Shows
Relief from GriefCan You Please Tell Me What to Say? with Mrs. Chumi Friedman לעילוי נשמת ליפשא בן יהושעChumi FriedmanDirector of HUG, a division of A Time for those who have experienced perinatal or infant loss· My sister-in-law had a stillborn. The one-year mark is coming up. Should I say something to her?· My brother lost an eleven-year-old son. But he was very special-needs. His bar mitzvah is coming up; they wouldn’t have made a real celebration anyway. Should I say something?· Does it make sense that my sister-in-law doesn’t want to talk about her loss while my brother-in-law wants to talk nonstop? I thought men are more reticent.
2024-06-1750 minRelief from GriefApart from Her Family: When Grief is Complicated By Shira Bamberger (name has been changed) לעילוי נשמת חנניה בן גבריאלSome of the podcasts that receive the most feedback are those that delve into complex relationships. It might seem that if a relationship is challenging or even painful, losing a loved one within that dynamic wouldn't be as difficult or would provide a measure of relief. However, more often than not, that assumption doesn't hold true. In fact, the loss of a loved one within a difficult relationship can be even harder to navigate than when someone is in a typical relationship.Shira had complicated relationships with much of her family. But her father was always her...
2024-05-2742 minRelief from GriefNo Such Thing as a Perfect Relationship with Mrs. Esther Gendelman, לעילוי נשמת יחזקאל שרגא בן אלישעMrs. Esther Gendelman, MS, LPC, ACSMrs. Esther Gendelman’s passion is to help people foster meaningful relationships. There is no such thing as a perfect person, which means there’s also no such thing as a perfect relationship, although some relationships feel rock solid. Yet loss can impact even the strongest relationships with ripples of uncertainty.A mother can feel so confused as she watches her daughter navigate the pain of losing a child.Where is her place in all this? And does her pain as a grandmother count at all? Similarly, after a wife lose...
2024-05-1350 minRelief from GriefKilled for being Jewish with Mr. Hillel Fuld לעילוי נשמת יהושע בן זאבHillel Fuld was preparing for Yom Kippur. Although he had heard the news about a terror attack in the neighborhood where his brother lived, he didn’t know that his brother was the victim. Because… well, these things only happen to other people. Except that sometimes they can happen to us.During this time, when our hearts are with our brothers in Eretz Yisrael, when we all need to work on our emunah and we wonder why the world hates us, Mr. Fuld reminds us that halachah b’yaduah she’Eisav sonei l’Yaakov. We can’t change that...
2024-04-1518 minRelief from GriefSitting Shivah for the Brother I Didn’t Want to Sit For with Rabbi Naftoli Kassorla לעילוי נשמת אליהו נתן בן הרב חיים יוסף Rabbi Naftoli Kassorla, Speaker, Teacher and Rebbi in YerushalayimImagine getting an unexpected call informing you that your brother died. Presumably, you would always remember it as one of the most difficult phone calls of your life. But what happens if you haven’t spoken to that brother or had any kind of real relationship with him in years?For valid reasons Rabbi Kassorla had found it simply impossible to maintain a relationship with him. In fact, Rabbi Kassorla was told that because of this history, he wasn’t even required to sit shivah...
2024-03-2244 minRelief from GriefLessons from the Paper Menshies with Mrs. Mindy Blumenfeld, LCSW לעילוי נשמת שמעון הלל בן חיים יצחק אייזיקMrs. Mindy Blumenfeld, LCSWMrs. Mindy Blumenfeld is positive and upbeat. She is smiley, and she makes you smile.You would never know that she lost her youngest son Hillel to cancer. Although she hasbeen profoundly impacted by her loss, she won’t let the pain bring her down intonegativity.She started writing about Hillel as a means of finding comfort. But really, her journeywith writing about her son began with the puppets she created when Hillel was firstdiagnosed at age six. Faced with the challenge of ke...
2024-03-1843 minRelief from GriefFrom a Middle-Row Seat with Mr. Aaron Broyde לעילוי נשמת יחזקאל שרגא בן אלישעMr. Broyde, who happens to be my first cousin, discusses his struggles and pain after losing an uncle, aunt and cousin who were an integral part of his family.He was part of the same tragedy that was my life. But as Mr. Aaron Broyde says repeatedly, it was from a seat further back. No one realized how much the loss of his relatives affected him because he was a nineteen-year-old bachur learning in yeshiva in Eretz Yisrael during that time.He had stomach problems. The Israeli water is easy to blame for that. He...
