Episodios

  • 182. Thirty Years Later: Grieving, Remembering, and Living After SIDS with Jami Nelson

    182. Thirty Years Later: Grieving, Remembering, and Living After SIDS with Jami Nelson
    Oct 23 2025

    "I've never done something like this before."

    In this episode, I sit down with Jami Nelson, a mother, grandmother, and lifelong nurturer who has spent more than three decades living with the loss of her son, Dov Ber, who died of SIDS as an infant.

    Speaking publicly for the first time, Jami opens up about what she remembers most about that time, how she survived the early days of grief when support was scarce, and how her relationship with loss has evolved over the years. She shares what it was like to raise four children while carrying the memory of one who wasn’t there, and how that experience shaped the way she later supported others through their own heartbreak.

    Together, we talk about:

    • The quiet ways grief lingers through everyday life and motherhood

    • The kind of help you keep going when your world has fallen apart

    • What parents newly navigating loss need to hear from someone who’s lived it

    • How others can support someone who has had a loss

    This episode speaks about the ache that never fully fades, and the strength of mothers who carry their children's memories in their hearts, always.

    More about Jami Nelson:

    I live in Boynton Beach Florida for the past 6 years after living in Cedarhurst, New York where I raised 4 children, ages 40, 37, 35 and 31. I was a teacher, labor and postpartum doula, lifeguard/swim teacher and administrative assistant. I love cooking, reading, being in the pool and spending time with my husband, children, grandchildren and good friends. Jami has been married to her husband Jonathan for 42 years.

    Connect with Jami Nelson:

    - Follow her on Instagram

    Connect with us:

    -Check out our Website

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    58 m
  • 181. When Hope Feels Hard with Rabbi Karen Perolman and Rabbi Danny Stein

    181. When Hope Feels Hard with Rabbi Karen Perolman and Rabbi Danny Stein
    Sep 29 2025

    In this episode, we sit down with Rabbi Karen Perolman and Rabbi Danny Stein for an open and tender conversation about navigating fertility struggles while serving as rabbis. Together, they share their personal stories, what it felt like to move through the High Holidays in the midst of pain, and the complicated balance of leading a congregation while caring for their own hearts.

    This is a powerful look at faith, vulnerability, and resilience—and a reminder that no one is immune to the challenges of fertility journeys, not even those guiding our communities.

    More about Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman:

    Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman is the Senior Associate Rabbi at Temple B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, New Jersey, the congregation she has served since 2008. She was ordained as a rabbi by the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 2010.

    Her writings have been published online and in five CCAR Press publications: The Sacred Table: Creating a Jewish Food Ethic (2011), Moral Resistance and Spiritual Authority: Our Jewish Obligation to Social Justice (2019), The Sacred Encounter: Jewish Perspectives on Sexuality (2014), and Mishkan Ga’avah: Where Pride Dwells (2020) and The Sacred Struggle: Jewish Responses to Trauma (2025). She is the co-founder of Modern Jewess, an emerging publication for Jewish women to write and connect.

    Karen has been a proud board member of I Was Supposed To Have a Baby since 2024. She lives in New Jersey with her wife, Liz Glazer, a lawyer-turned-comedian, their teenage cat Jack, and toddler, Eloise.

    Connect with Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman:

    - Follow her on Instagram

    - Visit her website here

    - Feel free to reach out via email at: krperolman@gmail.com

    More about Rabbi Danny Stein:

    Danny Stein is the rabbi of the Selma and Lawrence Ruben Base UWS, a pluralistic Jewish community for 20s & 30s in New York-based out of his and his wife Tamara's home. He feels passionate about helping folks connect with Judaism in ways meaningful for themselves. After being supported by IWSTHAB amidst his own fertility journey filled with losses and uncertainty, Danny is proud to help change the conversation within Jewish communities. He loves studying Hasidut, eating sushi, and is an overjoyed abbah (father) to their IVF baby.

