The Jewish Divorce Project Podcast

The Jewish Divorce Project - Ep 58 - Divorce from a 10,000ft Perspective w/ Rabbi David Wolpe

We end 2022 right with a powerful and deep conversation with Rabbi David Wolpe, who has been divorced for 11 years. Rabbi Wolpe has a frank and honest conversation with us about divorce in his own life, how divorce impacts clergy, their spouses, dating as a rabbi, and the difference between the vision of divorce life and the reality of it.

David Wolpe is the Max Webb Senior Rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles.  Author of eight books, including the national bestseller “Making Loss Matter,: Creating Meaning in Difficult Times,” Wolpe has been named the most influential Rabbi in America by Newsweek and twice named among the 50 most influential Angelinos by LA Magazine. He has taught at a number of universities, including UCLA, Hunter college, Pepperdine and the Jewish Theological Seminary, and written for The NY Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Jerusalem Post among other newspapers and journals. Wolpe’s most recent book, “David: The Divided Heart,”  a biography of King David, was optioned for a movie by Warner Brothers. Next year he will be a visiting scholar at Harvard Divinity School.  

The Jewish Divorce Project - Ep 57: Being Thankful When You Get, Or Didn’t Get, What You Wanted

Episode 57 is our Thanksgiving special. Noam and Sheva talk about ways to respond to custody schedules over the holidays. Being without our kids can make it tough to enjoy the holidays. On the flipside, there's a whole holiday to enjoy by yourself if you so choose. And even if it's unexpected, the challenges of divorce-life have led you to a place where you really wanted to be. How then, when you got there, did you express your gratitude for how far you've come, and what it took to get there. 

The Jewish Divorce Project - Ep 56: The Parenting Marriage w/ Susan Pease Gadoua

In episode 56, Sheva and Noam sit down to talk with Susan Pease Gadoua and discuss the idea and practice of the “parenting marriage.” An innovative approach to staying together as a family when other elements of the relationship fail.

Susan is a licensed therapist based in the San Francisco Bay Area with expertise in helping couples connect, reconnect or disconnect in a healthy way. In 2006, Susan began helping couples shape what became known as the Parenting Marriage. Since then, Susan has helped dozens of couples transition their marriage from a love-based union to one in which raising happy, healthy kids are the primary focus. Books Susan has written include the San Francisco Chronicle bestseller, Contemplating Divorce, The Parenting Marriage Workbook, and The New I Do, co-authored with Vicki Larson.

IG: changingmarriage  FB: parenting marriage FB: The New I Do

The Jewish Divorce Project - Ep 55: The Love Equation

Sheva and Noam get a chance t catch up with each other between special guests. We talk about managing family life, dating status, past relationships, the "love equation" and, the different ways to say "I love you," as performed by Sheva.

The Jewish Divorce Project - Ep: 54 - Tara Eisenhard and Divorce Through a Child’s Eyes

In episode 54 Noam and Sheva meet Tara Eisenhard. In other episodes we've had great conversations about custody arrangements and co-parenting. But in this episode, Tara shows us what divorce is like from a child's perspective. Tara talks to us about some great ways to care for your child during divorce, and what you might say to your inner-child who suffered divorce trauma.

Tara Eisenhard helps struggling singles transform conflict and confusion into clarity, confidence, and control. She’s a child of divorced parents, an ex-wife, a “next” wife, and the previous partner of a divorced dad. Personal experience taught her that divorce is about evolution, not dissolution.

Tara works as a coach, author, mediator, and educator with a passion for healthy and happy divorces. She provides personal private coaching as well as online courses and community events. Tara is the author of the book The D-Word: Divorce Through a Child’s Eyes, the workbook, Your Bittersweet Beginning, and the blog, Relative Evolutions. She’s been interviewed for various radio and TV programs, and her writing has been featured by The Huffington Post, Divorcedmoms.com, Family Affaires, DivorceForce, Stepmom Magazine and MariaShriver.com.

You can find Tara on social media at:

Facebook.com/author.taraeisenhard

Twitter: @taraeisenhard

Instagram: @taraeisenhard

Tiktok: @divorcecoach

 

The Jewish Divorce Project - Ep 53: Jewish Divorce and Discovery Retreat w/ Rabbi Deborah Newbrun + Rosh Hashanah Rituals for Divorce

In episode 53 Noam and Sheva talk with Rabbi Deborah Newborn who has created the innovative Divorce and Discovery retreat. It’s a weekend long experience for Jews and Jew-adjacent folks to process and find meaning in their divorce and separation. Along with her personal journey through divorce, we discuss the need for Jewish community-based divorce programming for families and individuals.  We also talk about how Rosh Hashanah can be a great time to explore ones divorce journey and use the rituals involved to find meaning, grow, and move on from this major transition.

