Shuva Full Circle: Baal Teshuva Integration

Join us for a rich and engaging discussion with Rabbi Baruch Epstein, the Director of Community Development of Lubavitch Chabad of Illinois, the Rabbi of Bais Menachem shul in Chicago, and a renowned teacher and writer. With humor and warmth, Rabbi Epstein shares his perspective on what makes baalei teshuva such an important part of Chabad communities, and how successful integratio

Tune in for our conversation with Shmuel (Steve) and Sharone Devorah (Sharon) Goodman, a Chabad baal teshuva couple. After Shmuel and Sharon married and settled down in Shmuel's native Columbus, Ohio, Shmuel began managing the family business: a chain of retail stores that sold children’s clothing. But the business ended up in bankruptcy, while Shmuel battled and ultimately

Join us for a riveting conversation with coach and educator Mrs. Chana Gorenstein, as she shares her experience of converting to Judaism, making aliyah, raising a family, reconnecting to the Divine through her food journey, and sharing her empowering message with the world. To learn more about Chana's upcoming SoulFood course (beginning January 25), visit soul-care.co.il/recor

Welcome back to Shuva Full Circle! We're excited to kick off a new season with you, our dedicated listeners. We hope that this new season will offer stories and skills to fortify our convictions and unite us with those in Israel and around the world fighting for the future of the Jewish people. Please subscribe, share, and donate to support our work.The opener for our second s

In our fourteenth episode, Rabbi Yitzchok Hanoka shares the inspiring life story of his father, Dr. Yaakov Hanoka of blessed memory, a pioneer in the early days of the baal teshuva movement. Through his son's recollections and research, we learn of Dr. Hanoka's pathbreaking transformation in the early 1960s from an enterprising physicist at Penn State to a well-balanced,

Mendy Paul is an FFB, the child of baalei teshuva. Sandra Paul (nee Bram) is a baalas teshuva who became frum after encountering religious Judaism on campus at California State University of Northridge (CSUN). Today, as a married couple, Mendy and Sandra are on staff at Chabad of CSUN. For our thirteenth episode, we sat down with them to find out how it works when a BT like Sandra

In our twelfth episode, we discuss everything you ever wanted to know about wigs with highly respected sheitelmacher and stylist Mrs. Leah Loksen . From comfort to cost, we ask the tricky questions and get the candid answers you've been waiting for. Make sure to listen through to the end, where Leah shares her contact information so you can follow up with any individual questi

In our eleventh episode, we sit down with Mrs. Menucha Schwartz, a daughter of baalei teshuva who now serves the Roswell, GA community as a shlucha. Menucha describes her upbringing in an environment with both religious and secular influences, her journey to personally discover the value of learning, and her experience sharing those lessons with others as a teacher and shlucha. We

In our tenth episode, we discuss with Rabbi Manis Friedman what it means to join Chabad in our generation. Rabbi Friedman explains that Chabad's goal today is not primarily to make Lubavitchers, but rather to bring G-dliness and Torah to every part of the world. Whether born into Lubavitch or joining later in life, each of us must find spirituality on our terms and educate our

In our ninth episode, we interview senior shluchim and baalei teshuva Rabbi Menachem and Mrs. Chava Schmidt about how they have integrated their musical and artistic backgrounds and talents into their spiritual leadership in Philadelphia. We learn about how "the Rebbe made hasidim," changing the Anash community's perspective toward baalei teshuva and the world more b