No Reservations With Jamie Geller

For our series finale, No Reservations heads to Los Angeles, shutting down the iconic Milky Way restaurant for an intimate conversation with Patti Stanger, the Million Dollar Matchmaker. Patti comes from three generations of matchmakers and has spent her career helping others find love. But today she gets honest about her own journey: the trauma she's healed, the patterns she's broken, and why, after everything, she still believes her person is out there. Over halibut chowder, trout almondine, and New York cheesecake, Jamie and Patti talk soul contracts, the Ketubah, Jewish identity, and the courage it takes to keep believing in love. This is No Reservations. This is the finale. This is Patti Stanger.0:00 — Welcome to the Finale1:16 — Jewish Food & Holiday Memories3:10 — The Milky Way Menu Arrives4:47 — The Ketubah & Why Jewish Men Love Whole6:08 — Dating in the Modern World7:00 — Ahi Tuna, Trout & Cooking at Home8:32 — Soul Contracts & Soulmates10:22 — Patti's Healing Journey11:07 — What Patti Is Looking For Now13:23 — Three Generations of Matchmakers17:07 — Cheesecake & Closing Toasts17:38 — Jamie's Final Reflection

She went places most journalists refused to go. She saw things the soul was never meant to see, and she went back again and again.Chen Schimmel is a photojournalist who spent the year after October 7th documenting the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Her photograph "Holy Work" an ultra-Orthodox Zaka volunteer cleaning blood from a secular kibbutz, won Photo of the Year in Tel Aviv. In a single frame, two worlds collapsed into one people.In this conversation with Jamie Geller on No Reservations, Chen steps out from behind the lens. She talks about photographing hostage families, injured soldiers who lost limbs, mass funerals — and what she found inside all of it: not light conquering darkness, but light and darkness living side by side, inseparable, the way the Jewish people have always lived.This episode will stay with you. Chen's book is available now. All proceeds go to injured soldiers.🔔 Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss a conversation like this.Chapters0:00 Intro — who is Chen Schimmel?Jamie introduces the episode and what Chen witnessed4:50 From London to Tel Aviv — Aliyah at 18. Her Swiss mother, British father, and brothers who led the way8:30 The first camera — passion becomes a callingFrom weddings to disaster zones; Haiti, Morocco, and the moment she knew13:10 October 7th — the morning everything changedWaking to sirens, her brother's words, her father joining Zaka16:00 Inside Zaka: what "cleaning" actually meansThe spiritual and physical weight of collecting remains for Jewish burial21:00 The book — documenting before it's deniedWhy she made it beautiful on purpose, and why the world needs to hold it26:00 "Holy Work" — Photo of the YearAn ultra-Orthodox volunteer in a secular kibbutz; two worlds, one people30:00 The hardest days: funerals and what you can't photographThe sounds and smells no camera can ever capture35:00 Eden's mother and the miracle that didn't come. A cup of tea, a Hanukkah prayer, and a funeral by the sea40:00 Soldiers who lost limbs — more full of life than anyoneSheba Hospital and Morton, the ninja athlete with no legs44:30 One year on — at the Nova site at dawn, October 7th 2024. Families, photos of the lost, and the sound she tried to put into words48:00 Light and darkness live side by side. The realization at a soldier's second burial that changed everythingJamie Geller is the Chief Communications Officer and Global Spokesperson for Aish. As a key member of Aish's senior executive team, she brings extensive experience in building a media empire that influences millions daily. An award-winning producer, eight-time bestselling author, and media and marketing executive, Jamie’s career spans renowned networks including HBO, CNN, and the Food Network, where she earned numerous awards as a producer and marketing executive.Follow Jamie on social media for regular new uploads and updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiegeller/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamiegeller.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jamiegeller LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-geller/Website: https://www.jamiegeller.com/----------------------Chen G. Schimmel is a rising voice in photojournalism, capturing the human spirit in moments of profound crisis. At just 25, her work took on urgency after October 7th. As a staff photojournalist for The Jerusalem Post, she documented the war through the lives of displaced families, wounded soldiers, hostage families, and survivors of terror—revealing moments of resilience and humanity amid devastation.Her series October 7th: Bearing Witness has been exhibited internationally, and in 2024, her photograph Holy Work was named Photojournalistic Photograph of the Year by Edut Mekomit.Follow Chen on social media for regular new uploads and updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chen_schimmel/Website: https://www.chengschimmel.com/