2024-03-0428 minRelief from GriefTwice in one year with Mrs. Barbara Bensoussan לעילוי נשמת ראובן בן חייםMrs. Barbara BensoussanNovelist and well-known contributor to frum publicationsThe young mother checked in to the hospital to have a baby. Nothing out of the ordinary. But this time, nothing went as expected. Not many people die from childbirth today, but Mrs. Benssousan’s daughter Miriam did. When her birth experience went awry, the doctors worked all night, desperately trying to ensure a happy outcome. They saved the baby. But the mother remained in a coma for the next four months until she passed away. This pr...
2024-02-1933 minRelief from GriefMy Brother Toli with Mrs. Soroh Leah (Rickman) Cohen לעילוי נשמת יהושע בן זאבMy Brother TuliMrs. Soroh Leah (Rickman) Cohen The Getting Used to Having a Pebble in Your Shoe podcast with Rabbi Benjy Rickman has gotten many hundreds of views. If you listen, you will understand why. When his son Tuli passed away, his world ended. The pain was so intense, it seemed to him that life must have stopped for the whole world. How could life move forward when his beloved son had died? But life did move forward, and Rabbi Rickman learned how to move forward with his pain, role-modeling fo...
2024-02-0542 minRelief from GriefThe Exercising Rebbetzin with Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin לעילוי נשמת חיים צבי בן אברהם יצחקRabbi Yitzchok Rubin Rav of Adas Aish Kodesh in Manchester EnglandShe was Rebbetzin Rubin, but she was known as Chaiky. She had a way with people. Everyone who knew her felt loved and embraced by her – because she loved life, and she loved the people in her life. Whether it was her congregants or the ladies from the exercise class she gave, they all felt how deeply she cared.Chaiky was a powerhouse of a person. She was always on the go, yet somehow had time for everyone. She was on the pho...
2024-01-2242 minRelief from GriefWhat the Torah Has to Say with Rabbi Henoch Plotnik לעילוי נשמת מרדכי פינחס בן יהושעRabbi Henoch PlotnikRosh Mesivta of Kesser Yonah, well-known speaker, actively involved with LINKSThe Torah recognizes the pain of loss, and the Torah gives us guidelines for navigating loss with the laws of shivah and aveilus, many of which correspond to the state of the neshamah of the niftar. There is much that we deduce about loss from the Torah, whether from Avraham Avinu, Aharon HaKohen or Dovid HaMelech.Rabbi Plotnik talks to us about loss through the lens of the Torah, sharing stories past and present to...
2024-01-0952 minRelief from GriefEverlasting Love in Seven Weeks with Mrs. Devorah Schendler, לעילוי נשמת יוכבד בת אלימלךMrs. Devorah Schendler, author of Compatible with LifeGiving birth to a stillborn baby was so painful. Yet looking back, Mrs. Devorah Schendler saw how that experience strengthened her emunah muscle for the next great challenge – giving birth to a baby diagnosed with Trisomy-13, a syndrome that is incompatible with life. For seven-and-a-half weeks, the Schendlers threw themselves into taking care of their sick baby. At the same time, they had children at home who also needed their mommy; Mrs. Schendler found herself engaged in a balancing act that was confusing and sometimes ve...
2023-12-2535 minRelief from GriefStanding Shivah לעילוי נשמת ציפא רבקה בת ברוךMrs. Rachel SteinProlific author, most recently of the book UpliftShe was a young mother with a houseful of children, and at this difficult time in her life, she felt torn in too many directions. Should she stay with her sick and dying mother or go home to her sick children who need a mommy to care for them? It seemed as if her mother was holding her own, so she left the hospital to be with her children for a bit. While still in the c...
2023-12-1130 minRelief from GriefWhere are You, Dovi? With Mrs. Feige Steinmetz Mother of Dovi Steinmetz, who perished in the Meron tragedy לעילוי נשמת רב אביגדור בן ר' ישראל הכהן Mrs. Feige Steinmetz Mother of Dovi Steinmetz, who perished in the Meron tragedyLag Ba’Omer taf shin peh aleph (2021) is seared into our collective Jewish memory. It was on that day that a stampede took place in Meron, resulting in death and injury for many people.At first it seemed that Dovi was safe. Then his parents were unsure. And then it was confirmed: Dovi had been killed in Meron. How does a mother handle such news? Mrs. Steinmetz was in shock. It made no sense. How could it be? T...
