Meant For You cover art

Meant For You

Meant For You

Written by: Polina & Yelena
Listen for free

About this listen

 We believe we all have paths that are meant for us, but getting to a place where we are living a life we won't regret, while juggling the demands of our families and everything life throws at us is a daily saga. In each episode, we give you a new perspective or idea, introduce you to fascinating people, make you smile or help you realize you are never alone. When you are openminded, even the smallest shifts in mindset, can set you on a path that allows you to live your fullest life. We aim to give you the mindset shift that connects you to choices that feel meant for you. As moms, and news junkies, alongside books, philosophy, travel, culture and careers, we also cover current events. Our topics revolve around living a full life and finding the courage to reveal our true selves. Clarity comes through action, so we want to encourage you to take the next step. while not missing the beauty and lessons each day brings us. We are just getting started on our midlife adventures and excited for you to join the ride. Follow us on Instagram @meantforyoupod or reach out to us at meantforyoupod@gmail.com Social Sciences
Episodes
  • When Education Turns Into One-Sided Activism with Marissa Streit CEO of PragerU

    When Education Turns Into One-Sided Activism with Marissa Streit CEO of PragerU
    Jan 18 2026
    We spreak with Marissa Streit, CEO of PragerU about education, civics, and parenting in a time of cultural chaos. Marissa shares the moment that inspired her to "enlist" through education, explains why activism can show up even in math and literacy, and calls on parents to stop outsourcing values to institutions. Our discussion also explores he crisis facing young women today—marriage, meaning, dignity, and femininity—and why Marissa believes a new "revolution" is needed. Plus: practical ways to use PragerU at home in just 5–20 minutes a day. Timestamps & Key Moments 00:04 — Intro + Who is Marissa Streit / What is PragerU Polina introduces Marissa, PragerU's mission, and why parents must take a more active role in teaching civics/history. 02:14 — "Enlisting" through education We reflect on the idea of serving the country through education. 04:36 — The conversation begins (education + what parents can do) Marissa lays out her core claim: education didn't just reflect today's problems—it helped create them. 06:28 — Marissa's origin story: Yad Vashem + the lesson of "fight before it's too late" A formative moment at 13 shapes her worldview about personal responsibility and courage. 08:55 — America "under attack" through ideas, not tanks Marissa argues civics and American values are not being taught—and that creates vulnerability. 11:14 — Parents as "the enemy" + the COVID wake-up call She describes how many parents only saw curriculum issues during lockdowns. 15:41 — Teacher training: minimal math instruction + "generative" activism in class Marissa claims teacher credential programs under-train basic instruction and over-emphasize DEI/activism. 17:59 — "Fruit salad" vs. melting pot + division as a goal She argues schools incentivize identity and class division rather than unity. 20:16 — Literacy example: books that embed social agendas Marissa cites specific book examples and argues parents must review all subjects, not just "sex ed." 22:32 — Paulo Freire + teachers as "agents of change" Discussion of how activist pedagogy shows up in teacher training. 24:55 — NEA agenda + what shocked her most (2022) Marissa claims the #1 issue of business was the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and questions why. 29:45 — Money + bureaucracy + unions + political incentives A broader critique of the Department of Education, unions, and the "cycle" of funding and influence. 32:01 — "Are we being gaslit?" + PRISM training (California) Marissa argues parents should read the materials directly and not accept reassurances at face value. 38:32 — Civics collapse: how do kids defend what they don't understand? Marissa argues love of country requires understanding its history and founding ideals. 40:53 — The parent solution: rituals, debates, voting, family civic life + PragerU board game She emphasizes bottom-up responsibility and teaching at home regardless of school quality. 45:20 — Young women, feminism, marriage, and meaning Marissa argues cultural messaging has created confusion and loneliness; she shares her desire to write a book to help young women. 50:01 — Family as her proudest accomplishment Marissa describes motherhood and marriage as central—not secondary—to a fulfilled life. 54:43 — Europe as a warning Marissa talks about cultural fracture, immigration, and the need for shared civic identity. 57:02 — Cultural literacy: "We all spoke American" She argues a shared framework is necessary for cohesion—and that education must restore it. 59:23 — How to use PragerU as a parent Marissa offers a simple daily habit: 5–20 minutes, watch a short video, and have kids explain it back. 01:01:22 — Closing + call for feedback Marissa invites listeners to message her with thoughts, especially on her women-focused project. Key Quotes "Education got us into this mess. Education is going to get us out of this mess." (≈ 04:36) "Most people rely on others to do the fighting for them… and they don't begin to fight until it's absolutely too late." (≈ 06:28) "America… is being taken down through ideas, through the erosion of what it is to be an American." (≈ 08:55) "Civics education is reduced to just activism… How do you defend a country that you don't understand and don't love?" (≈ 38:32)
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Foster Care to Yale: The Truth About Luxury Beliefs with Rob Henderson

