Totally Unexpected!

Anna Sherman - In Between Worlds: Life After Brain Surgery

Chavie and Anna begin with Anna’s roots in Toronto and what drew her toward becoming more religious in high school, navigating the tension between the world she grew up in and the one she was choosing. Anna opens up about her first two marriages and what it felt like to be a young divorced woman in a community where it was taboo and kept hush-hush which leads to Chavie and Anna reflecting on the progress made in removing shame around taboo subjects. Anna then shares how she met and fell in love with her current husband, and Chavie asks how she learned to trust herself again after so much trauma. Anna talks about becoming a therapist, how lived experience shaped her empathy, and then walks through the moment a mass was discovered in her brain. Chavie and Anna go step by step through the days leading up to surgery, the spiritual serenity she felt going in, and the recovery she is still navigating today.
 
Anna Sherman is a Registered Psychotherapist, dedicated wife, mother of twin girls, and stroke survivor who underwent brain surgery. She works with individuals, couples, and families, helping her clients heal from trauma, fears, and emotional blocks. Anna lives in her hometown of Toronto, Canada.
 
This Week's PromptAre two hour podcasts too long?This is a NEW segment at the end of every episode featuring voice notes from listeners with their HOT TAKES on a featured topic!  
 
Referenced On the Pod
38:20 The Jeff Seidel Foundation
41:39 Yeshivas Bircas Hatorah
Therapy Modalities Chavie & Anna Reference:
EFT: Emotionally Focused Therapy
EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
IFS: Internal Family Systems
 
Stay in touch with Anna!
www.annashermanrp.com
Anna on Instagram 
Stay in touch with Chavie!
@chaviebruk on Instagram
www.totallyunexpected.blog 
 
Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.

Mushky Yiftach Hashem: Daring to Be the Duct Tape Queen

Chavie starts off by diving into Mushky’s early relationship with creativity. She talks about her mother noticing her artistic tendencies and her love of crafts being nurtured by her grandfather. Mushky shares how she came back from seminary and rediscovered the pull toward crafts, including when she realized if you can make something out of duct tape, you can make anything. Mushky explains how designing and wearing duct tape outfits became a form of safety, giving her structure and permission to perform and show up on camera. Mushky shares about her major lifequake moment, losing her job, having to leave Los Angeles, and the healing journey that followed. Chavie and Mushky talk about anger and how it rises as a sign of misalignment, and they also dive into podcasting and The Sisters Chat. Chavie talks about the different roles podcasts can play, and how she feels her role is to hold long-form conversations and resist the urge for quick content.
 
Mushky aka the Duct Tape Lady is the founder of On a Roll Crafts, an Instagram content creator, and the creative force behind beloved clay and tambourine kits used by Shluchos and Jewish organizations across the U.S. and beyond. A longtime educator turned craft creator and co-host of The Sisters Chat podcast, Mushky blends chinuch, creativity, and performance to make Yiddishkeit hands-on, joyful, and totally unexpected. 
 
This Week's PromptDo kids get to choose their own values or do parents always decide?This is a NEW segment at the end of every episode featuring voice notes from listeners with their hot takes on a featured topic!  
 
Referenced On the Pod
44:40min Kathy Heller’s podcast, Everything Is Energy 
47:45 Camp Crate 
49:17 Mushky on Tovido 
49:21 Mushky’s YouTube channel 
49:22 Mushky on Kosher.com 
50:03 Michelle Moses
1:34:16 The Sister’s Chat podcast
2:18:31 Sara Miriam Smith on Totally Unexpected!
 
Stay in touch with Mushky!
Mushky on Instagram
Aloomacrafts.com 
The Sister's Chat
Mushky's YouTube channel
Info@onarollcrafts.com
 
Stay in touch with Chavie!
@chaviebruk on Instagram
www.totallyunexpected.blog 
 
Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.

