The What It Takes Podcast Ep 11: Faith & Building a Torah Community from Scratch ft Yoni Rodansky

Description

A Story of Faith & Building a Torah Community from Scratch with Yoni Rodansky What it takes to build a Torah community from the ground up? In this episode, we sit down with Yoni Rodansky, a Five Towns native who, along with a wave of other young families, is building a vibrant Jewish community in Louisville, Kentucky. He shares the incredible story of how they went from no daily minyan to a booming community, pulled off a $700,000 fundraising campaign, and used a clever viral marketing stunt that brought in 23 serious family inquiries in just four weeks. This is a raw look at the miracles, the hustle, and the real-life appeal of being a builder in a place where your presence truly matters. 💡 In This Episode, We Discuss: ◼️ How a kid from the Five Towns ended up as a community builder in Louisville, Kentucky ◼️ The powerful lesson that “the yetzer hara can’t stop you, he can only make you want to give up” ◼️ The clever recruitment event (with free sushi and babysitting) that first got his wife on board ◼️ Why Louisville’s established infrastructure like its Eruv and affordable housing makes it a hidden gem ◼️ The wild miracles of launching with no money and still making payroll every single month ◼️ How they raised $700,000 for a community outside the major Jewish hubs and what resonated with donors ◼️ The $10,000 raffle marketing stunt that went viral and brought in 23 family leads in just one month ◼️ What kind of family thrives in Louisville (hint: it’s for builders, not just consumers) ◼️ The real talk on making a living, with plenty of job opportunities and a low cost of living ◼️ The incredible growth they’re seeing, with six families already scheduled to come for Shabbos ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Welcome to the Jewish Frontier in Louisville, Kentucky 1:04 How a Five Towns Kid Ended Up in Kentucky 2:04 The Pioneering Rabbis Who Planted the First Seeds 3:18 How Tampa Built a Community Overnight 4:07 The One Truth About Overcoming Any Challenge 5:08 The Clever Trick That Got Wives On Board 8:23 Why Louisville is the Secret Gem for Jewish Life 12:02 We Launched With No Money and Witnessed Miracles 17:29 How We Raised $700,000 on a Leap of Faith 21:14 Our Viral Marketing Stunt That Brought 23 Families 28:31 Is Louisville Your Next Home? Here's How to Know 🔗 Connect with Yoni Rodansky LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoni-rudansky-15a029339/ 🔗 Connect with Tuli Kraus X (Twitter): https://x.com/TuliKraus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackbird.recruiting/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tuli-kraus/