    Connect with Rabbi Danny Stein:

    - Follow his personal Instagram account

    - Check out the Base Upper West Side Instagram

    - Visit the Base Upper West Side website

    Connect with us:

    -Check out our Website

    -Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

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    1 h y 4 m
  • 7 Things You're Doing That Makes Your Guests Uncomfortable with Tzipora Grodko [Re-release]

    7 Things You're Doing That Makes Your Guests Uncomfortable with Tzipora Grodko [Re-release]
    Sep 28 2025

    With the holidays around the corner, we’re bringing back our conversation with Tzipora Grodko: 7 Things You’re Doing That Make Your Guests Uncomfortable.

    This episode is a gentle but honest reminder that gatherings can be complicated, especially for those navigating fertility struggles and loss. As we head into a season filled with meals, family time, and community, it’s worth listening again with fresh ears—and a little extra sensitivity.

    Previous Episodes with Tzipora Grodko:

    - Episode 178: Finding Strength in Unwritten Chapters with Rachel Honeyman, Tzipora Grodko, and Peri Lyman

    More about Tzipora Grodko, LMSW:

    Tzipora Grodko is a dynamic public speaker, psychotherapist, and coach who inspires audiences across the Jewish world with powerful messages of confidence, resilience, and personal growth. Her viral talk, Things Shadchanim Should Know, reframed the “shidduch crisis” with a more compassionate lens, making her a leading voice in single advocacy.

    Ranked as the #1 Meaningful People episode of 2022, Tzipora has since traveled globally, speaking at schools, organizations, and events on topics like mental health, leadership, and breaking societal stigmas.

    She recently launched Stories of Hope, the first Orthodox podcast of its kind, featuring extraordinary stories of unexpected love. Through her work, she continues to inspire deeper understanding, broader possibilities, and a future filled with support and hope.

    Connect with Tzipora:

    - Follow her on Instagram

    - Visit her website here

    Connect with us:

    -Check out our Website

    -Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

    -Watch our TikToks

    -Follow us on Facebook

    -Watch us on YouTube

    -Connect with us on LinkedIn
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    58 m
  • 180. Raw, Honest, and Still Struggling with Chavie Bruk

    180. Raw, Honest, and Still Struggling with Chavie Bruk
    Sep 20 2025
    As the High Holidays approach, so many of us walk them with heavy hearts. The traditional prayers are filled with stories of Sarah, Chana, and Rachel — women who struggled with infertility — and with prayers about life, family, and legacy. For those still waiting, or those whose journeys haven’t unfolded the way they once imagined, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur can feel complicated, overwhelming, even painful. In this episode, Aimee sits down with Chavie Bruk, a "Talking Away the Taboo" regular (I think this is her 4th time on the podcast), a woman whose path to motherhood was through adoption, not biology. Together they talk about what emunah (faith) and bitachon (trust) look like in the face of unanswered prayers, and how fertility challenges shape our experience of the Yamim Noraim. She's raw, honest, and unabashedly frank about her struggles, and every time I speak with Chavie, I am blown away by the wisdom she shares, and I know you will be too. They explore: How she still struggles 18 years after learning that she would never have children How she straddles the fact that her story is hard and painful, and yet she accepts that this is what Gd has chosen for her Finding God in disappointment, grief, and renewal The insensitive things people say, especially this time of year, and how to respond so you don't get consumed by the anger What advice she gives to people who are still in the midst of their struggles This is a conversation about faith, honesty, and resilience, and about making space for all feelings. More about Chavie Bruk: Chavie Bruk is a mother of five adopted children and is the co-director of Chabad Lubavitch of Montana together with her husband. On her podcast, Totally Unexpected! Chavie sits with guests to her about the one unexpected moment that changed their lives. She hopes listeners will see themselves in these stories, feeling a little less alone and little more connected. Connect with Chavie Bruk: - Follow her on Instagram - Read her blog Totally Unexpected - Listen to her Totally Unexpected podcast on Spotify and Apple Previous Episodes with Chavie: - Episode 8. My Adoption Stories with Chavie Bruk - Episode 47. Expectations, Pain and Adoption with Chavie Bruk - Episode 141. Pain Doesn't End... or Does It? with Chavie Bruk - Episode 100. With Aliza Abrams Konig, Etsy Perman, Chavie Bruk, Lizzy Savetsky, Adelle Bryski, Amy Seroussi & Malki Rodal Connect with us: -Check out our Website -Follow us on Instagram and send us a message -Watch our TikToks -Follow us on Facebook -Watch us on YouTube -Connect with us on LinkedIn
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    1 h y 31 m
  • 179. Seen and Remembered: Making Space for Everyone This High Holiday Season Rabbi Yisrael Motzen