2023-11-2749 minRelief from GriefI am Just a Little Boy with Rabbi Chaim Ellis, LCSW לעילוי נשמת חיים צבי בן אברהם יצחקRabbi Chaim Ellis, LCSWHe was only four years old when his mother died. His memories of her are vague, and most of them are built from the pictures he has seen and the stories people have shared. A year-and-a-half after his mother’s passing his father remarried. Rabbi Ellis shares that his stepmother is a wonderful person, and he has always had a good relationship with her. But while he grew up with two parents and a beautiful model of shalom bayis, he did not grow up with a mother. Because there is...
2023-11-1338 minRelief from GriefThe Burning Heart with Mrs Zissy Muller לעילוי נשמת חיים צבי בן אברהם יצחקMrs. Zissy MullerShe woke up one night and heard heavy rain outside her window. In a state of panic, she called her father and asked, “Where are the shovels? It’s raining. My child is cold. We must go dig him out of his grave.”Meet Zissy Muller. No, she isn’t crazy. She is a mother who lost her child. When her beloved son died completely unexpectedly, she was thrust into a brand-new world of pain that was so intense, it felt as if she was being burned by a blazing flame. Co...
2023-10-3055 minRelief from GriefDon’t Explain Because There is No Explanation with Rabbi Sruli Fried, MSW לעילוי נשמת ר' שמואל יעקב בן מתתיהוDon’t Explain Because There is No Explanation Rabbi Sruli Fried, MSWDirector of Chai Lifeline NJ/PAWhen a young child (in the NJ/PA) region has just been diagnosed, is on his deathbed or has just been niftar, Rabbi Fried is there. He sits with the family, and he cries with the family. His sensitivity hasn’t waned over time. Likely it has deepened. Over the years, parents have shared with Rabbi Fried various things that can be helpful after losing a child and ot...
2023-10-1642 minRelief from GriefLessons from the Past with Mrs. Chaya Ginzberg לעילוי נשמת שמואל יעקב בן אליהוLessons from the Past Mrs. Chaya GinzbergBYA TeacherRivky, Mrs. Ginzberg’s daughter, was a young mother of four children when she was niftar. On this podcast, Mrs. Ginzberg shares how although each family member struggled with their pain in their own way, the family held onto each other for dear life.With acceptance and faith there were no family politics. The relationship with her son-in-law, grandchildren and her son-in-law’s new wife remained peaceful and respectful. And then tragedy struck again when her...
2023-09-1121 minRelief from GriefBe Here for Me and I Will Be There for You with Mrs Deeni Yurkansky לעילוי נשמת שאול בן ר' עזריאלMrs. Deenie YurkanskyIf you listen to Mrs. Yurkansky, you may be blown away. I know I was. Her son Shaul was a most beloved son and friend. He was gentle and kind, and his mother misses him. It doesn’t matter how many years have gone by. A mother’s heart will never stop aching for her child.But her connection to him is still strong, and she looks for signals from him. Before he died, he said, “Ma, don’t forget about me 24/7.” When I asked her to come onto the po...
2023-08-2841 minRelief from GriefDo I Believe with Rabbi Shmuel Kohn לעילוי נשמת חיים צבי בן יהודהRabbi Shmuel Kohn, Therapist and Founder of Shloimy’s ClubWhen people go through a tough nisayon, it isn’t uncommon to feel angry at Hashem. A person might shut down or feel numb, and they may even feel unable to daven. This can cause a lot of inner turmoil. Where is my emunah? Do I not believe in Hashem? From the time we are young we are taught that everything that happens is from Hashem, so if I’m thinking this way, I must be a terrible person.Or not. You may just b...
2023-08-0838 minRelief from GriefI Want to Be Cremated With Mrs. Robin Meyerson לעילוי נשמת חיים צבי בן יהודהMrs. Robin Meyerson, West Coast Director of NASCK (National Association of Chevrah Kadisha)Mrs. Robin Meyerson has a passion, and she passionately shares it. That passion is to help prevent cremation. She exhorts her listeners: “As Jews, we are all one, so when one Jew is being cremated, it affects all of us. We must stop this from happening.” She repeats so many times that she is available 24/6 to help save a Jew from being cremated. Robin laments that there are so many misconceptions about cremation versus burial. Many people think cremation is cheaper or bette...
