Merkos 302’s Chabad on Call releases the first episodes of “Hand in Hand” this Motzaei Shabbos, launching the six-part podcast series that explores how the Rebbe’s guidance provides strength through life’s greatest challenges.
Host, Shlucha Amanda Spiro, opens the series by sharing her personal journey from grief to healing, while the second episode features Randi Landau’s story of finding purpose through profound loss. Both women demonstrate how the Rebbe’s teachings can transform pain into meaning.
Amanda begins with the sudden loss of her best friend Jackie at age 17, which left her searching desperately for answers. Her path toward healing started with an intuitive visit to synagogue, followed by transformative experiences in Israel, where she met Rabbi Pinny and Dini Gniwisch.
“They told me there’s a reason for everything, a purpose to all that we go through, and that pain can be transformed into purpose,” Amanda recalls.
When Amanda later faced a cancer diagnosis at 21, she drew upon these spiritual tools. She embraced Shabbos observance and found strength in daily practices like Modeh Ani. “The Rebbe often taught that physical and spiritual health go hand in hand,” she explains, alluding to the name of the podcast. “I realized that we are both body and soul, and both need to be nurtured.”
Randi Landau’s episode chronicles her journey through multiple tragedies, including a near-fatal car accident and the loss of her newborn son Spencer to a rare medical condition. Rather than being consumed by grief, Randi found healing through Jewish community and ritual.
“Spencer made me a better person. He made me the wife and mother I am today,” Randi shares. She and her husband Josh began attending weekly Shabbat dinners at their rabbi’s home, gradually embracing Jewish practices including challah baking and Shabbat candles.
Randi transformed her grief into initiatives honoring Spencer’s memory, which have since helped other families recognize early warning signs of his condition, potentially saving lives.
“The Rebbe showed us what it means to care for every single person,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Executive Director of Merkos 302. “When we give people real support, rooted in Torah and Chassidus, it lifts them up in a way that’s lasting. This podcast is another way to bring that care to anyone who needs it, wherever they are.”
The women found strength through Jewish community, mitzvos, and Torah study during their most challenging periods. Their stories exemplify the podcast’s central theme, drawn from the Rebbe’s guidance, that efforts in the natural world must go “hand in hand” with spiritual trust.
“What makes these conversations so powerful is how they reveal the transformative nature of Torah in real life,” said Chani Goldberg, Director of Chabad on Call at Merkos 302. “Amanda and Randi show us that while pain is inescapable, isolation doesn’t have to be. Through community, Jewish practice, and Bitachon, we discover that even our deepest struggles can become pathways to healing and purpose.”
Produced at the Merkos 302 Studio by Chabad on Call’s Etti Krinsky, the podcast serves as a resource for anyone facing difficulties, demonstrating how Torah wisdom and Jewish community can provide both comfort and direction. Future episodes will continue exploring how individuals have found resilience through bitachon and connection.
“Hand in Hand” episodes are available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms. New episodes will be released weekly.
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