It’s Hanukkah season, and Karen’s rounded up her very favorite gift options for 2022. In this episode, she shares her picks for the season’s best Hanukkah swag, blue-and-white Judaica, tasty treats, and more, with options to suit all styles and budgets - plus one non-tangible mindset gift Karen hopes we can all give ourselves this Festival of Lights!   LINKS:   Buy the Jewish Joy Journal - use Code JEWISHJOYPODCAST for 10% Discount https://jewishjoyjournal.com/    Your Jewish Life...

Karen sits down with Sarah Haskell, the TikTok star behind @thatrelatablejew, where she shares her own relatable Jewish life with over 100,000 followers. They chat about life as an accidental influencer, Sarah’s personal religious journey, Jewish dating in NYC, and the importance of always knowing who you are.   You’ll find out:   - What inspired Sarah to start sharing her life on TikTok - What it’s like getting recognized in public  - How she finds the right balance in deciding what to...

Karen talks about what it’s like raising her two young daughters as proud Jews, and shares her top tips for Jewish parenting that will instill a love of Judaism in the little ones in your life. Karen gives some great ideas for making Judaism truly joyful for kids of all ages, and also shares some guidance on how to talk about antisemitism. Spoiler alert: raising kids who love being Jewish is a whole lot easier when you’re genuinely proud of your own identity!     LINKS:   How to raise...

Karen sits down with Jewish educator and author Ben M. Freeman to discuss all things Jewish pride. The founder of the modern Jewish pride movement, Ben shares all about his own journey to owning his Jewish identity - and how it was set in motion by his experiences as a proud gay man. Ben wants to make sure we stop allowing the non-Jewish world to define our narratives - and his approach is truly changing the Jewish world!   You’ll find out:   - Unpacking internalized anti-Jewishness  -...

Karen leads a tour of her new home, and all the things that make it Jewish - tangible and not. She and her family moved into their dream home this past summer, and as they continue to get settled in they’re making sure to fill it with all the things that spark Jewish joy for them. Along the way, Karen addresses the question of what makes a Jewish home Jewish - and provides an important reminder that the Jewish items in your home don’t need to be expensive to be meaningful! LINKS:   ...

Karen sits down with Nikki Schreiber, founder of Humans of Judaism, where she’s been bringing Jewish stories to life since 2014. They chat about how Nikki channeled her grief over her beloved father’s sudden death into Humans of Judaism, the account’s meteoric rise to fame in the early days of Instagram, and how Nikki’s managed to keep her focus on Jewish unity and positivity in a time of rising antisemitism.    You’ll find out:   - How Nikki got the idea to start Humans of Judaism - The...

Karen focuses on one of the biggest topics in the Jewish world: how to stand up to antisemitism in a safe, effective way - whether we’re talking about overt acts of hate or subtle microaggressions.    We can either diminish our Jewish identities - in other words, giving antisemites exactly what they want - or we can rise up and beat the shame imposed on us as Jews. Karen shares her top tips for how to take the second path and own our identities in an empowering way - gleaned from some of...

Karen sits down with Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll, a writer and activist committed to taking a clear-eyed look at where things are going wrong in the Jewish world in 2022 - and how we can fix them. Shoshanna discusses her work to advance the rights of Jewish women in the Orthodox community and shares some much-needed advice on how we can come together as a unified Jewish people (even when we disagree!). Whatever your place in the Jewish world, this is such an important conversation filled with so...

If you want to bring more Jewish joy into your life, you’ve come to the right place. Karen - who’s been referred to as “the Oprah of Jewish Joy” - shares all about what Jewish joy is and how to tap into it. She shares tons of ideas for bringing Jewish joy into your own life in ways both large and small - as well as a reminder that there’s no one right way to be Jewish. There are so many beautiful, non-intimidating ways to make your life more Jewishly joyful, right now, you’re going t love...

Karen sits down with Nata Goldberg, a Jewish life, mindset, and manifestation coach, for a chat about what exactly manifestation is - and what it means to approach it from a Jewish perspective - how Nata learned to tap into her Jewish spirituality to build the life of her dreams, why she encourages you to drop your New Year’s resolutions, living simply in 2022, and so much more.  You’ll find out:   - What manifestation really is - and how to embrace it in your own life  - Why it’s so...

Karen dives into one of the hottest topics in the Smashing Life community: Jewish dating! As someone who always wanted to get married and have children but ended up taking a little longer to get there, Karen’s been through it all - and now she’s sharing the wisdom accumulated from 15 years of dating to answer Smashing Lifers’ burning questions about single life, the world of Jewish dating, and the importance of finding the courage to live your best life on your own terms, whatever your...

Welcome to a very special episode of the podcast in which Karen talks your through her long-awaited ‘Jewish Joy Journal’ that you can pre-order today!   Part goal planner, part gratitude journal, part non-judgmental Jewish BFF, the JJJ will fill your life with daily joy, purpose, and nourishing Jewish values.   Within the journal’s pages you’ll find space for daily gratitude, goal planning, kvetches and kvells, as well as thoughtful Shabbat prompts to encourage you to pause and reflect on...

