Skip to content
Sign in
Artwork for Totally Unexpected!
Religion & SpiritualityJudaismSociety & CulturePersonal Journals

Totally Unexpected!

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.

Play
Open in
  • 23 episodes
  • fortnightly
  • Avg 2 hr 15 min
  • English

Episodes 23

NewestOldestLongest
All3Unplayed3In progress0Played0
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • #33
    Dec 1, 2025 · 2 hr 24 min

    BrookeLynne Dukes' Story: 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.

  • #32
    Nov 17, 2025 · 2 hr 6 min

    Aura Rosenblatt's Story: 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.

  • #31
    Nov 3, 2025 · 2 hr 9 min

    Gitty Hecht's Story: 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.

Showing 21–23 of 23 episodes