S3 Episode 3: Sarah Villanueva

Recorded February 12, 2026   Photo: courtesySarah Villanueva is a Jew, a doula, a congregational leader, and an human with a passionate and compassionate heart. In graduate school she took a course on World Religions which the professor introduced by saying that the best case scenario would be that you want to convert every time you learn about a new one. Take a listen and you will hear how her own strong faith has shaped her path. Notes: Beth Jacob Synagogue is “… an inclusive, community-led congregation fulfilling the spiritual, educational and social needs of its members by nurturing a range of religious practices and traditions, Jewish values, and Tikkun Olam.” Learning on one foot: Sarah refers to the text While Standing on One Foot: Puzzle Stories and Wisdom Tales from the Jewish Tradition, by Nina Jaffe and Steve Zeitlin, Henry Holt and Co, 1996 which was used in her conversion class. The story of standing on one foot is this, per Chabad: “One famous account in the Talmud tells about a gentile who wanted to convert to Judaism. This happened not infrequently, and this individual stated that he would accept Judaism only if a rabbi would teach him the entire Torah while he, the prospective convert, stood on one foot. First he went to Shammai, who, insulted by this ridiculous request, threw him out of the house. The man did not give up and went to Hillel. This gentle sage accepted the challenge, and said:" ‘What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation of this—go and study it!’" (Shabbat 31a) Death doula is defined as a non-medical companion focused on holistic, emotional, and spiritual need. Hind Rami Iyad Rajab  was five years old and fleeing Gaza City in their car when she and six members of her family were attacked by Israeli forces on January 29, 2025. Only Hind remained alive, calling for help, for three hours. It took 12 days for searchers to find her and the bodies of two Red Crescent paramedics killed while trying to rescue her. More at the link along with information on how her story was covered and investigated and with links to three award-winning films by Dutch-Syrian, Tunisian, and Jordanian-Palestinian filmmakers.