A Hanukkah of Light After Darkness: Tzvi Grinhaim on Giving When It Hurts Most
Episode 4 of You Are What You Give - A Hanukkah Special
This week’s episode of You Are What You Give is unlike any other we’ve released so far. It is a Hanukkah conversation, but not in the familiar sense of holiday foods, candles, and celebration. It is a conversation about light in the deepest, most demanding sense of the word. The kind of light that penetrates darkness.
This episode was recorded before this week’s horrific attack in Australia. Listening again in light of that tragedy, this conversation has only become more poignant. It reminds us of the extraordinary work of Chabad around the world, and of individuals like our guest, Tzvi Grinhaim, who bring presence, strength, and comfort to people when they need it most.
Who Is Tzvi Grinhaim?
A Chabad cantor.
A former Golani soldier.
A reservist called back into service on October 7th.
A man diagnosed with PTSD after carrying families through the most devastating moments imaginable.
In the aftermath of the attacks, Tzvi served at the IDF’s Shura base, conducting funeral after funeral. He stood with grieving parents, widows, fiancés, and children, sometimes many times a day. He held himself together as a professional, only to break down at home. The emotional toll finally caught up with him.
And then something remarkable happened.
Turning Pain Into Purpose
Instead of shutting down, Tzvi redirected his pain into giving.
He began showing up, every week and often every day, to lift others back onto their feet.
He organizes barbecues for soldiers on the front lines.
Concerts in hospitals.
Visits with wounded warriors at Sheba.
Hugs, listening, presence, encouragement.
A reminder to every soldier: you are not forgotten.
The scale of what he does is astounding.
But the heart of it is simple: he brings light where darkness insists it should not exist.
A Hanukkah Story, Reimagined
Hanukkah is the holiday of light. But Tzvi forces us to ask what light truly means.
Not brightness.
Not celebration.
Not a warm feeling.
Light, in this conversation, is action.
It is showing up for someone even when you’re barely standing yourself.
It is choosing to be present when it would be easier to disappear.
It is refusing to let suffering have the last word.
Why This Conversation Matters Right Now
After the attack in Australia, the Jewish world is once again reminded how much strength we draw from one another. Chabad’s global network has always embodied this courage.
Tzvi is part of that tradition.
His work is a living expression of the Hanukkah message:
You do not need to erase the darkness, only to overwhelm it with light.
Listen to or Watch the Full Conversation
Listen on Spotify:
Watch on YouTube:
Listen on Apple Podcasts:
Later this week, I’ll share:
Key takeaways from Tzvi’s story that can sharpen our own giving,
This week’s Giving Challenge, inspired directly by Tzvi.
For now, I invite you to sit with this conversation.
Happy Hanukkah,
Avi