On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Curt Sechrist joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about...

-his fertility journey, with the backdrop of becoming part of the Jewish community

-his childhood and when he realized that he was gay

-his experience of being exposed to more of Jewish culture and religion, and how that became an even bigger part of his life when he met his future husband, Adam

-his decision to convert

-why they chose to adopt instead of pursuing surrogacy

-their adoption process and the incredible journey that brought them to their son

More about Curt:

Curt is a former Broadway and TV actor turned Jewish professional. He was raised in the UK and spent 15 years working in London before moving to NYC in 2013. He met his husband shortly afterwards and they built their life together before relocating to San Francisco in 2020 where they welcomed their son through open adoption. They moved back to NY in 2022 where most of their friends currently live. Curt is a Jew by Choice and now spends his time thinking about ways to make folks feel welcome in Jewish life and community. Curt and his husband are passionate about telling their adoption story and helping be the example of same sex family building they never had growing up.

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-Reach out to him via email

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On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about...

-her upbringing, her passion for her job as a community rabbi, and having a stillbirth

-her baby, Leo, who she lost

-what grief looks like when your job is to hold people in *their* pain

-how she has managed to get through all of it

More about Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman:

Karen Glazer Perolman is the Senior Associate Rabbi at Temple B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, NJ, the congregation she has served since 2008. She studied at the University of Maryland at College Park (2004) followed by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York (M.A.H.L., 2009; Ordination, 2010). While in rabbinical school Karen had the privilege to serve as a teaching assistant to theology professor Rabbi Eugene B. Borowitz, z”l. She sits on the board of Project Kesher and was a member of the CCAR Taskforce on Women in the Rabbinate from 2017-2020. She is a grateful alumnus of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality’s Clergy Leadership Program and CLAL’s Rabbis Without Borders, GLEAN, and LEAP fellowships. Karen is a voracious reader which fuels her passion to understand the relationships between food, spirituality, politics, Judaism, feminism and social justice. She is married to Liz Glazer, a lawyer-turned-standup comedian and are parents to baby Eloise, teenage cat Jack, and Leo, of blessed memory.

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On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Shira Collings joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about...

-her personal experience with recurrent pregnancy loss (4 heartbreaking losses)

-how navigating grief is hard enough after a loss, as most people don’t truly understand what a grieving person needs

-the added layers of being part of the queer community, which brings up other ways that people can feel isolated and alone

-needing to find supports that are LGBTQ+ affirming and grief knowledgeable (almost a unicorn!)

-the guilt and shame they carry (thinking the loss is their fault because of their lifestyle choices)

-the judgement they might face from people about family building

More about Shira:

Shira Collings, MS, NCC, LPC (she/they) is a psychotherapist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She primarily specializes in eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image, and is especially passionate about providing LGBTQ+-affirming, neurodiversity-affirming, and fat-affirming eating disorder care. Shira’s personal experience with pregnancy loss sparked their passion for supporting those who are struggling to build their families as well.

Connect with Shira:

-Send her an email

Connect with us:

-Check out our Website

- Follow us on Instagram and send us a message

-Watch our TikToks

-Follow us on Facebook

-Watch us on YouTube

-Connect with us on LinkedIn