Meaningful People

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 https://www.7thheavenchocolate.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoryFUtu_BwTX2aYLCwtf8ykSbfR4dcurwUZAS8p_C2ftD7WyjNN _______________________________________   ► 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

What goes through a person's mind when they're told—before even stepping into the courtroom—that they've been sentenced to 27 years in prison? In this raw and deeply moving conversation, Shalom Mordechai Rubashkin takes us inside the moments that changed his life forever: hearing the sentence, choosing emunah over despair, surviving years behind bars, and ultimately witnessing a miracle no one expected. This is not just a story about prison or justice—it's a masterclass in faith under fire, resilience in the face of total powerlessness, and what it truly means to trust Hashem when there is no visible way out. From the courtroom to solitary confinement, from despair to unexpected freedom, Rubashkin shares how emunah transformed punishment into purpose—and why the greatest freedom begins long before the prison doors open. A story of darkness, light, and the strength to keep believing when everything says not to.   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 _______________________________________   ►Blooms Kosher   Bring you the best Kosher products worldwide.   https://bloomskosher.com   ______________________________________ ► Colel Chabad Pushka App - The easiest way to give Tzedaka   https://pushkapp.cc/meaningful   _______________________________________   ► Lalechet     We're a team of kosher travel experts, here to carry you off to your dream destination swiftly, safely, and seamlessly in an experience you will forever cherish.    https://www.lalechet.com _______________________________________   ►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  

A Chanukah celebration at Bondi Beach turned into a scene of terror.   In this episode of the Meaningful People Podcast, we sit with a father and community leader who survived the Bondi Beach terror attack. His children were nearby. What he first thought were fireworks quickly became gunshots. Within moments, people were running, hiding, and falling.   He shares, in real time, what it was like to be there: – realizing the danger – hiding with his daughter – searching desperately for his son – trying to help the wounded while protecting his child   This conversation was recorded shortly after the attack, while the pain was still raw. It is honest, emotional, and unfiltered.   We also speak about what came next. Lighting the menorah that night. Explaining fear to children. Holding onto faith and responsibility when everything feels shaken.   This episode is not about headlines or politics. It's about survival, parenthood, community, and choosing light in the aftermath of terror.   Our hearts are with all those affected by this attack, including the family of Rabbi Elie Schlinger, a beloved husband, father, and community leader who was killed. A link to support the Schlinger family is included below, as mentioned in the episode.   If this story resonates, please consider sharing it.   Support the Schlinger family: https://www.charidy.com/elischlanger/613Help?utm_source=15mp