What does it look like when a woman builds a 25-year Hollywood career, on her own terms, and then loses almost everything, only to discover she's exactly where she was always meant to be?Diane Neal, best known as District Attorney Casey Novak on Law & Order: SVU, joins Jamie Geller at the Aish World Centre overlooking the Western Wall in Jerusalem for one of the most raw, real, and riveting conversations you'll hear this year.Diane opens up about turning down multi-million dollar roles because of her values and never once regretting it. She talks about what it was really like to work with Robin Williams, how she survived cancer, a plane crash, 9/11, a devastating divorce, and a very public congressional run, and what it felt like to go from a penthouse apartment to not knowing where her next meal was coming from.She shares why she sold her grandmother's Holocaust-era silver to make Aliyah and why, given the chance, she would do it again in a heartbeat. She tells the story of a six-year-old boy who said something so simple it changed how she thought about every role she ever played. And she shares the Maimonides quote that keeps her going when life falls apart.This is not a Hollywood story. This is a human story about faith, identity, resilience, and what it means to stick around to see how the story ends.Tell us in the comments what moved you most. If this conversation resonated with you, please like, subscribe, and share, it helps us bring more stories like Diane's to the world.00:00 Cold Open — The Lady Who Waits01:39 Welcome to No Reservations + Diane Neal Introduction03:42 From Academic Prodigy to International Model at 1807:11 Traveling the World, Staying True to Her Values09:57 Breaking Into Hollywood: Atlantic Theater & SVU11:53 25 Years of No Nudity, No Sex Scenes — No Compromise13:38 The Price of Principles: Turning Down Millions16:10 From Penthouse to Mopping Up Flood Water20:07 The Maimonides Quote That Changed Everything22:25 Becoming Observant & Leaving HBO Behind38:39 Robin Williams: What He Was Really Like43:52 The Neuroscience of Creativity & Why Brilliant Minds Suffer51:11 Surviving It All: Cancer, Divorce, 9/11, and a Plane Crash55:36 The Vision: Bringing Jews Home to Israel59:37 Closing Reflections + Bar Mitzvah Plans!------------------------No Reservations is where host Jamie Geller sits down with people who made big, bold, beautiful, life-changing choices, and are finally ready to talk about why. From the rooftop overlooking the Western Wall, where heaven and earth meet, we have conversations with no filters, no fear, and no reservations.Find No Reservations on your favorite platforms: https://pods.link/noreservationsjamiegellerFind Jamie In The Rova on your favorite platforms: https://pods.link/jamieintherova-------------Follow Jamie on social media for regular new uploads and updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiegeller/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamiegeller.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jamiegeller LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-geller/Website: https://www.jamiegeller.com/----------------------Follow Diane on social media for regular new uploads and updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianeneal/X: https://x.com/DianeNeal

She was on track for Juilliard. She was also buying cocaine and climbing out her bedroom window at night. Nobody knew. This is Ariella Zeitlin's story.In this episode of No Reservations, Jamie Geller sits down with Ariella Zeitlin — musician, performer, and healer — whose life story most people who've watched her on stage have never heard.Ariella grew up inside two worlds that didn't fit together: an Orthodox Jewish home in Baltimore and an intense classical music track shaped by her grandfather, a Juilliard prodigy who became her entire world. The collision between those worlds sent her somewhere dark. By 17 she was on a path toward Juilliard and a serious drug addiction at the same time — and almost nobody knew.This conversation traces how that happened, what it cost her, and what finally changed. A year in Israel that quietly redirected everything. A car crash on the road to the Dead Sea that became the moment she made a promise to God. And sixteen years of doing the quiet, unglamorous work of actually keeping it.Ariella now works with trauma survivors, hostages, and people rebuilding their sense of self — helping them find language for what they've been through and the courage to share it. She didn't arrive at that work from a distance. She arrived at it from the inside.This isn't a story about rock bottom. It's about what you do when you survive it — and what becomes possible when you stop hiding the parts of yourself you're most ashamed of.If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear that it's not too late to rewrite the story.Like, subscribe, comment, and share this episode.00:00 The girl who almost didn't make it 01:18 Meet Ariella Zeitlin 03:36 A family of spies, rabbis & prodigies 13:00 The violin, the grandfather & the impossible choice 16:38 The light switch that started it all 19:00 Juilliard dreams & a secret double life 21:03 Why Israel saved her life 28:30 The mentor's devastating public betrayal 36:50 The car crash that changed everything 41:00 16 years clean — the turning point 44:30 Using trauma as a superpower 54:35 Kumi Ori — the movement she's buildingNo Reservations is where host Jamie Geller sits down with people who made big, bold, beautiful, life-changing choices, and are finally ready to talk about why. From the rooftop overlooking the Western Wall, where heaven and earth meet, we have conversations