    Foster Care to Yale: The Truth About Luxury Beliefs with Rob Henderson
    Dec 20 2025
    Rob Henderson, known for coining the term "luxury beliefs," joins us to discuss his memoir Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class. Rob shares his extraordinary path—from homelessness and the LA foster care system, to adoption in rural Northern California, to enlisting in the Air Force at 17, and eventually studying at Yale and Cambridge. Rob shares research that shows how childhood instability (more than poverty alone) shapes life outcomes; why the foster system is so under-resourced; how elite cultural narratives can unintentionally harm the very communities they claim to help; and how certain "status beliefs" spread through universities and media. We discuss the hypocrisy and social dynamics of campus ideology, the "Halloween costume controversy" at Yale, and why honest conversations about family structure, class, and social policy are so hard to have yet so critical for making real progress. Key themes and Quotes Luxury beliefs give status to the elite—and the costs are paid by people with the least power."Poverty alone doesn't predict failure. Instability does."The people most skeptical of family are usually the ones who grew up in intact families."They live like it's the 1950s—and talk like it's the 1960s.""I benefited from structure, plan to give it to my kids—and publicly argue others shouldn't." "Elite students condemn capitalism on Monday and interview at Goldman Sachs on Wednesday." Foster Care / Instability Truths "You don't need the worst childhood to feel the damage of instability." Privilege / Backlash Lines "Telling struggling kids they're privileged doesn't create compassion—it creates resentment." Check out our website: https://meantforyoupod.com Reach out to us: meantforyoupod@gmail.com Follow us on IG If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like these conversations: Brandy Shufutinsky on the Marxist Roots of Ethic Studies Your School's Ethic Studies Curriculum with Monica Harris from FAIR For ALL Key Topics + Timeline 01:00–02:13 – Why labels like "privileged/unprivileged" flatten real life; every story is individual04:15 – Rob explains who he wrote the book for: the typical educated reader + the kid in chaos who needs hope07:30–12:00 – Rob's "three names" origin story: biological parents, homelessness, foster care, adoption11:16 – Red Bluff, CA: family fragmentation, addiction, instability in a working-class town12:40–16:30 – Foster-care policy: frequent moves to avoid attachment; "least bad option" dilemmas18:15 – Why foster care gets little attention (and why stories are painful to face)19:00–23:30 – What made Rob "successful": curiosity + the military as structure, mentors, and environment shift25:17–29:46 – Research distinction: harshness (poverty) vs instability (unpredictability) as predictors27:38 – Striking stats: college graduation rates—poor kids vs foster kids (as cited by Rob)32:10–36:52 – "Luxury beliefs": elites "walk the 50s, talk the 60s"; the social mechanism of cultural messaging39:18 – After-school programs, screens, and class gaps in supervision/structure41:39–46:20 – Luxury beliefs as social currency: status signaling through "virtue" positions (white privilege, defund police)46:20–53:21 – Ethnic studies curricula + backlash: why telling struggling kids they're "privileged" can fuel resentment57:46–01:02:27 – Yale 2015 Halloween controversy + the irony of Rob being told he's "too privileged"01:03:00–01:07:07 – Veblen → Bourdieu → Henderson: from luxury goods to cultural capital to luxury beliefs01:09:09–01:11:18 – Careerism + hypocrisy: condemning institutions while competing to join them01:11:18–01:15:45 – Post–Oct 7 campus protests; when beliefs meet real consequences01:15:45–01:18:03 – Hope for higher education: reform, alternatives, and "you don't have to go to college"01:18:03–01:20:27 – Why the story resonates beyond foster care; instability, immigration, divorce, loneliness
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 22 mins
  • Sarah Hurwitz: Chosen for Responsibility, Judaism, Israel, and the Battle Over the Jewish Story

