Chavie and Tonia connect over their shared upbringing as daughters of Chabad emissaries in Texas, reflecting on how empowering it was to carry so much responsibility from a young age. Chavie asks how Tonia maintained her creative spirit as a teenager, within a system that often values conformity, and Tonia shares how her strong intuition drew towards the deeper, mystical teachings of Chassidus, which harmonized naturally with artistic outlets like spoken word poetry. Chavie and Tonia explore how concepts like bittul (self-nullification) and modesty can sometimes be misdirected to disempower women, which misrepresents the Torah’s intent. Instead, they agree that these values belong within the broader framework of one’s service of Hashem and should never be weaponized as measures of their connection to G-d.

Tonia Chazanow is a writer, artist and spoken word poet. She hosts the Human & Holy podcast and teaches weekly Tanya classes. She is passionate about Torah study, gathering Jewish women, and the power of the arts to better understand ourselves and G-d.

 

Referenced on the Pod

1:34:55 - Reclaiming Dignity 

 

Stay in touch with Tonia!

Human & Holy on Instagram

Human & Holy on Spotify  

Human & Holy on Apple

www.humanandholy.com 

Stay in touch with Chavie!

www.instagram.com/chaviebruk

www.totallyunexpected.blog

This week’s episode is sponsored by Brooklyn Brokerage, a New York based firm that focuses on customer satisfaction, while offering five-star services for all your insurance needs. Reach out today for a risk-free quote at www.BrooklynBrokerage.com or 718.799.5607.



Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.