Chavie Bruk is known by over 12,000 followers on Instagram for her unfiltered “stories” about her life as a mother of five adopted children while also co-directing Chabad Lubavitch of Montana with her husband, Rabbi Chaim Bruk. Building on the success of her blog, Clear as Mud, and worldwide speaking engagements, Chavie is launching a new podcast called Totally Unexpected! In each episode, Chavie explores a single question with her guest: “What is the one unexpected event in your life that shaped who you are today?” She also migrated her blog to Substack at www.totallyunexpected.blog, where subscribers receive a heartfelt essay from Chavie in their inbox every Tuesday.
“It’s not your typical podcast with the same rotation of guests on all the Jewish podcasts. It’s different,” says Chavie, who produces the podcast at her studio in Bozeman, Montana. “I want to speak with the unsung heroes and heroines, people that most of the Jewish world have never heard of—people with a unique story that is full of light and meaning.” Her guests range from Maui’s Mendel Zirkind, who discusses Jewish astrology, to Sara Miriam Smith of North Miami Beach, who talks openly about the challenging relationship with her late mother. For the anniversary of October 7, Chana Traxler from Tzfat shared about living with her family in a war zone for over a year. Even more recently, Chavie had an awe-inspiring conversation with her daughter, Shoshana, who was adopted at the age of twelve and is paving her own path in life.
Produced by Elie Benhiyoun and his team at www.gromybrand.com, the podcast is an oasis of thoughtfulness in a world plagued by unnecessary noise. “Listening to Totally Unexpected! and reading Chavie’s Substack gifts the listener a unique opportunity to cancel out the distractions and spend time discovering depth, rawness, and authenticity,” said her husband, Rabbi Chaim Bruk, co-CEO of Chabad Lubavitch of Montana. “She’s the real deal in private and in public. She lives with integrity, bringing a dose of Emes to us all.”
While some podcasts look for shock value and a provocative one-liner to be shared as a reel, that’s not Chavie’s goal. She appeals to those seeking a deeper journey that entails a push for change, inner transformation, and out-of-the-box thinking. As a Chabad Shlucha, living as a Frum Jew in a secular community, she is in a unique position to remain principled while being forward-thinking. She’s a renowned teacher of Tanya, the magnum opus of Chabad Chassidism, and also an avid student of therapy and modern self-improvement modalities. She fuses those ideas together to create a wholesome product for inner progress. Chavie is allergic to superficiality; her presence on Instagram has always been appreciated for her openness and hard truths, and this transition into a podcast was a natural move to spread her unique worldview.
“Chavie is a unique client. She lives in Montana, has adopted five children with her husband Chaim, runs a busy Chabad Center, and somewhere in between her insanely demanding life, she finds time to share wisdom and experiences with others for the sole purpose of improving people’s lives,” says Elie Benhiyoun, who has worked with Chavie for over two years. “Working on this podcast is an anchor for me, where I see vulnerability and traditional values emerge from these healthy, vital conversations,” he says.
AUDIO:
Listen to Totally Unexpected! every other Monday on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and subscribe to her Substack at www.totallyunexpected.blog.
Much success in your new podcast!
Every time I hear Chavie speak it has been insightful and down to earth. Looking forward to this podcast
Thank you!