Dig in to life.

My grandfather founded a mutual aid charity in Monsey, the community I grew up in. My nine siblings and I would spend our Purims at my Zaidy’s house handing out little white envelopes to anyone in our community who came by. I have fond memories of sorting clothes in the Metzias Place, a secondhand shop that my grandmother created which served families who couldn’t afford new clothes .

My parents taught me to always look out for the folks who had less, were the most underserved, and who society wasn’t looking out for. Our shabbos table always had an extra setting for random guests and I often spent the night with our elderly neighbor who was afraid to sleep alone.

Today, people like to ask me about my relationship with my family and my community of origin. I’m proud of the people who shaped the way I navigate life’s big questions. Every decision I’ve made was shaped by the same guiding principles I was raised with: “Whose voice is not being heard? Who needs the most care in this moment? Who is most vulnerable?” As my world grew and I left the sheltered bubble I was raised in, these values started to conflict with the limitations of Hasidism and led me to leave the community I was raised in and to keep pursuing a life in which I could fully live my values, and raise my children to do the same.

I now run support groups, give lectures, and do presentations where I hope to support others to live lives guided by values that they can feel wholly aligned with. I find so much joy in living a life where I’m proud of the way I’m showing up in the world, for myself, for my family, and for my community. Joy that spills over in the hobbies I pursue, the friendships I maintain, and the community I build. I’d be honored to be part of helping more people live the most aligned and juiciest lives they can.