Meaningful People

She grew up Catholic in Venezuela, never knowing Jews still existed, yet her family quietly lit candles, covered mirrors, and placed stones on graves. Centuries-old Jewish practices survived in her home without explanation, passed down in secret since the Spanish Inquisition.
 
In this episode, Reyna Simnegar shares her extraordinary journey from Venezuela to Judaism: uncovering crypto-Jewish roots dating back over 500 years, discovering her family's hidden mesorah, living through political collapse under Chávez, and ultimately converting Orthodox and building a Jewish life and family. From Schindler's List to UCLA, from Taco Bell to Jerusalem, this is a powerful story of identity, faith, exile, and return.
 
A rare, deeply personal conversation about Anusim, survival, and what it means to come home, even when it takes generations.



This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors:



► PZ Deals
 
Download the app and never pay full price again!
 
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► Colel Chabad Pushka App
 
The easiest way to give Tzedaka
 
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► Move to San Antonio - The Other Texas
 
A growing Jewish community offering warmth, learning, affordability, and opportunity. Small-town feel, strong values, and a big future just outside Austin.
 
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► Givat Hashalva
 
Givat Hashalvah is a new, vibrant, Torah-centered community rising in Givat Ze'ev, only 20 minutes from the heart of Yerushalayim.
 
https://go.lyo.group/4rAkXCN
 
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► Wruble & Co
 
Exceptional legal service starts with a genuine personal connection. We deliver clear, efficient, results-driven legal counsel in Israeli real estate, always guided by the client's individual needs. Through transparency, care, and clarity, we support confident decision-making at every step.
 
https://www.wrublelaw.co.il/
 
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► Dream Raffle
 
Win a brand new and fully furnished $1,200,000 apartment in Yerushalayim! 
Use Promo code MPP for $10 off and to receive double tickets!
 
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► Rothenberg Law Firm
 
Personal Injury Law Firm For 50+ years!
Reach out Today for Free Case Evaluation
 
https://shorturl.at/JFKHH
 
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Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp
 
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In this episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, Tuvia Blau and Hindy Herman address one of the most painful and least talked-about struggles in our community: parental alienation and family estrangement. They unpack what estrangement actually looks like, how it develops, and why the emotional toll on parents and adult children alike can feel unbearable.
 
With honesty and compassion, Tuvia and Hindy explore both sides of the story, parents and children, touching on boundaries, shame, communication breakdowns, and the tools needed for healing. This conversation isn't about blame. It's about understanding, growth, and the possibility of rebuilding connection, even when it feels impossible.



This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors:



► Colel Chabad Pushka App
 
The easiest way to give Tzedaka
 
https://pushkapp.cc/meaningful
 
_________________________
 
► Move to San Antonio - The Other Texas
 
A growing Jewish community offering warmth, learning, affordability, and opportunity. Small-town feel, strong values, and a big future just outside Austin.
 
https://www.rodfeisholom.com/movetosa
 
_________________________
 
►Rothenberg Law Firm
 
Personal Injury Law Firm For 50+ years!
Reach out Today for Free Case Evaluation
 
https://shorturl.at/JFKHH
 
__________________________
 
► Town Appliance 
 
Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp
 
https://www.townappliance.com 
https://bit.ly/Townappliance_whatsapp

__________________________
 
► Pesach with Bordeaux


🌟 Pesach with Bordeaux 2026 is proudly partnered with Meaningful Minute to bring you amazing,inspiring and uplifting spiritual content this year!  🌟
Join us in Stamford, Connecticut for another spectacular, star-studded year ✨🍷
This year—experience true *relaxation*, where every detail is taken care of. 😌🌸
Rooms are filling quickly — don't wait!