Yocheved Shapiro: A Parent’s Guide to School Advocacy

Yocheved shares her background growing up in a loud, opinionated family as the quieter sibling sandwiched between strong personalities, and how her parents’ journey as baalei teshuva (people who became religious later in life) — including her father returning to school for a master’s in education — shaped her identity as an educator. Chavie and Yocheved compare birth order dynamics, with Chavie as the oldest of nine and Yocheved navigating not knowing where she fit, and how that later informed Yocheved’s certainty about becoming an educational advocate. Yocheved talks openly about struggling in traditional classrooms, loving college and research, and realizing that her strength was learning rather than schooling, which leads into a candid conversation about why so many children struggle in rigid educational systems and where responsibility really lies between schools and parents. The conversation turns personal as Yocheved shares her fertility journey, her decision to be open about shidduchim and PCOS, and what it was like raising children with very different temperaments, including selective mutism and multiple neurodivergent diagnoses. Chavie and Yocheved dig into nature versus nurture, letting go of outcomes in parenting, and how to set measurable goals without lowering expectations. They close by talking about confidence versus self-esteem, avoiding power struggles, trusting your gut as a parent, and how to show up to schools in ways that are effective rather than just emotionally validating.
 
Yocheved Shapiro, M.Ed. is a dedicated educator and advocate with over 20 years of experience in early childhood education. Holding a Master’s in Educational Psychology, she combines professional expertise with personal experience as a parent of three neurodivergent children, championing their success in every aspect of life. She is passionate about guiding and empowering parents and educators in navigating and gaining access to the appropriate resources to best support children.
 
This Week's Prompt How Do You Color Outside the Lines of Societal Expectations In Your Daily Life?This is a NEW segment at the end of every episode featuring voice notes from listeners with their hot takes on our featured topic! 
 
Referenced On the Pod
10:39 Totally Unexpected! interview with Chevee Szokovski
48:47 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 
1:22:32 The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People 
1:29:29 Ari Shapiro’s (Yocheved’s son) website
1:29:57 JEM - Jewish Educational Media 
2:15:15 Totally Unexpected! interview with Sarah Immerman 
 
Stay in touch with Yocheved!
WhatsApp: 718-501-2165
yochshap@gmail.com
Yocheved on Instagram
www.ShapiroEducationalConsulting.com 
Yocheved's WhatsApp Group
 
Stay in touch with Chavie!
@chaviebruk on Instagram
www.totallyunexpected.blog 
 
Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.

Yocheved Sidof: Straddling the Edges of Faith & Healing

Chavie and Yocheved start by bonding over their shared experiences navigating parenting struggles and challenges. Yocheved unveils her family’s roots in Iran, including the persecution and faith of the Mashadi Jewish community, and how her parents’ immigration to the United States eventually brought them into the Chabad community in Minnesota. Chavie and Yocheved talk about their shared curiosity about the human mind, and Yocheved reflects on being drawn to both Chassidus and psychology from a young age, which led her to pursue her PhD in clinical psychology at twenty-one. Chavie walks through Yocheved’s creative work as a photographer and filmmaker, and how that work grew into advocacy for children outside the mainstream in Crown Heights, including founding Lamplighters, a Chassidic Montessori school. They talk about what it looks like to pursue a life mission while raising children, and the constant tension between guilt and gratitude that follows. Chavie and Yocheved discuss the role of women in Jewish ritual spaces and what it looks like to push edges without compromising halachic values. Chavie closes the conversation by asking Yocheved about psychedelics and whether it’s possible to be on a healing journey without them.
Yocheved Sidof is a spiritual and social entrepreneur, teacher, and guide devoted to cultivating deeper ways of being rooted in Torah, presence, and lived faith. She is the founder of Ohmek, a contemplative community offering sacred spaces for spiritual deepening, healing, and remembrance through learning, ritual, and embodied practice. Yocheved leads healing pilgrimages to Poland and Israel, inviting participants to meet history, grief, and holiness with courage and consciousness. She draws on Jewish mysticism, trauma-informed wisdom, and decades of leadership experience, while currently pursuing a PhD in Transpersonal Research. Her work speaks to women seeking a spiritually grounded path that honors devotion, depth, and the quiet unfolding of the soul.
 
This Week's Hot Take Fast Fashion: Love it, hate it, or necessary evil?NEW segment at the end of every episode featuring voice notes from listeners with their hot takes on our featured topic!
 
