The Chochmat Nashim Podcast: Women Talk Judaism · Jewish Coffee House

When the Suffering Spills Over (Season 8 Episode 6)

·20 min·1 clip

Emily Damari received a BMW after saying she needed a car to get to work.

1. The Chochmat Nashim Podcast: Women Talk Judaism episode "When the Suffering Spills Over" centers on the overlap between private grief and public crisis. 2. Anne Gordon and Shoshana Keyes-Jaskol host the discussion, and both speak as people who feel the pressure of current events in daily life. 3. The episode asks what people do when the national mood, war, and personal losses all hit at once. 4. Anne links the conversation to a refuah shlema for Ariella Penina Batsevia Etel and to a family friend who died suddenly. 5. Shoshana describes the same period as "bombarded" and says she works at a newspaper, so she cannot simply ignore the news. 6. The hosts connect the personal level to the national stage through the Bibas family funeral and the return of hostages from Gaza. 7. They say the war is not over and that Hamas cannot be allowed to survive if Israelis are to feel safe at home. 8. Anne says Israeli society is "stuck in October 7th," even when there is a bit of closure as people come home. 9. Shoshana broadens the discussion to Germany's elections, France, England, U.S. upheaval, and campus anti-Semitism. 10. She also mentions the ADL's reported rise in anti-Semitism and swastikas appearing on doors, cars, and yards. 11. Anne recommends turning off the phone, going outside, and finding grounding in flowers, grass, the sun, or the sea. 12. She calls that kind of pause "self-care" and says taking a breather matters. 13. Anne then says she has been praying for Moshiach and asking Hashem to "take over" because she cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. 14. She frames that plea as a moment of surrender rather than a usual habit. 15. Shoshana says davening is a "secret weapon" and points to Sefer Tehillim and private prayer as sources of comfort. 16. The hosts stress that many things, including negotiations with Hamas, are beyond individual control. 17. They contrast that with what is in reach: order in the house, attention to a child, and going to sleep at a reasonable time. 18. Anne and Shoshana also highlight acts of kindness, including a BMW for Emily Damari and a video of women singing "Shalom Aleichem" in Arabic. 19. The tone is intimate, tearful, and conversational, with both hosts speaking directly to listeners and to each other. 20. Listeners who want Jewish coping, prayer, and current-events reflection will likely stay; listeners avoiding Gaza and anti-Semitism talk may skip.

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