
Empowered Jewish Living with Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum
Exploring the depth of Jewish wisdom, the beauty of Jewish life, and how to live a more empowered life. Classes and interviews with great Jewish authors, artists, Kabbalists, therapists, and influencers. By Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum.
Latest episodes

Mar 25, 2024 • 59min
Marriage Coach Rivke Gardner: The 5 Essential Tools to Have Your Needs Met in Relationships (with Devorah Buxbaum)
After 18 years of intensive study and training, marriage coach Rivke Gardner is the creator of the Marriage Transformation Course, an approach to marriage that combines Jewish teachings with internal work to uncover the deepest layers of who we are and to actualize who we want to be as spouses. Recognized by many of today's Jewish leaders as one of the top marriage coaches in the Jewish world, Rivke mentors many marriage professionals and influencers in her approach in how to create better marriages.
Related episodes:
Dr. Binyamin Tepfer: Sacred Sexuality- Wisdom for Couples, Parents, and Anyone Seeking True Fulfillment
Therapist/Graphologist/Rabbi David Fredman: Master Your Relationships by Getting To Know Your Inner Child
Ilana and Jamie Cowland: Resolutions, Relationships, and Rising Above Your Moderately Anxious Self
Tu B'av and the Three Agreements for a Masterpiece Marriage (with Devorah Buxbaum)
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Click here to receive an amazing free audio class from Rivke with accompanying worksheets: Keys To Connectionhttps://www.rivkegardner.com/keys To find out more about Rivke's private coaching and transformational online course visit rivkegardner.com or email info@rivkegardner.com.
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Please rate and review the Empowered Jewish Living podcast on whatever platform you stream it. Please follow Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum and the Lev Experience on the following channels:
Facebook: @shlomobuxbaum
Instagram: @shlomobuxbaum
YouTube: TheLevExperience
Pick up a copy of Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum's second book, "The Four Elements of Inner Freedom: The Exodus Story as a Model for Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Personal Breakthroughs". You can order a copy on Amazon or in your local Jewish bookstore.

Mar 17, 2024 • 1h 9min
A Neo-Nazi Turned Faithful Jew’s Guide to Repairing the World- Featuring Frank Meeink
Frank Meeink is a renowned speaker, author, and activist, widely recognized for his efforts in combating racial hatred and extremism. Meeink is the author of "Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead," and his story has been featured in numerous documentaries and news outlets, including Steven Spielberg’s "Why We Hate," and on major networks such as CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, MTV, VH1, BET, and NPR, highlighting his expertise and experiences in the field of hate group dynamics and reform.
In addition to his literary contributions, Meeink has been an active voice in community outreach and education. He has spoken widely about his experiences, and co-founded “Life After Hate,” an organization dedicated to helping individuals leave extremist groups. His journey took a profound turn when he discovered his Jewish heritage, leading him to convert to Judaism and reinforcing his commitment to promote love over hate.
Recognized for his impactful work, Meeink received the Civil Rights Hero of the Year award from the Anti-Defamation League in 2016. His testimony before the United States Congress on the infiltration of white supremacy in police departments further underscores his commitment to societal change and his role as a leading figure in the fight against racism and extremism.
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Please rate and review the Empowered Jewish Living podcast on whatever platform you stream it. Please follow Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum and the Lev Experience on the following channels:
Facebook: @shlomobuxbaum
Instagram: @shlomobuxbaum
YouTube: TheLevExperience
Pick up a copy of Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum's second book, "The Four Elements of Inner Freedom: The Exodus Story as a Model for Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Personal Breakthroughs". You can order a copy on Amazon or in your local Jewish bookstore.

Mar 10, 2024 • 33min
Purim: The Key to Happiness and the Power of Being Present
This episode was originally recorded and posted in 2021 as a live Zoom class. In honor of the Jewish month of Adar, Rabbi Shlomo discusses joy and happiness and how they are rooted in one's ability to be completely present in whatever activity they are doing.
Other Purim related episodes:
The Depth of Purim (Part 1): The Doubt before the Breakthrough
The Depth of Purim (Part 2): Esther's Hidden Mission
The Depth of Purim (Part 3): Wine, Women, and the Garden of Eden
Barry Shore, The Ambassador of Joy: How to Slay Stress and Overcome Challenges
Pick up a copy of Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum's second book, "The Four Elements of Inner Freedom: The Exodus Story as a Model for Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Personal Breakthroughs". You can order a copy on Amazon or in your local Jewish bookstore.

