Totally Unexpected!

Chavie Bruk
  • 4.9 (54)
  • JUDAISM
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Join Chavie as she discovers the one totally unexpected moment in her guests’ lives that changed everything. These are real stories about pain, joy, and struggle, the moments that make us human. Chavie is obsessed with personal growth and doesn't shy away from the hard conversations. She covers topics like Jewish astrology, parenting taboos, health and wellness, adoption, race, and sexuality inside the Orthodox Jewish community and beyond. Chavie Bruk is a mother of five adopted children and the co-director of Chabad Lubavitch of Montana together with her husband, Rabbi Chaim Bruk. On Totally Unexpected! Chavie doesn't just interview her guests, she sits with them for long, unfiltered conversations where they laugh, cry, and share the stories that shaped who they have become. Chavie also writes a weekly essay on Substack about the unexpected moments in her life, the one's happening in real time that are challenging her, stretching her, and helping her grow. Sign up for free here: www.TotallyUnexpected.blog.

  1. Chaim Bruk - Our Infertility & Adoption Story

    24M AGO

    Chaim Bruk - Our Infertility & Adoption Story

    Chavie sits down with her husband, Rabbi Chaim Bruk, the podcast’s first returning guest, just ahead of their 20th anniversary. For the first time, they walk through their entire infertility and adoption journey from beginning to end. They revisit the moment they received the excruciating diagnosis of permanent infertility and how they charted their own path in a world where infertility and adoption was still taboo, and their decision to go public when the expectation was to keep these struggles hush-hush. They walk through each of the five adoptions and the unique challenges each of them faced: Chaya, their first baby, born a premie in Moscow, Russia; Menny, a Black child born in Maryland; Zeesy, and the discovery of her life-threatening rare metabolic disorder; how Shoshana joined the family as a pre-teen, and Chana Laya, their only child born in Montana, and the unique relationship they still maintain with her birth grandparents. As always, Chavie and Chaim tell their story with their iconic banter, drama, and humor.    Rabbi Chaim Bruk is the Co-CEO and spiritual leader of Chabad Lubavitch of Montana. He moved to Montana in 2007 with his wife Chavie, where they launched a renaissance of Jewish life across the state. They are raising their five children in Big Sky Country, where they enjoy nature daily. Chaim loves teaching Torah, writing about Judaism and current events, and has an obsession with kosher sushi.   This Week's Prompt Is Falling In Love Overrated? This is a NEW segment at the end of every episode featuring voice notes from listeners with their HOT TAKES on a featured topic!     Referenced On the Pod 2:32 Totally Unexpected! on Youtube  3:19 First Interview with Rabbi Chaim Bruk on Totally Unexpected! 17:05 Bonei Olam Financial Assistance for Infertility Treatment 1:57:07 Interview with Shoshana Bruk on Totally Unexpected! Stay in touch with Rabbi Chaim! www.jewishmontana.com www.instagram.com/chabadmontana X @MontanaJew Weekly Torah Class on Youtube Montana's Jewish Voice   Stay in touch with Chavie! @chaviebruk on Instagram www.totallyunexpected.blog  Totally Unexpected! on Youtube   Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.

    2h 29m
  2. Anna Sherman - Life After Brain Surgery

    FEB 23

    Anna Sherman - Life After Brain Surgery

    Chavie and Anna begin with Anna’s roots in Toronto and what drew her toward becoming more religious in high school, navigating the tension between the world she grew up in and the one she was choosing. Anna opens up about her first two marriages and what it felt like to be a young divorced woman in a community where it was taboo and kept hush-hush which leads to Chavie and Anna reflecting on the progress made in removing shame around taboo subjects. Anna then shares how she met and fell in love with her current husband, and Chavie asks how she learned to trust herself again after so much trauma. Anna talks about becoming a therapist, how lived experience shaped her empathy, and then walks through the moment a mass was discovered in her brain. Chavie and Anna go step by step through the days leading up to surgery, the spiritual serenity she felt going in, and the recovery she is still navigating today.   Anna Sherman is a Registered Psychotherapist, dedicated wife, mother of twin girls, and stroke survivor who underwent brain surgery. She works with individuals, couples, and families, helping her clients heal from trauma, fears, and emotional blocks. Anna lives in her hometown of Toronto, Canada.   This Week's Prompt Are two hour podcasts too long? This is a NEW segment at the end of every episode featuring voice notes from listeners with their HOT TAKES on a featured topic!     Referenced On the Pod 38:20 The Jeff Seidel Foundation 41:39 Yeshivas Bircas Hatorah Therapy Modalities Chavie & Anna Reference: EFT: Emotionally Focused Therapy EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing IFS: Internal Family Systems   Stay in touch with Anna! www.annashermanrp.com Anna on Instagram  Stay in touch with Chavie! @chaviebruk on Instagram www.totallyunexpected.blog    Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.