2023-07-3147 minRelief from GriefTangled Emotions with Mrs. Leah Subar לעילוי נשמת ברוך בן משהMrs. Leah Subar, AEDP PsychotherapistPeople are typically wired with a tendency toward hope and resilience. Even when a child grows up in an abusive home, the desire to repair the relationship with one’s parent is so strong. An adult child will often try and try to make it work before they realize it’s impossible to change someone else. With proper rabbinic guidance, the adult child might need to establish very strict boundaries with the parent or maybe even cut off ties. But every so often there is that little bit of hope. Maybe...
2023-07-1741 minRelief from GriefWhen There are No Zaidies with Mrs. Erika Needleman לעילוי נשמת פיגא ריזא בת ברוך שלוםMrs Erika Needelman - Life CoachShe knew she would be young when her father died. She knew because she saw how much younger all of her friend’s parents were as compared to her own. The young Erika grew up, married and had children. Her father, although elderly, was still alive and a loving grandparent. And then, one day, her father-in-law, who had been perfectly healthy, died. Just like that.She had to make sense of her elderly sick father still being alive, while her relatively young, healthy father-in-law was not. She had...
2023-07-0344 minRelief from GriefForever Connected with Rabbi Nachman Seltzer לעילוי נשמת פייגא בתיה בת פרץRabbi Seltzer is a well-known speaker and author of 45 books, including the Zera Shimshon series and his latest bestseller, 90 Seconds.When Dovid Hamelech lost his son Avshalom, he screamed “B’ni” nine times with heartrending screams.Yitzchak Avinu was only comforted many years after losing his mother Sarah, when he brought Rivkah to her tent, and the tent returned to the way it had been when Sarah was alive.We learn about grief from the Torah. Rabbi Seltzer shares some of the Torah’s perspectives. He also shares many stories that show that...
2023-06-1941 minRelief from GriefDoula and Midwife-in-Training With Mrs. Aidy Hoffman לעילוי נשמת אלכסנדר בן אברם אלימלךDoula and Midwife-in-TrainingMany midwives will say they love their job. They help bring pure joy and precious innocence into the world. Mrs. Hoffman loves her job as a doula and soon-to-be midwife – but she was brave enough to take on a different role, the parts that can be so emotionally wrenching and difficult. She is the person many people call when they find out they will be giving birth to a stillborn or a baby with a fetal anomaly. Mrs. Hoffman supports them through the delivery and helps them cope with their pai...
2023-06-0545 minRelief from GriefA Year in Review: Powerful Takeaways from Our Incredible Podcast Guests לעילוי נשמת אברהם יצחק בן חיים צביAsk anyone who knows me from my growing-up days. Back then, they would have laughed at the prospect of me hosting a podcast. It just wasn’t my type.But here I am, doing just that – and I get regular calls in response. People tell me, “Thank you so much. I love your podcast. I am finding it so helpful.” I feel gratified that Hashem has given me the opportunity to do this. Loss is so painful, and if I can help even a small fraction of those in pain, then I am grateful.Never would I h...
2023-05-231h 17Relief from GriefThe Day Our Oldest Brother Died with the Kranczer Siblings לעילוי נשמת פייגא בתיה בת פרץRabbi Yehuda Kranczer was the most giving, selfless person, a ba’al chesed who would do anything for anybody. Tragically, one morning he was found bent over a sefer in shul – without a pulse. The close-knit Detroit community was devastated by the loss. Rabbi Kranczer had been a bulwark of support to so many people.His brother Rabbi Meir Kranczer was called to the scene. His other siblings Mr. Mordechai Kranczer and Mrs. Miriam Getter were going about their regular daily routines when they received the life-transforming phone call that their brother had died.This podc...
2023-05-0844 minRelief from GriefChallenges of Remarriage with Rabbi Rubinstein לעלוי נשמת אלכסענדר בן אברהם אלימלךRabbi Y.Y. Rubenstein is a Scottish-American rabbi who inspires and encourages the countless people who reach out to him for guidance. He is also the author of many books and a sought-after speakerHis wife lay on her death bed. Rabbi Rubenstein knew that barring a nes as great as Yetziyas Mitzrayim, his wife was dying. Yet when she said to him, “Promise me that you will remarry – and I even know who you should remarry,” he wanted to scream, “No, no, no.” He didn’t want to admit that his wife was dying. And so he only cons...
2023-04-2446 minRelief from GriefThe Shmuz Comes to Relief from Grief with Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier לעלוי נשמת אלכסענדר בן אברהם אלימלךThe Shmuz Comes to Relief from GriefRabbi Ben Tzion ShafierRabbi Ben Tzion Shafier is the founder of theshmuz.com and the author of many books. He is also the man behind The Shmuz, a forty-five-minute weekly shiur that has been enjoyed around the globe for over ten years.At times emotional pain can be worse than physical pain. It can be more debilitating than a physical injury. And the kind of pain that follows loss can be all-encompassing. Although it is not physical pain, it can hurt in every part of...
