Awake with Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt

"If Only You Knew"

There are so many stories that are beneath the surface. And once and a while, we get to know what they are, when we make space and we listen. When we pause. Thank you so

"Going Towards The Unknowing"

I am terrified of flying. And now I’ve committed to flying at least once a month to Utah to see my son. On my most recent flight, I had a realization... Thank you so muc

“Do What You Can...”

This week I was listening to a podcast called “The Hidden Brain,” where they were discussing the formula ancient Stoics followed to minimize pain and maximize joy in life

"God In Adversity"

I’m back and it’s great to be with you. This episode is about a conversation I had about the fear of all the good things in one’s life and how we can find God in adversit

"Cultivating The Soul"

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about prayer, moments of exaltation, moments of deep sorrow, moments of joy. All of the highs and lows that bring us to spiritual experien

"The Sound Of The Soul"

Today I want to talk about music, the sound of the soul. I have two stories to share, one of a glorious end, and one of a glorious beginning.  Thank you so much for list

"Wishing You A Happy Elul"

In the first episode of a month-long series on Elul, I’ll be talking about tshuva, sharing some of the teachings and stories that I have found most helpful in my journey.

"Dealing With Pandemic-Mind"

Pandemic-mind is a term I coined for the monotony of space that leads to our thoughts running wild with fear and the unknown.  Thank you so much for listening. You can a

“A Longing To Connect Again”

When I was a kid I had a lot of anger about the world. Inevitably, I would be sent to my room, which would be followed by me longing to connect with my family again. Tha

"Stories Help Us"

My kids have been asking me recently to tell them stories of my youth. Stories help mold us, they help us figure out who we are, and how to deal with the world.  Thank y

"Spiritual Journeys"

I’ve been talking with a friend about the different parts of this pandemic, and the phases we’ve gone through. And it’s had me thinking about journeys.  Thank you so muc

"The Places That Call Us"

During this time, many of us have found ourselves being very comfortable in our homes, staying in a single spot. And yet, there are other places that call us. Thank you

"About My Chicks"

So one thing I have not spoken about on this podcast, is my chicks. When reflecting on them, I came upon a midrash which sung to me. Thank you so much for listening. You

"I Sing For You"

What’s been coming back to me again and again over the last few weeks are the words of Ilana Kaufman, “binary thinking is what seeks to divide us.” Thank you so much for

"Everyone Needs Justice"

As many of you know, I live in Washington, DC, where there have been sustained protests for the last 10 days. Last week, my son and I participated. Thank you so much for

"Language Can Create Or Destroy"

I come to you today feeling the pain that we are feeling the streets of our cities. While there is no way to fix this pain, I want to offer you a teaching about leadershi

“Torah Is Like Rain”

Shavuot begins this week. In my quest to ‘keep it real’ with you all, today we are going to talk about repentance and Torah, the great magnifier.  Thank you so much for

“It’s The Little Things”

I noticed the other day, we have a yellow rose bush on our front lawn that blooms every year. As I was out with my son yesterday smelling the roses, I saw something... T

"The Last Dance"

My family has been watching the documentary series “The Last Dance” about Michael Jordan and I’ve been obsessed. I’ve been asking myself, “what it is about him that makes

"A Mouse & The Mission"

I’m sure like many of you, there are stories that are happening in your house during this pandemic, that may not have happened before. For my family, we have been having