As we mark 25 years since September 11, we're revisiting Ari Schonbrun's extraordinary story of survival. Ari worked for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 101st floor of the World Trade Center's North Tower. A series of seemingly ordinary delays left him running late that morning, placing him on the 78th floor when the first plane struck. Thrown to the ground by the impact and surrounded by smoke, fire, and chaos, Ari began searching for a way out.

That search brought him to Virginia, a severely burned coworker who begged him not to leave her. Ari made her a promise and helped her down dozens of flights of stairs, refusing to abandon her even as they fought to escape with their lives. In this deeply moving conversation, Ari recounts the decisions, strangers, and extraordinary moments of Divine Providence that led them out of the tower, and how surviving September 11 forever changed his faith, his priorities, and the way he understands why he was spared.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

1:04 Not Taught in School

4:50 A Beautiful Tuesday Morning

11:25 First Plane Hits

14:08 A Woman Screaming for Help

17:03 Finding a Way Out

19:04 A Phone Call in the Stairwell

21:36 Is There a Paramedic in the Building?

25:32 Finds Out it's a Terrorist Attack

29:20 Breaking Down in His Brother's Arms

32:38 Go Hug the People You Love

34:40 Twenty People, A Hundred Messages

35:45 Daddy's Got to Work

38:00 One Mitzvah at a Time

43:33 Only Four Survived

47:20 The Smoky Taste the Next Morning

50:44 Find Your Mission

57:33 Can You Come In at 11?

59:30 Cantor Fitzgerald's Promise

1:01:19 Whispers and Bricks

This week, Nachi Gordon sits down with Yudi and Chumi Herzberg to talk about the life, story, and legacy of their daughter Charlotte, who passed away in a car accident on June 2. Yudi and Chumi walk through what made Charlotte so uniquely herself, the note she left her mother the night before the accident, and how they found out and told the rest of their kids. They also talk candidly about the ups and downs since then, including recognizing the driver as a close family friend, and how they came to see the tragedy as coming entirely from Hashem rather than from any person to blame.

The conversation turns toward Shalom for Charlotte, the movement Yudi and Chumi built out of the accident, aimed at inspiring people to make peace in their own relationships. They share some of the thousands of stories that have poured in since Charlotte passed, from decades long feuds ending to siblings reconnecting, and talk about what it has meant to watch their daughter's legacy grow into something so much bigger than themselves.

This episode is sponsored by:

► PZ Deals

Never pay full price again when you download the PZ Deals app.

https://app.pz.deals/install/mpp

_____________________

► Colel Chabad Pushka App

The easiest way to give Tzedaka.

https://pushkapp.cc/meaningful

_____________________

► Aura House

A sleek, flame free cold air diffuser that fills your home with a five star hotel scent, with no parabens or phthalates. A perfect wedding gift. Use code MEANINGFUL15 for 15% off.

https://aurahouse.com

_____________________

► Values Over Valuables

A campaign encouraging people to live a value based life instead of buying whatever they can afford. Watch the video and take the pledge.

https://valuesovervaluables.org

_____________________

► Voice 37 by Isaac Honig

An all natural vocal booster made with organic herbs that lasts 12 to 24 hours, made for singers and especially for chazzanim heading into the Yomim Noraim. Available on Amazon.

https://clyor.com/voice37

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N26UG0V/

_____________________

► Ness Vacation Homes

Eden Gardens' largest luxury home collection. Handpicked, high end homes available exclusively through Ness.

https://nessvacationhomes.com/

_____________________

► Rothenberg Law Firm

Personal Injury Law Firm for 50+ years! Reach out today for a free case evaluation.

https://shorturl.at/JFKHH

_____________________

► Town Appliance

Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp.

