Meaningful People

As we mark 25 years since September 11, we're revisiting Ari Schonbrun's extraordinary story of survival. Ari worked for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 101st floor of the World Trade Center's North Tower. A series of seemingly ordinary delays left him running late that morning, placing him on the 78th floor when the first plane struck. Thrown to the ground by the impact and surrounded by smoke, fire, and chaos, Ari began searching for a way out.
That search brought him to Virginia, a severely burned coworker who begged him not to leave her. Ari made her a promise and helped her down dozens of flights of stairs, refusing to abandon her even as they fought to escape with their lives. In this deeply moving conversation, Ari recounts the decisions, strangers, and extraordinary moments of Divine Providence that led them out of the tower, and how surviving September 11 forever changed his faith, his priorities, and the way he understands why he was spared.
 
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:04 Not Taught in School
4:50 A Beautiful Tuesday Morning
11:25 First Plane Hits
14:08 A Woman Screaming for Help
17:03 Finding a Way Out
19:04 A Phone Call in the Stairwell
21:36 Is There a Paramedic in the Building?
25:32 Finds Out it's a Terrorist Attack
29:20 Breaking Down in His Brother's Arms
32:38 Go Hug the People You Love
34:40 Twenty People, A Hundred Messages
35:45 Daddy's Got to Work
38:00 One Mitzvah at a Time
43:33 Only Four Survived
47:20 The Smoky Taste the Next Morning
50:44 Find Your Mission
57:33 Can You Come In at 11?
59:30 Cantor Fitzgerald's Promise
1:01:19 Whispers and Bricks

This week, Nachi Gordon sits down with Yudi and Chumi Herzberg to talk about the life, story, and legacy of their daughter Charlotte, who passed away in a car accident on June 2. Yudi and Chumi walk through what made Charlotte so uniquely herself, the note she left her mother the night before the accident, and how they found out and told the rest of their kids. They also talk candidly about the ups and downs since then, including recognizing the driver as a close family friend, and how they came to see the tragedy as coming entirely from Hashem rather than from any person to blame.
 
The conversation turns toward Shalom for Charlotte, the movement Yudi and Chumi built out of the accident, aimed at inspiring people to make peace in their own relationships. They share some of the thousands of stories that have poured in since Charlotte passed, from decades long feuds ending to siblings reconnecting, and talk about what it has meant to watch their daughter's legacy grow into something so much bigger than themselves.
 
This episode is sponsored by:
 
► PZ Deals
 
Never pay full price again when you download the PZ Deals app.
 
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► Colel Chabad Pushka App
 
The easiest way to give Tzedaka.
 
https://pushkapp.cc/meaningful
 
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► Aura House
 
A sleek, flame free cold air diffuser that fills your home with a five star hotel scent, with no parabens or phthalates. A perfect wedding gift. Use code MEANINGFUL15 for 15% off.
 
https://aurahouse.com
 
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► Values Over Valuables
 
A campaign encouraging people to live a value based life instead of buying whatever they can afford. Watch the video and take the pledge.
 
https://valuesovervaluables.org
 
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► Voice 37 by Isaac Honig
 
An all natural vocal booster made with organic herbs that lasts 12 to 24 hours, made for singers and especially for chazzanim heading into the Yomim Noraim. Available on Amazon.
 
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► Ness Vacation Homes
 
Eden Gardens' largest luxury home collection. Handpicked, high end homes available exclusively through Ness.
 
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► Rothenberg Law Firm
 
Personal Injury Law Firm for 50+ years! Reach out today for a free case evaluation.
 
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► Town Appliance
 
Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp.
 
https://www.townappliance.com
https://bit.ly/Townappliance_whatsapp
 
Timestamps:
 
0:00 Intro
3:48 Charlotte's Personality and Big Feelings
8:55 The Note Charlotte Left the Night Before the Accident
15:49 Reliving June 2: How the Accident Unfolded
19:27 Yudi's Hope at the Scene and the Ride to the Hospital
23:19 Telling Their Other Children What Happened
25:27 Hatzalah, Neighbors, and the Community's Response
29:20 Recognizing the Driver as a Close Family Friend
33:18 Being on the Same Page as a Couple
35:09 Grief During and After Shiva
44:46 Seeing Hashem Clearly Through the Tragedy
47:46 Why They Chose the Name Shalom for Charlotte
52:18 Adjusting to Life After Shiva Ended
1:00:18 Turning Their Story Into Chizuk for Others
1:04:57 Rabbi Robino Eisenberger's Message on a Predestined Life
1:13:35 Stories of Shalom Pouring In From Around the World
1:20:29 The Goal of 100,000 Acts of Shalom
1:25:02 Visiting Charlotte's Grave
1:27:03 Preparing for a Simcha and Living Life Fully Today

