Israel Story (Israel Story)

Forty years after Carl Sagan’s ‘Golden Records’ began their long voyage into the depths of outer space, Eyal Gever - an Israeli high-tech-wunderkind-turned-conceptual-artist - received an unusual call: NASA asked him to create the first artwork to be printed in space. What, he now had to decide, truly captured the essence of humanity? 

Joel Shupack scored and sound-designed the episode, with original music and additional music by Blue Dot Sessions, Broke for Free and Nehora & Hadas. Sela Waisblum created the mix. Yochai Maital and Mishy Harman edited the episode. The music and lyrics of the end song - “Leil Emesh” (“Last Night”) - are by Naomi Shemer. The song used in the episode is a cover version by Nehora Kakone and Hadas Fraenkel. 

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'Doing It Yourself' is part of the Israeli DNA. But our episode today tells the story of what is perhaps the most inspiring, audacious and famous example of Israeli ingenuity in recent history. Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and by signing up for our newsletter at israelstory.org/newsletter/. For more, head to our site or Tablet Magazine.

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While we (sadly!) won't be sampling fried okra, collard greens or macaroni and cheese, our seventieth episode introduces us to two women for whom soul and food are completely intertwined. Yochai Maital and Zev Levi scored and sound-designed the episode with original music and music from Blue Dot Sessions. Sela Waisblum created the mix. The end song, ABCD, is sung by Shaizee, Abie and Sol Harman. Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and by signing up for our newsletter at israelstory.org/newsletter/. For more, head to our site or Tablet Magazine.

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It’s Giving Tuesday, and we really hope you’ll support our show. But because we don’t want to ask for your help without giving something in return, we produced a special bonus, as our way of saying thank you. Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and by signing up for our newsletter at israelstory.org/newsletter/. For more, head to our site or Tablet Magazine.

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In celebration of Hanukkah, we revisit - and update - one of our fan favorites. An episode that - much like the tale of Hanukkah itself - is all about a miraculous jug of liquid.

The original music in ‘The Pitcher’ was composed and performed by Ari Jacob. Sela Waisblum mixed the episode, and Zev Levi edited the re-release. The end song, Orot (“Lights”) is by Avrharam Tal.  

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Israel's one thousandth COVID-19 casualty passed away this weekend. And for all of us, death has sadly been an ever-present part of life over the past six months. In the penultimate episode of our "Alone, Together" series, we bring you two stories about dying in times of Corona.  

Over the course of this series, we’ve shared many stories of Israelis dealing - in completely different ways - with COVID-19. We’ve heard people express fear, disappointment, shame, anger, hope and acceptance. We’ve told tales of coexistence and discrimination, nightmares and dreams, resilience and panic. But one thing shared by everyone we have encountered in the series thus far is that they have all - thankfully - survived the pandemic. Some got sick, others didn’t, but all lived to tell the tale. 

That, however, isn’t true of everyone. More than 1,000 Israelis have died of the disease as of early September 2020. In a country of roughly nine million, that’s about 0.0112% of the population. The mortality rate of infected patients is hovering around 0.6%. And while, both those figures are lower than most other countries, there is no doubt that COVID-19 has claimed many victims in Israel. And in our episode today we explore what it looks like to die of, or during, COVID-19. 

Yochai Maital and Joel Shupack scored and sound-designed this episode, with music from Blue Dot Sessions, Esther Abrami, and Papalin. The end song, “No More Corona,” is by Shai and Galit Dagan. 

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Cowgirls with oversized belt buckles and horse breeders fantasizing about producing world champions are not exactly what come to mind when you think of Israel. But today we take you into arenas, rings, and stables around the country to uncover a surprising subculture of equine enthusiasts.

Joel Shupack scored and sound-designed the episode with music by Blue Dot Sessions and William Ryan Fritch. Sela Waisblum created the mix. The end song is Zehava Ben’s cover version of Abdel Halim Hafez’s “Sawah”. 

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On the very first day of 2021, when so many of us are busy making New Year’s resolutions and embarking on new and hopeful journeys, we re-air one of our favorite stories, all about a quixotic, improbable, yet inherently optimistic, search for love. 