    179. Seen and Remembered: Making Space for Everyone This High Holiday Season Rabbi Yisrael Motzen
    Sep 17 2025
    As the High Holidays approach, many of us gather with family, see old friends at shul, and catch up on a year’s worth of life. But for those who don’t fit the “expected” mold—singles, people without children, divorced or widowed individuals, single parents—these moments can feel isolating instead of uplifting. In this episode, Dr. Aimee Baron sits down with Rabbi Yisrael Motzen, who recently launched "Kol Echad," an Orthodox Union initiative to make sure no one in our community is overlooked or left behind. Together, they talk about:

    • Rabbi Motzen's background and how/why he came into this work.

    • How so many people feel unseen in Jewish communal life, and how "Kol Echad" aims to fix it

    • Simple and practical suggestions that synagogues, hosts, and individuals can make to be more inviting and inclusive

    • Impressing upon people that we all need to be involved in this to make a difference

    This conversation is both honest and hopeful, reminding us that true community is built not only at the family table but also in the act of making space for each other—especially those carrying unseen stories. Whether you’re someone who has felt “forgotten,” or someone who wants to do better at seeing others, this episode offers wisdom, compassion, and a path forward. Mentions: Unmatched by Sarah Lavane

    More about Rabbi Yisrael Motzen:

    Rabbi Yisrael Motzen is the rabbi of Ner Tamid Greenspring Valley Congregation in Baltimore, Maryland. He serves as special assistant to the executive vice presidents of the Orthodox Union and is also the director of Kol Echad, a new OU department dedicated to creating communities where every single person matters.

    Sign up for the Kol Echad E-Magazine here

    Connect with Rabbi Yisrael Motzen:

    - Follow him on Instagram

    - Connect with Kol Echad on Instagram

    Connect with us:

    -Check out our Website

    -Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

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    51 m
  • 178. Finding Strength in Unwritten Chapters with Rachel Honeyman, Tzipora Grodko and Peri Lyman

    178. Finding Strength in Unwritten Chapters with Rachel Honeyman, Tzipora Grodko and Peri Lyman
    Aug 21 2025

    What happens when life doesn’t unfold the way you thought it would? When the hopes you once held close—marriage, children, grandchildren—don’t materialize, or take a completely unexpected path?

    In this powerful episode, we share the stories of three extraordinary women who bravely open up about their deeply personal experiences of waiting, grieving, and finding meaning in places they never expected.

    Rachel made the decision to stop trying after years of heartbreaking fertility treatments. Even though the choice was hers, it still hurts, and sometimes in the moments she least expects it (like shul dinners- this was NOT what I expected her to say).

    Tzipora, a single woman, vulnerably shares that a lot of her pain comes from younger family members who get married and have kids while she is still waiting. Seeing others move forward with their lives, while she is still stuck as the "cool auntie," is just so hard.

    Peri will never be a grandmother, and she is okay with that. But it's when other people start to brag about the newest baby in their family, or when she needs to put on a brave face for too long, it just becomes too much.

    More about Rachel Honeyman:

    Rachel Honeyman has been involved with IWSTHAB since its early days — first as a recipient of support, then as a board member. Rachel and her husband, Tzvi Doron, are childless-not-by-choice after a painful, 5+ year infertility journey, about which they've both written and spoken publicly (including in Instalives and podcasts for IWSTHAB). While motherhood isn't in the cards for Rachel, she gains great comfort in being able to give back to the IWSTHAB community. Rachel has a Master's in English, runs a marketing and web design agency called HoneyBeBold, and is a martial artist and women's self-defense instructor. She lives in Long Island, NY.

