In this tender and laugh-filled episode of the Personal Pizza Podcast, host Simcha Levenberg is joined by his longtime friend Shira Rose for a rich conversation about two seemingly unrelated — but deeply connected — topics: grief and gluten.

What starts as a chat about the struggles of gluten-free living (and the trials of making a gluten-free pizza crust) quickly expands into something more profound. Together, Simcha and Shira explore how food, memory, and media shape the way we process loss and hold onto joy. With warmth and vulnerability, Shira shares her personal experiences navigating grief — and how these moments have shaped her decision to pursue a graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.

The two dive into beloved movies and series like The Lion King, Harry Potter, and Finding Nemo, unpacking how these stories gently introduce us to themes of parental loss, identity, and resilience. Their reflections are both emotionally resonant and sprinkled with humor, offering a rare mix of insight and levity.

Throughout the episode, Shira and Simcha weave in shared memories, movie references, and honest reflections on coping mechanisms — from therapy to storytelling to pizza-making experiments gone slightly wrong. By the end, Shira offers a moving reflection on how we carry our grief, and how it can coexist with laughter, love, and even a perfectly imperfect slice of gluten-free pizza.

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Simcha Levenberg (https://slevenberg.com/) is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California. He uses a unique blend of humor, authenticity and real world knowledge. Simcha helps individuals clarify their personal values and live a present and more meaningful life. He helps couples transform their relationships to be more open and emotionally flexible.

This show is Produced by Rainbow Creative with Matthew Jones and Executive Producer, Editor Jeremiah Shultz . This episode also had the support of Producer Rithu Jagannath. To learn more about how to make a podcast for you and your business, visit rainbowcreative.co https://www.rainbowcreative.co/