Beyond Belief: Tales of Religious Exodus6 Sep

Sara: Former Orthodox Jewish

What does it mean to build a spiritual life grounded in the body rather than in fear? Sara joins Shalom to explore her journey through an Orthodox upbringing, marriage and divorce, trauma recovery, and an evolving relationship with Jewish practice. Together, they examine how communities shaped by anxiety can disconnect people from their own needs, instincts, and inner knowing.

Sara shares how therapy, IFS, movement, art, nature, and emotionally safe relationships helped her reconnect with herself. The conversation explores communal silence around addiction and struggling marriages, the difficulty of being seen outside familiar religious categories, sexuality as life force, and the possibility of creating rituals that make room for movement, connection, honesty, and joy.

Rather than exchanging belief for disbelief, Sara describes an ongoing process of listening to her body, trusting her experience, and developing a spirituality capable of holding complexity.

About Sara

Sara Katzoff is a Somatic IFS and Craniosacral Therapist and Breathwork Facilitator based in Jerusalem. If something from this conversation touched you, she would love to hear from you.

Instagram: @simplehealings
Website: simple-healings.com

Timestamps

00:00 — Embodied spirituality and using the body as a compass
06:13 — Distinguishing religious devotion from anxiety and fear
16:49 — Seeking guidance during a struggling marriage
21:59 — Isolation, addiction, and unmet emotional needs
26:39 — The vulnerability of speaking honestly and being misseen
32:02 — Releasing rules through small acts of self-trust
36:09 — Sexuality, intimacy, and reconnecting with one’s life force
40:16 — Reclaiming spiritual teachings from systems shaped by trauma
54:14 — Reimagining ritual through nature, movement, fire, and song
1:02:18 — Safe witnesses, creativity, and learning to trust yourself

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