Dana Ruttenberg read the story. Thanks to Mitra Kaboli, Paul Ruest and Julie Subrin. The end song, Ha’Hizayon Le’Francisco Goya (‘The Epiphany of Francisco Goya’) is by Ehud Banai, with lyrics by Pinchas Sadeh. 

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We conclude our two-part Tell Saki story by returning to the soldiers after the battle and following their respective journeys - full of pain and regret, but also full of longing and camaraderie - in the years since the Yom Kippur War.

Yochai Maital produced, scored and sound-designed the episode. Mishy Harman edited it. Sela Waisblum created the mix. Thanks to our dubbers - Shlomo Maital, Boaz Dekel, Suri Krieger, Shai Avivi and Dror Keren. Thanks also to the Friendship and Heritage Foundation - an NGO set up by the survivors of Tell Saki to commemorate their fallen friends - and to Dan Almagor, Daniel Jankovich, Shai Satran and Sharon Rapaport. Some of the primary written sources for our Tell Saki project include Hallie Lerman’s Crying for Imma, Menachem Ansbacher’s memoir, Rsis MiMagash HaKesef, and Robby Rijkmans’ book of published correspondence between the Tell Saki survivors – ‘Knights Without Armor.'

Much of the music in the episode is by cellist Leat Sabbah, with additional music by Doug Maxwell and Yochai Maital. The end song is Nifgashnu Shuv ("We Met Again") is sung by Dudu Zakai, music and lyrics by Shaike Paikov.

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Sandwiched between our two equine-centric episodes, we travel back in time to revisit - and update - one of our all-time favorite episodes, “Man, I Feel Like A Woman.” 

The original episode was reported by Molly Livingstone, and produced by Benny Becker with help from Raoul Wootliff and Rachel Fisher. Shoshi Shmuluvitz scored the episode with music from Blue Dot Sessions, Dana Boulé and Ben Sound. Mishy Harman, Yochai Maital and Julie Subrin edited the piece. The update was produced by Skyler Inman and Yoshi Fields. The end song is a rendition of Eshet Chayil (“Woman of Valor”) produced by Mami as part of their Shabbat Songs Project. It was arranged by Ben Zion Shenker and Israel Kasif.

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Now that "Alone, Together" is over, and before we turn to stories that - gasp - have little to do with the virus, we revisit and update our most popular episode ever - "Love Syndrome."  

On March 22, 2020, as we were all just starting to fathom the new reality we were about to enter, hundreds of Israel Story fans went online to hear an update from an ultra-Orthodox woman from Tzfat. Six years ago, Chaya Ben Baruch’s inspiring story brought listeners around the world to tears. It was the story of a trailblazer who wouldn’t let life, and the many obstacles it presented her, dictate reality.

Chaya grew up as Enid, in a “Conservadox” Jewish family in Far Rockaway, N.Y. Like many women of her generation and from her background, Chaya’s life seemed to be preordained - she’d go to school, marry a nice Jewish boy, raise a family, and be active in the community. But Enid had different plans: midway through college, she left that structured world behind and ventured off to far-away Fairbanks, Alaska, to study the mothering patterns of sea otters. 

A decade, three children, and one failed marriage later, Enid met Stan - a tall, Catholic salmon fisherman from the Gold Stream Valley. Together they had three more kids, the last of whom - Angkor - was born with Down Syndrome. While many parents - especially at the time - might have viewed this as a devastating misfortune, Enid and Stan saw it as an opportunity. They were determined to find Angkor a partner; a soulmate. That wish of theirs kicked off an incredible journey that led the family from Alaska to Tzfat, in the north of Israel, and - on the way - precipitated a return to Judaism. Mishy Harman brings us a tale that unfolds in courtrooms, hospitals, Ultra-Orthodox yeshivas, immigration centers and wedding halls.  

In today’s episode we hear the original story that aired in 2014, followed by a short update from Chaya. Did her Angkor ever find his soulmate? What happened to the young couple? And what is it like to parent special needs children who leave the nest? All this and more in an edited conversation between Chaya and Mishy at the end of the episode.  

