E13 | Life Is Worth Living: Surviving the Holocaust and Building a Life Full of Joy with Ella Mandel

E14 | What Every Woman Needs to Know About Breast Cancer with CEO of Sharsheret, Elana Silber

Today’s episode is about something we all hope we never face—but so many women unfortunately do: breast cancer- Cancer is a word that can feel heavy, but my goal today is to arm you with the knowledge and information you need to have. Because the truth is  the number one risk factor for breast cancer is simply being a woman. And whether you want to talk about it or not, this disease impacts 1 in 8 women.  And as you will learn today, Jewish women are more likely to carry mutations that cause Breast cancer. So I invite you to listen to this episode all the way through. I promise—it won’t feel heavy or discouraging. Instead, it will leave you with the knowledge you want to have. We are living in a time where knowledge is power. The more we understand about our bodies, our risks, and the resources available to us, the more empowered we become to take action, advocate for ourselves, and support the people around us. Today’s episode is about leaning into that power—because with knowledge comes confidence, with community comes strength, and with both, comes hope. A breast cancer diagnosis can feel like the ground has shifted beneath your feet — and navigating the medical world, the emotional weight, and the sheer volume of information can feel impossible to do alone. That is exactly why Sharsheret exists, and why this conversation with its CEO, Elana Silber, is one every woman needs to hear.   The information shared on this episode is for educational purposes only. Please consult a licensed medical professional for advice specific to your health.   In this episode, Elana shares: * Why every woman — regardless of family history, age, or background — is at risk for breast cancer, and why awareness must start at 25 * The truth about self-exams: how to do them, why they matter, and why consistency is more important than technique * What the BRCA gene mutation actually means, who carries it, and why Jewish women of all backgrounds — including Sephardic and Mizrahi — should pay attention * Why ovarian cancer is called a silent cancer, what symptoms are often overlooked, and the latest medical advances in prevention * The story of Sharsheret's founder, Rochelle Shoretz, who clerked for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, was diagnosed with breast cancer as a young mother, and built a movement from her own experience of isolation * The full range of free Sharsheret services — peer support, genetic counseling, surgery preparation kits, fertility resources, financial assistance, and more * Why Rita's own diagnosis at 34 — discovered while nursing a newborn — and her journey as a peer supporter for Sharsheret, reflect exactly the mission Sharsheret was built to fulfill * Why you don't need to know what you need before you call — Sharsheret will meet you wherever you are   ✨Follow me on Instagram @JourneyWitRitaOrg  ✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast   References: * Visit www.sharsheret.org [http://www.sharsheret.org] for more information and resources * Connect with Sharsheret on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sharsheretofficial/]and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/sharsheret.org/] * Connect with Rita @journeywithritaorg [https://www.instagram.com/p/DQsQ8DTElDk/]and @ritanaffasdesign [https://www.instagram.com/ritanaffasdesign/] * Visit www.journeywithrita.org [http://www.journeywithrita.org] for more episodes and resources

E13 | Life Is Worth Living: Surviving the Holocaust and Building a Life Full of Joy with Ella Mandel