Karen sits down with food writer and Israeli cuisine expert Adeena Sussman for a chat all about how Adeena came to serve as an ambassador of Israeli flavors to diaspora audiences, what it was like for Adeena moving to Israel seven years ago after meeting her husband Jay, and how the perspective she’s gained learning to navigate Israeli food culture as an outsider has reaped unexpected rewards. Of course, they also chat about Adeena’s favorite Rosh Hashanah recipes, and easy ideas for giving...

Karen shares some of the Jewish values that are nearest to her own heart - and delves into why Jewish values are so essential for making not only our own lives better, but the entire world too. This episode will help you figure out which values are most important to you, how you can use that knowledge to light you up in your Jewish life, and how you can put more goodness out into the world - while receiving more joy at the same time.  LINKS:   Jewish values guide  ...

In this episode, Karen sits down with Your Jewish Life team member Sam for a chat about a different side of Rosh Hashanah. While everyone loves chatting about menu plans and tablescapes (and there is a little bit of that here), this time the focus is on a side of the Jewish New Year that doesn’t necessarily get as much attention as it deserves: self-reflection. This time of the Jewish year is all about reflection and growth, and Karen and Sam go deep about what the past year has meant for...

Karen sits down with Laur Plawker for an emotional discussion about Jewish mental health, intergenerational trauma, and the beauty of finding an unexpected sense of home in Israel. Laur is a mental health professional whose own struggles with anxiety, eating disorders, and more brought her closer to her heritage after a secular upbringing - and her moving story of finding faith in recovery is a must-listen. You’ll find out:   - How a 12-step program brought Laur closer to Judaism -...

Karen sits down with Carrie Nachmani, a 63 year old 'Grandfluencer' and proud Jewish woman par excellence. The mother of three wonderful daughters, including influencer Arielle Charnas, Carrie is an absolute font of Jewish parenting wisdom, and in this episode she shares some of her secrets to raising successful, confident children who proudly own their Jewish identities.  You’ll find out:   - Why Carrie is so passionate about owning her identity as a proud Jewish woman - The...

Karen sits down with Aly Silverberg, the queen of Jewish relatability. As the founder of @jewishgirlprobs, Aly shares all about her journey as one of the founding figures of Jewish Instagram, chatting about the connection between Jewish humor and Jewish survival, the art of the meme, the importance of owning your Jewish identity - and so much more!   You’ll find out:   - How Aly got the idea to start @jewishgirlprobs in 2018 - Balancing her personal Jewish activism with her...

Karen sits down with actress, filmmaker, and podcaster Daniella Rabbani to chat all about Daniella’s “deliciously Jewish” life, the importance of finding your own place in Judaism, the joy of Jewish music, and so much more. Daniella truly embodies Your Jewish Life’s philosophy of “your Jewish life, your way,” and she positively radiates Jewish joy - making this episode an absolute must-listen if you could use a little reminder that you are Jewish enough, just the way you are. You’ll...

Karen sits down with none other than the Challah Prince himself! Idan Chabasov is truly a challah baker like no other, and his artistic, meditative approach to challah has taken Instagram by storm. A native Tel Avivian, Idan always loved eating challah but never tried baking it until he moved to Berlin as an adult. He shares all the details of his journey to challah royalty, why he identifies as an artist rather than a baker, the benefits of niching down, and so much more!   You’ll find...

“Why be a second-rate version of someone else when you can be a first-rate version of yourself?” That’s just one of the brilliant soundbites from Karen’s conversation with Tony Westbrook, aka @frumjewishblackboy. Tony is so full of enthusiasm for joyful, non-judgmental Judaism, and his discussion with Karen about what it’s like being an Orthodox queer Black Jewish person, how he lives his most authentic Jewish life, and why the only constant in Judaism is change is one you won’t want to...

Karen sits down with Israeli actress, producer, writer, and activist Noa Tishby to talk about advocating for Israel - everything from why you should (hint: Jews deserve self-determination just like any other group), to how to determine who might be receptive to the conversation, and how to find the right words to discuss the world’s most misunderstood country.     Plus, Noa shares about how she’s working to solve Israel’s PR problem in her new role as the first-ever Special Envoy for...

Karen sits down with Felicity Spector - news producer by day, London foodie influencer after hours - to talk about one of the most joyous of Jewish topics: food! Felicity spills all the details on her life as an accidental food influencer, how Jewish food helped her reconnect with her Jewish identity, why food is an amazing way to make friends and forge new connections, and why it’s never too late to start baking your own challah!   You’ll find out:   - How food fuels Jewish joy   -...

Karen sits down with Molly Tolsky, the founder and editor of Jewish culture site (and awesome Instagram account) Hey Alma and editor of Jewish parenting site Kveller. They chat about making space for Jewish Millennials to feel seen, the importance of showcasing diverse Jewish voices, and the joys of helping Jews connect with each other.   You’ll find out:   - What it was like going from a very Jewish home community to a not-very-Jewish college - All about Molly's music-themed...

Karen sits down with Rabbi Robyn Frisch and Nicole Wasilus of 18Doors, a wonderful organization that helps interfaith couples and families grow their Jewish - or Jew-ish - identities in an authentic way. Rabbi Robyn and Nicole have so much wisdom to share, and this episode is truly a must for anyone who’s part of an interfaith relationship or family.     You’ll find out:   - Why getting involved with Judaism can sometimes feel intimidating and how to overcome it - How to get...