PODCAST · religion
Meaningful People
by Meaningful Minute
There are so many Jewish personalities and big people in the world. They all have a story on how they became who they are today.Deep, unboundedly interesting, fun and uplifting, Meaningful People Podcast is a weekly opportunity for Nachi Gordon to talk to the Jewish world's meaningful people.
Episodes
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Ben Brafman: When Making Money Costs You Your Family
Nachi Gordon sits down with Ben Brafman, one of the most well known criminal defense attorneys in the country and a proud frum Jew. Ben opens up about sitting with clients at the worst moments of their lives, why he says he's "not the morality police," the Otisville visiting day he can never...
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I Was on the Hijacked Flydubai Flight. This Is What I Saw.
On September 30, Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv was hijacked mid-air. A terrorist stabbed the pilot, the plane dropped 15,000 feet in under a minute, and for a few seconds nobody was flying it. Nachi Gordon sits down with Daniel Schlichter, who was sitting in the second row with…
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Arnold Roth: My Daughter's Killer Is Free-A Father's Fight for Justice
This is not a typical episode. Nachi Gordon sits down in Yerushalayim with Arnold Roth, whose 15 year old daughter Malki was murdered in the Sbarro pizzeria bombing on August 9, 2001. Arnold shares who Malki was, the last "I love you" she exchanged with her mother, and the twelve hours the family...
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Singles Have Never Had More Options. So Why Can't Anyone Choose? | Matchmaker Rivkah Fox
The shidduch system says stay in your lane: same hashkafa, same schools, and wait for the shadchan to call. Rivkah Fox thinks that's exactly what's keeping so many people single. With Blind Fate, the matchmaking platform she started on Instagram, she's throwing out the boxes and labels with...
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THROWBACK: The Unbelievable Story Of Rivka Shotkin
In this special throwback episode,Nachi Gordon sits down with Rivka Shotkin, a 16 year old from Passaic and the youngest guest in Meaningful People history. On January 31, 2021, a family ski trip in Tannersville ended when Rivka missed a turn on her last run of the day and went straight into a...
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LIVE PANEL: The Conversation About Abuse We Can't Avoid
Nachi Gordon hosts a live panel on sexual abuse in the frum community, recorded at an event presented by Ray of Hope and Amudim right before Rosh Hashanah. He's joined by Amudim founder Zvi Gluck, Amudim's Director of Education Avi Landa, Amudim Clinical Director Dr. Miriam Lankry, and Ray of…
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Charlie Harary on Toxic Parents, Estrangement & Teshuva
This week, Nachi Gordon sits down with Charlie Harari for a wide-ranging conversation about what it actually means to love someone, honor your parents, and do teshuva. Charlie unpacks how modern therapy culture has replaced the role of a rebbe for a lot of people, and argues that real love isn't...
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He Escaped From the 78th Floor on 9/11
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...
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Yudi & Chumi Herzberg: The Story of Charlotte
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...
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Inside the Billion-Dollar World of Jewish Charity | Yossi Hoch & Simcha Shain
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…
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R' Benjamin Goldschmidt: The Crazy Story Behind a $35 Million Shul
Rabbi Benjamin Goldschmidt grew up in Moscow as the son of the city's chief rabbi, trained in Bnei Brak and Ponovezh, and spent a decade as assistant rabbi at Manhattan's Park East Synagogue — until he was abruptly and very publicly fired. In this raw conversation with Nachi Gordon, he opens up…
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The Husband Coach: Why Your Wife May Resent You
Josh Livingstone is a husband coach who works almost exclusively with men, and in this episode he explains why so many well-intentioned husbands still leave their wives feeling unheard. He and Nachi unpack what he calls the real root of most marital friction: it's not a lack of communication…
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Food Addiction, Obesity & the Lies We Tell Ourselves | Mendel Krashunsky
Mendel Krashunsky is the founder of the Frum Health Club, a worldwide movement pushing Yidden to finally take their health seriously. He opens up about losing his father, an oligarch who lived a life of total luxury, to a preventable illness at just 38 years old, and how the grief sent Mendel…
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Claire Zeitler: The Orthodox Jewish Woman Who Discovered Her Father Was a Arab Prince
Claire Blumenthal Zeitler was adopted into an Orthodox Jewish family as a baby — until, a year after her wedding, her biological mother tracked her down and revealed something nobody could have prepared her for: her biological father is part of the deposed royal family of Bahrain. In this deep…
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The Truth About the Jewish Music Industry | Moshe Tischler & Shloimy Zaltzman
Moshe Tischler and Shloimy Zaltzman, two of the biggest names in Jewish wedding music, sit down with Nachi Gordon to trace how they broke into the industry, from meeting as yeshiva teenagers to Shlomi's near-miss record deal and the emotional moment years later when he watched another bandleader...