This week, Nachi Gordon sits down with philanthropists Yossi Hoch and Simcha Shain to talk about the world of tzedakah, from the pressure donors carry to the changing psychology of giving. They open up about what has shifted since their parents' generation, how technology and platforms like Charidy have reshaped fundraising, and why some of the most established organizations now struggle to compete with flashier, newer causes. Along the way they share candid stories about donors who quietly write six figure checks and others who give up their Shabbos soda money, and why both matter equally.
 
The conversation turns personal as Yossi and Simcha discuss the hidden shame that comes with losing the ability to give, the toll of unfulfilled pledges, and what it really means to give with a full heart rather than a full wallet. They also dig into Shuvu, the organization educating thousands of children across Israel, including former hostage Bar Kuperstein, and share the story of how each of them first got involved. It's a wide ranging, honest look at what tzedakah costs, what it gives back, and why every dollar, no matter the size, counts.

Help Shuvu grow
This episode is sponsored by:
 
► PZ Deals
 
Never pay full price again when you download the PZ Deals app.
 
https://app.pz.deals/install/mpp
 
_________________
 
► Colel Chabad Pushka App
 
The easiest way to give Tzedaka.
 
https://pushkapp.cc/meaningful
 
_________________
 
► Amudim - What Comes Next, Live in New York
 
Join Nachi Gordon moderating a powerful panel on healing from abuse, crime, and trauma. Free event, limited seating.
 
https://amudim.org/next
 
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► Shopify Guru
 
Store looks great but not selling the way it should? Shopify Guru's Daniel gets under the hood and makes it actually work, no developer needed every time you want to make a change. Call 732-534-1404 or go to shopifyguru.io.
 
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► Ness Vacation Homes
 
EDEN GARDENS' LARGEST LUXURY HOME COLLECTION. Handpicked, high-end homes available exclusively through Ness.
 
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► Rothenberg Law Firm
 
Personal Injury Law Firm For 50+ years! Reach out today for a free case evaluation.
 
https://shorturl.at/JFKHH
 
_________________
 
► Town Appliance
 
Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp.
 
https://www.townappliance.com
 
https://bit.ly/Townappliance_whatsapp



Timestamps:
 
0:00 Intro: The $7 Postdated Check That Changed a Life
2:09 Meet Yosi Hach and Simcha Shain
3:38 A Billion Dollars a Year in Tzedakah
5:03 How Communal Wealth Has Changed
6:04 Technology's Impact on Fundraising
8:27 The Rise of Charidy and Online Giving
12:12 Donor Psychology: Has Giving Gotten Too Easy?
14:19 The Shrinking Value of $100
18:01 Can a Family of Five Live on $300K?
20:00 Tuition, Tax Credits, and Housing Costs
23:51 Advice for a 22 Year Old Starting Out
26:13 Investing in Yourself
29:35 Fundraising War Stories and the Hidden Stress on Donors
36:52 A Personal Story of Loss and Gratitude
39:17 Chesed, Unfulfilled Pledges, and Giving with a Full Heart
49:20 The Origins and Growth of Shuvu
55:19 Shuvu's Alumni, the War, and How Simcha Shain Got Involved
1:04:19 Mike Tress, Parting Advice, and Vetting a Charity

Rabbi Benjamin Goldschmidt grew up in Moscow as the son of the city's chief rabbi, trained in Bnei Brak and Ponovezh, and spent a decade as assistant rabbi at Manhattan's Park East Synagogue — until he was abruptly and very publicly fired. In this raw conversation with Nachi Gordon, he opens up for the first time about that moment: the New York Post headline, the car crash he got into reading about himself, and the isolation of losing not just a job but an entire community.
Out of that low point came Altneu, the congregation he and his wife built from nothing — starting with 40 people in their living room, then two and a half years of renting a different Manhattan venue every single week, never knowing until Thursday's email where Shabbos would be. Rabbi Goldschmidt walks through how that instability became the shul's strength, the breaking point that nearly ended the project, his father's advice that turned it around, and how it all led to buying a $35 million building on the Upper East Side. He also gets into what it's like leading a congregation through today's political climate in New York, and the loss of a beloved member that shook the whole community.
 
