: Chapter 13 of Tanya  Heads up: Human & Holy is launching an online Tanya course going live this February! More details coming this Sunday. * * * * * * * To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.com To support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor. Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨ Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

    26 min
See All (252)

5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Honest, spiritual conversations to unravel the essence of the human experience. Exploring Jewish & Chassidic wisdom, women's Torah, and the lived experience of Judaism. Hosted by Tonia Chazanow. Learn more about Human & Holy's work at humanandholy.com. 

Information

  • Creator
    Tonia Chazanow
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    252
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Tonia Chazanow
  • Show Website
    Human & Holy

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