2023-03-2745 minRelief from GriefFunctioning! On the Outside Only with Mrs. Shani (Stefansky) Waldman לעילוי נשמת מינקא מרים בת אליהוMrs. Shani (Stefansky) Waldman, Founder of Samcheinu“I felt like I lived on a different planet,” Mrs. Waldman says. “I may have been managing. Perhaps I went to the bus stop with my children, bought my children shoes and did my grocery shopping, just like every other mother. But living without a husband was living on a different planet.”Her mother introduced her to some friends of hers that were also widows, but they were much older than she was, and she didn’t find it helpful to speak to them. One evening...
2023-03-1346 minRelief from GriefDealing With Loss From Covid לעילוי נשמת ישראל בן אהרן הלויMrs. Libby (Samet) Kraft was in high school when her family moved to Passaic, where her father opened a pediatric office. It wasn’t long before Dr. Samet became a well-known member of the community and a beloved doctor. Together with his wife, Dr. Samet went above and beyond his responsibility as a doctor. A pediatrician can be privy to many non-medical issues that a family might be dealing with; the Samets stepped in quietly to take care of so many people’s needs. Libby shares: “My father was there for everyone. But he was also always there for us.”
2023-02-2734 minRelief from GriefGetting Used to Having a Pebble in Your Shoe with Rabbi Benjy Rickman לעילוי נשמת אלטר יחזקאל בן אליהוJust because the Rickmans’ 16-year-old son was sick, there was no cause for worry. Surely Naftoli would be back to himself by tomorrow or the next day at most. Except that he wasn’t. With each day Naftoli’s condition deteriorated, until his parents were concerned enough to call an ambulance. No one could have imagined that this young, formerly strong boy would never make it back home. The doctors were stumped. They shrugged their shoulders and said, “He is the sickest child on the ward, but we don’t know what’s wrong with him.” Naftoli had always tower...
2023-02-1345 minRelief from GriefMayrim for Miriam with Mr. Glen HolmanMr. Glen Holman, founder of Mayrim Family Retreat One of the worst possible things a parent can hear is the words: “Your child is very sick,” or “We are trying our best, but pray for a miracle.” Imagine what it must have felt like for the Holmans to hear such words not once, but twice. Two precious daughters had their lives snuffed out at a very young age. Yet Mr. Holman is happy and upbeat. He doesn’t sit and wallow in his pain. At the same time, he says very clearly that his two girls, Necho...
2023-01-3150 minRelief from GriefFrom Pain to Purpose with Mrs. Ruchi Rosenfeld,Mrs. Ruchi Rosenfeld, Director of Kanfei Yonah and author of Comfort, Courage and ClarityWithout warning, Mrs. Ruchi Rosenfeld was thrust into the world of terminal illness and death. In rapid succession she watched as her father, her father-in-law and her mother fell ill and then passed away. For three years straight, her household was in aveilus. The pain she felt during that time was raw and deep. But after the years of mourning, she was determined to do her best for the neshamos of the niftarim. She set a powerful example of what can and should b...
2023-01-1653 minRelief from GriefA Poet’s Story with Mrs. Judy Landman,Mrs. Judy Landman, Director of BlinksMrs. Judy Landman is a talented poet. When I read her writing, I feel almost as if the words simply flow effortlessly from her pen. I didn’t ask her if that’s true, but I do know that nothing in life is ever that simple – and that is certainly true of her life experiences. Judy was living a comfortable life in Budapest, Hungary when her father suddenly passed away. At the urging of her father’s relatives in America, her mother picked up with Judy and her brother and moved to a new...
2023-01-0248 minRelief from GriefI Never Knew Him, But I Miss Him with Mrs. Nechama Avigayil Brailofsky לעילוי נשמת שרה רבקה בת אלכסנדרMrs. Nechama Avigayil Brailofsky, Transformational Coach and founder of “Balance through the Sefiros”Mrs.Nechama Avigayil Brailofsky grew up as Avigayil Gobioff – although her last name was actually Shafronsky. Avigayil never had the chance to know her father— not even for a day. Her father, R’ Avrohom Zelik Shafronsky, a budding talmid chacham, was niftar before his precious baby daughter was born. Avigayil grew up in a loving, stable home with her mother, stepfather, sister and a bunch of half siblings. Still, she held onto a strong determination to carry on her special father’s legacy. She felt couldn’t...
