Who Are Our Spiritual Role Models? | Racheli Luftglass

A conversation with Racheli Luftglass, a passionate Judaic educator and Tanach scholar, about finding our spiritual role models within the Torah. Racheli shares her journey from struggling with Tanach as a student to falling in love with its stories and teachings, how the characters in Tanach guide her in everyday life, and how engaging deeply with biblical characters can transform the way we live. This discussion includes lessons from biblical characters like Yirmiyahu, Nechemiah, the daughters of Tzelofchad, Devorah, Batya, and Esther. Mrs. Racheli Luftglass is the Principal of Judaic Studies at YULA Girls High School and a kallah teacher. Before moving to the West Coast, she taught at The Frisch School in Paramus, NJ, in the Nach Department and in the Learning Center. At the OU Women’s Initiative, Mrs. Luftglass has served as a Counting Toward Sinai Scholar-in-Residence, presented shiurim and taught “Yirmiyahu’s Canon for Calamity” – an interactive in-depth course at the ALIT Virtual Summer Learning Program. She also taught Sefer Nechemia to over 5,000 women worldwide for Torat Imecha Nach Yomi. Mrs. Luftglass began her career at The Moriah School in Englewood, NJ, where she taught both mainstream and enrichment Judaic Studies classes as well as secular studies in the school’s Gesher Yehuda Program. Mrs. Luftglass graduated from Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women with a B.A. in music and psychology and holds an M.A. from Columbia University’s Teachers College with a concentration in Education of the Gifted and of the Learning Disabled. She has also completed coursework at Columbia University towards a doctorate degree in neuropsychology. Mrs. Luftglass lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and five children. Contact Racheli at [email protected] inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at [email protected] support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor.Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.TIMESTAMPS:0:00:00 - Sneak Peek 0:00:37 - Host's Introduction 0:02:10 - Welcome Racheli 0:04:06 - A Personal Passion for Tanach0:06:00 - The Lost Art of Letter Writing 0:06:54 - The Daughters of Tzelofchad0:09:15 - Which Characters Do You Currently Connect With? 0:10:25 - How It All Began: Racheli’s Early Experiences with Tanach0:11:03 - Intertextuality in Tanach0:13:31 - What We Can Learn From Hashem’s Vulnerable Moments 0:17:10 - Teaching as a Means of Mastery0:17:54 - Understanding the Prophets0:19:34 - Yirmiyahu: Survival and Identity in Exile0:27:22 - Roots and Branches: Continuity in Judaism0:28:01 - Inner Sense of Connection to Your Values0:30:19 - Finding Personal Guidance in Tanach0:32:11 - Devorah: An Unapologetic Voice0:40:29 - Recurring Themes in the Women in Tanach0:42:43 - I Am in a Dance With Hashem0:44:05 - When Hashem Says No 0:47:45 - Following Your Curiosity in Your Studies0:49:11 - Accessing Tanach 0:52:24 - Connecting Through Art and Personal Stories0:53:18 - Finding Personal Role Models Within Tanach0:53:59 - Lessons from Batya & Esther0:56:38 - Choosing Not to Become Bitter0:58:36 - Host's Outro