All the colors come together on the canvas

Then there are stories that stretch across cultures and worlds. Nechama Leapley grew up Amish and now lives in Brooklyn as a Jew. Her journey to Judaism was not driven by rebellion or drama, but by a slow, honest search for truth. Listening to her describe the pull she felt toward Torah, community, and Hashem was a reminder that Judaism continues to attract souls in ways that cannot be explained by sociology alone. Her presence enriches our people because she brings with her a perspective forged far outside the Jewish world.

Motty Steinmetz is one of the most recognizable Chasidish singers in the world. He's is a voice that many already know, but perhaps have never truly listened to. His music fills wedding halls and simchas across continents. But behind the voice is a deep sense of humility, responsibility, and connection to something higher. When artists like Motty speak openly about faith, struggle, and purpose, they remind us that spirituality is not abstract. It is lived through sound, emotion, and joy.

I was lucky to host all of these fascinating people on my show, Inspiration For The Nation, as part of living L'chaim, a media network that I co-founded. These guests could not be more different. A former hostage. A convert from the Amish world. A Chasidish music superstar. And yet, when the microphones are off and the conversations unfold, the same themes appear again and again.

Love of Hashem, even when expressed in different languages.

Love of the Jewish people, even when lived in different communities.

Love of Israel, even when complicated by pain, distance, or fear.

I spend a lot of my life talking to Jews who have nothing in common with each other. At least, not on the surface.

Through Living Lchaim, which today reaches more than 1.6 million subscribers and over one billion views, I have had the privilege of sitting across from Jews of every background imaginable. Inspiration For The Nation brings long-form conversations that allow people to tell their stories without soundbites or filters.

What has surprised me most over the years is not how different we are. It is how familiar the core feels every single time.

We live in an era where it is easy to focus on what separates us. Hashkafa, lifestyle, politics, observance, language. The Jewish world can feel fractured, even hostile, when we reduce people to labels. But when you slow down and actually listen to someone’s life story, something else emerges. A shared heartbeat. A shared ache. A shared love.

I often think about the Jewish people like a painting. No masterpiece is made with one color. Depth comes from contrast. Beauty comes from variety. Remove the blues or the reds or the dark shadows, and the entire image flattens. The Jewish people are no different.

We may pray differently. We may dress differently. We may raise our children differently. But beneath all of that is a shared story that stretches back thousands of years and continues forward through every one of us.

Living Lchaim was never meant to be a platform that promotes one kind of Jew. It exists to remind us that the Jewish people are bigger, deeper, and more beautiful than any single lane. Our diversity is not a weakness. It is our strength. It is what has allowed us to survive, adapt, and remain connected across centuries and continents.

If there is one thing these conversations have taught me, it is this. Unity does not mean uniformity. It means learning to stand in awe of each other’s journeys, even when they look nothing like our own.

When we allow every color to exist on the canvas, the masterpiece finally comes into view.