2022-12-1950 minRelief from GriefFinding our Personal Paths to Healing with the Shoenig SiblingsWe were five siblings. We are now three. Our sister and brother died. So did our parents. We traveled the journey of loss together. But we have each taken different paths to healing. Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg, Founder and Global Director of Kids Kicking Cancer and Clinical Assistant Professor at Wayne State University School of Medicine, has been close to our family for years and continues to be supportive to all of us. On this podcast Rabbi Goldberg becomes the moderator as he interviews me together with my two sisters, Penina Flagler and Naomi Engel. Come listen to th...
2022-12-051h 13Relief from GriefMy Little Yossi: Missing My Preemie with Mrs. Estie RotsteinMrs. Esti RotseinWhen Esti began feeling abdominal pains early in her third trimester, her sisters urged her to check out what sounded like labor pains. Esti laughed at them. After all, she was a long way from her due date. Why would she be in labor? She wasn’t laughing a few hours later as her twin son and daughter were born. They may have been preemies, but they were fighters. Her little boy Yosef Leib was doing well. And then he developed an infection. He fought to live, but Hashem willed otherwise. Eighteen years...
2022-11-211h 02Relief from GriefA Time to Listen, a Time to Give with Rebbetzin Feigy Twerski לעלוי נשמת אסתר פעריל בת שלמהRebbetzin Feigy TwerskiNoted speaker and lecturer, beloved Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Feigy Twerski is a devoted Rebbetzin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is also a well-known writer and speaker. I very much enjoy reading her columns and was delighted when she agreed to join us on the podcast. She has navigated many challenges in her own life and has also served as a support for countless community members. Listening to her speak from personal experience, as well as from the perspective of a mentor/rebbetzin, is truly intriguing. https://www.chevrahlomdeimishnah.org/product/i...
2022-11-0743 minRelief from GriefRising Past the Pain with Rabbi Aron Litwin - לעלוי נשמת פעסיל בת משה אברהםRabbi Aron LitwinPsychotherapist and Co-Founder of Mekimi in EnglandSeventeen-year-old Aron Litwin was sitting and learning in a shul in Manchester one morning. He remembers thinking it was odd when a friend who wasn’t usually around then walked in. But when his rebbi walked in soon after, he knew something was wrong. The only thing the rebbi told him was that his father had collapsed and was very sick. He was needed at home immediately. When Aron finally reached his mother, she told him that his father had passed away, and the levayah would be...
2022-10-2458 minRelief from GriefIs Pain the Elephant in the Room with Mrs. Sara Aliza Scheinberg - לעלוי נשמת אליהו בן שמואל יעקבLecturer for Partners in Torah of Detroit, Yeshivah Bais Yehudah and the Chofetz Chaim Heritage FoundationShe is lots of fun and full of life. Conversations with her are characterized by her trademark sense of humor. But talk to Sara Aliza for more than five minutes, and you will find that she is deep and introspective. She hasn’t let life simply happen. She takes what she’s been given and uses it to grow. It makes sense that her speeches are so well-received. After all, she doesn’t just lecture. She lives what she speaks about.
2022-09-2842 minRelief from GriefRolling with the Punches with the Rolling Rabbi with Mrs. Shaindel Simes - לעלוי נשמת ברכה אסתר מלכה בת אליהוMrs. Shaindel SimesTeacher and author of The Rolling Rabbi When life throws us punches, we can make a conscious decision: will we bow to them or roll with them? The Simes family chose to roll with them.On that fateful summer day, as Rabbi Simes stood davening minchah, no one could have known that this would be the last time he would stand on his own feet. That evening, a terrible car accident turned his family’s life upside down. With Hashem’s kindness, everyone survived, most with only light injuries – except for Rabbi S...
2022-09-121h 01Relief from GriefWhen a High-School Friend Loses a Parent with Mrs. Miriam RibiatZoom talk for teens given through Project Light by Mrs. Miriam Ribiat It might be your high-school friend, or it might be your daughter’s high-school friend that lost a parent. What should you say? How do you know if you said something hurtful or helpful? Maybe you feel confused, not knowing what is the right and wrong thing to do or say. Or maybe what was right yesterday is wrong today. It isn’t easy to know, and it’s likely you’ll get it wrong at some point. But this speech is enlightening, as it gives some...