    2h 12m
  3. Mushky Yiftach Hashem: Becoming the Duct Tape Queen

    FEB 9

    Mushky Yiftach Hashem: Becoming the Duct Tape Queen

    Chavie starts off by diving into Mushky’s early relationship with creativity. She talks about her mother noticing her artistic tendencies and her love of crafts being nurtured by her grandfather. Mushky shares how she came back from seminary and rediscovered the pull toward crafts, including when she realized if you can make something out of duct tape, you can make anything. Mushky explains how designing and wearing duct tape outfits became a form of safety, giving her structure and permission to perform and show up on camera. Mushky shares about her major lifequake moment, losing her job, having to leave Los Angeles, and the healing journey that followed. Chavie and Mushky talk about anger and how it rises as a sign of misalignment, and they also dive into podcasting and The Sisters Chat. Chavie talks about the different roles podcasts can play, and how she feels her role is to hold long-form conversations and resist the urge for quick content.   Mushky aka the Duct Tape Lady is the founder of On a Roll Crafts, an Instagram content creator, and the creative force behind beloved clay and tambourine kits used by Shluchos and Jewish organizations across the U.S. and beyond. A longtime educator turned craft creator and co-host of The Sisters Chat podcast, Mushky blends chinuch, creativity, and performance to make Yiddishkeit hands-on, joyful, and totally unexpected.    This Week's Prompt Do kids get to choose their own values or do parents always decide? This is a NEW segment at the end of every episode featuring voice notes from listeners with their hot takes on a featured topic!     Referenced On the Pod 44:40min Kathy Heller’s podcast, Everything Is Energy  47:45 Camp Crate  49:17 Mushky on Tovido  49:21 Mushky’s YouTube channel  49:22 Mushky on Kosher.com  50:03 Michelle Moses 1:34:16 The Sister’s Chat podcast 2:18:31 Sara Miriam Smith on Totally Unexpected!   Stay in touch with Mushky! Mushky on Instagram Aloomacrafts.com  The Sister's Chat Mushky's YouTube channel Info@onarollcrafts.com   Stay in touch with Chavie! @chaviebruk on Instagram www.totallyunexpected.blog    Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.

    2h 32m
  4. Yocheved Shapiro: A Parent’s Guide to School Advocacy

    JAN 26

    Yocheved Shapiro: A Parent’s Guide to School Advocacy

    Yocheved shares her background growing up in a loud, opinionated family as the quieter sibling sandwiched between strong personalities, and how her parents’ journey as baalei teshuva (people who became religious later in life) — including her father returning to school for a master’s in education — shaped her identity as an educator. Chavie and Yocheved compare birth order dynamics, with Chavie as the oldest of nine and Yocheved navigating not knowing where she fit, and how that later informed Yocheved’s certainty about becoming an educational advocate. Yocheved talks openly about struggling in traditional classrooms, loving college and research, and realizing that her strength was learning rather than schooling, which leads into a candid conversation about why so many children struggle in rigid educational systems and where responsibility really lies between schools and parents. The conversation turns personal as Yocheved shares her fertility journey, her decision to be open about shidduchim and PCOS, and what it was like raising children with very different temperaments, including selective mutism and multiple neurodivergent diagnoses. Chavie and Yocheved dig into nature versus nurture, letting go of outcomes in parenting, and how to set measurable goals without lowering expectations. They close by talking about confidence versus self-esteem, avoiding power struggles, trusting your gut as a parent, and how to show up to schools in ways that are effective rather than just emotionally validating.   Yocheved Shapiro, M.Ed. is a dedicated educator and advocate with over 20 years of experience in early childhood education. Holding a Master’s in Educational Psychology, she combines professional expertise with personal experience as a parent of three neurodivergent children, championing their success in every aspect of life. She is passionate about guiding and empowering parents and educators in navigating and gaining access to the appropriate resources to best support children.   This Week's Prompt How Do You Color Outside the Lines of Societal Expectations In Your Daily Life? This is a NEW segment at the end of every episode featuring voice notes from listeners with their hot takes on our featured topic!    Referenced On the Pod 10:39 Totally Unexpected! interview with Chevee Szokovski 48:47 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs  1:22:32 The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People  1:29:29 Ari Shapiro’s (Yocheved’s son) website 1:29:57 JEM - Jewish Educational Media  2:15:15 Totally Unexpected! interview with Sarah Immerman    Stay in touch with Yocheved! WhatsApp: 718-501-2165 yochshap@gmail.com Yocheved on Instagram www.ShapiroEducationalConsulting.com  Yocheved's WhatsApp Group   Stay in touch with Chavie! @chaviebruk on Instagram www.totallyunexpected.blog    Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.

