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Ordinary People, Extraordinary Stories

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Stories

101 episodes — Page 2 of 3

No Such Thing as Can't

With G-d at her side, Gitty Zee is unstoppable. Even spina bifida and blindness have not stopped her from living life to the fullest and empowering others to do the same.

Aug 19, 202548 min

“The World’s Most Outspoken Rabbi”

Rabbi Schochet shares his journey of defying expectations, embracing authenticity, and learning to crawl out of the shadow of his towering father.

Aug 12, 20251h 1m

I Was 17 When I Escaped

Now a grandmother many times over, Frumma Kulek looks back at how she found hope, acceptance, family, fufilment, and love when she was a teen mom stuck in an abusive relationship.

Aug 5, 20251h 11m

I Was Trapped Behind the Iron Curtain

Hear Silvia Fishbaum share how her second attempt to escape communist Czechoslovakia succeeded and how she uses her personal experience to educate the world about Judaism and Antisemitism

Jul 29, 202552 min

We Chose Judaism in Rural Montana

Gavriel and his late wife's Bible studies led them to embrace Judaism, which entailed driving 10 hours just to get kosher meat!

Jul 22, 202546 min

The Rebbe Saved My Marriage

Born in India to Persian Jews, Sarah Karmely was guided by the Rebbe to become an author, teacher, guide, and mentor to thousands, with lots of miracles and drama along the way.

Jul 15, 20251h 0m

My Escape From Iran

Rabbi Danny Yiftach was among hundreds of Persian Jewish children airlifted by Chabad to safety. Today he serves the Persian Jewish community in California and back in Iran.

Jul 8, 20251h 4m

From Tattoos to Teshuvah

As a young Jew, he inked his Jewish identity onto his skin. Then he deepened his connection to Judaism and adopted a full Jewish lifestyle--including educating others on the prohibition of getting a tattoo.

Jul 1, 202557 min

Skullcaps and Switchblades

How three college credits turned into three years in yeshiva and a lifetime of service, spiritual growth, and joy.

Jun 24, 20251h 9m

Tel Aviv Rabbi: My Visit to Iran

Rabbi Yosef Gerlitzky of Tel Aviv shares an on-the-ground update from the Home Front, as well as memories of his time as an emissary of the Rebbe to visit Iran and around the world.

Jun 19, 202537 min

When It's Not Happily Ever After

Hear how a former Christian minister married a convert, struggled to raise their Hassidic family, and grew through the mental illness and loss of their son.

Jun 17, 20251h 13m

From Grateful Dead to G-dly Life

Sara's journey took her through rock concerts, a Christian cult, and much more before she finally found her soulmate and calling as a Chabad leader and teacher in Manhattan.

Jun 10, 20251h 2m

Rising to the Challenge

Today, she is a world-renowned expert and author on challah. It all began when she found herself in Japan, expected to bake challah for hundreds. She has since found spirituality, tradition, and her own identity in baking and taking challah.

Jun 4, 20251h 3m

A Chinese Convert’s Global Odyssey of Faith

How a Jewish woman’s whirlwind journey—through six countries, guided by her mother’s quiet strength—led her from rural China to Israel and Europe.

May 27, 202559 min

Not a Joke

How one woman discovered Torah, battled depression, discovered her gift for comedy, became a medical clown, and healed herself and others one viral impression at a time.

May 20, 202559 min

From College Athlete to Abraham's Child

How a child of secular suburbia discovered his deeper identity as a "child of Abraham," transforming his life path from worldly success to spiritual fulfillment as a rabbi and Jewish educator.

May 13, 20251h 2m

Iron Dome to Everyday Miracles

Ari Sachar shares his journey as a rocket scientist and proud Jew, revealing the hidden miracles in both life and faith.

May 6, 202552 min

Loss, Love and Learning to Live

Master teacher Rabbi Yossi Paltiel shares how he was shaped by his father's orphanhood, losing his own four-year-old child, navigating grief with his wife, and finding strength in Chasidic teachings.

Apr 29, 20251h 12m

Finding Freedom in the Soviet Gulag

Apr 8, 202548 min

The Rebbe Sent Me to Russia

A wide-ranging conversation with Bronya Shaffer that includes witnessing the Rebbe's reunion with his mother, the Rebbe's involvement in her marriage, speaking about taboo topics, being sent to Russia with a female companion, and finding strength in the tragic death of her husband.

Apr 8, 20251h 2m

The Secret to Your Life Mission

Apr 1, 20251h 20m

The Rapping Rabbi

Mar 25, 202556 min

Blind Justice

Mar 18, 202548 min

The Secret to Crushing Antisemitism

Mar 4, 20251h 2m

Healing From My Traumas

Feb 25, 20251h 2m

What I Learned From the Rebbetzin

Feb 18, 20251h 6m

From Gangsta Rapper to Jerusalem Hasid

Feb 11, 20251h 7m

I Was a Teen and He Died in My Arms

Feb 4, 202553 min

Diet Danger

Jan 28, 202542 min

I Never Dreamed I'd Convert

Jan 21, 20251h 0m

Matchmaker and Newsmaker

Jan 14, 202554 min

Rabbi and Rockstar

Jan 7, 20251h 0m

Modern Medical Miracle

Dec 31, 20241h 5m

To Russia with Love

Dec 24, 20241h 8m

Riding the Roller Coaster of Life and Death

Dec 17, 202455 min

I Was a Success, But I Felt Empty

Dec 10, 202441 min

The Long Road to Chassidic Feminism

Dec 3, 202457 min

Being an Orthodox Female Pop Star

Nov 26, 202446 min

Toward My Meaningful Life

Nov 19, 20241h 10m

The Superstar of Jewish Music

Nov 12, 202449 min

Healing Through Faith: My Battle with Loneliness and Anxiety

Nov 5, 20241h 8m

The Road Back: An Evangelical Minister Rediscovers Her Jewish Identity

Oct 29, 20241h 5m

Special Edition: Celebrating Simchat Torah After October 7th

Oct 7, 202413 min

The North is Under Attack, We Do Not Fear

Oct 1, 202431 min

Religious IDF Soldier: How 10/7 Changed My Life

Sep 24, 202445 min

11 Months Later, Still Not Home in Israel's North

Sep 17, 202437 min

Hamas Stole My Son, Not My Soul

Sep 10, 202427 min

What Will French Students Face When They Return to Campus?

Sep 3, 202436 min

The Inner and Vulnerable World of a Public Speaker

Aug 27, 20241h 12m

His Non-Jewish Girlfriend Brought Him Back to Judaism

Aug 20, 202454 min