Chai on Life

Alex Segal
  • 4.8 (26)
  • Judaism
  • Updated Weekly

Chai on Life is a podcast for passionate Jewish women. We speak about all things that go into living an observant lifestyle in a way that's real and welcoming. Come learn from so many inspiring women out there!

  1. 1d ago

    83. Building a Life that Actually Works for You with Keshet Starr, CEO of Shalom Task Force

    Hi everyone! Welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I'm Alex Segal and today, I'm speaking with Keshet Starr, CEO of Shalom Task Force. Keshet Starr, Esq. is an attorney, advocate, writer, and nonprofit leader dedicated to building safer, healthier Jewish communities. As CEO of Shalom Task Force—and previously CEO of the Organization for the Resolution of Agunot—Keshet has spent more than a decade addressing some of the Jewish community’s most complex and sensitive challenges, including domestic abuse and Jewish divorce denial. Known for bringing together legal expertise, communal understanding, and practical solutions, Keshet writes and speaks internationally about abuse, advocacy, Jewish law, and creating meaningful communal change.  In this interview, we're peeling back the curtain on Keshet's life both in and out of the office. In our conversation, we speak about:-How she was able to become a CEO at such a young age -How she dealt with imposter syndrome and making big decisions that didn’t always work out -Her opinion on whether social media campaigns are helping the agunot cause -What we can do at home to help the agunot cause, when it’s easy to feel so helpless -How she is redefining what motherhood looks like in her life -How she is redefining what parenthood can look like in the workplace -What a day in her life looks like -Some big decisions and shifts she made at home and with her husband to create a unique dynamic that works for everyone -Her top time management tips …and so much more! This episode is such a great one to kick off the month of Cheshvan with. The holidays are behind us and now, we have routine back. This conversation will help you make the most of it.

  2. Sep 16

    What Even Is Emunah? Emulating Hashem and Getting Back to the Basics with Educator Yaffa Moskowitz [REPLAY]

    This episode originally aired on 9/16/24 but is just as relevant today. Enjoy this replay as we get ready for Yom Kippur. -- Today, I am speaking with Yaffa Moskowitz, the Director of Education at ⁠Midreshet Rachel V’Chaya⁠, a seminary in Jerusalem.  Here’s a little more about Yaffa: She is a native member the Far Rockaway community and was active in that community and the Five Towns for many years. Yaffa, her husband Danny, and seven children made aliya in the summer of 2013 and now live in Mitzpe Yericho. Yaffa served as teacher and Director of Ateres Seminary for women on the Queens College Campus for 13 years and she was also involved in the Neshei Shor Yoshuv community where she gave chaburas for married women. I met Yaffa when I was a student exactly seven years ago at Midreshet Rachel and have continued to learn from her and with her since. She has such a wealth of knowledge and this conversation really turned into the perfect thing to listen to right in the middle of Elul preparing for the chagim. During this time at Midreshet Rachel, the students learn from the sefer, Tomer Devorah, which teaches us about Hashem’s 13 Attributes of Mercy. As we learn about Hashem and understand who He is more, so to speak, we learn how we can emulate Him more in our own lives, and we used that text as the jumping off point for our conversation.  As we spoke, we explored: -What a “sin” actually is in Judaism (it may not be what you think) and how we can always get back on track -How to separate ourselves from the sin and retain our confidence and closeness to G-d through the process -How we can get to the core of what emunah really is on the most basic level and use these foundational concepts to connect to Hashem more deeply -The restraint Hashem has with us every day and how we can apply that concept to our own lives and actions -How to work on letting go of control -Why we should speak to ourselves with more compassion from a Torah perspective -When fear is appropriate in Judaism and what kind of fear that actually is talking about -How we can continue to grow and elevate ourselves year after year …and SO MUCH MORE! To learn more about Midreshet Rachel V'Chaya, click ⁠here⁠.

  3. Sep 8

    82. Mindset (and Practical) Shifts to Make the Chagim Less Stressful this Year with Coach Hadassah Eventsur

    Today, I’m speaking with Hadassah Eventsur. Hadassah is an occupational therapist, educator, transformational coach, Mishpacha Magazine contributor, speaker, and the founder and CEO of MindfullyYou, an educational and support platform dedicated to helping neurodivergent individuals better understand their brains and build lives that work with—not against—them. In her program, she helps women who feel overwhelmed by daily chores and responsibilities, those who are struggling time management and organization and others who simply want more peace, structure and confidence in their daily lives. While she targets her work toward those who struggle with executive functioning skills, there are tips and strategies both in her course and in this episode that can help anyone. This episode is like a giant deep breath. It will remind you to actually examine what you can handle and dial it back vs getting caught up in the just one more thing mindset or the feeling of needing to try every new recipe or that fancy one that looks super impressive.  If you want to sign up for the Mindfully You program that is starting after Sukkos, (on Monday, October 5) you can register here. To reach out to Hadassah personally, you can email her at Hadassah.mindfullyyou@gmail.com.