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What If We've Been Wrong About Achdus?
A Tisha B'Av documentary that will challenge the way you think about achdus. Watch Full Film
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Maya Namdar | Hashem Took My Daughter. Why Do I Still Believe?
Five years ago, Maya Namdar's world changed forever when a drunk driver took the life of her daughter Liel, just moments after a Shabbaton reunion in Woodmere. In her second appearance on Meaningful People, Maya returns to share the story in a way she never has before: the knock at the door, the...
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Moshiach Is Alive Right Now - And Doesn't Know It | R' Lawrence Hajioff
Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff takes us on a journey through the entire Jewish timeline, from Adam and Chava in Gan Eden to the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, the long exile, and the prophecies surrounding the coming of Moshiach. Together with Nachi Gordon, they explore why history unfolds the way it...
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Zahava Farbman | The Mistake Everyone Makes After Tragedy
In this powerful conversation, Nachi sits down with Zahava Farbman, a crisis, trauma, and bereavement expert, to talk about what families really need after tragedy. Zahava shares why grief is not something people simply "get over," how to speak to children after painful loss, what not to say to...
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Yossi Farro | How He Convinced Jewish Billionaires to Put On Tefillin
Yossi Farro has turned a mitzvah into a global mission. In this episode of Meaningful People, he shares how a childhood spent putting tefillin on strangers in New York grew into a journey that has taken him around the world, connecting with celebrities, billionaires, entrepreneurs, influencers…
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The Story of Malky Klein A"H
On the ninth yahrzeit of Malki Klein, her father, Avrami Klein, joins Nachi Gordon to share the story of a daughter whose struggles were often invisible to the people around her. From learning challenges and school rejection to addiction and ultimately her tragic passing, this conversation…
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BREAKING: 10,000 Newly Revealed Letters from the Lubavitcher Rebbe
This special Gimmel Tammuz episode of Meaningful People explores the Lubavitcher Rebbe's letters and the conversations, questions, and life experiences behind them. Rabbi Shais Taub, Shmuel Greene, and members of the Sichos In English team join Nachi Gordon to share stories of the Rebbe's...
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R' Shmuel Diamond | The Rabbi Who Didn't Believe in G-d
In this episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, Nachi Gordon sits down with Rabbi Shmuel Diamond for an unforgettable conversation about one of the most dramatic transformations you'll ever hear. Rabbi Diamond grew up completely secular in North London, in a world where the very idea of God was...
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R' Tzadok Katz : The Shidduch Lie Nobody Wants to Admit
In this episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, Nachi Gordon sits down with Rabbi Tzadok Katz, a shadchan with over 23 years of experience, for one of the most honest and entertaining conversations about shidduchim you'll ever hear. From speed dating and picture sharing to the stigma facing...
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Keshet Starr: Domestic Abuse in the Frum World and the Red Flags We All Miss
In this week's episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, Keshet Starr, CEO of Shalom Task Force and a leading advocate in the fight against domestic abuse in the Jewish community, joins Nachi Gordon for a powerful and eye-opening conversation about one of the most difficult issues facing the…
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Rabbi YY Jacobson: Why So Many People Feel Empty Today
In this episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, and dive into one of the biggest struggles facing the Jewish world today: are we creating people who truly think, feel, and connect… or are we just creating followers? From anxiety and burnout to authenticity, leadership, inner purpose, and the...