Referenced On the Pod
1:18:53 Ohmek 
1:26:55 Thomas Huebl
1:40:33 Tanya Chapter 42
2:04:50 Michal Carlebach's episode on Totally Unexpected! 
 
Stay in touch with Yocheved!
https://linktr.ee/Yochevedsidof
ohmekliving.com
Yocheved's Weekly Class on Spotify
‎Open this link to join Ohmek WhatsApp Community
 
Stay in touch with Chavie!
@chaviebruk on Instagram
www.totallyunexpected.blog 
 
Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.

Abi Radcliffe: Are Vulnerability & Authenticity the Same Thing?

Chavie and Abi start off discussing how important it is to be selective with friendships as adults in order to preserve emotional bandwidth for deeper relationships. Abi shares her experience moving between Chabad and non-Chabad schools and how she was always drawn to creativity from a young age, from tinkering with Barbie clothing and scarves to studying fashion in school. She talks about working in retail fashion, stepping back to raise her children, and later joining a children’s wear store in Toronto. There, she became involved in everything from buying and visual merchandising to sales and running the store’s social media. Chavie asks Abi to walk her through her approach to growing an Instagram presence, including her top tips for reels and the tension between being real online without sharing more than feels right. Chavie and Abi also share date night ideas and talk about navigating relationships with people who struggle with anxiety. Chavie closes out the conversation by asking Abi to share her ideal daily routine. Abi explains that her non-negotiable is starting the day without her phone and giving herself a quiet buffer before everything else begins.
 
Abi Radcliffe is a Canadian modest content creator. She enjoys sharing light and easygoing content that bring joy. You can find her sipping black coffee at work or fleeing the country to discover new places. She is a mother of three plus a cat that is definitely considered her fourth child. Abi loves sharing fashion finds and content that is happiness inducing. 
 
Referenced On the Pod
11:08 Andrew Huberman’s podcast, The Huberman Lab
57:25 Abi Radcliffe's Fierce & Frum blog 
1:00:29 Astrology episode on Totally Unexpected! with Mendel Zirkind 
1:18:36 Sha’ar Habitachon - Gate of Trust by Rabbeinu Bachya ben Yosef ibn Paquda 
2:05:09 Moishe & Chaya Chanin’s podcast, Undecided & Committed 
 
Stay in touch with Abi @abiradcliffe_ on Instagram!
 
Stay in touch with Chavie!
@chaviebruk on Instagram
www.totallyunexpected.blog 
 
Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.

Chevee Szokovski: Where Do I Fit In?

This week, Chavie welcomes her lifelong bestie, Chevee Szokovski, to the pod. They start by rewinding the clock to their high school days in Chicago. Chevee shares that she never quite fit in with the popular cliques going back to grade school and that she often felt socially isolated in high school as well. Chavie and Chevee dive into what it’s like to forgive childhood bullies while still carrying the scars they left behind. They reminisce about their seminary days and what life was like living in an Israeli dorm. Chevee opens up about dating, marriage, and how she and her husband were primed to start a Chabad House, until her husband came to the realization that his values didn’t align with that life path. Chavie asks Chevee how she navigated this life-altering shift while maintaining her marriage. They also talk about Chevee’s work as an early childhood educator and her focus on normalizing the inclusion of children with special needs in mainstream classrooms. And of course, if Chavie's bestie and book club buddy is on the pod, you know there will be plenty of Brene Brown quotes to go around.
 
Chevee is a wife and mom of three, and has been best friends with Chavie Bruk for more than half their lives. She strives to live a values-driven life and is deeply passionate about education and inclusion. Chevee has been teaching for over 20 years and is a lifelong learner. She is the director of FCHS, a Hebrew school for children with special needs. 
Referenced On the Pod
6:56 "Sorry I’m Late I Didn’t Want To Come" by Jessica Pan 
1:11:48 "Call Me Back with Dan Senor" podcast 
1:39:08 “Clear is Kind” - Brene Brown 
1:40:15 "All I Needed To Know I Learned In Kindergarten" by Robert Fulghum
1:47:14 "What Happened To You" by Oprah Winfrey & Bruce D. Perry
 
Stay in touch with Chevee at cheveeh@gmail.com.
 