https://www.townappliance.com

https://bit.ly/Townappliance_whatsapp

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

3:48 Charlotte's Personality and Big Feelings

8:55 The Note Charlotte Left the Night Before the Accident

15:49 Reliving June 2: How the Accident Unfolded

19:27 Yudi's Hope at the Scene and the Ride to the Hospital

23:19 Telling Their Other Children What Happened

25:27 Hatzalah, Neighbors, and the Community's Response

29:20 Recognizing the Driver as a Close Family Friend

33:18 Being on the Same Page as a Couple

35:09 Grief During and After Shiva

44:46 Seeing Hashem Clearly Through the Tragedy

47:46 Why They Chose the Name Shalom for Charlotte

52:18 Adjusting to Life After Shiva Ended

1:00:18 Turning Their Story Into Chizuk for Others

1:04:57 Rabbi Robino Eisenberger's Message on a Predestined Life

1:13:35 Stories of Shalom Pouring In From Around the World

1:20:29 The Goal of 100,000 Acts of Shalom

1:25:02 Visiting Charlotte's Grave

1:27:03 Preparing for a Simcha and Living Life Fully Today

This week, Nachi Gordon sits down with philanthropists Yossi Hoch and Simcha Shain to talk about the world of tzedakah, from the pressure donors carry to the changing psychology of giving. They open up about what has shifted since their parents' generation, how technology and platforms like Charidy have reshaped fundraising, and why some of the most established organizations now struggle to compete with flashier, newer causes. Along the way they share candid stories about donors who quietly write six figure checks and others who give up their Shabbos soda money, and why both matter equally.

The conversation turns personal as Yossi and Simcha discuss the hidden shame that comes with losing the ability to give, the toll of unfulfilled pledges, and what it really means to give with a full heart rather than a full wallet. They also dig into Shuvu, the organization educating thousands of children across Israel, including former hostage Bar Kuperstein, and share the story of how each of them first got involved. It's a wide ranging, honest look at what tzedakah costs, what it gives back, and why every dollar, no matter the size, counts.

Help Shuvu grow

This episode is sponsored by:

► PZ Deals

Never pay full price again when you download the PZ Deals app.

https://app.pz.deals/install/mpp

_________________

► Colel Chabad Pushka App

The easiest way to give Tzedaka.

https://pushkapp.cc/meaningful

_________________

► Amudim - What Comes Next, Live in New York

Join Nachi Gordon moderating a powerful panel on healing from abuse, crime, and trauma. Free event, limited seating.

https://amudim.org/next

_________________

► Shopify Guru

Store looks great but not selling the way it should? Shopify Guru's Daniel gets under the hood and makes it actually work, no developer needed every time you want to make a change. Call 732-534-1404 or go to shopifyguru.io.

https://go.jcn.io/sgmp

_________________

► Ness Vacation Homes

EDEN GARDENS' LARGEST LUXURY HOME COLLECTION. Handpicked, high-end homes available exclusively through Ness.

https://nessvacationhomes.com/

_________________

► Rothenberg Law Firm

Personal Injury Law Firm For 50+ years! Reach out today for a free case evaluation.

https://shorturl.at/JFKHH

_________________

► Town Appliance

Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp.

https://www.townappliance.com

https://bit.ly/Townappliance_whatsapp

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro: The $7 Postdated Check That Changed a Life

2:09 Meet Yosi Hach and Simcha Shain

3:38 A Billion Dollars a Year in Tzedakah

5:03 How Communal Wealth Has Changed

6:04 Technology's Impact on Fundraising

8:27 The Rise of Charidy and Online Giving

12:12 Donor Psychology: Has Giving Gotten Too Easy?

14:19 The Shrinking Value of $100

18:01 Can a Family of Five Live on $300K?

20:00 Tuition, Tax Credits, and Housing Costs

23:51 Advice for a 22 Year Old Starting Out

26:13 Investing in Yourself

29:35 Fundraising War Stories and the Hidden Stress on Donors

36:52 A Personal Story of Loss and Gratitude

39:17 Chesed, Unfulfilled Pledges, and Giving with a Full Heart

49:20 The Origins and Growth of Shuvu

55:19 Shuvu's Alumni, the War, and How Simcha Shain Got Involved

1:04:19 Mike Tress, Parting Advice, and Vetting a Charity