Approximately 75 women gathered at Congregation Ohav Emeth (OE) in Highland Park on Tuesday evening, March 4, for an incredible shiur by Raquel Kirszenbaum. A popular teacher at Neve Yerushalayim and other programs, many former students came to hear her words of chizuk presented with her unique blend of humor, parables and Torah quotes that are infused with her love of life.

The event was primarily sponsored by the Edison Chabura and the wives of the Edison Chabura which, according to event organizer Jillian Weiss, included many of Kirszenbaum’s grateful former students. In addition to generous anonymous local sponsorships, Moishe and Nechie Malek contributed in memory of Nechie Malek’s great-grandmother, Ella Ettinger, who passed away that morning.

“Raquel and I go back 10 years to when she was first an educator on my Meor kiruv trips, then at Neve Yerushalayim as my beloved teacher, and again when I was a madricha. She has been a treasured mentor and part of my life for many years. Naturally, we keep in touch, and when I heard she was coming on a U.S. tour, I leaped at the opportunity to have her come and visit our community and speak,” said Weiss, who also arranged to have Kirszenbaum speak at RPRY earlier in the day.

OE Sisterhood President Chani Miller said, “When I was approached about OE hosting Raquel I Googled her to see what she was about and ended up listening to a podcast she had recently done. I was blown away. Raquel, however, teaches us about emunah while the bad stuff is happening and how we should deal with things while life is a mess. She teaches us that sometimes there are no happy endings and we need to learn to trust and believe in Hashem during that time. One thing she said about Purim really resonated: All little girls want to dress up as Queen Esther, yet if you think about it, Esther had no happy ending and it is she who we need to emulate and learn from.”

With relatively little advance notice, Weiss said she was expecting about 25-30 people and was amazed when the room filled up so quickly.

Following an introduction by Miller, Kirszenbaum began the presentation with amusing descriptions of her whirlwind speaking tour throughout North America and how kedusha can be found everywhere. Kirszenbaum said that while audiences come to hear her and be inspired, she is the one who is more inspired. She described her personal experiences that were the origins of her book, “Stop Hurting, Start Healing.”

“Most people write about their experiences after the challenges have been resolved. I wrote my book as I was in the middle of them and had no idea what the outcome would be. The same way things can change for the bad in the blink of an eye, they can change for the good just as quickly.”

She added that “It is better to not know where you are going in life or we may resist.” Avraham heeded the challenge when he heard the voice in the middle of the night telling him to leave the land of his birth and we have our challenges as well. “Hashem can take you places you never knew existed. Some are good, some not. But it is always part of the plan.” She continued with other biblical and Jewish historical references before concluding with some special remarks about having an “Emunah Savings Plan” to withdraw from when feeling depressed and the special trait of listening (to be able to hear what Hashem is asking of you).

A final example resonated with many in attendance as Kirszenbaum described the standard birthday party goodie bag as a parable for life. “Everyone who comes to the party gets one. There are usually all the same type of bag, and the bag may not be what is best for each person. “If the bag contains candy and chocolate and you are a diabetic or are trying to lose weight. Or if it has cookies and you are gluten free. Hashem prepares the goody bag of life for each of us; it may not be what we want — but it is always what we need.”

Stacey Schwartz of Edison said, “I did not know what to expect and was blown away by Raquel’s sense of humor and honesty. She was very real with us as she touched on her numerous life challenges and how she got through it all. I did not plan to buy her book going in, but didn’t want to miss reading it after hearing her speak. She made me want to go to Neve Yerushalayim to learn with her!” Chaya Ganon of Highland Park added, “Raquel is a magnetic teacher who delivered a meaningful, impactful message about trusting God throughout challenges and suffering that moved and inspired all of us in the audience, while keeping us laughing and hanging on her every word!”

Dina Zemble of Edison felt it was a privilege to hear Kirszenbaum speak about approaching life’s challenges with the right mindset. “With wit, humor and passion, she gave over a little bit of herself to the audience, captivating and inspiring us.” Kirszenbaum’s longtime student, Moriah Hershowitz from Staten Island, came because “Having Raquel Kirszenbaum teach Torah in America was such a soulful treat. Her words are always so inspiring and invigorate passion.”

“Stop Hurting, Start Healing” is published by Adir Press and distributed by Feldheim. It can be found on Amazon and at many Jewish bookstores. She can also be found on YouTube discussing overcoming challenges on the “Meaningful People” podcasts and other locations such as Spotify.

Deborah Melman is a staff writer at The Jewish Link.