    Sarah Hurwitz: Chosen for Responsibility, Judaism, Israel, and the Battle Over the Jewish Story
    Dec 7 2025
    Former Michelle Obama speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz joins us to explore the world of Jewish wisdom she discovered beyond ethnic jokes, bagels, and a vague sense of guilt. She shares how her culturally Jewish upbringing transformed into a deeply learned, joyful identity—and why real Jewish study is essential if we want to withstand modern antisemitism. We trace how 2,000 years of Christian anti-Judaism, Nazi antisemitism, and Soviet anti-Zionism have been funneled into today's leftist campus ideologies—shaping the anti-Israel narratives dominating universities, media, and movements on both the far left and far right. Most people don't even realize they're repeating propaganda from the soviets and nazis. We also cover the idea that every human being is created in the image of God shaped democracy and human rights, and why "the chosen people" is wildly misunderstood, it's a burden of responsibility, not a claim of superiority. Sarah also explains Judaism as a living, evolving interpretive tradition (hello, 2,500 years of commentary and argument), why dissent and chavruta-style debate are sacred. Sarah ends on a surprisingly hopeful note - so listen in to hear her message. 06:30 — Judaism as wisdom, not just religion or holidays09:00 — Why antisemitism keeps reinventing itself12:30 — Image of God, equality & the Jewish roots of democracy15:00 — The title As a Jew and reclaiming identity without apology18:00 — Internalized antisemitism & the "cultural Jew" problem21:30 — What Jews actually are: peoplehood, tribe, civilization24:00 — Campus antisemitism27:30 — Israel, refugees & dismantling the "original sin" myth31:00 — Zionism explained (without the hysteria)34:30 — Qatar, ideology, and what's shaping academia37:00 — Michelle Obama, "silence," and the problem with performative activism40:00 — Chosenness redefined: responsibility, not superiority43:00 — Jewish law evolves: debate, dissent & chavruta46:00 — How observant is Sarah now? 48:30 — What gives Sarah hope for Jews in 202551:00 — Jewish spirituality, bodies, death rituals & chaplaincy54:00 — Parting wisdom: why Jewish learning is the antidote Topics Discussed: The history of Israel's founding: land purchased at inflated prices, UN partition, war, refugees on all sides and why Israel is not founded on some unique "original sin"Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, and why Palestinians are treated as a unique, multi-generational refugee category in a way that has harmed both Palestinians and Israelis.Qatar's influence and money in U.S. universities and how that has influenced academic discourse on Israel.Why Sarah, as a proud Zionist and proud American, rejects the idea that Jews can't be loyal Americans.What "chosenness" really means in Jewish tradition (spoiler: not racial superiority)The Jewish idea that every person is created b'tzelem Elohim (in the image of God) and how that idea helped shape the moral core of American democracyHow chavruta (study partnership) and argument "for the sake of heaven" sharpens thinking and deepens truth—illustrated live in Polina, Yelena, and Sarah's back-and-forthWhat's next for Sarah https://www.sarahhurwitz.net Check out our website: https://meantforyoupod.com Reach out to us: meantforyoupod@gmail.com Follow us on IG If you enjoyed this episode, you may like these conversations: Our previous podcast with Sarah discussing her first book, Here All Along Brandy Shufutinsky on the Marxist Roots of Ethic Studies Rabbi Steve Leder, History, Faith , DEI, Ethics, Anxiety and Awe Sophia Khalifa, Bedouin Muslim Israeli Engineer Shares Why She Became an Acivitist for Israel Dumisani Washinton, Pastor, CEO and Author of Zionism and the Black Church Soviet Anti-Semitism with Izabala Tabarosky, Erin Molan Fearless Reporter and Advocate for Humanity
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 7 mins
No reviews yet