On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Ellie Levi, joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about...

-her story of becoming a SIM: Single Intentional Mom to her 3 year old daughter, Ayelet HaShachar

-her thought process and emotions about each stage of the process

-the experience of being one of the first to her freeze eggs in her community

-how she tried to stay true to halacha (jewish law) throughout

-the many ups (some very funny moments!) and downs (lack of support from some people in her life, insensitive comments, etc.)

The thing about Ellie is that she's so articulate, meticulous and intelligent - it's clear that she has investigated every area of this journey, and just like Rachel said to Yaakov/Jacob, "I am dead without children," Ellie felt that being a mother was her calling. This is her remarkable journey.

More about Ellie:

Elisheva [Ellie] Levi is a licensed architect in the state of New York and has designed schools, hospitals , high rise residential, transportation and infrastructure facilities. She is a self-described life-long student of Tanach and to that end she has given Torah lectures in Jewish communities across the US and in several countries around the world. You can listen to recordings of her shiurim on yutorah.org and OU Women’s Initiative. She has been published in the YU Torah to Go, the Times of Israel blog, the New York Times Metropolitan Diary and Architectural Record Magazine. Ellie also serves as the past President of the American Friends of Bat Melech, a domestic violence shelter serving the religious community in Israel, an organization for which she continues to volunteer. She is also the lucky SMBC (Single Mom by Choice) of her daughter Ayelet HaShachar and they reside in Northern New Jersey.

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-Follow her on Instagram

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On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Elissa Felder joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about...

-her years of primary infertility, coupled with the devastating loss of her infant son

-her book, “From One Life to the Next Life: The Sacred Passage After Death,” which has become a lifeline for those navigating the churning waters of grief

-her raw, soul-baring journey from paralyzing grief to living a life infused with purpose and passion

-words of wisdom gathered from Elissa's personal life and expertise on living a fuller, more intentional life

More about Elissa:

Elissa started and actively manages the only international community of practice for women engaged with traditional Chevra Kadisha (Burial Society). The community mission is to share experiences, give encouragement, network, learn together and help to develop and support each other. She is responsible for building the community and providing on-going professional development. The knowledge she has acquired motivated her to write a personal memoir of loss and grief weaving in Jewish teachings about life, death and afterlife. Her book, “From One Life to the Next Life: The Sacred Passage After Death,” was published by Mosaica Press. She is also the head of the women’s division of the Rhode Island Chevra Kadisha and is a sought after speaker on topics of life, death, the work of the Chevra Kadisha and grief. In addition, Elissa is the Coordinator for all of Core’s Communities of Practice. These communities offer training, resources and support for those who want to strengthen their communities on an intentional and ongoing basis. In her role, Elissa helps each of these many international communities grow and thrive. Locally, Elissa Founder and Director of Core Connects RI, a non-profit organization that aims to deepen women’s connections to one another, to Jewish wisdom and Jewish values, to empower each other to find greater meaning, purpose and possibility in life and to cultivate unity without uniformity. As director she is passionate about providing others with opportunities to grow and become. She runs programming both online and in person. Elissa works tirelessly to bring Jews together and celebrates the commonalities rather than the differences. Through all of these experiences Elissa mentors and encourages others on their journeys and even finds time to teach a weekly Parsha class.

Connect with Elissa:

-Contact her via email

-Check out her website

-Purchase her book

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On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Shirel Korobkin and Shani Weinmann Kay join Aimee Baron, MD to talk about...

-the realities of the fertility community in Israel, one year after October 7th

-what the last 365 days has been for them personally and as individuals who have taken active roles in trying to hold space for others

-advice to those of us who live in the diaspora, as to how we can best support our friends and family there, and be a light to them and they manage this difficult time

-Shirel speaks about her grief work @IWSTHAB

-Shani speaks about sharing her miscarriage publicly with @timesofisrael

More about Shirel:

Shirel Korobkin moved from Toronto to Israel in 2020 and now lives in Harish. She works as a Grief Educator and Group Support Lead for English speakers at "I Was Supposed To Have A Baby," a Jewish fertility and pregnancy loss organization. Shirel is also actively involved in building the English-speaking community in Harish through events and shiurim.

Connect with Shirel:

-Follow her on Instagram

-Join one of Shirel's support groups

More about Shani:

Shani Weinmann Kay was born in Atlanta, Georgia and grew up in the Jewish community of Toco Hills. She attended Torah Day School of Atlanta and Yeshiva Atlanta before coming to Midreshet Harova and then joining the IDF, serving as a Combat Medic in the Artillery Brigade. She has a degree in Dance, is studying Psychology, and is a reservist in Search and Rescue.

Connect with Shani:

-Follow her on Instagram

-Learn more about her family's nonprofit The Eli Kay Project

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

-Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn