Free Daily Podcast Summary
Totally Unexpected!: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Chavie Bruk
Join Chavie as she discovers the one totally unexpected moment in her guests’ lives that changed everything. These are real stories about pain, joy, and struggle, the moments that make us human. Chavie is obsessed with personal growth and doesn't shy away from the hard conversations. She covers topics like Jewish astrology, parenting taboos, health and wellness, adoption, race, and sexuality inside the Orthodox Jewish community and beyond. Chavie Bruk is a mother of five adopted children and the co-director of Chabad Lubavitch of Montana together with her husband, Rabbi Chaim Bruk. On Totally Unexpected! Chavie doesn't just interview her guests, she sits with them for long, unfiltered conversations where they laugh, cry, and share the stories that shaped who they have become. Chavie also writes a weekly essay on Substack about the unexpected moments in her life, the one's happening in real time that are challenging her, stretching her, and helping her grow. Sign up for free here: www.TotallyUnexpected.blog.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- Yesterday2h 20m
Yisroel Bernath's Forgiveness Experiment
Yisroel tell Chavie about his childhood in Des Plaines, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, where he was raised by parents who were still in the process of becoming more observant. Yisroel opens up about having a stutter as a child, the first time he has ever shared this publicly. He reflects on how it shaped the way he learned to speak, pause, and communicate with intention. He talks about being perceived as a mainstream Chabad yeshiva boy while internally struggling with not fitting in, and how he eventually made the radical decision to leave the regular yeshiva track and spend a year in Tiferes, a yeshiva built for beginners in Morristown, NJ. He shares how that choice changed his relationship with Judaism, Hassidic teachings, and eventually his work as a rabbi. Chavie and Yisroel then trace his unexpected path to Montreal, where he established Chabad of NDG and began working with young Jewish professionals and became known as the “Love Rabbi,” leading to matchmaking and the documentary Kosher Love. Chavie asks what led him to write The Forgiveness Experiment, and Yisroel shares the Yom Kippur Facebook post that opened his eyes to how much resentment people quietly carry, especially toward those in leadership positions. They deep dive into what it’s like to feel wronged by G-d, and what it means to move from waiting to be rescued toward becoming a co-creator in your own life. Rabbi Yisroel Bernath is the senior rabbi of Rohr Chabad NDG in Montreal and the voice behind a growing global audience online, where he shares heart-open reflections on relationships, healing, and purpose. Known for his honest and relatable style, he brings together Jewish wisdom, Kabbalah, and real-life experience to help people navigate love, pain, and personal growth. He is the author of The Forgiveness Experiment, a #1 Amazon bestseller that explores what life could look like if we truly let go. Through his writing, podcasts, and social media, Rabbi Bernath invites people into deeper, more meaningful conversations with themselves and with each other. This Week's Prompt Tell me about your fitness journey! Do you have a routine? How has your relationship with fitness evolved? This NEW segment at the end of every episode features voice notes from listeners with their personal stories and hot takes on the given prompt. Referenced On the Pod 00:1:29 Chavie’s blogpost about Zeesy health journey 27:55 Tiferes Bachurim - Rabbinical College of America 51:41 - Kosher Love Documentary 1:16:46 Steven Karpman - Karpman Drama Triangle 1:16:50 - Omer Pinto 1:22:49 - David Emerald 1:59:59 Chavie’s interview with Moshe Weinbaum 2:01:05 - Chavie’s blogpost about her fitness journey 2:13:25 Walk At Home - at home workout subscription 2:19:07 Jazzercize Stay in touch with Yisroel! www.theloverabbi.com rabbi@jewishndg.com @montrealrabbi on Instagram @myrabbi Facebook www.forgivenessbook.org The Forgiveness Experiment - Paperback The Forgiveness Experiment - Kindle The Forgiveness Experiment Audiobook Stay in touch with Chavie! @chaviebruk on Instagram www.totallyunexpected.blog Totally Unexpected! on Youtube Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to<a href='htt
- 2 weeks ago2h 10m
Paola Feher: From Yoga to Ayurveda - A Guide to Breath, Body, & Self
Chavie and Paola open by reminiscing about how they first connected when Paola walked into Chabad of Bozeman for a Passover seder 18 years ago and instantly felt at home. Paola talks about her childhood as a first generation American, the daughter of two physicists, a Holocaust survivor father who fled to Israel before eventually founding the physics department at UCSD, and what it was like growing up in a home where intellect was everything. Paola shares how she struggled with depression as a teenager and found her way through nature and eventually yoga, which became the spirituality she hadn't known she was looking for. Chavie asks Paola to go deep on what yoga actually is beyond the physical poses, and they talk about breath, what it means to really be in your body, and Chavie opens up about her own struggles connecting to her breath. Paola then walks through three defining moments of grief and loss in her life and how each one eventually led her to Ayurveda, which has now become a central part of how she works with clients. Chavie asks Paola to use her as a live case study, and Paola maps out Chavie's Ayurvedic constitution right there in the episode. Paola Feher holds a Master’s in Biomechanics and a Master’s in Ayurveda. She is a massage therapist and yoga therapist who started her own practice in 1997, working with chronic pain, injury rehabilitation, and injury prevention. When she is not working, Paola loves to be outside. She has an extensive garden where she grows her own fruits and vegetables in the summer and preserves them for the winter. She also loves ice climbing, skiing, mountain biking, hiking, climbing peaks, swimming, running, and practicing yoga. She shares her life with two kitties, her partner, and close friends and family she adores. This Week's Prompt Did You Ever Experience Burnout and What Did That Feel Like? This is a NEW segment at the end of every episode featuring voice notes from listeners with their HOT TAKES on a given prompt! Referenced On the Pod 37:11 T. K. V. Desikachar 1:59:52 Hunt Gather Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff Stay in touch with Paola! www.bozemanhealingarts.com Stay in touch with Chavie! @chaviebruk on Instagram www.totallyunexpected.blog Totally Unexpected! on Youtube Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.
- 4 weeks ago2h 43m
Aimee Baron: I Was Supposed To Have a Baby
Aimee opens up to Chavie about her childhood in Lakewood, where her Holocaust survivor grandparents had a chicken farm. She shares how she became religious and didn’t go to prom because it was on a Friday night. Aimee talks about her path through medicine, and the fertility journey that changed her life: four miscarriages in a row and the miracle twins who were born after. Aimee shares how she founded I Was Supposed To Have A Baby and explains why success isn’t always about having a baby. Aimee and Chavie talk about burnout, what happens when holding everyone else’s pain catches up with you, and how sometimes the work is learning to live with what is unfinished. Aimee Baron, MD, FAAP, is the founder and executive director of I Was Supposed to Have a Baby (IWSTHAB), an organization transforming how the Jewish community cares for people navigating fertility struggles and loss. After years of secondary infertility and multiple pregnancy losses, Dr. Baron became deeply aware of the need for better emotional, communal, and practical support for those trying to build a family. IWSTHAB provides mental health support, educational resources, digital programming, communal spaces, and connections to wider support networks for people experiencing infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss, termination for medical reasons, donor conception, adoption, surrogacy, and more. Dr. Baron is passionate about creating community where people in pain feel validated, comforted, and held, and where those around them know how to show up with care. She previously served as Director of Innovation and Growth at NechamaComfort and worked as an attending pediatrician in the newborn nursery and neonatal intensive care unit at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital. She lives in the New York area with her husband and children. This Week's Prompt Are You a Home Birth Mama or Only In the Hospital Mama? This is a NEW segment at the end of every episode featuring voice notes from listeners with their HOT TAKES on a given prompt! Referenced On the Pod 20:58 NCSY 32:53 Chabad of Binghamton 32:57 Rivkah Slonim Interview on Totally Unexpected! 36:35 Chabad of Harvard - Rabbi Hirschy & Elkie Zarchi 38:35 Chabad at Syracuse - Rabbi Yaakov & Chanie Rapoport 1:20:17 Nechama Comfort - Reva Judas, Founder & Director 1:24:15 ATIME 1:24:15 Bonei Olam 1:24:15 PUAH 1:24:15 Knafayim 2:27:14 Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin 2:28:09 Aura Rosenblatt interview on Totally Unexpected! Stay in touch with Aimee! www.iwassupposedtohaveababy.org IWSTHAB Resource Library & Support Groups @iwassupposedtohaveababy on Instagram Talking Away The Taboo Podcast LinkedIn Stay in touch with Chavie! @chaviebruk on Instagram www.totallyunexpected.blog Totally Unexpected! on Youtube Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.