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Dr. David Rosmarin | Why Anxiety Is Actually GOOD For You
In this week's episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, Dr. David Rosmarin challenges one of the biggest assumptions people have about mental health: that anxiety is something to eliminate. A Harvard professor and leading anxiety expert, Dr. Rosmarin explains why trying to avoid discomfort may...
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The Marriage Advice Nobody Wants To Hear | R' Manis Friedman
In this episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, Rabbi Manis Friedman returns for one of the most thought-provoking conversations yet. From modern dating and marriage to masculinity, loneliness, relationships, and what it really means to need another person, Rabbi Friedman challenges some of the...
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Are Working Guys In Shidduchim Second Class? The Truth No One Says
This episode dives into one of the most talked about trends in the Jewish world right now: Rolex raffles. Are they a creative, effective way to raise money for important causes, or are they feeding into something deeper and more problematic? We unpack the criticism, the psychology behind...
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LIVE at Bordeux: Reuven Epstein | 50% Of Couples Felt They Made a Mistake.. Here Is Why.
Answer the Polls Here: https://thisorthatpolls.com/events/pesach In this special live episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, the conversation goes beyond theory and straight into reality, marriage, connection, and what actually happens behind closed doors. Through live polling and raw...
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Off The Record with Kayla Levin: The Things No One Told You About Marriage
Get 40% off Meaningful Minute Plus with code APRIL26 — and unlock the full, unfiltered episode. No one really prepares you for what marriage actually feels like. Not the first few months. Not the doubts. Not the expectations that quietly fall apart. In this Off The Record conversation, Kayla…
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Avi Schnall | "He tried Exposing Lakewood.. But Got It All Wrong"
Lakewood has become one of the fastest-growing Jewish communities in America, and with that growth has come controversy, criticism, and a lot of misunderstanding. In this episode, we sit down with a key insider to break down what's really happening behind the headlines: the expansion, the…
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Zevi Samet | "No High School Wanted Me"
From struggling to sit still in class to becoming one of the most impactful voices on and off the court, Zevi Samet's journey is anything but typical. In this episode, he shares how sports gave him confidence, how failure fueled his growth, and how a relentless work ethic during COVID completely...
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Yaakov Goldstein | How To Keep Jews Out Of Jail
This episode of the Meaningful People Podcast dives into a reality most people don't want to talk about. How good, well-meaning people can end up making decisions that change their lives forever. Through real stories and firsthand insights from Project 432 and the Aleph Institute, we explore the...
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Danielle Renov: We're Running to Egypt? Really?!
As war continues in Israel, daily life has completely lost any sense of normalcy. Sirens, uncertainty, and constant disruption have turned even the simplest routines into impossible challenges. In this powerful conversation, Danielle Renov shares what it actually feels like to raise a family…
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Rod Bryant | The Non-Jewish Rabbi
Rod Bryant was once a Christian pastor with a thriving congregation of hundreds. Today, he teaches Torah to a global community of Noahides. In this conversation, Rod shares the remarkable journey that led him from growing up in a deeply devout Christian home in Louisiana to serving as a U.S. Army...
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Exclusive: Alon Lavi From ELAL Answers Your Questions
El Al has been getting a lot of heat lately. Canceled flights, no callbacks, passengers feeling abandoned. Our community sent in hundreds of questions and I sat down with Alon Lavi, El Al's head of customer experience, to get real answers. He's answering from a bomb shelter. That tells you...
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Escaping Iran: A Jewish Family's Story of Survival
Born in Iran in the 1970s, Sammy grew up in a thriving Jewish community in Shiraz during the final years of the Shah's rule. But when the Islamic Revolution erupted, everything changed overnight. In this powerful conversation, he recounts what it was like as a child sensing the fear around him,...
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Dovie Neuberger | The Rabbi's Son Who Blames You
This episode of the Meaningful People Podcast features Dovi Neuburger, a popular comedian and influencer who grew up as the son of a prominent rabbi and built his brand by poking at the frum world from the inside. In this conversation, he opens up about guilt over influencing younger followers,...