📞 Call/Text: 347-699-6120
🌐 www.pesachwithbordeaux.com
💬 Chat with us on WhatsApp!
 https://wa.me/13476996120

A father and son sit down for an unusually honest conversation about Jewish identity, continuity, and choice. Allen Horowitz was raised with a strong cultural Jewish pride but little religious observance; his son Meir grew up the same way, until a series of experiences slowly pulled him in a radically different direction. What begins as a familiar American Jewish story turns into something far more complex, touching on interfaith dating, generational expectations, and the quiet questions people are often afraid to ask out loud.
As Meir's curiosity deepens, through travel, community, and personal struggle, father and son find themselves navigating a widening gap in worldview while trying to preserve trust, respect, and love. This episode isn't about convincing or converting; it's about watching a relationship adapt in real time as one person changes and the other learns how to respond. A raw, thoughtful look at faith, fear, autonomy, and what it really means to support someone you love, even when their path isn't the one you imagined.



This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors:



► PZ Deals
 
Download the app and never pay full price again!
 
https://app.pz.deals/install/mpp

___________________________
 
► Chesed 24/7 — RUN 24.7

Help keep Chesed rooms running in 30 hospitals
Join the live 5K at American Dream Mall (Feb 22, 2026) or sign up as a raiser—every mile keeps the rooms going.
https://run4chesed.org
___________________________
 
► Colel Chabad Pushka App
 
The easiest way to give Tzedaka.

https://pushkapp.cc/meaningful
 
___________________________
 
►Rothenberg Law Firm
 
Personal Injury Law Firm For 50+ years!
Reach out Today for Free Case Evaluation
 
https://shorturl.at/JFKHH

___________________________
 
►Givat Hashalva
 
Givat Hashalvah is a new, vibrant, Torah-centered community rising in Givat Ze'ev, only 20 minutes from the heart of Yerushalayim.
 
https://go.lyo.group/45mgCd1
 
___________________________
 
► Town Appliance
Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp
 
https://www.townappliance.com
https://bit.ly/Townappliance_whatsapp
 
___________________________
 
► Pesach with Bordeaux


🌟 Pesach with Bordeaux 2026 is proudly partnered with Meaningful Minute to bring you amazing,inspiring and uplifting spiritual content this year!  🌟
Join us in Stamford, Connecticut for another spectacular, star-studded year ✨🍷
This year—experience true *relaxation*, where every detail is taken care of. 😌🌸
Rooms are filling quickly — don't wait!

📞 Call/Text: 347-699-6120
🌐 www.pesachwithbordeaux.com
💬 Chat with us on WhatsApp!
 https://wa.me/13476996120

Four years ago, Shaina's life changed forever.
 
Her husband, Yaakov—beloved, successful, devoted, admired—took his own life.
In this raw and deeply moving conversation, Shaina speaks openly about what it's like to live through a tragedy that many are forced to hide, but she was never given the option to silence. She shares the painful reality of loving someone who was suffering invisibly, the strength it took to keep moving forward, and the unexpected blessing of authenticity in the aftermath.
This episode goes beyond grief. It confronts the stigma around mental illness in the Jewish community, the cost of suffering in silence, and the courage it takes to talk when no one else will. Shaina challenges how we view suicide—not as weakness, but as a battle fought daily—and why telling the truth may be the only way to prevent the next tragedy.
This is not an easy listen.
But it is a necessary one.
 
For help and mental health resources please visit https://behindthefaces.org 
 
This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors:
 
► PZ Deals - Download the app and never pay full price again!
 
 
https://app.pz.deals/install/mpp 
 
_______________________________________
 
► Colel Chabad Pushka App - The easiest way to give Tzedaka
 
https://pushkapp.cc/meaningful
 
_______________________________________
 
►Rothenberg Law Firm
 
Personal Injury Law Firm For 50+ years!
 
Reach out Today for Free Case Evaluation
 
https://shorturl.at/JFKHH
 
 
______________________________________
 
 
 
► Town Appliance - Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp
 
 
https://www.townappliance.com
 
 
https://bit.ly/Townappliance_whatsapp 
 
______________________________________
 
► Dream Raffle
Win a brand new and fully furnished $1,200,000 apartment in Yerushalayim! 
 
Use Promo code MPP for $10 off and to receive double tickets!
 
https://thedreamraffle.com/ 
 
 
______________________________________
 
► Pesach with Bordeaux 
 
 
🌟 Pesach with Bordeaux 2026 is proudly partnered with Meaningful Minute to bring you amazing,inspiring and uplifting spiritual content this year!  🌟
Join us in Stamford, Connecticut for another spectacular, star-studded year ✨🍷
This year—experience true *relaxation*, where every detail is taken care of. 😌🌸
Rooms are filling quickly — don't wait!
 