2022-08-291h 05Relief from GriefWhen Loss Strikes, We Have Questions with Mrs. Lori PalatnikMrs. Lori PalatnikMomentum Founding DirectorWhatever your level of religious observance, when you experience a loss, you might have many questions: Where is the neshamah now? How do I know that he or she is really happy? This can bring up other questions, questions about your own mortality: when I die, where will I go? Will I have regrets about the life I lived? Mrs. Lori Palatnik, author of the book Remember My Soul, explores this topic with us. She describes how the neshamah doesn’t want to be born and then doe...
2022-08-1545 minRelief from GriefUplifting with Mrs. Chani SchriebhandMrs. Chani SchreibhandFounder and Editor, Uplift magazineChani is one of two children of Harav Y. Reuven and Rebbetzin Chaiky Rubin. As an only daughter, she enjoyed an especially close relationship with her mother, a well-known and beloved role model in their community. But one day, with no warning, Rebbetzin Rubin died. Chani was at such a loss; she missed her mother terribly.Instead of wallowing in her pain, Chani undertook to do something l’iluy nishmas her mother, and that’s how Uplift magazine was created. Rebbetzin Rubin dedicated her life to up...
2022-08-0142 minRelief from GriefUnderstanding Trauma in Loss with Dr. Norman BlumenthalUnderstanding Trauma in LossDr. Norman Blumenthal, Director, Trauma Services, Zachter Family National Trauma Center and Ohel Children's Home and Family ServicesDr. Norman Blumenthal is well known in the world of trauma intervention. He has given of himself tirelessly to guide fellow Jews through loss, particularly in circumstances of overwhelming tragedy. Yet despite the major impact Dr. Blumenthal has had on so many people, he remains humble and easily approachable, remaining focused on the goal of bettering himself and helping fellow Jews to the best of his ability. In this conversation, his deep understanding of...
2022-07-1838 minRelief from GriefLinks of Laughter with Mrs. Sarah Rivkah KohnSarah Rivkah KohnFounder and Director, LinksWhen you think of grief and loss, do you think of jokes and laughter? Probably not. It’s not typically a topic that will make people laugh. But morbid humor takes the sadness and makes you laugh. It can give a brokenhearted person relief from the pain even if just for a few seconds.Sarah Rivkah and I share that common love of morbid humor. It hurts so much to lose loved ones, and all the jokes in the world won’t take away that pain, but for t...
2022-07-041h 01Relief from GriefLoss Compounded: Loss in Divorce With Mrs. Tali ArieffTali Arieff LCSW, RPTClinical Editor for I Wish Someone Would Have Told MeOne day I timidly picked up the phone and called Mrs. Tali Arieff. In a shy and hesitant voice I explained that I was calling to see if she could help me with a project I had undertaken: to write a book for teens that had lost a parent. Tali liked the idea and came on board. I have since spoken to her many times and have gained tremendous respect for her. She is a talented and caring therapist with so much insight...
2022-06-2053 minRelief from GriefMoving Forward While Looking Backward with Rabbi Paysach J. Krohn לעילוי נשמת יאכט בת משהRabbi Paysach J. KrohnAuthor, Speaker and MohelRabbi Paysach J. Krohn is a well-known and beloved mohel, author and speaker – and I don’t think he really needs any introduction. For me this podcast is so valuable because he talks about my bubby and my father, two very special people. He also understands so well what a person might be experiencing after a loss and offers valuable and practical tips for how to move forward. As always, Rabbi Krohn is inspirational and interesting.https://www.chevrahlomdeimishnah.org/product/i-wish-someone-would-have-told-me-a-book-for-teens-who-have-lost-a-parent/ ht...
2022-06-0743 minRelief from GriefA Daughters Devotion with Mrs. Chaya Leah RothsteinMrs. Chaya Leah Rothstein Author of Welcome to Our Jewish HomeMrs. Chaya Leah Rothstein is a beloved first-grade morah and the busy mother of a large family, k”ah. Previous responsibilities notwithstanding, when her mother began to show signs of dementia, she stepped up to the plate to care for her with utmost sensitivity, honor and respect. Eventually, the Rothsteins built an extension on to their home and brought their mother/grandmother to live with them. As she cared for her mother with singular dedication, Chaya Leah found herself grieving for the mother she...