Stay in touch with Chavie!
@chaviebruk on Instagram
www.totallyunexpected.blog 
 
This episode is dedicated it to Eli Schlanger and all the other beautiful souls who were murdered in Sydney, Australia. We keep in our hearts their families, for whom Chanukah is never going to be the same. As Jews, we are not strangers to holding pain and suffering and fear alongside joy and light and courage and strength. From the bottom of my heart, I wish everyone a happy, peaceful, and joyous Chanukah, and I ask that we keep in mind all the souls that lost their lives for being Jewish, and elevate them in our determination to not back down.Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.

BrookeLynne Dukes: Parenting Without Shame

Chavie and BrookeLynne dive into all things parenting in this episode. BrookeLynne shares how a Chicago girl like her ended up with a name like Brookelynne. She talks about excelling in grade school, then running into challenges in the magnet school she attended, and later in college, where she discovered that the standardized educational system wasn’t the best fit for her. Through it all, she still got a master’s in early childhood education. Chavie and BrookeLynne talk about normalizing parenting struggles and finding ways to address them without shame. They bond over hot takes, like: you can be a playful parent without having to constantly play with your kids; it’s ok to limit screens even on plane rides; and not every child will feel like their parent is “their person” — and that’s ok.
 
BrookeLynne Dukes is a parenting coach, early childhood educator and presenter. BrookeLynne gets parents and gets kids. She helps adults get clear on their role in a child’s life, how to  decatastrophize, move out of urgency, how to understand brand new humans, and learn how to teach them the skills that don’t always come as naturally to them!
 
Referenced On the Pod
26:34 Ken Robinson - Do School’s Kill Creativity? 
44:23 Hunt Gather Parent 
1:33:20 Shoshana Bruk’s interview on Totally Unexpected! 
1:39:10 Dr. Shefali on Conscious Parenting 
 
Stay in touch with BrookeLynne!
@brookelynnedukes on Instagram
Brookelynnedukes@gmail.com
WhatsApp Business: ‪+1 (312) 298‑9810‬
 
Stay in touch with Chavie!
@chaviebruk on Instagram
www.totallyunexpected.blog 
 
Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.

Aura Rosenblatt: The Creative Rhythm of Spirit & Soul

Aura starts off by sharing her experience working behind the camera as a makeup artist to Hollywood’s stars. Chavie asks Aura if there was a conflict between being a creative in the artistic mecca of fashion while straddling her identity as a religious Jew. They talk about Aura’s beginnings in the colorful, lively home of her legendary parents, Rabbi Shlomo and Olivia “Schwartzy” Schwartz. Chavie and Aura also explore the dynamics of dating within the Chabad world, including Aura’s story of dating someone outside the community: a Modern Orthodox boy who happened to be the lead singer of Blue Fringe. Aura opens up about her own spiritual journey, how incorporating Chitas into her daily life grounds her, and the various podcasts and workshops she now leads on topics like Rosh Chodesh, the often-taboo subject of money, and her newest course inspired by The Artist’s Way.
Aura grew up as the ninth of twelve children to Rabbi Shlomo and Olivia Schwartz, in a home filled with song, stories, and community. For more than twenty years she worked as a makeup artist, creating beauty tutorials for brands like CoverGirl and Burt’s Bees, where her greatest joy was connecting with women and helping them recognize their own inner beauty. In 2020, Aura expanded her work by completing training at the IPEC Life Coaching School. Today, she lives in Atlanta with her husband, musician Dov Rosenblatt, and their five children. She leads Women’s Rosh Chodesh Circles, facilitates retreats—including one this past week in the Ellijay mountains—and is building a Women’s Spa Retreat. Aura also hosts the Dream Detour podcast, where she explores spirituality, abundance, and the journey back to our truest selves.
Referenced On the Pod
10:35 Aura on Awake Jewish Women 
23:36 Aura’s Divine Wealth series on her podcast, Dream Detour
38:49 Dov Rosenblatt’s band, Blue Fringe 
42:41 C Lanzbom, Soul Farm
55:12 Chitas 
59:39 Chayenu pamphlets
1:04:15 Chana Kalmenson on Aura's podcast, Dream Detour
1:16:26 IPEC Life Coaching 
1:43:07 Cathy Heller on Aura's podcast, Dream Detour
1:43:28 The Artist Way by Julia Cameron 
1:44:28 Tonia Chazanow's podcast, Human & Holy podcast 
Stay in touch with Aura!
Aura on Instagram 
Aura on Facebook
Aura's upcoming workshop, The Artists Way Forward
 