- May 4, 20261h 59m
Dassi Zar: In Between Selves - The Act of Rebirthing
Chavie sits down with Dassi, who starts out by sharing how she was born in Iran in the middle of the Iran-Iraq war, where her mother delivered her by emergency C-section during a blackout. Dassi talks about her family's escape from Iran, her grandparents being smuggled out through the Baluchi mountains, and how her parents left behind everything they had built to start over in America with nothing. Dassi shares what it was like growing up as a Persian Jew in New Jersey, caught between two cultures, never fully belonging to either, and how that sense of not fitting in eventually led her on a spiritual quest exploring Kabbalah and Chassidus.Chavie asks about Dassi's years working as a doula and hypnobirthing educator before she was even married, attending hundreds of births and co-founding the Boston Doula Circle, and what it was like to witness so much life coming into the world before navigating her own fertility journey. Dassi opens up about six years of infertility, the pregnancy with her second daughter, and how that collided with the unraveling of her marriage. Chavie and Dassi talk about IFS therapy, energy work, and learning how to heal by listening to the body. Dassi Zar is a mom of two, the founder of The Resilient Minded Mom, and an IFS-informed coach who helps women navigate life with clarity and self-trust. A former Shlucha in Lower Manhattan, as well as a Yoga and Pilates instructor, she brings both depth and lived experience to her work. She is also the owner of The 50FF Wig, a business rooted in confidence and accessibility. Having moved through her own seasons of challenge and growth, Dassi is deeply committed to authenticity, truth-seeking, and ultimately helping women come home to themselves. This Week's Prompt Jewish Books vs Non Jewish Books - Where Do You Draw the Line? This is a NEW segment at the end of every episode featuring voice notes from listeners with their HOT TAKES on a given prompt! Referenced On the Pod 15:46 HIAS Org (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) https://hias.org/ 21:10 The Ben Ish Chai https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosef_Hayyim 37:33 Machon Chana https://www.machonchana.org/ 47:53 Moshe weinbaum ep https://open.spotify.com/episode/02tJfMvr9wlnI5tDfZ49Fc?si=wXFBiu-NTHGo_Q1dZJukqw 1:21:00 IFS: Internal Family Systems https://ifs-institute.com/ 1:26:25 Eckhart Tolle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eckhart_Tolle Stay in touch with Dassi! @bowerymama on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bowerymama/ @the50ffwig on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/the50ffwig/ Stay in touch with Chavie! @chaviebruk on Instagram www.totallyunexpected.blog Totally Unexpected! on Youtube Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.
- Apr 20, 20262h 24m
Elin Cohen: Meet Chavie's Book Buddy
Chavie sits down with her long-distance book buddy Elin for a special episode where they review their book buddy picks but first, Elin shares what it was like growing up in Sweden, the extreme swings between dark winters and sun-filled summers, the way catching sunlight becomes a cultural priority, and how hygge isn't just a trend there but a way of survival. Elin talks about the meet-cute way she and her husband had at Ascent in Tzfat and how they ended up living and working in Kenya at the height of the HIV crisis. Chavie asks about what parenting looked like while living abroad and moving back and forth between countries. Elin talks about the devastating loss of her brother-in-law and his wife, how her niece became a permanent member of their family, and the foster care advocacy work that she is now involved with. In the second half of this conversation, Chavie and Elin go through their book buddy picks, what they loved and what they didn’t, and how reading the same books and talking about them ends up being a way of getting to know someone more deeply than you normally would. Elin Cohen grew up in Stockholm, Sweden, and lives with her family in San Francisco, California. She holds a JSD (PhD in Law) from Stanford University and works in international economic development, supporting the design and implementation of U.S. government foreign assistance programs. She very much enjoys being at home in beautiful San Francisco with her family and friends, and she also feels fortunate to travel extensively for work, to visit family, and for fun and adventures. Elin is a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer for youth in foster care and she is also an avid reader. She and Chavie are book buddies and frequently chat about the books they are reading together, as well as the many reflections those books spark in relation to their own lives, experiences and perspectives. This Week's Prompt Bar Mitzvah Culture Is Out of Hand: Yes or No? This is a NEW segment at the end of every episode featuring voice notes from listeners with their HOT TAKES on a given prompt! Referenced On the Pod 30:46 – Ascent Institute 1:09:19 – National CASA Program A full list of Chavie and Elin’s book buddy picks, along with the book podcasts mentioned will be available on www.totallyunexpected.blog. Stay in touch with Elin! @elin.cohen on Instagram Stay in touch with Chavie! @chaviebruk on Instagram www.totallyunexpected.blog Totally Unexpected! on Youtube Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.