2022-05-2347 minRelief from GriefInsights from Working in Palliative Care with Mrs. Sarah Korenblit, LCSWSarah Korenblit spent years working in palliative care. Through Sarah’s initial work as a social worker for people dependent on dialysis, she gained an understanding of the challenges faced by those with long-term and terminal illnesses. Eventually she used those skills to assist families with children who were mentally compromised or terminally ill.After the birth of her own special-needs child, Sarah was no longer able to work with this population. Ultimately, she opened her own therapy company, which allowed her to care for all her children, while helping other families in so many ways. O...
2022-05-0950 minRelief from GriefBecoming an Orphan with Rabbi Avrahom PressburgerHe was just a bachur in yeshivah going about his regular day. Then he received a call from his rebbi and regular ceased to exist. The rebbi told him his father had been in an accident and that Avram was going home. Avram felt scared, but he was sure his father would be okay. Right? I mean fathers don’t just go on business trips and die.But that is exactly what happened. And Avram had to face a whole new reality: Shabbos and yom tov without his father; making decisions about which yeshivahs to attend without hi...
2022-04-2552 minRelief from GriefA Rabbi’s Experiences with Loss with Rabbi Moshe TaubRabbi of Young Israel of Holliswood, Menahel of Telshe of Riverdale, and Ami columnist and editorHe knows the pain of loss because he experienced it. As a rabbi, he frequently helps his congregants navigate loss. Although he doesn’t always know what to say in the face of others’ pain, here he offers some of the stories, insights and ideas he shares that might be helpful during your time of loss and grief. As you listen to him speak, you will hopefully be inspired and find the strength to carry on. htt...
2022-04-1045 minRelief from GriefTurned into a Widow by Terrorists with Mrs. Risa RotmanTurned into a Widow by TerroristsMrs. Risa RotmanAuthor of Terror and Emunah in Har NofIt was a calm morning, and Mrs. Risa Rotman was looking forward to catching up on housework and errands. Instead she heard sirens. Sirens she tried to ignore until she couldn’t anymore. There had been a terrible terrorist attack in the Har Nof shul, directly down the block from her house. Men who had been davening there had been killed. Risa’s husband was one of the victims.Rabbi Rotman survived the...
2022-03-2841 minRelief from GriefGrief When You’re Not an Aveil with Mr. Meir (Donni) SilversteinGrief When You’re Not an AveilMr. Meir (Donni) Silverstein, LCSWDonni Silverstein experienced multiple losses in his life. But none of the losses were any that required him to sit shivah. Still, the pain he felt was so intense. He started doubting if he was normal. His life wasn’t affected on a daily basis by these deaths. He could have gone a year without speaking to the people who had passed away. So why was he having such a strong reaction to t...
2022-03-1455 minRelief from GriefLife after Loss: Learning to Live Without My Son with Mrs. Sherri MandellMrs. Sherri MandellIsraeli-American author, mother and activist; founder of The Koby Mandell FoundationKoby Mandell was a good boy. One day he acted a bit out of character and skipped school to hike in the canyon near his home. That decision cost him his life. Koby, just thirteen years old, was cruelly killed by Arab terrorists. His mother Sherri had to learn how to live in a new world, a world in which her son was no longer present. The pain she experienced was intense. In...
2022-02-2838 minRelief from GriefI Loved my Stepfather; I Still Wanted to Know my Father with Mrs. Toby KleinMrs. Toby KleinCertified Life Coach Director-Little Links of PearlsAs a young girl, Toby knew she was different, but she couldn’t explain how. It was just a feeling she carried around with her. In those days, the general mindset was not to tell children anything. The less they knew the better. And that’s why Toby was carrying around a secret – a secret that became a burden – and she wasn’t even sure what it was.Come listen to Toby’s story. Come hear how a picture in the attic confirmed her suspicio...
2022-02-1449 min2022-02-1004 minRelief from GriefTrailer testRelief from GriefWelcome to the Relief from Grief podcast, where we talk with a broad spectrum of people about their life stories. My hope is that either you'll hear a story that is similar to your own or aspects of it that you can connect to. Even if an experience is very different from yours, perhaps you can find something within it, an element or an idea or a perspective, that really speaks to you or gives you insight into yourself. Some of the goals I hope to realize with this...
2022-02-0704 minRelief from GriefRelief from Grief TrailerWelcome to the Relief from Grief podcast, where we talk with a broad spectrum of people about their life stories. My hope is that either you'll hear a story that is similar to your own or aspects of it that you can connect to. Even if an experience is very different from yours, perhaps you can find something within it, an element or an idea or a perspective, that really speaks to you or gives you insight into yourself.Some of the goals I hope to realize with this podcast include normalizing grief, bringing awareness to the...
2022-01-3104 min