Stories Of Hope With Tzipora Grodko

On this week's Stories of Hope, a woman who spent years being told by shadchanim she didn't fit the mold sits down with a man who rebuilt his life from scratch after a divorce left him raising seven children alone. Ali and Natan's paths could not have looked more different, one moving toward Orthodoxy through a bar in Jerusalem, the other moving through it and out the other side of a small religious community that made it clear divorced people weren't welcome to stay. What brought them together was a J-Swipe match neither of them expected to lead anywhere.

This is a conversation about the parts of the frum world that don't get talked about enough, the loneliness, the pressure to fit a mold, and what it actually takes to build a family after everything falls apart. Ali and Natan get honest about blending nine kids, the terror of a first marriage with zero warning, and the moment a shopping cart full of unfamiliar groceries made it all feel real. Their story doesn't wrap up neatly, and that's exactly the point.

Sarah and Shua Lefkowitz share a story unlike any other on Stories of Hope, one that begins in profound loss and unfolds into a marriage built on what Shua calls expansive love. Sarah spent ten years navigating dating with an unshakeable sense of certainty about where her life was headed, telling friends and family about a very specific vision for her future husband years before she ever crossed paths with him. Shua, meanwhile, walked through the hardest chapter of his life after losing his first wife, learning along the way what it looks like to hold grief and joy in the same hand.
Together they open up about blending two families, honoring a beloved memory while building something entirely new, and the surrender it takes to trust that the life you actually have, even one that looks nothing like what you planned, might be exactly the one you were meant for. For anyone who has ever wondered if they missed their window, or whether their story just doesn't fit the mold, this conversation offers a different way to think about waiting, loss, and hope.
To Contact Sarah and Shua:
Sarahclefkowitz@gmail.com 
RabbiLef@gmail.com
This week's episode is brought to you in part by:
► PZ Deals
Download The PZ Deals app and never pay full price again.
https://app.pz.deals/install/soh
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► Colel Chabad Pushka App
The easiest way to give Tzedaka.
https://pushkapp.cc/soh
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► Ness Vacation Homes
EDEN GARDENS' LARGEST LUXURY HOME COLLECTION. Handpicked, high-end homes available exclusively through Ness.
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Rachel and Shilo's story starts with a camping trip and an offer to help pitch a tent that got firmly turned down. From there, a summer of friendship slowly turned into something neither of them expected, and Shilo shares something very personal that he's never spoken about publicly before.
Five years and three kids later, Rachel and Shilo open up about what it took to get to the chuppah, what keeps their marriage strong, and the big leap of faith they're about to take next. It's a story about what happens when you stop asking whether someone matches on paper and start paying attention to who they really are.
To contact Rachel and Shilo:
shilojackz@gmail.com
rachelzylb@gmail.com
 @LeaveHouseHeadHome  on Youtube and Instagram
This week's episode is brought to you in part by:
► PZ Deals
Download The PZ Deals app and never pay full price again.
https://app.pz.deals/install/soh
_________________
► Colel Chabad Pushka App
The easiest way to give Tzedaka.
https://pushkapp.cc/soh
_________________
► Ness Vacation Homes
EDEN GARDENS' LARGEST LUXURY HOME COLLECTION. Handpicked, high-end homes available exclusively through Ness.
https://nessvacationhomes.com/

Rachel spent years believing that meeting the right person would feel like a movie, complete with instant certainty and butterflies. But after decades of dating, she realized that butterflies were never what made someone right for her. When she finally met Asher at 47, what she felt instead was comfort, respect, emotional intelligence and a connection that continued to grow.
In this episode, Rachel and Asher open up about heartbreak, loneliness, second chances and the very different journeys that eventually brought them together. Their story explores what real love actually feels like, why it may not arrive the way you imagined and how something far deeper can grow when you stop looking for the movie moment.
This week's episode is brought to you in part by:
 
► PZ Deals
 
Download The PZ Deals app and never pay full price again.
 
https://app.pz.deals/install/soh
 
_________________
 
► Colel Chabad Pushka App
 
The easiest way to give Tzedaka.
 
https://pushkapp.cc/soh

Maya and Avi Cohen open up about a side of infertility that almost never gets talked about in the jewish community.. Shortly after Maya was diagnosed with MRKH, she tried to end things with Avi rather than hold him back from having a family of his own. Avi refused to walk away, standing by her through years of uncertainty about what their future would even look like.

Maya and Avi share what it took to get to where they are now, from the shame Maya carried for years to the surrogate who became like family, and the community that showed up for them in ways they never expected. It's an honest, moving conversation about faith, marriage, and refusing to give up hope.

This week's episode is brought to you in part by:

► PZ Deals

Download The PZ Deals app and never pay full price again.

https://app.pz.deals/install/soh

_________________

► Colel Chabad Pushka App

The easiest way to give Tzedaka.

https://pushkapp.cc/soh

_________________

► Western Wall Prayers

Submit your name, and the names of your loved ones, to be prayed for at the Kotel.

https://www.westernwallprayers.org?a_aid=689ea0c620351