Mar 5, 2024 • 58min
Love and War: Lessons From the Frontline of Gaza to the Frontline of Congress with Benaya Cherlow
In this very special episode, we hear the fascinating firsthand account of Benaya Cherlow, an IDF reservist who was working on Capital Hill on October 7th. He immediately travelled back to Israel, where he fought first on the Lebanon border and then in Gaza. His story is one of love, pain, heroism, and healing, and provides a perspective on the war through the lens of someone that experienced it firsthand. After returning from Gaza, Benaya organized a delegation to meet with members of congress to bridge the gap between American and Israeli politics. We discuss his work on this episode as well.
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Please rate and review the Empowered Jewish Living podcast on whatever platform you stream it. Please follow Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum and the Lev Experience on the following channels:
Facebook: @shlomobuxbaum
Instagram: @shlomobuxbaum
YouTube: TheLevExperience
Pick up a copy of Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum's second book, "The Four Elements of Inner Freedom: The Exodus Story as a Model for Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Personal Breakthroughs". You can order a copy on Amazon or in your local Jewish bookstore.

Feb 28, 2024 • 1h 11min
Roi Assaraf, The Nova Massacre Survivor who is Inspiring the World (Live Event Recording)
This is a special episode of the EJL podcast featuring a recording of a live event with Nova Survivor, Roi Assaraf. The event was held on Monday, 2/26/2024 at the iHeartRadio Soundstage in Rockville, Md.
The event was facilitated by Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum and translated by Tamar Epstein. Roi's story begins about 7 minutes and 10 seconds into the episode.
The full video of the presentation including the musical segments (which are edited out here) can be found on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/iv68lbyINdE?feature=shared
Please follow Roi Assaraf and Shlomo Buxbaum on Instagram for powerful content. And please share this episode with others!

Feb 20, 2024 • 41min
The Special Energy of the Jewish Leap Year and the Double Adar
The special episode is an addition to the series Energy of the Jewish months that was posted on this podcast on the first of each month in 2021-2022.
Here is a link to the episode about the Jewish month of Adar:
https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/RrbNSaYDkHb
Here are the links to the other months:
Cheshvan: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/WbbfCj4DkHb
Kislev: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/MHpAZV7DkHb
Tevet: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/hO4MIT7DkHb
Shevat: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/jG3UlS7DkHb
Nissan: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/23I7RalEkHb
Iyar-Sivan: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/5XHeUIqEkHb
Tamuz: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/JOov8FqEkHb
Av: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/PkOjMDqEkHb
Elul: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/uGZnqABEkHb
Tishrei: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/GMBC3xBEkHb

Feb 13, 2024 • 1h 2min
Meir Kay: Real Life Lessons in Finding Joy in a Dark World (co-hosted with Devorah Buxbaum)
In honor of the Jewish month of Adar, the month of joy, here is a repost of a conversation about joy that was originally posted February 2022.
Meir Kay, is a filmmaker and Internet sensation whose viral videos have amassed over 350 million views and his social media presence has upwards of one million followers. He makes videos that focus on spreading positivity, emphasize the importance of being happy and showcase random acts of kindness. He is also a marathon runner, world traveler, motivational speaker, social activist and mental health advocate.
If you enjoyed this episode, we highly recommend our "Three Happiness Practices" episode with Shlomo and Devorah where we discuss achieving happiness in your life.
This podcast is a project of The Lev Experience. To support the podcast please consider donating at Levx.org, picking up a copy of Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum's book "The Four Elements of an Empowered Life", and, most importantly, subscribing and sharing the podcast with others.