- Apr 5, 202653 min
SPECIAL EPISODE: A Day In the Life of Chavie Bruk
In this episode, Chavie sits down with her producer, Elie Benhiyoun, to break down what a day in the life of Chavie Bruk looks like. She walks through a recent Friday, from the moment she wakes up already feeling overwhelmed to the moment she gets into bed with a book after the last Shabbos guest leaves. She opens up about her morning routine, and how she has learned over the years to protect the things that keep her going, including exercise, a proper lunch, and therapy, even on the busiest days. Chavie breaks down her post-treadmill protein shake situation, her gluten-free bagel with lox that she somehow managed to sit down for in the middle of cooking for 70 people, and the secret hummus recipe that has become a staple of her Shabbos table. She shares what came up in her therapy session that Friday, tracing her discomfort with pressure and overwhelm back to her childhood as the oldest sibling on Shlichus. She then walks through the hours of cooking for 70 Shabbos guests, the constant interruptions, the mikvah construction happening steps from her house, and how she designs her schedule to avoid coming into Shabbos frazzled. Chavie also talks about what Friday night actually looks like, the women gathering in the kitchen before the meal, the dynamic she and her husband, Rabbi Chaim Bruk, have built at the Shabbos table, and which books she reaches for once the guests are finally gone. This interview was published in written format for a collaboration with Valour Magazine. You can find the full interview in print format here: https://valourlifestyle.co.uk Referenced On the Pod 3:16 Valour Magazine 23:42: Busy In Brooklyn Stay in touch with Chavie! @chaviebruk on Instagram www.totallyunexpected.blog Totally Unexpected! on Youtube Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.
- Mar 23, 20262h 13m
Rivkah Slonim: Chassidic Feminism - Could It Be?
Chavie sits down with Rivkah Slonim — author, lecturer, and self-described Chassidic feminist — and walks through her childhood growing up in Crown Heights in close proximity to the Rebbe and Rebbetzin, with grandparents rooted in the illustrious Kapichnitz Chassidic dynasty. Rivkah shares how she came to coin the term "Chassidic feminist" and traces it back to her early years at Chabad of Binghamton, where she was confronted with the widespread assumption that Chassidic women are oppressed, and found herself doing the research to answer questions she had never quite asked before. Chavie brings the hard questions she has collected from her community and her own life about women's place in Jewish law and tradition — including mikvah, taharat hamishpacha, and halacha's relationship with female equality. They then dig into what it means to build a community and raise a family on Shlichus, and whether self-care is a modern invention or just an age-old value with a new name. Rivkah also shares how she came to author her most recent book, Holy Intimacy — which brings the conversation about women's pleasure and Jewish marriage into the open for the first time. Rivkah Slonim is the Associate Director of the Rohr Chabad Center for Jewish Student Life at Binghamton University, which she co-founded with her husband, Rabbi Aaron Slonim, in 1985. A self-described Chassidic feminist, she is an internationally known lecturer and activist. She is the editor of Total Immersion: A Mikvah Anthology (Jason Aronson, 1996; Urim, 2006) and Bread and Fire: Jewish Women Find God in the Everyday, and co-author of Holy Intimacy: The Heart and Soul of Jewish Marriage with Sara Morozow. Slonim serves on the Editorial Board of the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, sits on the executive boards of Tamim Academy and the Institute of Jewish Spirituality and Society, and is a senior lecturer at Bais Chanah Women International. This Week's Prompt What are your favorite Pesach hacks and tips? 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 2:06:39 Chavie's blogpost on Substack about her Bubby Links to Rivkah's books: Order Holy Intimacy on Amazon Order Total Immersion on Amazon Order Bread & Fire on Amazon Stay in touch with Chavie! @chaviebruk on Instagram www.totallyunexpected.blog Totally Unexpected! on Youtube This episode is dedicated in honor of my dear mother, Rivky Slonim, who inspires me daily. May she continue to inspire the world in good health for many more years! - Chani Levertov Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.