with no filters, no fear, and no reservations.Find No Reservations on your favorite platforms: https://pods.link/noreservationsjamiegellerFind Jamie In The Rova on your favorite platforms: https://pods.link/jamieintherovaJamie Geller is the Chief Communications Officer and Global Spokesperson for Aish. As a key member of Aish's senior executive team, she brings extensive experience in building a media empire that influences millions daily. An award-winning producer, eight-time bestselling author, and media and marketing executive, Jamie’s career spans renowned networks including HBO, CNN, and the Food Network, where she earned numerous awards as a producer and marketing executive.Follow Jamie on social media for regular new uploads and updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiegeller/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamiegeller.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jamiegeller LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-geller/Website: https://www.jamiegeller.com/Follow Ariella on social media for regular new uploads and updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ARIELLAVIOLINYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOGH-U5nJ0XLknU6bXC70owWebsite: www.violinlikethat.com

In this episode of No Reservations, I sat down with Bari Erber to talk about the journey behind one of the most influential Jewish philanthropic families in the world and the personal story that shaped her along the way.Bari spoke openly about the difficult chapters she has lived through, the moments that could have broken her, and how those experiences reshaped her understanding of faith, responsibility, and purpose. Instead of turning away from pain, she chose to channel it into building, giving, and helping others.This conversation is about what it means to carry both grief and gratitude at the same time, and how the hardest moments in a life can sometimes become the very things that shape the legacy we leave behind.If this conversation resonated with you or made you think about the impact one person can have, share it with someone who might appreciate hearing it. Because stories like this don't spread by accident. They spread when people like you decide they're worth amplifying.Like, subscribe, comment, and share this episode.---00:00 Introduction03:42 The values that shaped her upbringing09:20 Bari’s life and the people that shaped her18:15 A family having to build from nothing30:04 Trying again after traumatic experiences33:30 Accidentally starting a company41:00 The Erber family gift to Aish48:11 Showing up for her children53:13 Writing Torah scrolls post-October 758:33 Legacy and passing the baton---No Reservations is where host Jamie Geller sits down with people who made big, bold, beautiful, life-changing choices, and are finally ready to talk about why. From the rooftop overlooking the Western Wall, where heaven and earth meet, we have conversations with no filters, no fear, and no reservations.Find No Reservations on your favorite platforms: https://pods.link/noreservationsjamiegellerFind Jamie In The Rova on your favorite platforms: https://pods.link/jamieintherovaJamie Geller is the Chief Communications Officer and Global Spokesperson for Aish. As a key member of Aish's senior executive team, she brings extensive experience in building a media empire that influences millions daily. An award-winning producer, eight-time bestselling author, and media and marketing executive, Jamie’s career spans renowned networks including HBO, CNN, and the Food Network, where she earned numerous awards as a producer and marketing executive.Follow Jamie on social media for regular new uploads and updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiegeller/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamiegeller.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jamiegeller LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-geller/Website: https://www.jamiegeller.com/---Bari Erber is a New York-based entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Jewish advocate who turned a dining room table hobby into the global children’s luxury brand, Bari Lynn. As the founder and president of a company featured in retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom, Bari balances her business success with a deep commitment to her community and heritage. A mother of seven and a granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, she is a prominent leader and board member for organizations like Aish Global, Chai Lifeline, and United Hatzalah. Through her work and public speaking, Bari inspires others by blending modern entrepreneurship with timeless Jewish values and a passion for Zionism.Follow Bari on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barilynnnaccessories/Website: https://www.barilynn.com/

