By COLlive reporter
The New York Jewish Week has released its list of “36 to Watch” (formerly 36 Under 36), giving distinction honors to leaders, entrepreneurs and changemakers who are making a difference in New York’s Jewish community.
Among them were the following 2 Chabad women and here is what they wrote about them:
Chanie Apfelbaum, 42, is a food writer and photographer who shares her love of kosher cooking through her popular blog, Busy in Brooklyn, social media and cooking demonstrations worldwide.
She’s also the author of two kosher cookbooks: “Millennial Kosher” and the brand new “Totally Kosher.” The new book, published by mainstream house Clarkson Potter, features photographs of Apfelbaum with her children.
“I am so passionate about making kosher food accessible and approachable for everyone,” Apfelbaum, who lives in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, tells us. “Bringing families around the table to celebrate our rich Jewish traditions and heritage is so meaningful for me.”
Who is your New York Jewish hero?
My mom, Devorah Halberstam.
What’s a fun/surprising fact about you?
I don’t like brisket!
How does your Jewish identity or experience influence your work?
When I was 13 years old, my oldest brother, Ari Halberstam, was killed in a terrorist attack on the Brooklyn Bridge because he was a Jew. My journey is a means to honor what my brother Ari lived and died for.
Was there a formative Jewish experience that influenced your life path?
Growing up Chabad, I was raised with an outreach mentality. Being a proud Jew and sharing the beauty of our traditions was ingrained in me from a young age.
What is your favorite place to eat Jewish food in New York?
My mom’s house!
What are three spots in NYC that all Jewish New Yorkers should visit?
The Jewish Children’s Museum (dedicated in memory of my brother Ari), the Central Chabad Lubavitch Library and the Ohel (the resting place of Rabbi Menachem Schneerson).
How can people follow you online?
@busyinbrooklyn on Instagram or via my blog, busyinbrooklyn.com
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Miriam Ezagui, 37, is a labor and delivery nurse, a childbirth educator and a mom of four. But she’s best known for her TikTok account, which has 1.6 million followers. On the platform, Ezagui, who is Hasidic and lives in Brooklyn, posts explainer videos on Orthodox customs and scenes from her days as a mom and nurse.
She also regularly posts videos with her grandmother, a Holocaust survivor Lilly Appelbaum Malnik, and she’s cemented herself at the top of the searches for “Jewish” and “Orthodox Jewish” on the social media platform thanks to her warm demeanor, easy humor and information-based approach.
“I share what my life looks like as an Orthodox Jew, mother, wife and labor and delivery nurse,” she tells us. “My videos are viewed by millions of people across multiple social media platforms and I hope my videos educate people more about Jewish life and combat antisemitism.”
Was there a formative Jewish experience that influenced your life path?
Originally, I started my TikTok account as a baby-wearing account. I shared my love for wrapping my babies in woven wraps. But when Whoopi Goldberg made a comment that the Holocaust was not a war against race, it inspired me to speak out about my Jewish identity in a public way on my online platform. I never imagined then what it would grow to be today.
Who is your New York Jewish hero?
The Lubavitcher Rebbe and all the amazing shluchim [emissaries].
How does your Jewish identity or experience influence your work?
Both of my paternal grandparents are/were Holocaust survivors (my Zaide passed away but my Bubbe is still with us) and they instilled in me a strong Jewish identity from a young age. I’ve always been proud of my Jewish identity and heritage.
What is your favorite place to eat Jewish food in New York?
Essen NY Deli.
What was your best experience as a Jewish New Yorker?
New Yorkers get a bad rap for having a hard edge but I’ve experienced so much kindness from random strangers and it warms my heart.
What are three spots in NYC that all Jewish New Yorkers should visit?
1. The overpass above the BQE that looks out over Lower Manhattan
2. The Brooklyn Bridge
3. The New York Botanical Garden
How can people follow you online?
@miriamezagui on TikTok and @miriam.ezagui on Instagram
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Other notable personalities included were Dovid Efune, the publisher of The New York Sun and former editor-in-chief of the Algemeiner; comedian and actor Modi Rosenfeld; and Joel Eisdorfer, senior advisor to New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Chanie makes a Kiddush Hashem wherever she goes. She is authentic and passionate and a true model for the modern Jewish woman. Kudos to you and all your hard work!
Kudos to all the Rebbe’s shluchos (The ultimate Jewish woman hero’s) and their children in the Orey Hasodeh, who sacrifice their comfort, personal interests, friends, family get-togethers, simchas and much more for Klal yisroel.