    2h 27m
  5. Yocheved Sidof: Straddling the Edges of Faith & Healing

    JAN 12

    Yocheved Sidof: Straddling the Edges of Faith & Healing

    Chavie and Yocheved start by bonding over their shared experiences navigating parenting struggles and challenges. Yocheved unveils her family’s roots in Iran, including the persecution and faith of the Mashadi Jewish community, and how her parents’ immigration to the United States eventually brought them into the Chabad community in Minnesota. Chavie and Yocheved talk about their shared curiosity about the human mind, and Yocheved reflects on being drawn to both Chassidus and psychology from a young age, which led her to pursue her PhD in clinical psychology at twenty-one. Chavie walks through Yocheved’s creative work as a photographer and filmmaker, and how that work grew into advocacy for children outside the mainstream in Crown Heights, including founding Lamplighters, a Chassidic Montessori school. They talk about what it looks like to pursue a life mission while raising children, and the constant tension between guilt and gratitude that follows. Chavie and Yocheved discuss the role of women in Jewish ritual spaces and what it looks like to push edges without compromising halachic values. Chavie closes the conversation by asking Yocheved about psychedelics and whether it’s possible to be on a healing journey without them. Yocheved Sidof is a spiritual and social entrepreneur, teacher, and guide devoted to cultivating deeper ways of being rooted in Torah, presence, and lived faith. She is the founder of Ohmek, a contemplative community offering sacred spaces for spiritual deepening, healing, and remembrance through learning, ritual, and embodied practice. Yocheved leads healing pilgrimages to Poland and Israel, inviting participants to meet history, grief, and holiness with courage and consciousness. She draws on Jewish mysticism, trauma-informed wisdom, and decades of leadership experience, while currently pursuing a PhD in Transpersonal Research. Her work speaks to women seeking a spiritually grounded path that honors devotion, depth, and the quiet unfolding of the soul.   This Week's Hot Take  Fast Fashion: Love it, hate it, or necessary evil? NEW segment at the end of every episode featuring voice notes from listeners with their hot takes on our featured topic!   Referenced On the Pod 1:18:53 Ohmek  1:26:55 Thomas Huebl 1:40:33 Tanya Chapter 42 2:04:50 Michal Carlebach's episode on Totally Unexpected!    Stay in touch with Yocheved! https://linktr.ee/Yochevedsidof ohmekliving.com Yocheved's Weekly Class on Spotify ‎Open this link to join Ohmek WhatsApp Community   Stay in touch with Chavie! @chaviebruk on Instagram www.totallyunexpected.blog    Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.

    2h 18m
  6. Abi Radcliffe: Are Vulnerability & Authenticity the Same Thing?

    12/29/2025

    Abi Radcliffe: Are Vulnerability & Authenticity the Same Thing?

    Chavie and Abi start off discussing how important it is to be selective with friendships as adults in order to preserve emotional bandwidth for deeper relationships. Abi shares her experience moving between Chabad and non-Chabad schools and how she was always drawn to creativity from a young age, from tinkering with Barbie clothing and scarves to studying fashion in school. She talks about working in retail fashion, stepping back to raise her children, and later joining a children’s wear store in Toronto. There, she became involved in everything from buying and visual merchandising to sales and running the store’s social media. Chavie asks Abi to walk her through her approach to growing an Instagram presence, including her top tips for reels and the tension between being real online without sharing more than feels right. Chavie and Abi also share date night ideas and talk about navigating relationships with people who struggle with anxiety. Chavie closes out the conversation by asking Abi to share her ideal daily routine. Abi explains that her non-negotiable is starting the day without her phone and giving herself a quiet buffer before everything else begins.   Abi Radcliffe is a Canadian modest content creator. She enjoys sharing light and easygoing content that bring joy. You can find her sipping black coffee at work or fleeing the country to discover new places. She is a mother of three plus a cat that is definitely considered her fourth child. Abi loves sharing fashion finds and content that is happiness inducing.    Referenced On the Pod 11:08 Andrew Huberman’s podcast, The Huberman Lab 57:25 Abi Radcliffe's Fierce & Frum blog  1:00:29 Astrology episode on Totally Unexpected! with Mendel Zirkind  1:18:36 Sha’ar Habitachon - Gate of Trust by Rabbeinu Bachya ben Yosef ibn Paquda  2:05:09 Moishe & Chaya Chanin’s podcast, Undecided & Committed    Stay in touch with Abi @abiradcliffe_ on Instagram!   Stay in touch with Chavie! @chaviebruk on Instagram www.totallyunexpected.blog    Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.

    2h 18m
  7. Chevee Szokovski: Where Do I Fit In?

    12/15/2025

    Chevee Szokovski: Where Do I Fit In?

