About this episode
A conversation about embracing the many ways of seeing the Torah while remaining rooted in our values, the difference between judgment and discernment, impacting people without preaching, and how to approach the decision to have another baby. Dena Schusterman is a founder of Chabad Intown in Atlanta, a Jewish educator and a founding director of both the Intown Jewish Preschool and Hebrew School. Dena writes about parenting and applied Torah and Chassidic thought, her articles have appeared on Kveller, Chabad.org, Groknation, Ami magazine and the Atlanta Jewish Times. Dena is currently working on writing her first book. She and her husband Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman are native Californians and have been living in Atlanta for 20 years. They have 8 children. You can contact Dena at dena@chabadintown.org and on instagram @denads. Link to Dena's first episode with Human & Holy: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5rZZHw2SdusrTq6xiz1FHC?si=4b9607a0f2d74ac5 Episode Partners: TOVEEDO: An online children's streaming subscription featuring exclusive Jewish content created and sourced by Toveedo. Use code HH10 for 10% off at Toveedo.com. ZELDA HAIR: A wig company that champions the holistic process of hair covering for Jewish women. Shop Zelda Hair at zeldahairshop.com and discover the heart behind the brand on Instagram @zeldahair. To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.comTo 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 available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. Timestamps: 0:00:23 Toveedo Sponsorship 0:00:45 Zelda Hair Sponsorship 0:01:15 Host’s Introduction 0:02:48 Welcome Dena Schusterman 0:06:36 Why I’m Publishing a Memoir 0:10:37 You Can’t Tell People How to Think 0:13:00 Don’t Give People Answers to Questions They Never Asked 0:16:00 People Will Misunderstand You 0:17:08 Standing in Front of the Rebbe as a Child 0:19:34 Why Do We Feel the Need to Source Everything? 0:20:39 Chiddushei Torah: Writing Down Our Thoughts on Torah 0:22:58 Humility When We Interpret the Torah 0:23:43 Trusting Our Barometers for Truth 0:24:22 Knowing When Other People’s Ideas Are Not For You 0:25:41 The Difference Between Judgment & Discernment 0:27:25 Seventy Ways of Understanding the Torah 0:28:50 Can Women Choose Not to be in Magazines? 0:33:20 Respecting Other Communities’ Religious Choices 0:35:22 Judging People Who Are More Religious Than Us 0:38:50 Trusting Other People’s Spiritual Paths 0:41:50 Having Strong Jewish Values 0:44:50 Live in a Way That Speaks for Itself 0:46:38 Being a Shlucha Without Preaching 0:49:31 Sharing Our Convictions 0:53:00 Educating Our Children Without Fear 0:54:15 Being Role Models for Our Children 0:56:00 The Rebbe Met People Where They Were At 0:57:10 How to Make the Decision to Have a Baby 0:58:25 What is the Jewish Perspective on Pru U’rvu? 1:03:44 Have One More Child Than You Ideally Want to Have 1:04:37 Approaching Hashem with Receptivity 1:06:23 When We Face Discomfort, Hashem Comforts Us 1:07:25 The Difference Between Trust and Free Falling 1:08:15 What to Do When Having Another Child Feels Like Too Much 1:09:43 What Does Having a Large Family Actually Mean? 1:10:27 Showing Up as Ourselves 1:11:25 We Are Each Called to be Leaders 1:13:45 Learning How to Live with What is