How does a person endure the unimaginable — and still choose joy? That is the question at the heart of this profoundly moving episode, and Ella Mandel's answer will stay with you long after you finish listening. Ella Mandel is a Holocaust survivor, educator, and living witness to one of the darkest chapters in human history. Born in Poland in 1926, Ella was thirteen years old when the Germans arrived. Over the years that followed, she lost her entire family — her youngest sister, her father, her mother, and ultimately her older sister — to the Holocaust. She survived the Lodz Ghetto, Auschwitz, a German labor camp, and Bergen-Belsen, where she was liberated in April 1945 at just eighteen years old, weighing barely sixty pounds. In 2025, nearly eighty years later, Ella was honored with the Award of Courage by Holocaust Museum LA alongside supermodel Cindy Crawford, with whom she collaborated on the Borrowed Spotlight campaign to raise awareness about antisemitism and keep these stories alive for future generations. This episode is a rare and sacred gift. With Ella's permission, Rita has woven excerpts from her 1994 USC Shoah Foundation interview together with wisdom Ella shared in a personal conversation earlier this year — honoring both the depth of her story and the gift of her time. In this episode, Ella shares: * Growing up in Poland and the first devastating losses her family endured in the ghetto * Being separated from her mother on the selection line at Auschwitz — and the pact she and her sister made to survive * The brutal reality of forced labor in a German camp through a freezing winter, and how she protected her ailing sister * Contracting typhus at Bergen-Belsen and surviving because a friend who was a nurse secretly brought her medicine * The heartbreak of losing her older sister to tuberculosis just weeks after liberation — and the guilt she carried for years * How she met her husband Stefan in Bergen-Belsen, rebuilt her life in Minneapolis, and created a chosen family with other young survivor couples * Her lifelong belief — instilled by her mother — that people are basically good and that tomorrow will be better * Why she has spent decades speaking to students, and the letters she treasures from young people whose lives her story has changed * Her message to all of us: life is worth living, even on the hardest days   This episode is dedicated to the memory of the eleven million lives lost during the Holocaust, six million of them Jewish, and to the survivors who carry the responsibility of bearing witness so that history is never forgotten.   ✨Follow me on Instagram @JourneyWitRitaOrg  ✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast   The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice References: * Learn more about Holocaust Museum LA at www.holocaustmuseumla.org [http://www.holocaustmuseumla.org] * Learn more about the USC Shoah Foundation at www.sfi.usc.edu [http://www.sfi.usc.edu] * Visit www.journeywithrita.org [http://www.journeywithrita.org] for more episodes and resources

E12 | In Pursuit of Woman Life Freedom: A Courageous Journey with Somaya Etemad

Some doors to freedom are forced open — through sheer will, quiet defiance, and an unshakeable belief that a better life is possible. For Somaya Etemad, that belief was planted by a father who showed her the world, and it carried her through some of the most harrowing chapters a person can endure. Somaya is an Iranian-American artist and architect whose life story unfolds like a film — one in which she is the hero. Born and raised in Mashhad, Iran, she endured the systematic oppression of the Islamic regime, an abusive forced marriage, and arrest in the aftermath of the Green Movement. At just 25 years old, she fled Iran with her dog, her architecture degree, and an unwavering belief that she deserved a free life. She arrived in Los Angeles in 2011, enrolled at the Southern California Institute of Architecture, and has never looked back. Today, Somaya is a practicing architect and fine artist whose work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, most recently at the Contemporary Museum of Japan.   In this episode, Somaya shares: * Growing up under the Islamic regime — dress codes, Ramadan compliance, and navigating a double life at home versus in public * The profound loss of her father at age 14, and how his spirit of freedom and forward thinking became the foundation of her resilience * Being forced into marriage at 22 and enduring physical abuse — and the quiet acts of courage that helped her survive * Her arrest following the 2009 Green Movement elections, sparked by a political cartoon, and the trauma of imprisonment * How visualization and dreaming of a free life — even with no roadmap to get there — became her most powerful survival tool * Fleeing Iran for Los Angeles with her dog Nemat, navigating language barriers, financial hardship, and the unexpected challenge of learning to handle freedom * Turning personal trauma into art, and her mission to be a voice for Iranian women still fighting for zan, zandegi, azadi — woman, life, freedom * How her solo exhibition "SOLO" became a cathartic act of closure, allowing her to honor her scars while stepping fully into who she is today   ✨Follow me on Instagram @JourneyWitRitaOrg  ✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast   The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice   References: * Connect with Somaya Etemad on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/somayaetemad/] * Connect with Rita @journeywithritaorg [https://www.instagram.com/p/DQsQ8DTElDk/]and @ritanaffasdesign [https://www.instagram.com/ritanaffasdesign/] * Visit www.journeywithrita.org [http://www.journeywithrita.org] for more episodes and resources

