Episode 7: Thriving, Not just Surviving

Being a second generation (from the Holocaust) Jew definitely comes with baggage, but it also comes with a message of strength and resilience.  Jody Berkel and I have connected over our passion and drive to help the Jewish world and the responsibility that we feel towards ensuring that the future of the Jewish people is bright. With anti-semitism on the rise and the current uncertainty in the world, we need to be stronger than ever. How do we respond to what happens around us? What lessons have we learned from our precious Holocaust heroes? By sharing our love, light, stories, history, and resilience, we educate the next generation so they can stand proudly as Jews and pass on the torch.  Jody Berkel is someone who speaks with her whole heart. She is a Jewish educator, speaker, and author. After spending 25 years of entrepreneurship in the children’s entertainment industry Jody has switched gears to focus on building up the Jewish people. Through her own Jewish journey, Jody inspires women to connect to the depth and beauty of Judaism through teaching and by giving back to the community. Her passion and love of Judaism and of her fellow Jew is infectious. Jody works as a coordinator of NCSY’s Jewish Family Experience in Toronto and has a Bachelor of Environmental Science. She lives with her husband and three children in Toronto.