Shuva Full Circle: Baal Teshuva Integration
On Shuva Full Circle, we invite respected rabbis, thought leaders, visionaries, influencers, and Baalei Teshuva themselves, to discuss the do's and don’ts of building an inspired life within the framework of religious Judaism. We work toward practical answers while living with the hard questions.
Join us on our journey!
Emmett and Rivka
Shuva Full Circle: Baal Teshuva Integration
Rabbi Yitzchok Hanoka - Story of My Father, Dr. Yaakov Hanoka, a Baal Teshuva Pioneer
In our fourteenth episode, Rabbi Yitzchok Hanoka shares the inspiring life story of his father, Dr. Yaakov Hanoka of blessed memory, a pioneer in the early days of the baal teshuva movement. Through his son's recollections and research, we learn of Dr. Hanoka's pathbreaking transformation in the early 1960s from an enterprising physicist at Penn State to a well-balanced, humorous, and "solar-powered" chossid of the Rebbe. We discuss the phenomenal care and concern the Rebbe invested in Dr. Hanoka's success as a prototype for baal teshuva success, and how Dr. Hanoka proved instrumental in connecting others to the Rebbe and supporting them along their journey.
Listen through to the end to hear some famous (and other lesser known) stories featuring Dr. Hanoka's sense of humor, life experiences, and practical advice for living a grounded and balanced life.
Note: The Gilles children successfully resisted our bedtime efforts in conjunction with this interview, so Rivka joins us part-way through the conversation.
This episode is generously sponsored by Ladle and Loaf restaurant in New Haven, CT. For questions, comments, and sponsorship opportunities (including for your business), please contact us at https://www.btcenter.org.
- Emmett and Rivka
Production and editing by Gary Waleik.
All rights reserved to The BT Center