 

Deborah Newbrun's career as a Jewish leader (particularly in Jewish environmental education) spans more than 35 years including 24 years as Director of Camp Tawonga, four years as Hazon's Bay Area Director and serving on the founding boards of Wilderness Torah and Bay COJEL (Coalition for Jews and the Environment).

 

Deborah is a recipient of the prestigious Covenant Award. Her groundbreaking work as co author of Spirit In Nature/Teaching Judaism and Ecology on the Trail paved the way for numerous Jewish outdoor programs for children including the Teva Learning Center. Most recently, Deborah co-founded SVARA's Queer Talmud Camp and worked with Keshet to create a curriculum that helps Jewish summer camps be welcoming and inclusive of gender non-conforming campers and staff.  Deborah has served on the faculty of many Jewish professional fellowships currently for Hineni a Jewish leadership training for LGBTQ folks. Her recent projects also include creating: Spirit In Nature Podcasts with Sarah Lefton and “Divorce and Discovery a Jewish Healing Retreat” offered in partnership with Camp Tawonga to be launched in October 2022.

Before entering the Jewish not-for-profit world, Deborah was a National Park Service Ranger. She lives in Berkeley with her wife, Rabbi Sue Reinhold PhD. Between them they have four twenty-something year old children and a beloved doodle dog.

The Jewish Divorce Project - Ep 52: Co-Parenting Expert - Tamar Burris

In episode 52 Noam and Sheva sit down with Tamar Burris, an expert co-parenting coach. Tamar generously shares her time and wisdom with us about the beauty and pitfalls, success and failures of co-parenting. All while balancing a child on her head! 

Tamar Burris is a certified relationship and co-parenting coach. She is also a certified pre-mediation counselor and New Ways for Families coach, and has published a children's book for families of divorce called "A New Special Friend," which helps introduce new romantic partners to our children. Her motto in working with two-home families and parents is: Co-parent without blame, shame, or games." 

You can find Tamar on at these links:

Website: www.tamarburris.com

Instagram: @tamarburris

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tamarburris/

Twitter: @CoachTamar

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamar-burris-77644821/

The Jewish Divorce Project - Ep 51: Summer Catch Up and Catching Up w/ Former Selves

A brief but deep episode as Noam and Sheva talk about: the blessings of siblings, being reminded of summer experiences before marriage and kids, co-parenting, and dating. 

The Jewish Divorce Project - Ep 50: 50th episode + Awkward Family Celebrations + Solo-hood

OMG it's episode 50! Did we ever think we'd get this far!? Maybe? Give this special episode a listen and learn how Sheva and Noam: deal with family gatherings during divorce, what living a solo-life looks like, and as we check-in with each other about what this whole crazy experience has been like :)

The Jewish Divorce Project - Ep 49: Divorce Diaries w/ Michelle Traina

In episode 49 Noam and Sheva have a deep and hilarious conversation with Michelle Traina of the Divorce Diaries Show.

Michele Traina is a performer, educator, and creator of multiple performance brands that carry a thread of healing through humor. She has toured around the country from Stand up to Shakespeare. Michele earned her Masters in Educational Theatre from NYU and has her principal, supervisor, and theatre teacher certifications in the state of New Jersey. In 2013 she founded Propbox Players, a theatre company for young audiences geared towards inclusion and performance for diverse learners.   Her one-woman show How to Be A Successful Teacher was in United Solo Festival in 2012 as well as multiple other performances in the tri state area.  She continued her one-woman show ‘train’ when she was getting divorced by putting her diary on the stage. Michele created Divorce Diaries in 2013 and it has evolved into a one-woman comedy show that laughs at life’s beautiful mishaps.

A Jersey Native, Michele’s work has a trademark accent and physicality to it unlike anyone else.  She’s fiercely energetic and uses her own challenges in life to motivate and inspire her practice as an educator and performer. Michele’s obsession with coffee, high kicks, and running literally everywhere. Her favorite role will always be mom to her beautiful daughter Grace.