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His Secret Gambling Addiction Nearly Destroyed His Family
In this deeply personal episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, Sruli Stern shares the hidden double life he lived for years as a compulsive gambler. From a childhood scratch-off card to high-stakes nights in Atlantic City, Sruli walks listeners through the slow escalation of an addiction that...
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Bullying, Vaping & The Crisis We're Ignoring | R' Avi Landa
In this episode of Meaningful People, we sit down with Rabbi Avi Landa, LCPC, Mashgiach at the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore Middle School, Director of Education for Amudim, and Director of the Landa Counseling Center, to tackle one of the most pressing issues facing children and teens today:...
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Emunah & Yakov Clemons: We Were Just Searching For G-D
In this episode, Emunah and Yaakov share their extraordinary journey from the Christian South to a fully observant Jewish life in Israel. Married young and raised in different Christian backgrounds, they describe years of deep questioning, searching for truth, and slowly uncovering Judaism, often...
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Ronnie Greenwald: The Rabbi Who Refused to Give Up on Any Jew
In this powerful episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, we sit down with Miriam Greenwald and later with Rabbi Chananya Greenwald, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Tiferet in Yerushalayim (TJ), to reflect on the life, legacy, and impact of Ronnie Greenwald z"l, a man who quietly changed the lives of...
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Reyna Simnegar: Her Family Hid Their Judaism for 500 Years
She grew up Catholic in Venezuela, never knowing Jews still existed, yet her family quietly lit candles, covered mirrors, and placed stones on graves. Centuries-old Jewish practices survived in her home without explanation, passed down in secret since the Spanish Inquisition. In this episode…
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Parental Alienation: When Adult Children Cut Off Their Parents
In this episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, Tuvia Blau and Hindy Herman address one of the most painful and least talked-about struggles in our community: parental alienation and family estrangement. They unpack what estrangement actually looks like, how it develops, and why the emotional...
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I cut my son off for becoming religious
A father and son sit down for an unusually honest conversation about Jewish identity, continuity, and choice. Allen Horowitz was raised with a strong cultural Jewish pride but little religious observance; his son Meir grew up the same way, until a series of experiences slowly pulled him in a...
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My Husband Fought a Private War No One Could See
Four years ago, Shaina's life changed forever. Her husband, Yaakov—beloved, successful, devoted, admired—took his own life. In this raw and deeply moving conversation, Shaina speaks openly about what it's like to live through a tragedy that many are forced to hide, but she was never given the...
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David Lichtenstein | We Spoke About the Things No One Talks About
In this powerful episode, David Lichtenstein opens up about wealth, success, failure, and what truly gives life meaning. From business setbacks and rebuilding, to philanthropy, community responsibility, and personal resilience, this conversation challenges how we define success and where our real...
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Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin | They Gave Him 27 Years. He Didn't Break.
What goes through a person's mind when they're told—before even stepping into the courtroom—that they've been sentenced to 27 years in prison? In this raw and deeply moving conversation, Shalom Mordechai Rubashkin takes us inside the moments that changed his life forever: hearing the sentence,...
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Surviving the Bondi Beach Terror Attack
A Chanukah celebration at Bondi Beach turned into a scene of terror. In this episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, we sit with a father and community leader who survived the Bondi Beach terror attack. His children were nearby. What he first thought were fireworks quickly became gunshots.…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
There are so many Jewish personalities and big people in the world. They all have a story on how they became who they are today.Deep, unboundedly interesting, fun and uplifting, Meaningful People Podcast is a weekly opportunity for Nachi Gordon to talk to the Jewish world's meaningful people.
HOSTED BY
Meaningful Minute
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Meaningful People have?
Meaningful People currently has 330 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Meaningful People about?
There are so many Jewish personalities and big people in the world. They all have a story on how they became who they are today.Deep, unboundedly interesting, fun and uplifting, Meaningful People Podcast is a weekly opportunity for Nachi Gordon to talk to the Jewish world's meaningful people.
How often does Meaningful People release new episodes?
Meaningful People publishes regularly with 330 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Meaningful People?
You can listen to Meaningful People on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Meaningful People?
Meaningful People is created and hosted by Meaningful Minute.
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