Wisdom from the Field By Tzviki Krasnjansky
Wisdom from the Field is a podcast for shluchim focused on real breakthroughs — in fundraising, leadership, and growth.
Through honest conversations with shluchim from the field, the podcast explores the experiences, challenges, decisions, and lessons that have brought trues shlichus success. These interviews offer practical insights, fresh perspectives, and real-world wisdom drawn from lived experience — what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what they’ve learned along the way.
Alongside the interviews, the podcast also features Field Notes — short, practical reflections drawn from coaching work and recurring patterns across conversations in the field. Field Notes are designed to offer clear, grounded insights you can sit with or apply right away.
Whether you’re navigating fundraising, leadership pressure, growth, or clarity in your shlichus, Wisdom from the Field is here to support your next breakthrough.
Episodes

Wednesday Aug 06, 2025
Wednesday Aug 06, 2025
This isn’t a regular episode—just a quick and important announcement from your host, Tzviki Krasniansky.
If you’re a shliach who’s been feeling stuck, plateaued, or just ready to grow—in your fundraising, shlichus, and your personal life—this may be exactly what you’ve been looking for.
The next round of my group coaching program is starting soon, and there only a few sots left.
It's a small, intimate, and powerful program - Real growth. Real breakthroughs. Real support.
👉 To learn more or grab one of the last spots, reach out:📧 hello@coachingbytzviki.com📱 WhatsApp: 808-499-5850

Tuesday Jul 29, 2025
Tuesday Jul 29, 2025
What does it really mean to be a shliach in a small, community—where Judaism isn’t a priority and you’re starting from scratch?
In this honest and inspiring episode, Rabbi Kushi Schusterman shares how he built Harford Chabad one phone call, one coffee, and one act of bitachon at a time.
From calling thousands of names off a cold list to raising millions for a new building, Rabbi Kushi shows what it looks like when you truly believe this is the Rebbe’s Chabad House—and you’re just here to do your job.
He speaks openly about the grind, the doubts, the breakthroughs, and the belief that kept him moving forward.
You’ll hear:
Why no one “owes you anything”—and why that’s freeing
The difference between a donor and a partner
How asking the right questions builds real relationship, and much more...
Whether you're early in your journey or in the thick of it, this episode is a deep well of encouragement, perspective, and practical wisdom.

Monday Jul 21, 2025
Monday Jul 21, 2025
In this unforgettable conversation, Rabbi Yosef Levin shares the story behind what he calls “the best fundraising meeting I ever had”—the one he walked out of to be there for a Yid in crisis.
From early days in a nearly Yiddishkeit-less Palo Alto, to building a thriving community despite constant turnover, Rabbi Levin offers a treasure trove of insights on what it means to lead with emunah, structure, and purpose.
He talks about the Rebbe’s guidance, how to build trust through transparency, why seder brings menuchas hanefesh, and why a shliach is not a fundraiser—but a mashpia.
He also shares his four powerful markers of a successful program—culminating in the importance of creating a moment of real hashpah pnimiyus/transformation for at least one Yid.
This episode is a masterclass in sustainable fundraising, long-term relationships, and living with clarity of purpose.
To learn more about the work I do with Shluchim, check out my website: www.coachingbytzviki.com

Thursday Jul 10, 2025
Thursday Jul 10, 2025
In this fascinating interview, Rabbi Dov Yonah Korn—The Rebbe's Shliach to the Bowery—shares his raw journey building a $10M Chabad House, sustaining a $2.5M+ annual budget, and navigating the emotional toll of nonstop fundraising.
He talks about alumni giving, capital vs. annual asks, and the mindset shift needed to raise major gifts.
Beyond the strategy, Rabbi Korn reflects on burnout, resilience, and how the Rebbe’s teachings on Moshiach consciousness can help a Shliach stay centered, ambitious, and spiritually alive—even under intense pressure. A powerful conversation on fundraising, Emunah, and staying whole.
To learn more about the work I do with Shluchim, check out my website: coachingbytzviki.com