📞 Call/Text: 347-699-6120
🌐 www.pesachwithbordeaux.com
💬 Chat with us on WhatsApp!
 https://wa.me/13476996120

In this powerful episode, David Lichtenstein opens up about wealth, success, failure, and what truly gives life meaning. From business setbacks and rebuilding, to philanthropy, community responsibility, and personal resilience, this conversation challenges how we define success and where our real value comes from. It's an honest look at money, pressure, ego, and purpose, through a deeply Jewish lens grounded in lived experience.
 
The discussion goes far beyond finances, touching on tzedakah, leadership, cancel culture, failure, healing from trauma, Israel, and the responsibility to speak about uncomfortable but necessary topics. This is a raw, thoughtful conversation about courage, clarity, and living with conviction, even when it's unpopular.
 
 
This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors:
 
 
► Colel Chabad Pushka App 
 
The easiest way to give Tzedaka
 
https://pushkapp.cc/meaningful
_______________________________________
 
► Torah Umesorah  
 
Torah Umesorah equips teachers and schools to help every child thrive, support this work and help strengthen Jewish education by donating today.
 
https://content.jcn.io/MeaningfulMinuteTU
_______________________________________
 
► 7th Heaven Chocolate
 
high-quality, dairy-free chocolate that's ethically sourced and seriously good.
 
use code MPPfree for free shipping
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_______________________________________
 
► 7th Heaven Chocolate
 
high-quality, dairy-free chocolate that's ethically sourced and seriously good.
 
use code MPPfree for free shipping
https://www.7thheavenchocolate.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoryFUtu_BwTX2aYLCwtf8ykSbfR4dcurwUZAS8p_C2ftD7WyjNN
_______________________________________
 
►Rothenberg Law Firm
 
Personal Injury Law Firm For 50+ years!
Reach out Today for Free Case Evaluation
 
https://shorturl.at/JFKHH
______________________________________
 
► Town Appliance 
 
Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp
 
https://www.townappliance.com
https://bit.ly/Townappliance_whatsapp 
______________________________________
 
► Dream Raffle
 
Win a brand new and fully furnished $1,200,000 apartment in Yerushalayim! 
 
Use Promo code MPP for $10 off and to receive double tickets!
https://thedreamraffle.com/ 
_____________________________________
 
► Pesach with Bordeaux
 
🌟 Pesach with Bordeaux 2026 is proudly partnered with Meaningful Minute to bring you amazing,inspiring and uplifting spiritual content this year!  🌟
Join us in Stamford, Connecticut for another spectacular, star-studded year ✨🍷
This year, experience true relaxation, where every detail is taken care of. 😌🌸
Rooms are filling quickly, don't wait!
 
📞 Call/Text: 347-699-6120
🌐 www.pesachwithbordeaux.com
💬 Chat with us on WhatsApp!
 https://wa.me/13476996120
 
 
 
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
2:32 Early life and background
3:47 "My father was wealthy without money"
4:57 Wealth as a shallow metric of success
6:52 Community, comparison, and status
8:35 The sequoia trees and interlocking roots
10:06 Tablecloths, envy, and social pressure
11:50 Maaser and "show me the data"
13:13 Who the real community heroes are
14:14 Are rabbeim underpaid?
16:09 Giving tzedakah responsibly
17:32 Giving with your body vs your wallet
18:43 The burning palace and human responsibility
21:26 Applause, self-worth, and identity
23:05 The "levaya rule" and ignoring pressure
26:52 Pressure on major donors
29:30 Speaking about abuse, suicide, and taboo topics
34:01 Cancel culture in the frum world
40:17 Media, Zionism, and controversial conversations
47:38 Losing everything and rebuilding through Torah
51:47 Turning failure into fuel
56:55 Teshuva, forgiveness, and accountability
1:00:26 Israel, yeshiva world, and survival
1:07:40 Rav Gustman story and defending life