In this episode of No Reservations, I sit down with Hannah Abitbul, formerly known in Mexico as child actress and telenovela star Ximena Orozco, for a conversation about fame, faith, loss, and the search for truth.Hannah grew up in the spotlight, recognized on the streets of Mexico City and built a career in television from childhood. But behind the success, she was searching for something deeper. That search led her to Judaism, then to Israel, and eventually to a complete transformation of her life.We talk about growing up in a painful home environment, the spiritual questions that first pulled her toward Judaism, what it took to leave everything familiar behind, and how she rebuilt her life in Jerusalem through loss, conversion, marriage, motherhood, and purpose.We also talk about the hate and threats she faced after October 7, and how that experience pushed her to speak even more boldly about Israel, Judaism, and Truth.Like, subscribe, comment, and share this episode.---1:25 Introduction: from Mexican child star to a completely new life in Torah4:18 Growing up in Mexico City and becoming an actress at just 1½ years old7:07 Fame at a young age and why something still felt missing12:42 The YouTube video about Torah that changed the direction of her life22:06 Telling her parents she wanted to convert to Judaism26:56 Landing in Israel for the first time and the feeling of arriving somewhere meaningful29:15 Her mother’s illness forcing her to leave Israel and pause her journey40:32 The emotional moment her conversion became official44:59 Meeting her husband and the unexpected love story that followed58:52 Life after October 7 and living through rockets in southern Israel1:03:06 The viral accusation that brought threats from around the world1:14:18 How Hannah’s definition of success completely changed1:17:32 Final reflections on transformation and choosing Truth---No Reservations is where host Jamie Geller sits down with people who made big, bold, beautiful, life-changing choices, and are finally ready to talk about why. From the rooftop overlooking the Western Wall, where heaven and earth meet, we have conversations with no filters, no fear, and no reservations.Find No Reservations on your favorite platforms: https://pods.link/noreservationsjamiegellerFind Jamie In The Rova on your favorite platforms: https://pods.link/jamieintherovaJamie Geller is the Chief Communications Officer and Global Spokesperson for Aish. As a key member of Aish's senior executive team, she brings extensive experience in building a media empire that influences millions daily. An award-winning producer, eight-time bestselling author, and media and marketing executive, Jamie’s career spans renowned networks including HBO, CNN, and the Food Network, where she earned numerous awards as a producer and marketing executive.Follow Jamie on social media for regular new uploads and updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiegeller/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamiegeller.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jamiegeller LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-geller/Website: https://www.jamiegeller.com/---Hannah Abitbul is a Mexican-born former actress turned Jewish educator and content creator living in Jerusalem. After a successful career in TV and commercials, she underwent an Orthodox conversion and now uses her platform to share Jewish wisdom, traditions, and lifestyle with a global audience. As the face of Aishlatino, Hannah blends her storytelling roots with her passion for Torah, reaching millions of viewers with her authentic and engaging perspective on modern Jewish life.Follow Hannah on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannah_abitbul/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hannah_abitbul/Website: https://aishlatino.com/de-actriz-mexicana-en-la-television-a-educadora-judia-en-israel/

In this episode of No Reservations, I sit down with Alyssa Rosenheck, an architectural and interior design photographer whose work has appeared in Vogue, Elle, Architectural Digest, and other leading design publications.Alyssa came up in an industry that rewards aesthetic excellence and discourages friction. For years, her work spoke for itself. Her Jewish identity didn’t need to be foregrounded, explained, or defended…until it did.As cultural conversations shifted, Alyssa became increasingly awake to how quickly Jewish identity is flattened, reframed, or made conditional in spaces that consider themselves open-minded. She watched language harden, double standards emerge, and moral clarity give way to slogans. Staying quiet began to feel less like professionalism and more like erasure.This isn’t a story about outrage or reinvention. It’s about recognizing a moment for what it is and deciding not to disappear inside it.If this episode stirred something in you: clarity, resolve, or recognition, share it with someone who could use that strength, because stories like this don't spread by accident. They spread when people like you decide they're worth amplifying.Like, subscribe, comment, and share this episode.---00:00 — The moment Jews are cast as the problem02:15 — Growing up Jewish in the South and learning you’re a target06:05 — A sniper at the JCC pool: the moment antisemitism became real10:55 — Identity, survival, and what gets passed down through generations15:40 — College, ambition, and building a life in survival mode19:10 — Cancer at 32 and the moment everything slowed down23:45 — Finding God, creativity, and a new inner compass29:30 — Divorce, fear, and choosing Judaism without apology38:05 — Photography as truth telling in Israel46:40 — Turning the words meant to silence you into purpose---No Reservations is where host Jamie Geller sits down with people who made big, bold, beautiful, life-changing choices, and are finally ready to talk about why. From the rooftop overlooking the Western Wall, where heaven and earth meet, we have conversations with no filters, no fear, and no reservations.Find No Reservations on your favorite platforms: https://pods.link/noreservationsjamiegellerFind Jamie In The Rova on your favorite platforms: https://pods.link/jamieintherovaJamie Geller is the Chief Communications Officer and Global Spokesperson for Aish. As a key member of Aish's senior executive team, she brings extensive experience in building a media empire that influences millions daily. An award-winning producer, eight-time bestselling author, and media and marketing executive, Jamie’s career spans renowned networks including HBO, CNN, and the Food Network, where she earned numerous awards as a producer and marketing executive.Follow Jamie on social media for regular new uploads and updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiegeller/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamiegeller.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jamiegeller LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-geller/Website: https://www.jamiegeller.com/---Alyssa Rosenheck is a celebrated architectural photographer, stylist, and the best-selling author of The New Southern Style. Recognized by Architectural Digest as one of the top photographers in the country, Alyssa transitioned from a decade-long corporate career to the arts following a life-changing cancer diagnosis, ultimately turning her lens into a tool for community building and storytelling. Beyond her work in Vogue and Elle Decor, she is a powerful advocate for Jewish identity and a founding member of Artists Against Antisemitism, using her platform to humanize differences and champion social justice.Follow Alyssa Rosenheck on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyssarosenheck/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCJlebopVa3dDuVKBqSGuQNg Website: https://alyssarosenheck.com/

Melanie Shiraz didn’t enter Miss Universe for a crown. She entered with a message.She is Miss Israel 2024, a data scientist and former tech founder who stepped onto one of the biggest stages in the world knowing the cost. Her national costume, a yellow hostage dress covered in 2,150 flowers, was stolen days before the competition. She rebuilt it overnight. Minutes before walking on stage, she cut it with scissors to make the message clear. What followed was a viral clip, global backlash, and the realization that once a narrative takes hold, it doesn’t care who you really are.In this episode of No Reservations, I sit down with Melanie Shiraz to talk about being isolated, targeted, and forced to carry a title in a world that demands perfection and silence. She opens up about leaving financial security, choosing advocacy over comfort, and why she refuses to apologize for saying, "I am smart and I am beautiful."If this conversation moved you, lit something in you, or gave words to what you’ve been feeling, then share it. Because stories like this don't spread by accident. They spread when people like you decide they're worth amplifying.Like, subscribe, comment, and share this episode.---0:00 – “Why Me?” Carrying the weight of a crown2:05 – Becoming Miss Israel without a pageant background5:10 – Using beauty as a platform, not a costume8:30 – Designing the hostage dress and what it was meant to say14:45 – The dress is stolen days before Miss Universe19:40 – Cutting the dress with scissors moments before the stage24:55 – Standing next to Miss Palestine30:40 – The viral clip that changed everything36:10 – Hate, isolation, and feeling written out of your own story41:20 – “I’m smart and I’m beautiful:” saying it without apology47:30 – Leaving tech, losing security, choosing purpose53:05 – Why she would do it all again58:10 – Final reflections on faith, pressure, and staying true---No Reservations is where host Jamie Geller sits down with people who made big, bold, beautiful, life-changing choices, and are finally ready to talk about why. From the rooftop overlooking the Western Wall, where heaven and earth meet, we have conversations with no filters, no fear, and no reservations.Find No Reservations on your favorite platforms: https://pods.link/noreservationsjamiegellerFind Jamie In The Rova on your favorite platforms: https://pods.link/jamieintherovaJamie Geller is the Chief Communications Officer and Global Spokesperson for Aish. As a key member of Aish's senior executive team, she brings extensive experience in building a media empire that influences millions daily. An award-winning producer, eight-time bestselling author, and media and marketing executive, Jamie’s career spans renowned networks including HBO, CNN, and the Food Network, where she earned numerous awards as a producer and marketing executive.Follow Jamie on social media for regular new uploads and updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiegeller/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamiegeller.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jamiegeller LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-geller/Website: https://www.jamiegeller.com/---Melanie Shiraz is an Israeli data scientist, entrepreneur, and beauty pageant titleholder who gained international recognition as Miss Universe Israel 2025. A double-degree graduate of UC Berkeley with an MBA from Tel Aviv University, she combines high-tech expertise with a commitment to global advocacy. Beyond her career in Silicon Valley and fintech, Shiraz has become a prominent voice for Israel on the world stage, notably using her platform to honor hostages and represent her nation’s resilience through periods of significant international tension.Follow Melanie on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melanieshiraz/