    Connect with Rachel:

    - Follow her on Instagram

    - Visit her website here

    More about Tzipora Grodko, LMSW:

    Tzipora Grodko is a dynamic public speaker, psychotherapist, and coach who inspires audiences across the Jewish world with powerful messages of confidence, resilience, and personal growth. Her viral talk, Things Shadchanim Should Know, reframed the “shidduch crisis” with a more compassionate lens, making her a leading voice in single advocacy.

    Ranked as the #1 Meaningful People episode of 2022, Tzipora has since traveled globally, speaking at schools, organizations, and events on topics like mental health, leadership, and breaking societal stigmas.

    She recently launched Stories of Hope, the first Orthodox podcast of its kind, featuring extraordinary stories of unexpected love. Through her work, she continues to inspire deeper understanding, broader possibilities, and a future filled with support and hope.

    Connect with Tzipora:

    - Follow her on Instagram

    - Visit her website here

    More about Peri Lyman:

    Songwriter, reading specialist, kugel maker extraordinaire

    Connect with Peri:

    -Follow her personal and Loaleinu Instagram accounts

    - Visit her website here

    - Feel free to reach out via email at: Perilyman@gmail.com

    Connect with us:

    -Check out our Website

    -Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

    -Watch our TikToks

    -Follow us on Facebook

    -Watch us on YouTube

    -Connect with us on LinkedIn
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    59 m
  • 177. Navigating Pregnancy After Loss with Taliya Corbett

    177. Navigating Pregnancy After Loss with Taliya Corbett
    Aug 14 2025

    “I couldn’t have my child bearing years end with a dead baby” with Taliya Corbett

    This is a messy, complicated truth of what it means to carry both heartbreak and hope.

    After the devastating stillbirth of her daughter, Ora, all Taliya could think was—“The only thing that will make me feel okay again is another baby.” But the road to pregnancy wasn’t simple. And even when she finally conceived, she didn’t feel joy. Or hope. Or love.

    This episode is for anyone who's been told that a new baby will "fix it"—and then finds themselves drowning in guilt when it doesn’t feel that way at all.

    Because love after loss is not always immediate. And healing isn’t always linear. And sometimes you need some medicine to help with the anxiety too

    More about Taliya Corbett:

    Homeschooling mom of five and one angel always in her heart. Taliya is a stillbirth warrior turned storyteller who shares her wild, sacred, and unfiltered journey through motherhood, faith, grief, and healing. From iced coffee-fueled chaos to deep spiritual reflections, she invites you into a life that’s messy, meaningful, and magnetic.

    Connect with Taliya:

    - Follow her on Instagram

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    -Check out our Website

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    1 h y 2 m
  • 176. Modern Jewish Dating Meets Fertility with Aleeza Ben Shalom

    176. Modern Jewish Dating Meets Fertility with Aleeza Ben Shalom
    Aug 7 2025

    Renowned Jewish matchmaker Aleeza Ben Shalom joins us for a raw and honest conversation about the intersection of egg freezing and dating. We get into the pressure, the judgment, and the impossible choices many women face—whether they want to freeze, don’t want to, or simply can’t. Aleeza also shares how this shows up in the dating world: men asking about egg freezing before a first date, when (or if) to bring it up in the dating process, and what real support looks like from friends and family. Whether you’re navigating this yourself or walking alongside someone who is, listen with an open heart…people are struggling and we don’t need to add pressure to this already difficult time in people’s lives.

    More about Aleeza Ben Shalom:

    Aleeza Ben Shalom is the renowned globe-trotting Jewish Matchmaker, who captivated audiences worldwide with her highly popular Netflix show, "Jewish Matchmaking," reaching millions of viewers across 130 countries. She continues to wow audiences worldwide with her in-person and virtual appearances and has recently published her third book, “Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Find Me A Love That Lasts.” To date, she has successfully helped thousands of people get married, and has trained over 350 matchmakers and coaches

    Connect with Aleeza:

    - Follow her on Instagram

    - Check out her website

    Connect with us:

    -Check out our Website

    -Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

    -Watch our TikToks

    -Follow us on Facebook

    -Watch us on YouTube

    -Connect with us on LinkedIn
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    29 m