  4. Sep 4

    81. Loving Yourself Into Greatness (aka Your Pre-Rosh Hashanah Shot of Emunah) with Torah Educator Goldie Sion

    Today, I’m speaking with Torah educator, Goldie Sion. Goldie was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and raised in Hollywood, Florida. She has worked with organizations in the past that include Olami Manhattan, Aish Aspire, Jam Israel and now works for Olami Souled. She is passionate about teaching Torah, giving shiurim, and inspiring others through creativity and connection with her Instagram: @goldiesjournal. If you want to be feel connected and are on Instagram, I highly recommend you checking it out. Goldie’s words truly enter the soul. She has a way of making a connection to Hashem feel effortless, even though she acknowledges that it takes work.  Our conversation is basically like one big emunah injection which is perfect as we’re about to enter the final week of Elul leading up to Rosh Hashanah. In our conversation, Goldie speaks so eloquently about: -How she brings Hashem into her day to day life from the big moments to the mundane -How she elevates basic actions that make up her life -What to do when you’re going through a difficult time or having trouble feeling connected to Hashem -How to reframe your mindset when the answer you keep hearing is “no” -What prayer can look like when you’re completely overwhelmed -What the healthiest form of growth looks like -How prayer really changes our lives ...and so much more! If there is someone you want to see on The Chai on Life Podcast, email me at alex@chaionlifemag.com or send me a DM @chaionlifemag. Thanks again, see you next week!

  5. Aug 24

    80. Making Space for All of You: A New Way to Think About Growth with Therapist Sara Eisemann

    Today, I’m speaking with Sara Eisemann. Sara is a licensed clinical therapist and educator based in Oak Park, Michigan. Sara currently serves as Co-Director of Education for Core's Mashpia Mentor Counselor (MMC) Training Program—a rigorous two-and-a-half-year initiative that equips women to provide Torah-based spiritual mentorship and emotional support within their communities. In addition to her clinical work, Sara is a certified dating coach. She is a regular contributor to Family First and she hosted the MakeShift podcast. Today, Sara is speaking about the concept of “shalom,” or finding peace within all of the parts that make up who you are. In her clinical work, she’s come to see it as the thread that goes through so many different issues that come up with her clients. As we move through Elul and gear up for the chagim, it’s a transformational framework to keep in mind. In the episode she uses this mindset to speak about: -What shalom looks like within a family, community and within yourself -How this helps a recovering perfectionist move away from unrealistic standards -How we can make space for the “and” in life — the things that bring us joy and challenge at the same time, or the parts of ourselves that we both like and struggle with, for example -Letting our authentic selves come through and getting rid of the “shoulds” that come up in any scenario  -How we can avoid getting caught up in the worry about what others think of us and put more emphasis on what we think of ourselves -The power of this work and how it’s designed to help you stay in the healthy headspace it creates …and so much more! While this topic may feel esoteric or lofty on the surface, it is filled with practical steps and shifts that you can make as soon as you turn off the episode. As we move through Elul and this period of self-reflection, it will help unlock that version of yourself you are striving for — or honestly, just let her come through.

  6. Aug 17

    79. Reframe Your Rosh Hashanah and Relationship with Hashem (and so much more!) with Educator Ilana Cowland

    Today, I’m speaking with educator and author Ilana Cowland. Ilana is the perfect person to kick off our Elul series with — she has spoken around the world, bringing warmth, humor and hard-won insight into the topics of love, intimacy, authentic connection and more. She has seminars for couples that are known for being fast-moving, practical and genuinely fun. Her teaching is grounded in real life — she and her husband, Jamie have six children and now, grandchildren and the joys and challenges of building a family are woven into everything she shares. She is the author of the book, The Moderately Anxious Everybody and has a new book coming out which we touch on about raising children in a materialistic world. I was so excited to speak to Ilana. She has been a speaker I have respected and looked up to for years now, and have heard her name so many times on my own Jewish journey. She has so much to share and she’s really someone I could have kept talking to forever about honestly any topic related to a woman’s life.  In this episode, we try to go through as much as possible to get you to and through the upcoming chagim in the most connected way. We speak about: -How she got into teaching and doing the work she’s doing today -Anxiety and how it’s plaguing so many of us— we speak about the relationship between emunah and anxiety, how to diminish anxiety, what may be causing it and more -How we can feel comfort in knowing Hashem is running the world instead of fear of what could happen as a result -How to reframe what Rosh Hashanah is really about — I love Ilana’s approach here and thinking about it will completely change how you go into the holiday -What prioritization really looks like when it comes to our relationship with Hashem, in motherhood, in marriage and more and how it changes as we move through life stages -How we can find value in who we are in a world that is constantly throwing different messages toward us -The power in slowing down …and so much more!