Orit Mark Ettinger is 26 years old. In the last eight years, she has buried four people she loves: Her father, Michael, was killed instantly when terrorists opened fire on their car with 29 bullets. Her mother was shot in the head and suffered a traumatic brain injury. Her younger siblings were in the back seat. Her oldest brother, Shlomi, was killed in a horrific car accident at 29, leaving behind three children, including a three-month-old baby. Her cousin, Elkana—the man who walked her down the aisle at her wedding, who became her surrogate father—was killed on October 7th while saving over 100 people from Kibbutz Be'eri. He received the Israel Prize for civilian heroism posthumously.Her younger brother, Diya—the one who survived the terror attack as a child—was killed while fighting in Gaza.Four funerals. Eight years. She's 26.But here's what you need to understand before you watch this: Orit doesn't perform strength. She cries. She gets angry. She sets a timer and gives herself 20 minutes to feel whatever she needs to feel. And then she gets up and keeps going.Not because the pain is gone. But because staying in it forever means they win.If this conversation of No Reservations moved you, lit something in you, or gave words to what you’ve been feeling, then share it. Because stories like this don't spread by accident. They spread when people like you decide they're worth amplifying.Like, subscribe, comment, and share this episode.---00:00 - Welcome to No Reservations: Meeting Orit 06:11 - Growing Up in Otniel10:12 - June 30, 2016: The Terror Attack: 29 Bullets 22:34 - Taking Control: How Trauma Doesn't Control Her Life 27:12 - Founded "Or Michael" Organization at Age 17 38:15 - Brother Shlomi Killed in Car Accident (2019) 40:46 - "I Have No Idea What You're Doing, God" 46:17 - Publishing Her Book: Broken Ray of Light 52:00 - October 7th: Cousin Elkana's Heroism 56:18 - Four People at Her Wedding—Now All Gone 59:15 - "Give Yourself 20 Minutes to Be Angry, Then Continue" 1:10:43 - "I Choose Happiness Every Single Day" ---Find No Reservations on your favorite platforms: https://pods.link/noreservationsjamiegellerFind Jamie In The Rova on your favorite platforms: https://pods.link/jamieintherovaJamie Geller is the Chief Communications Officer and Global Spokesperson for Aish. As a key member of Aish's senior executive team, she brings extensive experience in building a media empire that influences millions daily. An award-winning producer, eight-time bestselling author, and media and marketing executive, Jamie’s career spans renowned networks including HBO, CNN, and the Food Network, where she earned numerous awards as a producer and marketing executive.Follow Jamie on social media for regular new uploads and updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiegeller/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamiegeller.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jamiegeller LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-geller/Website: https://www.jamiegeller.com/---Orit Mark Ettinger is an international inspirational speaker, media professional, and social entrepreneur who has transformed profound personal tragedy into a global message of resilience and hope. As the founder and CEO of the Or Michael Foundation, she leads thousands of volunteers in spreading joy across Israeli hospitals, while her bestselling books, including Broken Ray of Light, offer powerful tools for overcoming adversity. A regular panelist on Israel's Channel 13, Orit continues to advocate for public diplomacy and personal growth, sharing her journey of finding light in the darkest moments to inspire audiences worldwide. Follow Orit on social media:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC_6d1_BYmerwI1lSgRiEsaA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oritmark1/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wrytmrqtyngr/LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/orit-mark-ettinger-b73486187Website: https://oritmarkettinger.com/en/english/

In this episode of No Reservations, I sit down with Tamir Goodman to talk about what happens when being turned into a symbol starts to cost more than it gives.They called him “The Jewish Jordan.” They celebrated the story, the symbolism, the inspiration. Until he no longer fit neatly into the version of him they wanted.This isn’t a basketball success story. It’s about projection, pressure, and the quiet moment when admiration turns into inconvenience. It’s about the difference between quitting and being written out, and what it takes to rebuild when the uniform and the story that came with it disappear.This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt flattened by a narrative that wasn’t theirs and needed the reminder that everything can change in the blink of an eye.If this conversation moved you, lit something in you, or gave words to what you’ve been feeling, then share it. Because stories like this don't spread by accident. They spread when people like you decide they're worth amplifying.Like, subscribe, comment, and share this episode.