- Mar 9, 20262h 28m
Chaim Bruk: Our Infertility & Adoption Story
Chavie sits down with her husband, Rabbi Chaim Bruk, the podcast’s first returning guest, just ahead of their 20th anniversary. For the first time, they walk through their entire infertility and adoption journey from beginning to end. They revisit the moment they received the excruciating diagnosis of permanent infertility and how they charted their own path in a world where infertility and adoption was still taboo, and their decision to go public when the expectation was to keep these struggles hush-hush. They walk through each of the five adoptions and the unique challenges each of them faced: Chaya, their first baby, born a premie in Moscow, Russia; Menny, a Black child born in Maryland; Zeesy, and the discovery of her life-threatening rare metabolic disorder; how Shoshana joined the family as a pre-teen, and Chana Laya, their only child born in Montana, and the unique relationship they still maintain with her birth grandparents. As always, Chavie and Chaim tell their story with their iconic banter, drama, and humor. Rabbi Chaim Bruk is the Co-CEO and spiritual leader of Chabad Lubavitch of Montana. He moved to Montana in 2007 with his wife Chavie, where they launched a renaissance of Jewish life across the state. They are raising their five children in Big Sky Country, where they enjoy nature daily. Chaim loves teaching Torah, writing about Judaism and current events, and has an obsession with kosher sushi. This Week's Prompt Is Falling In Love Overrated? 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 2:32 Totally Unexpected! on Youtube 3:19 First Interview with Rabbi Chaim Bruk on Totally Unexpected! 17:05 Bonei Olam Financial Assistance for Infertility Treatment 1:57:07 Interview with Shoshana Bruk on Totally Unexpected! Stay in touch with Rabbi Chaim! www.jewishmontana.com www.instagram.com/chabadmontana X @MontanaJew Weekly Torah Class on Youtube Montana's Jewish Voice Stay in touch with Chavie! @chaviebruk on Instagram www.totallyunexpected.blog Totally Unexpected! on Youtube Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.
About Totally Unexpected!
Join Chavie as she discovers the one totally unexpected moment in her guests’ lives that changed everything. These are real stories about pain, joy, and struggle, the moments that make us human. Chavie is obsessed with personal growth and doesn't shy away from the hard conversations. She covers topics like Jewish astrology, parenting taboos, health and wellness, adoption, race, and sexuality inside the Orthodox Jewish community and beyond. Chavie Bruk is a mother of five adopted children and the co-director of Chabad Lubavitch of Montana together with her husband, Rabbi Chaim Bruk. On Totally Unexpected! Chavie doesn't just interview her guests, she sits with them for long, unfiltered conversations where they laugh, cry, and share the stories that shaped who they have become. Chavie also writes a weekly essay on Substack about the unexpected moments in her life, the one's happening in real time that are challenging her, stretching her, and helping her grow. Sign up for free here: www.TotallyUnexpected.blog.
Customized Recaps
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Straight to Your Inbox
Get key takeaways from Totally Unexpected! in a 5-minute read.
Save Hours Every Week
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's Totally Unexpected! daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of Totally Unexpected! as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the Totally Unexpected! podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official Totally Unexpected! product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Chavie Bruk.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts. Upgrade to Pro for 15, or Premium for 50. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
How often does Totally Unexpected! release new episodes?
Totally Unexpected! publishes biweekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does Totally Unexpected! cover?
Totally Unexpected! covers topics including Religion & Spirituality, Spirituality, Judaism, Culture, Journals, Society & Culture, Personal Journals. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting Totally Unexpected! summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.