  7. Aug 3

    78. Come Back to Your Aliveness with Breathwork Expert Fally Klein

    Today, I’m speaking with ⁠Fally Klein⁠ — a teacher, facilitator and founder of Azamra Breathwork. Her work helps participants access the wisdom of the body, breath and soul, returning to the truth already held within. Fally has an incredible story. Like the last episode, there was so much to fit in, we ended up going even longer than I usually do and I promise you it is worth the listen. Every minute is so rich - I was hanging onto her every word. Fally has already lived through so many things — more than some go through in an entire lifetime. Some of which — like battling cancer — she speaks about in the episode and some of which she is preferring to keep private right now. When you listen to how eloquent she is, how much depth she brings to her journey and challenges, you will be blown away and if you’re like me, only want more from her. In the episode, we speak about: -Her battle with cancer as a teenager and what that experience taught her -Her perspective on closure in life -What real healing feels like -How she worked to figure out her career and mission throughout her challenges and how that continues to evolve today -How her connection with Hashem has deepened through her journey -The power of breath work and how our breathing mimics the spiritual realm -Two breathing techniques that can help you find more calm right now …and SO MUCH MORE. Get more from Fally on her website ⁠fallyklein.com⁠. Get her book, Miracle Ride, ⁠here⁠.

  8. Jul 20

    77. Finding Hope When Things Go Dark with Matana Poupko Jacobs

    Today, I’m speaking with Matana Poupko Jacobs, the host of the Hope to Recharge podcast which is all about hope, healing and personal growth. Matana went through a profound journey through anxiety and depression, which she shares with us in the episode and now she works with others who are going through similar challenges. She meets people where they are, helping them navigate anxiety and depression by implementing practical, personalized tools that support their unique healing journey. Drawing from her lived experience, faith and years of learning from leading experts, she shares honest conversations that inspire resilience, emotional well-being and hope. Her goal is to show that healing is possible, growth is often found in the smallest steps and no one has to walk the journey alone. This is the perfect episode to release this week, as we approach Tisha B’Av. Sometimes it’s in the pain that we find the most connection. As they say, when there are cracks, that’s where the light can come in. In Matana’s story, we’re also learning about things that could be going on behind the scenes for anyone. So much of the time, we don’t know what another person is really going through. As we work on our ahavas chinam, or love for another Jew, in an attempt to rebuild the beis Hamikdash, Matana’s story can be a reminder of that. It can be a reminder to give ourselves more compassion if we’re going through something of our own and understanding that if you feel hurt or insulted by someone else, it may not be what you think. In the episode we speak about: -The moment that anxiety entered her life in a real, overt way and how that changed the course of her life moving forward -Her journey to heal — what that looked like, what got in her way and how she overcame immense challenge -What it looks like to reach out when you need help -What it’s like going through certain aspects of a religious lifestyle when you have OCD and how she worked through that — specifically when it comes to personal challenges like going to the mikvah -How she dealt with resentment that came up toward Hashem or her religious lifestyle and how she was able to persevere through that -How she deals with her challenges as a mother and all that motherhood entails -What she’s doing now to stay mentally healthy every day …and so much more! To get more from Matana, visit hopetorecharge.com Follow her on Instagram at @matanajacobs Two meditations she listens to: Morning meditation https://youtu.be/FmczMP1gQzk?is=VfKZO0zVrPAlEKCr Gratitude meditation https://youtu.be/xfD4HaBBc0I?is=tH8VHa9Hzn79hA-Z

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4.8
out of 5
26 Ratings

About

Chai on Life is a podcast for passionate Jewish women. We speak about all things that go into living an observant lifestyle in a way that's real and welcoming. Come learn from so many inspiring women out there!

Information

  • Creator
    Alex Segal
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    92
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Alex Segal
  • Show Website
    Chai on Life

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