---0:00 – Opening: “I never played another college game again.”2:04 – Where the story begins5:12 – Discipline is spiritual, food, schedule, and “win the day”12:40 – Coach lessons, pressure, accountability, and respect27:02 – The camp moment: the pass that changed everything31:12 – “Shabbat is non-negotiable.”38:37 – The promise, the pressure, and the night it ended46:35 – “I chose to be happy.” Rebuilding after losing everything52:20 – “Different uniform.” What God wanted for him next1:10:18 – Closing: control, identity, and the blink-of-an-eye line---No Reservations is where host Jamie Geller sits down with people who made big, bold, beautiful, life-changing choices, and are finally ready to talk about why. From the rooftop overlooking the Western Wall, where heaven and earth meet, we have conversations with no filters, no fear, and no reservations.Find No Reservations on your favorite platforms: https://pods.link/noreservationsjamiegellerFind Jamie In The Rova on your favorite platforms: https://pods.link/jamieintherovaJamie Geller is the Chief Communications Officer and Global Spokesperson for Aish. As a key member of Aish's senior executive team, she brings extensive experience in building a media empire that influences millions daily. An award-winning producer, eight-time bestselling author, and media and marketing executive, Jamie’s career spans renowned networks including HBO, CNN, and the Food Network, where she earned numerous awards as a producer and marketing executive.Follow Jamie on social media for regular new uploads and updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiegeller/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamiegeller.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jamiegeller LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-geller/Website: https://www.jamiegeller.com/---Tamir Goodman, famously dubbed the "Jewish Jordan" by Sports Illustrated, is a former professional basketball player, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker who made history as one of the first Orthodox Jewish athletes to compete at the elite level while remaining strictly observant. After a standout career at Towson University and seven seasons playing professionally in Israel for teams like Maccabi Tel Aviv, Tamir transitioned into a world-renowned coach and sports tech innovator, co-founding Aviv Sports and the Zone190 training system. Today, he inspires global audiences through his leadership camps and motivational speaking, sharing a unique journey of faith, resilience, and athletic excellence.Follow Tamir Goodman on social media:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ishtov22Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamirgoodmanX/Twitter: https://x.com/TamirGoodmanLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tamir-goodman/15/319/1a2Website: https://www.tamirgoodman.com/

In this episode of No Reservations, I sit down with Eve Barlow, music journalist, former deputy editor of NME, and one of the most outspoken voices confronting modern antisemitism and global disinformation.Eve’s life split into “before” and “after” one tweet. In May 2020, in the days after George Floyd’s murder, synagogues were vandalized in Los Angeles, and Eve wrote a sentence that should’ve been obvious: You can’t fight one hate with another.For that, she was branded, targeted, memed, blacklisted, and professionally gutted — almost overnight.But Eve didn’t fold. She leaned in.From growing up Jewish in a tiny, tight-knit Scottish community (where you learned early what the outside world could turn into), to navigating the entertainment and music industry as a young Jewish woman, to watching “progressive” spaces adopt a worldview where truth doesn’t matter, Eve explains the hidden mechanics of the mob, the spotlight on the Jews, and why the gaslighting breaks her more than the threats.Then, on October 7, everything changed again.Eve went south. She bore witness. She documented what others denied, walking into places that still smelled like smoke and death, speaking with survivors, meeting hostage families, and writing without a paywall because the truth had to travel farther than her career ever did.If this conversation moved you, lit something in you, or gave words to what you’ve been feeling, then share it. Because stories like this don't spread by accident. They spread when people like you decide they're worth amplifying.Like, subscribe, comment, and share this episode.0:00 – Introducing Eve: the cost of one sentence9:05 – The quiet kid who “stored everything”12:30 – University: finding her voice and taking the stage14:40 – Jewish life in Scotland: small community, big identity21:45 – First antisemitic moment: being called a slur on the bus26:38 – Music industry + BDS: the lunch-table debates no Jew was asked to join30:15 – Why the obsession with Jews never makes sense (and still repeats)38:10 – Israel and diaspora: the shift after October 745:20 – May 2020: the tweet, the mob, and the blacklist58:20 – October 7: bearing witness, writing in real-time, going south1:04:57 – What breaks her: denial, gaslighting, and betrayal1:11:30 – Hope: reconstruction, resilience, and “keep it small”---Find No Reservations on your favorite platforms: https://pods.link/noreservationsjamiegellerFind Jamie In The Rova on your favorite platforms: https://pods.link/jamieintherovaJamie Geller is the Chief Communications Officer and Global Spokesperson for Aish. As a key member of Aish's senior executive team, she brings extensive experience in building a media empire that influences millions daily. An award-winning producer, eight-time bestselling author, and media and marketing executive, Jamie’s career spans renowned networks including HBO, CNN, and the Food Network, where she earned numerous awards as a producer and marketing executive.Follow Jamie on social media for regular new uploads and updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiegeller/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamiegeller.