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

Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast! It's summer and we all just want to feel our best this time of year and TBH, all year long.

This episode is a roundup of five things that I have been doing to feel really good this summer (of course all a work in progress!) I've been thinking about this topic for awhile now and am so excited to get this solo episode out there — more of a rare occasion for me!

Really hope you like it and get even one thing out of it.

Here, some the other podcasts I reference in the episode:

-Chai on Life Podcast with Elisheva Liss

-The Liz Moody Podcast episode with Laura Vanderkam

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!

[This episode originally aired on July 29, 2024]

Hi everyone, welcome to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal and today, we are speaking with Dr. Hilla Aboody, an amazing teacher, mother, wife and mentor currently living in Eretz Yisrael who I invited to come on to speak about this heavy time on the Jewish calendar.

Hilla has such a beautiful way of explaining things — it’s so deep and profound yet easy to comprehend at the same time.

A little background on her:

She is a wife and mother of five, living in Eretz Yisrael after making Aliyah 7 years ago from Brooklyn, NY. She is a teacher and Em Bayit (house mother) at Midreshet Eshel, a Sephardic seminary for post High school students from around the world. Her educational background includes studying at Michlalah and receiving her bachelor’s degree from Bar-Ilan University and a Master’s and PhD in Jewish History from New York University. She has published her study on Eliyahu the Prophet in Talmudic literature and midrashim in her book, “Through the Prism of Wisdom”. As an educator and kallah teacher, Hilla dedicates her time in guiding students to creating a relationship with Hashem and tips and tools to thrive in their marriages and in life.

In our conversation, we speak about:

-What the Jewish perspective is on sadness and pain

-How we can connect to Hashem during this time and in this unique way, especially if it feels daunting for you right now

-Why this particular time period brings about more heaviness and actually the reason why we take more precautions

-The rich energy that lies in the months of Tammuz and Av — what the letters associated with each month mean, why the sense of each month is important and what we can individually and collectively take from all of that

-Why crying is actually a sign of bravery

-Practical things you can do now to get through this time with more faith, in a more connected way to yourself, Hashem and those around you

-How to deal with difficult emotions with your kids

…and SO MUCH MORE

This podcast with Hilla is basically an hour long shiur. I got chills like 17 times as I was listening to her and it’s definitely one of the most important ones I’ve done so far in terms of our spirituality.

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!