Chavie and Chana begin by connecting over their shared Chicago connection and their mutual appreciation for living in the mountains. Chana shares how she immediately felt at home in Tzfat, Israel after attending seminary there. They also bond over embracing a variety of personal and professional talents, rather than conforming to societal expectations of sticking to a single lifetime career path. Chana then gives a detailed, minute-by-minute account of the events of October 7th and its aftermath. Chana talks about the lasting trauma her children have experienced after a year of daily bombardments by Hezbollah. They then discuss whether the Jews in the Diaspora community can really relate to what Israelis are going through. Chana emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the evil around them while still cherishing the untarnished joy of the holidays.

Chana Traxler is the Education Director at Machon Alta Women’s Yeshiva and the Programs and Extra Curricular Coordinator at Seminary Chaya Mushka in Tzfat, Israel. She and her husband, Rabbi Zalman Traxler, are the founders and directors of the Artist Quarter Minyan, a dynamic community for the English speaking community of Tzfat. She is mother to six beautiful children and originally from Chicago, Illinois.

This Week’s Q&As:

Q #1: How do I let go of the hurt of my only sister?

Q #2: How do you make time for therapy?

Q # 3: How does mind body healing work and is it a real thing?

References & Resources

Chana & Zalman’s Artist Quarter Minyan

www.artistquarterminyan.com

Stay in Touch with Chana!

https://www.instagram.com/chana_traxler/

Stay in Touch with Chavie!

https://www.instagram.com/chaviebruk/

https://www.totallyunexpected.blog/

This episode is sponsored by Simpo Travel, www.simpotravel.com, & Benz’s Fish, www.benzfish.com.