The Decision That Changed Her Entire Life
5/10/202651 min
In this week’s episode of Stories of Hope, Naomi Nachman and her husband Zvi Nachman share the incredible story of how one spontaneous decision changed the course of their lives forever. From Naomi leaving Australia alone at 21 with barely any money and a one-way dream to building a life in New York, to the unexpected Thanksgiving night where the two first met, this episode is packed with wisdom about dating, risk-taking, marriage, faith, and refusing to settle for mediocrity.
The conversation dives deep into the pressures of modern Jewish dating, financial expectations surrounding marriage, raising independent children, and the importance of stepping outside your comfort zone to build the life you truly want. Naomi also opens up about how she accidentally became one of the first major kosher food influencers, building a career that took her from personal chef to cookbooks, cruises, media, and worldwide recognition. This episode is honest, inspiring, funny, and filled with practical life lessons about ambition, bitachon, family, and creating your own path.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsNaomi Nachman· Guest0:00
People said, "Why'd you move to America?" I go, "Two reasons: kosher food and kosher boys." I knew that there was no future for me in Sydney. I wanted someone who worked, but also was very serious about learning. The second day after I got here, I found myself a job, a place to live, and I made myself an appointment to meet with Touro College. And my parents said, "When are you coming back?" And I said, "Surprise, I'm not coming back."
Tzipora Grodko· Host0:21
Moving to an entirely new country- Yeah ... to build your own life is something that can seem very daunting for a lot of single people.
Naomi Nachman· Guest0:30
A new place brings you mazel. You have to, like, let go sometimes. I met Zvi a year after I got here.
Zvi Nachman· Guest0:35
I was in my late 20s, and I was still looking at that point, and I hadn't found the right person. I always wanted to meet my wife on my own without a shadchan.
Tzipora Grodko· Host0:44
How did you meet Naomi, and what were you doing there?
Zvi Nachman· Guest0:46
There was a girl that needed to move from Queens to Manhattan, and this guy had offered to help her 'cause she didn't have access to a car. At the very last minute, he said, "I can't do it." And she really needed to move, so I offered to help her out. It was happened to be Thanksgiving, so there was a thing going on in the apartment.
Naomi Nachman· Guest1:02
I was at a friend's Thanksgiving party on the Upper West Side. I was living in Brooklyn at the time. I really wanted to get back home. This guy's in the apartment, like, playing on a keyboard. My friend Debbie said to me, "That guy is going back to Brooklyn. Ask him for a ride home." I'm thinking, "Oh, he's cute."
Zvi Nachman· Guest1:18
[laughs] I like hearing this story, by the way.
Naomi Nachman· Guest1:20
[laughs] [laughs] So he gave me a ride home. We had a great conversation in the car. Two weeks later, you called me, and then that was it.
Tzipora Grodko· Host1:27
And then here we are.
Naomi Nachman· Guest1:28
I was a teacher. I always liked