Stay in touch with Chavie!
@chaviebruk on Instagram
www.totallyunexpected.blog 
This episode is dedicated by our dear friends and cousins Laibe and Esta Gordon of the Five Towns, in loving memory of Laibe’s older brother, Binyomin, Yonasan Binyomin ben Reb Nissan, Zichrono Levracha, who passed away on Lamed Tishrei. May Hashem send comfort to his wife, Sandy, his daughters, Perel, Naomi, and Malkie, and the entire family. 
Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.

Gitty Hecht: How I Decided to Call Chabad Home

In this conversation, Chavie and Gitty start off by exploring Gitty’s unique childhood, going from a Modern Orthodox school to a Bais Yaakov and constantly having to juggle the subtle social dynamics. As a child of immigrants, her parents always demanded excellence and went to great lengths to make sure Gitty had the tools to succeed. Gitty talks about getting married right out of seminary, how she started a jewelry and accessories business after moving to Lakewood, and how she intuitively saw the potential in using social media as a promotional tool for launching her makeup work when Instagram was still in its infancy. Chavie and Gitty talk about the tension between being open with their audiences and welcoming all questions while still maintaining boundaries, and they discuss what they consider to be “off-limit” questions. Chavie asks Gitty about her journey of self-discovery post-divorce and what led her to become a Chabad Rebbetzin. Gitty shares openly and emotionally about the joys and challenges of running a Chabad House and life alongside her husband, who serves as both a Chabad rabbi and a Dayan (rabbinical judge).
 
Rebbetzin Gitty Hecht is married to HaRav HaDayan Mordechai Z. Hecht and serves as Rebbetzin of their shul, Anshe Sholom Chabad JCC, in Kew Gardens, Queens, NY. A former global bridal makeup artist, Gitty is now a sought-after speaker and educator who shares relatable, down-to-earth perspectives on real-life challenges through a contemporary Torah lens. A selection of her insightful talks can be found online. 
 
Referenced On the Pod
54:33 Totally Unexpected! episode about Human Design
1:34:40 The Tanya
Stay in touch with Gitty!
@gittyhecht on Instagram
rebbetzingittyhecht@gmail.com
www.gittyhecht.com
 
Stay in touch with Chavie!
@chaviebruk on Instagram
www.totallyunexpected.blog 
 
Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.

Esty Prus: From Wig Styling to Tanya Teaching

In this conversation, Chavie and Esty bond about the joys of school finally being in session after a far-too-long, in their very frank opinion, summer break. They talk about how important it is to acknowledge that while they may be imperfect moms, they are the perfect moms for their children. Chavie and Esty share deeply moving and hilarious life hacks from their grandmothers, who were the original models for today’s “self-care” trend. Esty shares about her life journey from being a teenager who discarded boundaries, growing up in Kfar Chabad, Israel, and then finding personal growth and balance through a reconnection with Tanya and Chassidic spirituality. Chavie asks Esty about her journey from being a well-known wig stylist (and Chavie’s personal wig stylist for more than ten years!) to guiding others in the pursuit of a more spiritual life. As always, Chavie doesn’t shy away from getting to the core of her guest’s personal journey and digs deep with Esty to explore how she made that transformation.
Esty Prus is a mother of seven, speaker, and the founder of Simply Tanya. Through her unique blend of personal storytelling, Chassidic insight, and practical tools, Esty inspires women to embrace meaningful change from the inside out. Drawing deeply from the teachings of Tanya, she shows how its timeless wisdom can guide every stage of life. Esty also produces and leads transformative women’s retreats and journeys to the Rebbe, weaving together learning, reflection, and community experiences that leave a lasting impact.
 
Stay in touch with Esty!
@estyprus on Instagram
 
Stay in touch with Chavie!
@chaviebruk on Instagram
www.totallyunexpected.blog 
 
Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.