Monday Jun 30, 2025
Monday Jun 30, 2025
In this powerful conversation Rabbi Dovie Shapiro shares the 19-year journey of building Chabad of Flagstaff—from arriving with no local support to creating a vibrant moisad serving community, campus, and travelers.
We dive deep into practical fundraising wisdom: how clear branding transforms perception, why every shliach should have structured giving levels like Chai Founders, and how to fundraise without fear.
Rabbi Shapiro also speaks candidly about the importance of slowing down after achieving big milestones and investing in yourself, your family, and your internal clarity.
For more about the work I do with Shluchim, check out my website: www.coachingbytzviki.com

Thursday Jun 12, 2025
Thursday Jun 12, 2025
What happens when a young couple moves to a city with barely a minyan, no promises of support, and a whole lot of determination? In this episode, Rabbi Ovadia Goldman shares the remarkable and often hilarious story of building Chabad of Oklahoma City from the ground up.
With warmth, wit, and an unmistakably real style, Rabbi Goldman takes us through crashing fundraisers uninvited, calling strangers on their birthdays, and turning quiet Torah study into the foundation for deep friendships and major support. All the while, he weaves in a powerful reminder of the centrality of hiskashrus to the Rebbe — not as a slogan, but as a living reality that guided every step.
“You’re not just raising money — you’re delivering the Rebbe to the city.”
It’s raw, relatable, and deeply encouraging — especially for any shliach building in smaller communities or navigating the early years of fundraising.
For more about the work that I do with Shluchim check out my website: www.coachingbytzviki.com

Thursday Jun 05, 2025
Thursday Jun 05, 2025
Rabbi Zalman Teichtel is the Shliach to the University of Kansas, he and his wife moved out 19 years ago with "just a dollar, a dream, and a six-week-old baby". Today they are in the midst of building a magnificent and unique new Chabad House.
In this fascinating conversation, Rabbi Zalman shares the pivotal lessons that transformed his approach to fundraising on shlichus, drawn from his own personal journey.
In this interview he explores how to move from feeling overwhelmed to empowered, the three keys that unlocked new growth, and why successful fundraising is ultimately about so much more than money.
Whether you’re a seasoned shliach or just starting out, this episode offers inspiration, practical insights, and a fresh perspective on building authentic, lasting partnerships.
For more about the work that I do with Shluchim check out my website: www.coachingbytzviki.com
I can also be reached via email: hello@coachingbytzviki.com

Thursday May 29, 2025
Thursday May 29, 2025
Shmuly Rothman is a fundraising coach that has been working with shluchim over the past 15 years.
His work ranges from helping young shluchim set themselves up for success, to helping large and established Mosdos go to their next level.
In this fascinating conversation we cover topics like; when is the “right time" to bring up financial support with a potential donor, creating a culture of giving in your community, and much more.
To learn more about Shmuly’s work check out his website: www.rothmancoaching.com
For more about the work I do with Shluchim check out my website: www.coachingbytzviki.com
I can also be reached via email: hello@coachingbytzviki.com
or WhatsApp: 808-499-5859.

Thursday May 22, 2025
Thursday May 22, 2025
Rabbi Mendel Mintz has been the Shliach to Aspin Colorado for the last 25 years.
Listen to his fascinating story of starting off with nothing in a remote ski town, to building the largest jewish center in the neighborhood.
For more about the work I do with Shluchim, check out my website: coachingbytzviki.com, or email me at: hello@coachingbytzviki.com

Thursday May 15, 2025
Thursday May 15, 2025
Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman is the Shliach to Chabad Intown Atlanta, GA.
He is also a Coach who helps Shluchim build efficient and successful organizations.
Listen to this powerful conversation full of insights and lessons that Rabbi Schusterman learned along the way.
Rabbi Schusterman can be reached at:
Email: eliyahu@missionscaling.com
WhatsApp: 404-931-6449
For more information about the work I do with Shluchim, check out my website: coachingbytzviki.com, or email me at: hello@coachingbytzviki.com