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jamiegeller LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-geller/Website: https://www.jamiegeller.com/---Eve Barlow is a Scottish-born, Los Angeles-based journalist and activist who transitioned from a prominent career as the Deputy Editor of NME to become one of the most provocative voices on Jewish identity, Zionism, and modern cancel culture. After being "blacklisted" from mainstream music media for her outspoken defense of Israel, Barlow launched her independent Blacklisted Substack, where she explores the intersection of social justice, antisemitism, and the silencing of dissent in the digital age. Follow Eve Barlow on social media:Substack: https://evebarlow.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evebarlow/X/Twitter: https://x.com/Eve_Barlow

In this inaugural episode of my new podcast, No Reservations, I sit down at our unique table set on the roof of the Dan Family Aish World Center with Nissim Black, an American-Israeli rapper, songwriter, record producer, and podcast host.Nissim shared his story with me, one that will shake you to your core. The story of a boy who grew up in a house where fried chicken came with a side of cocaine. Where kilos sat on the table, and the FBI raided when he was eight. Where his mother—a pioneering female rapper and the heartbeat of their family—battled addiction until the day she didn't wake up.The story of a teenager who found faith through a Christian organization, who fell in love with a girl who brought out the person he always wanted to be, and who built an underground hip-hop empire that had MTV on speed dial and record labels fighting for his signature.But it's also the story of what happened when none of that was enough. When fame felt empty. When success felt hollow. When the big break kept almost happening—and then God would pull it back at the last second.Nissim didn't just convert to Judaism. He converted his pain into purpose. His music into a mission. His past into a platform that now reaches millions.He walked away from an HBO deal. A Broadway musical. Record contracts. All of it.Because he learned something most of us spend our whole lives trying to understand: God doesn't need you to be famous. He needs you to be faithful.This isn't just Nissim's story. It's a roadmap for anyone who's ever felt stuck between who they are and who they're supposed to be. For anyone who's lost someone they loved. For anyone searching for truth in a world full of noise.0:00 - Welcome to No Reservations 7:16 - Growing Up in a Drug House: The Reality 8:59 - His Mother: The Social Butterfly & Secret Addict 11:18 - The Night His Mother Didn't Wake Up 17:40 - Finding Prayer Through His Muslim Grandfather 23:06 - Meeting His Wife: The Girl Who Changed Everything 28:57 - From Christianity to Messianic Judaism 33:26 - The Dream at 17: A Black Suit & A Mission 36:49 - The Street Fight That Almost Destroyed Him 48:04 - Discovering Shabbat: The Documentary That Changed His Life 52:46 - "I Ain't Never Seen No Black Jews" 56:55 - Converting to Orthodox Judaism 59:19 - The Double Wedding With His Brother-in-Law 1:05:11 - Walking Away From the Music Industry 1:10:43 - His Wife Tells Him: "You Should Make Music Again" 1:14:09 - Meeting Rabbi Shmuel Brody 1:16:04 - The Hashem Melech Remix That Changed Everything 1:19:31 - HBO, Broadway & Why God Pulled It All Back 1:23:12 - Praying: "Take Away Anything That Doesn't Glorify You" 1:24:09 - October 7th & The Writers Strike 1:25:00 - "I'm Going to Do My Own Story" 1:28:18 - Post-October 7th: Why He Stopped Recording Music 1:31:36 - Kanye West, Candace Owens & Speaking Truth ---Jamie Geller is the Chief Communications Officer and Global Spokesperson for Aish. As a key member of Aish's senior executive team, she brings extensive experience in building a media empire that influences millions daily. An award-winning producer, eight-time bestselling author, and media and marketing executive, Jamie’s career spans renowned networks including HBO, CNN, and the Food Network, where she earned numerous awards as a producer and marketing executive.To listen to No Reservations on your favorite podcast platform: https://pods.link/noreservationsjamiegellerTo listen to Jamie In The Rova on your favorite podcast platform: https://pods.link/jamieintherovaFollow Jamie on social media for regular new uploads and updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiegeller/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamiegeller.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jamiegeller LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-geller/Website: https://www.jamiegeller.com/