Neshamos.org Podcast: Stories of Hope and Healing

Today, let’s voyage into the world of emotions. Meet Sarah Bennaroch - born in Los Angeles, she currently lives in Crown Heights, and is the founder and owner behind Gymies Gym. In this episode, Sarah divulges her history of combating an intense inner critic and facing disempowering narratives within herself; and these voices would invite feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt into her consciousness. Today, Sarah asserts herself to address what's going on within her, and has created a support system around her, because she knows that asking for help is courageous. This episode is a gift to us all, we hope you enjoy.

Hear Breina's story of her struggle with addiction and her eating disorder from a first-person view. This episode will leave you with a deeper sense of compassion and understanding, and a very sobering view of recovery and the real-life challenges it presents.

Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Leah Groner shares with us her journey at discovering clarity. With the support of her family and her general practitioner, Leah received her diagnosis of ADHD in her twenties. She eloquently illustrates for us her journey in navigating the various challenges that would come up with her, along with the gifts of support and clarity that she found along the way.

Nechamy Rabin, a high-powered, upbeat mom of three who has her Masters Degree and works in Special Education, is not the kind of person you’d imagine would cry over a parking spot.

Growing up in Pittsburgh in a large family, Nechamy always knew she wanted to have a large family of her own someday. 

“It couldn’t be that hard,” Nechamy recalls thinking. “Everyone looks great pushing their Bugaboos up Kingston Avenue.”

For the most part, things worked out after her first child. But after the birth of her second, “I went from functional to completely not functional. I remember crying because I couldn't find parking.’

Now, Nechamy joins the Neshamos Podcast to share her story of experiencing, overcoming, and growing from Postpartum Depression. 

Eventually, Nechamy’s husband urged her to seek support. With the help of medication and a qualified therapist, Nechamy worked through her PPD and gained skills and perspective to help her thrive. 

Today, Nechamy is an advocate for women's mental health and is passionate about educating women about Postpartum depression and mental wellness.

Shiri Kornblit joins the Neshamos Podcast to share her story of surviving traumatic early childhood loss of a parent, the coping mechanisms she developed as a result, and her process of learning and recovery as she began healing from helplessness and many patterns of unhealthy behaviors including addiction to drugs and alcohol.

As an adult, Shiri joined Alcoholics Anonymous and eventually became a baalat teshuva. Today, she lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and two children and works as an emergency room Physician's Assistant. Shiri was an active volunteer with The Gedalya Society during the height of Covid and continues to give back to the Crown Heights community.

“I’m sharing my experiences so that anyone who is currently suffering (or who has a family member who is suffering) from addiction or self-destructive patterns and behaviors who needs to hear this can hear a message of, ‘there is a way out’. This isn't a hopeless state of mind and body.”

Shloimy Fuchs was born and bred in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and currently serves as a mashpia in Yeshivas Bais Menachem of Wilkes Barre (now located in the Poconos).

In this episode of the Neshamos podcast, Shloimy talks about his struggles with anxiety, addiction, and low self esteem. In his younger years, he was a “problem student” who was expelled from yeshiva and spent time on the streets shoplifting and committing petty crimes. Later, he sought comfort in alcohol, relationships, and a party lifestyle, which only led him further away from his true self.

In this episode, Shloimy takes us along on his journey through different Yeshivas, different stages of religious commitment, and his growth along the way.

With the help of therapy, meditation, Alcoholics Anonymous, and supportive mashpias and friends, Shloimy turned his life around and began living a conscious, meaningful, and proactive life. Today he continues to grow and maintain his mental and spiritual health and helps others do the same.

“It’s doing the work, taking the steps,” Shloimy reflects. “It’s a daily avodah and it brings you closer to yourself and to the truth. It’s a blessing to have these tools that I can use to heal myself.”

Rochel Spangenthal is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and writer from North Carolina. At a young age, Rochel’s family made the transition to a religious lifestyle, becoming Baalei Teshuva and joining the Chabad community.

Rochel took her religious responsibilities seriously, determined to be the perfect daughter and student and aspired toward a relationship with a man befitting her religious status. She was scrupulous in her Torah observance, carefully maintaining her distance from men as she sought a “good” shidduch (match).

As an adult, Rochel experienced sexual assault and began questioning everything: herself, her relationship with G-d, her status as a religious Jew, her future and any future relationships. She believed she was “ruined.” Rochel was told she had to hide her story and be ashamed of what had happened to her so that it wouldn’t impact her reputation and her shidduch chances. 

In this episode, Rochel relates how her experience launched the beginning of her journey toward growth and healing. She talks about how she shared her story with others, and the reactions she received as a result. Now, Rochel has integrated her story into who she is today and uses it to drive herself forward. She has learned that she has an untouchable, innate purity regardless of her circumstances.

“Bad things happen and we can’t go back, but we can choose how we go forward,” she concludes.

Schneur Lakein is a Miami-based entrepreneur who grew up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. At three years old, Schneur lost his mother, and his father passed away just twenty years later. As a result, Schneur struggled with feelings of abandonment, loneliness, and a desperate need to prove his strength and independence to both himself and others. As he progressed first through primary and high school and later on to the Israeli army, he began to understand how his mindset, self-beliefs, and inability to open up were limiting everything from his performance to his relationships and ultimately his quality of life. A self-development workshop proved to be a major turning point for Schneur. At the age of 26, he began to let go of his victim mentality, transform his perspectives, and choose to live consciously. 

Today, Schneur focuses on self-growth and creating his own identity. “When you choose to accept what happened to you, you have power,” he reflects. “You are no longer a victim of an unchangeable past.” His message? “You’re bigger than your circumstances, whatever they may be, and nothing is beyond your reach. Whatever hole you’re in, you can dig your way out by choosing your life exactly the way it is, every single day.” 

We’d like to give a special shoutout to Schneur, who was one of our very first guests here at Neshamos.org back when we launched the organization with our first-ever event in May 2018. At the time, he took the stage to share his story in front of a crowd of hundreds of people, setting a precedent and shattering stigmas around mental health. You can watch the full video of his speech here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzAAb3xWi5coYtWciFy9MgwvsoU8hF258

Growing up, Rachel (Ruchi) Lebowitz felt misunderstood and unheard. She struggled both at home and in school, secretly harming herself and, in her own words, attempting to make herself “smaller.”

When Ruchi got married, she thought she’d “made it.” It quickly became apparent, however, that her husband had a serious gambling addiction. In addition to the problems his addiction inflicted on their marriage, they two could barely stay afloat financially.

As Ruchi sought help for her husband’s addiction, she discovered that she struggled with codependency, feelings of low self-worth, and more. Instead of placing the blame solely on her husband, she learned that she had to focus on growing and repairing herself, first.

After years of therapy and work, Ruchi and her husband gained the tools they needed in order to grow, heal, and ultimately build a strong marriage.

“The beauty of growth is that once you get over the big, painful jump, growth becomes something subtle, painless, and beautiful. The healthier you become, the easier the growth and change become, too,” Ruchi shares.

Neshamos.org would like to wish Ruchi and her husband a warm Mazal Tov on the birth of their son, Gaddy, who was born just after this podcast was recorded.

Singer/Songwriter/Rabbi Yossi Rodal of Carlesbad, CA talks about losing his sister at the age of 12,  struggling with the feelings of loss and grief, coming to the  realization that he needed help to heal, and eventually embarking on the  road toward healing and using his music as a tool toward that end.