This episode is sponsored by:
 
► PZ Deals
 
Download the app and never pay full price again!
 
https://app.pz.deals/install/mpp
 
_________________
 
► Colel Chabad Pushka App
 
The easiest way to give Tzedaka
 
https://pushkapp.cc/meaningful
 
_________________
 
► Shopify Guru
 
Store looks great but not selling the way it should? Shopify Guru's Daniel gets under the hood and makes it actually work, no developer needed every time you want to make a change. Call 732-534-1404 or go to shopifyguru.io.
 
https://go.jcn.io/sgmp
 
_________________
 
► Ness Vacation Homes
 
EDEN GARDENS' LARGEST LUXURY HOME COLLECTION. Handpicked, high-end homes available exclusively through Ness.
 
https://nessvacationhomes.com/
 
_________________
 
► El Al
 
From the Hebrew announcements to the Israeli atmosphere onboard, flying EL AL feels like Israel before you even land. With nonstop flights to Israel and Jewish comfort from takeoff to landing, there's nothing like hearing: ברוכים הבאים לישראל. Book your next flight with EL AL:
 
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_________________
 
► Rothenberg Law Firm
 
Personal Injury Law Firm For 50+ years! Reach out today for a free case evaluation.
 
https://shorturl.at/JFKHH
 
_________________
 
► Town Appliance
 
Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp.
 
https://www.townappliance.com
 
https://bit.ly/Townappliance_whatsapp
 
_________________




Timestamps:
 
0:00 Intro: A Shul With No Address
2:57 Growing Up in Moscow as the Chief Rabbi's Son
8:47 Sent to Bnei Brak and Ponovezh at Twelve
11:40 Choosing the Rabbinate and the Lakewood "Freezer" Years
18:28 Becoming a Rabbi at Park East at Twenty-Four
23:52 A Decade as Assistant Rabbi at Park East
26:52 Getting Fired: The Sudden, Public Fallout
33:47 Losing a Job, Losing a Community
36:19 His Father's Parallel Story and the Birth of Altneu
44:20 Building a Shul on Wheels Across Manhattan
54:48 The Breaking Point and His Father's Advice
59:05 Buying a $35 Million Building on the Upper East Side
1:01:28 Building Altneu's Identity and Culture
1:10:01 From the Pulpit to Politics: Life in Manhattan Today
1:17:50 Confronting Antisemitism and What Makes a Movement Survive
1:22:00 Remembering Wesley
1:24:37 Closing

Josh Livingstone is a husband coach who works almost exclusively with men, and in this episode he explains why so many well-intentioned husbands still leave their wives feeling unheard. He and Nachi unpack what he calls the real root of most marital friction: it's not a lack of communication, it's a failure to translate. Josh walks through the "headache test," the reason a wife asks her husband to do something 50 times, and why a woman getting controlling in a marriage is often a symptom of not feeling safe rather than a desire for power. He also explains why "I'm sorry you feel that way" is one of the worst things a husband can say, and lays out the right way to apologize: full ownership first, discussion second.
 
Josh shares stories straight from his coaching practice, including a wealthy client who was convinced a two-week trip to the French Riviera would fix his marriage, only to learn his wife just wanted a ten-minute walk around the block with him at night. He breaks down his four-step CORE method for turning insight into real change at home, and gets into why so many husbands were never actually taught how to show up for their wives in the first place. It's a candid, practical conversation about masculinity, leadership, and what it actually takes to make a marriage work.
 
The Husband Coach Website
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Download my free guide "8 Steps to Connect" for husbands. 
 
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This episode is sponsored by:
 
► PZ Deals
 
Download the app and never pay full price again!
 
https://app.pz.deals/install/mpp
 
_________________
 
► Colel Chabad Pushka App
 
The easiest way to give Tzedaka
 
https://pushkapp.cc/meaningful
 
_________________
 
► Shopify Guru
 
Store looks great but not selling the way it should? Shopify Guru's Daniel gets under the hood and makes it actually work, no developer needed every time you want to make a change. Call 732-534-1404 or go to shopifyguru.io.
 
https://go.jcn.io/sgmp
 
_________________
 
► Ness Vacation Homes
 
EDEN GARDENS' LARGEST LUXURY HOME COLLECTION. Handpicked, high-end homes available exclusively through Ness.
 
https://nessvacationhomes.com/
 
_________________
 
► Rothenberg Law Firm
 
Personal Injury Law Firm For 50+ years! Reach out today for a free case evaluation.
 
https://shorturl.at/JFKHH
 
_________________
 
► Town Appliance
 
Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp.
 
https://www.townappliance.com
 
https://bit.ly/Townappl