Human & Holy

Tonia Chazanow
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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. The Biblical Power of Israeli Women's Song | Ricka Razel

    2 DAYS AGO

    The Biblical Power of Israeli Women's Song | Ricka Razel

    Meet Ricka Razel, the Israeli musician who has been leading thousands of women in monthly Rosh Chodesh gatherings across Israel during one of the country's darkest times. In this conversation, Ricka shares how she experiences music as prayer, why she and fellow musicians became the "Brigade of Joy" visiting evacuated families in hotels, how music became therapeutic catharsis for Israeli women processing trauma, and how it can connect Jews from around the world. Listen to Ricka's music here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc5vxWffKI_5qf8mhtYG0Ng https://open.spotify.com/artist/6aZPpCSaYpDLkk4nfOESdz?si=iBbP7LRVT2alZ8Ylbjbl4A Find her on instagram @ricka_razel * * * * * * * Join our upcoming virtual Tanya class! We will be hosting a live, four part Tanya series, 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: 0:00 - Opening 0:47 - Introduction to Ricka Razel & Israel Series 2:22 - Family, Music & 8 Kids 3:58 - Why Rosh Chodesh is the Women's Holiday 5:41 - The War Experience: Nova Festival, Evacuations & Loss 7:34 - The Power of Music During War 9:35 - The "Brigade of Simcha" - Bringing Joy to Hotels 12:29 - Sitting Shiva in a Hotel: Meeting a 24-Year-Old Widow 14:45 - Holocaust Survivor Grandparents: 2.5 Years in Amsterdam Attic 17:20 - The Miracle: How They Survived 19:15 - Why Ricka Returned to Music at 42 21:30 - From Real Estate to Crave Restaurant to Music 23:45 - The Biblical Energy of Women's Song 25:10 - Miriam the Prophetess Leading Through Music 27:00 - Monthly Gatherings: 600 Women Singing in Jerusalem 29:20 - The Therapeutic Power of Song During Trauma 31:40 - Women Who Couldn't Cry Until They Sang 33:15 - The Nova Festival Tragedy in Her Community 35:00 - Young People in the Army: Every Day Hearing News 36:45 - Funerals, Missiles, and Living Through War 38:20 - The Song That Became October 7th's Anthem 39:49 - "Achenu Kol Beit Yisrael" - Prayer for Captives 41:10 - The Concert That Didn't Happen on October 7th 42:49 - Jewish Family Connection: What Makes Us Different 43:36 - Israeli vs. American Jewish Music: Bridging the Gap 44:05 - Contemporary Jewish Artists 44:24 - "Still I Wait" - Song of Hope During War 44:33 - Closing Message: Bring Your Light to the World 45:27 - Outro

    45 min
  2. Can I Tolerate Uncertainty? Six Teachings About Personal Freedom

    6 DAYS AGO

    Can I Tolerate Uncertainty? Six Teachings About Personal Freedom

    Nissan, the month of freedom, is an invitation for personal freedom. Today, we explore the many dimensions of personal freedom: lack of external attachments, knowing our life force, taking a leap, finding the words, allowing ourselves to feel the bitterness of our slavery, and being able to tolerate the uncertainty of what comes after our own personal exile. * * * * * * * Based on Pesach teachings from the Maharal, Sfas Emes, Chidushei Harim, Arizal, Lubavitcher Rebbe, and Alter Rebbe. 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.

    22 min
  3. Always Happy, Never Satisfied: The Inner World of Israel's Most Beloved Media Personality | Sivan Rahav Meir

    15 MAR

    Always Happy, Never Satisfied: The Inner World of Israel's Most Beloved Media Personality | Sivan Rahav Meir

    Sivan Rahav-Meir has been on Israeli television since age six, and became religious at fifteen after a chance encounter with three girls who simply said, "Bo l'Shabbat." In this conversation recorded in Jerusalem, Sivan shares how she's channeled three decades of journalism skills toward teaching Torah, why she sees a massive post-October 7th hunger for practical Jewish doing (not just inspiration), and why she believes Jewish identity is our real protection. She's candid about the gap between her public influence and her private reality, and how she is guided by the Lubavitcher Rebbe's paradox: always happy, but never satisfied. She notes the Jewish world's blindspot as the 85% of unaffiliated Jews outside the organized community bubble, and calls every connected Jew to the same simple shlichut that changed her life: invite someone in. * * * * * * * Sivan Rahav-Meir is a media personality and lecturer. Married to Yedidya, the mother of five. Lives in Jerusalem. Went on shlichut with her family 2019-2020, when she served as World Mizrachi's Shlicha to North America. She works for Israel TV news, writes a column for Yediot Aharonot newspaper, and hosts a weekly radio show. Her lectures on the weekly Torah portion are attended by hundreds and the live broadcast attracts thousands more listeners throughout the world. Sivan lectures in Israel and overseas about her personal story. the Jewish world since 10/7, Judaism and new media. She was voted by Globes newspaper as most popular female media personality in Israel and by the Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world. Learn more at www.sivanrahavmeir.com Find her podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OlPTHjKBnNwDrNNalxD9jFollow her on instagram @sivanrahavmeir * * * * * * * To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.comTo 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 [02:04] Welcome Sivan [04:00] The problem with news media [05:10] The role of Torah in making sense of chaos [06:42] Sivan's origin story [07:50] The two words that changed my life [10:05] Building a relationship with Shabbat gradually [11:00] My personal political transformation [13:20] Political peace and inner peace [13:53] Communicating Torah accessibly [15:30] Using professional skills in a holy direction [16:45] What has changed after October 7th? [17:30] People want something tangible [18:39] Responding to the enemey [20:10] Omar Shemtov's testimony from the tunnels [20:56] Why Sivan doesn't call herself a Rebbetzin [24:30] Where does her energy come from? [25:00] The real Avodat Hashem happens in my home [26:15] "Always happy, but never satisfied" [28:10] Resilience & drive as a framework that doesn't contradict joy [28:45] The private work of a public person: young motherhood and the test of patience [31:30] Immediate gratification culture vs. long-term spiritual investment [32:10] If you didn't post it, did it happen? [33:00] Sivan's own social media guidelines [36:00] What worries Sivan about the Jewish world [37:00] Building Jewish identity from within [41:10] Our blindspot: the 85% of unaffiliated Jews outside the "bubble" [44:00] Israeli expats in America [45:30] What I want my legacy to be [46:10] Self love as the basis for loving another [48:30] How Sivan remembers thinks about her connections [50:45] Favorite verse in Tanach [51:00] One book everyone should read [51:20] How I nourish myself [51:55] A daily habit that can transform your life [52:15] My message to the Jewish world [53:30] Closing [54:15] Host outro

    55 min
  4. What Matters More: My Grandparent's Name or My Own?

    11 MAR

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

    8 MAR

    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

    1hr 4min
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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
    255
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Tonia Chazanow
  • Show Website
    Human & Holy

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