Feb 7, 2024 • 57min
R' Moshe Zeldman: One People. One Mission. How to unify and galvanize world Jewry!
R' Moshe Zeldman is a world renowned lecturer who has been sharing teachings on Torah and Jewish philosophy to audiences in over 25 countries around the world. He is a former senior lecturer at Aish HaTorah and the former founder of Core18 Leaders Lab. Most recently, he founded "Meet the Israelis",
an innovative program that exposes participants to the cultural, ethnic, and political diversity of Israeli society by facilitating open dialogue with Israelis from across the political and religious spectrum. He is also the host of the Shmoozing podcast.
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Related Episodes:
Lori Palatnik: The Heroic and Spiritual Response to Crisis and Tragedy (with Devorah Buxbaum)
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Please rate and review the Empowered Jewish Living podcast on whatever platform you stream it. Please follow Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum and the Lev Experience on the following channels:
Facebook: @shlomobuxbaum
Instagram: @shlomobuxbaum
YouTube: TheLevExperience
Pick up a copy of Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum's second book, "The Four Elements of Inner Freedom: The Exodus Story as a Model for Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Personal Breakthroughs". You can order a copy on Amazon or in your local Jewish bookstore.

Jan 30, 2024 • 56min
Rabbi/Musician Raz Hartman: Transcending Labels, Finding Your Voice, and How to Create a Space for Vibrant Prayer
Rabbi Raz Hartman is a teacher of chassidut and spirituality in many Torah institutions throughout Israel. He is also the founder and former spiritual leader of the world-famous "Va-ani Tefilah" Synagogue in Jerusalem. After meeting Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach while studying music in university, Raz began a journey to discover his Jewish roots and channel his musical gifts towards creating heartful, meditative, and spiritual music that would touch the souls of all who hear. He is a pianist, songwriter, and singer who has recorded three studio albums and has appeared as a guest on countless others.
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Related episodes:
R' Shlomo Katz: Getting in Touch with the Song of our Souls
Rabbi/Musician R' Yonah Bookstein: Creating communities and reaching distant Jews with innovation and love
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Please rate and review the Empowered Jewish Living podcast on whatever platform you stream it. Please follow Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum and the Lev Experience on the following channels:
Facebook: @shlomobuxbaum
Instagram: @shlomobuxbaum
YouTube: TheLevExperience
Pick up a copy of Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum's second book, "The Four Elements of Inner Freedom: The Exodus Story as a Model for Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Personal Breakthroughs". You can order a copy on Amazon, in your local Jewish bookstore, or right here: https://levx.org/event/the-four-elements-of-freedom

Jan 22, 2024 • 1h 2min
Jenna Zadaka: Tu B'Shevat & Spiritual Journeys- How to Strengthen Your Roots and Branch Out
Jenna Zadaka is a celebrated teacher of Jewish Mysticism, Yoga, and Mindfulness, who has creatively infused Jewish mystic teachings from the cyclical Hebrew calendar into wellness practices for over 10 years. She is the Jewish Education Director of At The Well Project and is the creator of powerful courses and content which can be found at breathandsoul.net or on instagram at @breathandsoul_jenna. Her spiritual journey brought her closer to her Judaism and then to Israel. She now lives in Boulder, Colorado where she teaches and treks in the mountains with her psychotherapist and qigong-loving husband and two small boys.
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Related Episodes:
A Kabbalistic Tu B'Shvat Seder from Tzfat- Featuring Eliyahu Pereira (of Two Chassids in a Pod)
Energy of the Jewish Months (4): Month of Shevat, Aquarius, and the Source of Creativity
The Deep Roots of Tu B'Shvat and What To Learn From It
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Please rate and review the Empowered Jewish Living podcast on whatever platform you stream it. Please follow Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum and the Lev Experience on the following channels:
Facebook: @shlomobuxbaum
Instagram: @shlomobuxbaum
YouTube: TheLevExperience
Pick up a copy of Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum's second book, "The Four Elements of Inner Freedom: The Exodus Story as a Model for Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Personal Breakthroughs". You can order a copy on Amazon, in your local Jewish bookstore, or right here: https://levx.org/event/the-four-elements-of-freedom