E11 | Elevate the Everyday: Designing Spaces That Inspire Better Living

As we welcome spring, let's also welcome fresh energy into our homes through what we choose to surround ourselves with. I truly believe our homes have the power to inspire us to live better lives—they can either hinder us or empower us. A well-designed space doesn't just look beautiful—it invites us to feel better and in turn, do better. Whether we realize it or not, the spaces we spend time in are constantly shaping our emotional experience. And for me, whether it's my own home or one I'm designing for a client, the goal is always the same: to create a sense of release, a breath of fresh air at the end of a long day. In this episode, I share insights from my work as an interior designer and the lessons I've learned about how our surroundings impact our daily lives, our mental health, and our ability to show up fully. In this episode, I share: * Why our homes are not just about aesthetics—they're about feelings * How hotel lobbies make stress melt away (and it's not an accident) * The power of small, intentional shifts over massive renovations * Why clutter isn't just physical—it's mental and emotional * The family photo I removed from my fireplace and why it changed everything * Elevating the everyday: stop saving things for "someday" * The kitchen as the heart of the home—making it functional, not just beautiful * Creating your bedroom as a sanctuary that sets the tone for your day * The role of scent, texture, lighting, and color in shaping how we feel * Four small shifts you can make today to transform your space   ✨Follow me on Instagram @JourneyWitRitaOrg and @RitaNaffasDesign ✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast #RitaNaffasDesign   The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice   References: * Connect with Rita @journeywithritaorg [https://www.instagram.com/p/DQsQ8DTElDk/]and @ritanaffasdesign [https://www.instagram.com/ritanaffasdesign/] * Visit www.journeywithrita.org [http://www.journeywithrita.org] for more episodes and resources

E10 | Celebrating 10 Episodes: Stories of Wisdom, Growth, and Resilience

Welcome to Episode 10—a milestone moment! Today I'm celebrating 10 episodes of Journey with Rita Podcast and reflecting on the incredible wisdom, courage, and resilience we've witnessed together. Journey with Rita was established in 2020 as an online platform after I came across a quote by Brené Brown that truly resonated with me: "One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through and it will become someone else's survival guide." Having been a peer supporter to those fighting breast cancer, those words didn't just inspire me—they became my North Star. They gave me language to something I had been feeling but couldn't quite articulate: that our experiences, our struggles, our lessons can serve someone else. That our stories, when shared honestly, can become lifelines. In this episode, I reflect on: * The Brené Brown quote that became my Why * How Journey with Rita evolved from online platform to organization to podcast * The courage it took to create something completely foreign yet deeply familiar * What we've learned across 10 powerful episodes * The wisdom our guests have shared about faith, community, transformation, authenticity, mental health, mom guilt, gratitude, financial resilience, manifestation, integrity, and resilience * Why resilience is contagious—and how witnessing others' journeys lights a path for our own * Gratitude for the guests who said "yes" when this was just a vision * The power of community built through alignment, not algorithms * What's next for Journey with Rita Lessons from Our First 10 Episodes: Faith & Community: We explored how community holds us up when we can't hold ourselves, and how shared experiences help us grow through hardship, not just survive it. Transformation & Authenticity: We learned that transformation begins with self-trust and the courage to release what no longer fits. Mental Health Matters: Behind every polished success story is real work and real struggle—mental health can never take a backseat. Rewriting Mom Guilt: We unpacked mom guilt and rewrote the narrative around it. Gratitude as Discipline: We explored gratitude not as a cliché but as a daily practice that reshapes perspective. Financial Resilience: We challenged the narrative that financial literacy belongs in someone else's hands and affirmed that women have the intelligence and vision to make confident financial decisions. Designing an Intentional Life: We discussed manifesting dreams by aligning actions with values, not just checking boxes. Integrity & Discipline: We heard how staying true to yourself—even when the industry rewards something else—creates meaningful success. Resilience Isn't Magic: We were reminded that resilience isn't something we access when life falls apart—it's the ability to draw from strengths we've been building all along. Key Message: Resilience is contagious. When we see someone else navigate hardship and come out stronger, it lights a path for our own resilience and growth. Our stories, when shared honestly, become lifelines for others. What's Next: This is only the beginning. More conversations, more wisdom, more tools for building resilience together.   ✨Follow me on Instagram @JourneyWitRitaOrg  ✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast   The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice References: * Connect with Rita @journeywithritaorg [https://www.instagram.com/p/DQsQ8DTElDk/]and @ritanaffasdesign [https://www.instagram.com/ritanaffasdesign/] * Visit www.journeywithrita.org [http://www.journeywithrita.org] for more episodes and resources