    This week, Chavie welcomes her lifelong bestie, Chevee Szokovski, to the pod. They start by rewinding the clock to their high school days in Chicago. Chevee shares that she never quite fit in with the popular cliques going back to grade school and that she often felt socially isolated in high school as well. Chavie and Chevee dive into what it’s like to forgive childhood bullies while still carrying the scars they left behind. They reminisce about their seminary days and what life was like living in an Israeli dorm. Chevee opens up about dating, marriage, and how she and her husband were primed to start a Chabad House, until her husband came to the realization that his values didn’t align with that life path. Chavie asks Chevee how she navigated this life-altering shift while maintaining her marriage. They also talk about Chevee’s work as an early childhood educator and her focus on normalizing the inclusion of children with special needs in mainstream classrooms. And of course, if Chavie's bestie and book club buddy is on the pod, you know there will be plenty of Brene Brown quotes to go around.   Chevee is a wife and mom of three, and has been best friends with Chavie Bruk for more than half their lives. She strives to live a values-driven life and is deeply passionate about education and inclusion. Chevee has been teaching for over 20 years and is a lifelong learner. She is the director of FCHS, a Hebrew school for children with special needs.  Referenced On the Pod 6:56 "Sorry I’m Late I Didn’t Want To Come" by Jessica Pan  1:11:48 "Call Me Back with Dan Senor" podcast  1:39:08 “Clear is Kind” - Brene Brown  1:40:15 "All I Needed To Know I Learned In Kindergarten" by Robert Fulghum 1:47:14 "What Happened To You" by Oprah Winfrey & Bruce D. Perry   Stay in touch with Chevee at cheveeh@gmail.com.   Stay in touch with Chavie! @chaviebruk on Instagram www.totallyunexpected.blog    This episode is dedicated it to Eli Schlanger and all the other beautiful souls who were murdered in Sydney, Australia. We keep in our hearts their families, for whom Chanukah is never going to be the same. As Jews, we are not strangers to holding pain and suffering and fear alongside joy and light and courage and strength. From the bottom of my heart, I wish everyone a happy, peaceful, and joyous Chanukah, and I ask that we keep in mind all the souls that lost their lives for being Jewish, and elevate them in our determination to not back down. Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.

    2h 16m
  8. BrookeLynne Dukes: Parenting Without Shame

    12/01/2025

    BrookeLynne Dukes: Parenting Without Shame

    Chavie and BrookeLynne dive into all things parenting in this episode. BrookeLynne shares how a Chicago girl like her ended up with a name like Brookelynne. She talks about excelling in grade school, then running into challenges in the magnet school she attended, and later in college, where she discovered that the standardized educational system wasn’t the best fit for her. Through it all, she still got a master’s in early childhood education. Chavie and BrookeLynne talk about normalizing parenting struggles and finding ways to address them without shame. They bond over hot takes, like: you can be a playful parent without having to constantly play with your kids; it’s ok to limit screens even on plane rides; and not every child will feel like their parent is “their person” — and that’s ok.   BrookeLynne Dukes is a parenting coach, early childhood educator and presenter. BrookeLynne gets parents and gets kids. She helps adults get clear on their role in a child’s life, how to  decatastrophize, move out of urgency, how to understand brand new humans, and learn how to teach them the skills that don’t always come as naturally to them!   Referenced On the Pod 26:34 Ken Robinson - Do School’s Kill Creativity?  44:23 Hunt Gather Parent  1:33:20 Shoshana Bruk’s interview on Totally Unexpected!  1:39:10 Dr. Shefali on Conscious Parenting    Stay in touch with BrookeLynne! @brookelynnedukes on Instagram Brookelynnedukes@gmail.com WhatsApp Business: ‪+1 (312) 298‑9810‬   Stay in touch with Chavie! @chaviebruk on Instagram www.totallyunexpected.blog    Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.

    2h 24m
See All (41)

4.9
out of 5
54 Ratings

About

Join Chavie as she discovers the one totally unexpected moment in her guests’ lives that changed everything. These are real stories about pain, joy, and struggle, the moments that make us human. Chavie is obsessed with personal growth and doesn't shy away from the hard conversations. She covers topics like Jewish astrology, parenting taboos, health and wellness, adoption, race, and sexuality inside the Orthodox Jewish community and beyond. Chavie Bruk is a mother of five adopted children and the co-director of Chabad Lubavitch of Montana together with her husband, Rabbi Chaim Bruk. On Totally Unexpected! Chavie doesn't just interview her guests, she sits with them for long, unfiltered conversations where they laugh, cry, and share the stories that shaped who they have become. Chavie also writes a weekly essay on Substack about the unexpected moments in her life, the one's happening in real time that are challenging her, stretching her, and helping her grow. Sign up for free here: www.TotallyUnexpected.blog.

Information

  • Creator
    Chavie Bruk
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    41
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Totally Unexpected!

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