The original episode was scored by Pejk Malinovski with music composed and performed by Rob Burger. Julie Subrin, Yoshi Fields, and Zev Levi edited the episode, which was mixed by Sela Waisblum. Additional music by Broke for Free. The end song, “Nekuda Tova” (“Good Point”) is by Shuli Rand, and features vocals by Ehud Banai.

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Many of us would normally be on the move around this time of year. But 2020 has, of course, been everything but normal. So in our episode today, we bring you two less-than-normal travel stories about people going back home - but doing so having gained a new understanding of the place from which they come.

Zev Levi and Yochai Maital scored and sound-designed the episode with music from Blue Dot Sessions and Shane Ivers.

Sela Waisblum created the mix. Thanks to Abby Neuschatz, Scarlett De Jean, Anna Correa, Niva Ashkenazi, Judah Kauffman, Dr. Hillel Rubenstein, Jackie Faye, Hadas Nevenzal and Alon Shikar. The full songs played in the episode are Yotze El Ha’Or - Ha’Shvil Ha’Zeh (“Going Out to the Light - This Path”) by Ehud Banai and Nag’aa Ba’Shamaim (“Touched the Heavens”) is by Mashina.

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In Israel, there are many things that usually don't - and according to some, never should - mix: Jerusalemites and the beach, Tel Avivis and the Kotel, HaPoel and Macabbi fans, Haaretz and Yisrael HaYom readers. But our episode today explores the most complicated and fundamental duo in terms of mixing and not-mixing - Jews and Arabs. Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and by signing up for our newsletter at israelstory.org/newsletter/. For more, head to our site or Tablet Magazine.

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On August 9, 2001, 22-year-old Izz al-Din al-Masri blew himself up at a Sbarro branch in downtown Jerusalem, killing 15 people and injuring over 130. This particular terrorist attack is still etched in the nation's collective memory. In our episode today, we hear from those most affected by the tragedy. Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and by signing up for our newsletter at israelstory.org/newsletter/. For more, head to our site or Tablet Magazine.

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We’re one episode away from the end of Season Six, and it's time for our annual listener survey. Understanding who you are, what you want to hear and what you think about our work is crucial to us. Your feedback makes our show better! Just click here.

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In our season finale, we tell four short stories of things that, like our current season, are coming to an end: From a toddler parting with a “special friend” to a couple seeing their life's work go up in flames, and from a stubborn hold-out in a dying industry to an unusually long marriage. Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and by signing up for our newsletter at israelstory.org/newsletter/. For more, head to our site or Tablet Magazine.

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Especially now, it is crucial that the diverse voices we showcase on our show be heard and amplified. And in order to do so, we need your help! Please pitch in by going to our site, israelstory.org, and hitting the 'Support Us' button.

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All Israel Story episodes are - and will remain - free. But if you want special bonuses, behind-the-scenes extras, conversations with producers and more, become a paying subscriber today.

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Today’s episode has three stories that are ostensibly about birds, but are really about the heights to which the human spirit can soar, and the depths to which it can plunge. Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok,  and by signing up for our newsletter at israelstory.org/newsletter/. For more, head to our site or The Times of Israel.

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As younger and younger kids around the world demand - and get - their own phones, we harken back to a completely different telephonic reality.

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David Harman believed in people, in social justice and in our ability to overcome almost anything. He was an eternal optimist, a patient peacemaker and a living history book. Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok,  and by signing up for our newsletter at israelstory.org/newsletter/. For more, head to our site or The Times of Israel.

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We’re excited to introduce our brand new series, a fresh look at Israel’s founding moral compass - Megillat Ha’Atzmaut, or the Declaration of Independence.

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"Signed, Sealed, Delivered?" looks at our founding moral compass - Megillat Ha’Atzmaut, or the Declaration of Independence. Through the descendants of the men and women who, with the strike of a pen, gave birth to this country of ours, we ask questions about ourselves and about Israel, on the eve of its 75th birthday.

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We kick off our new series - a deep dive into Megillat Ha’Atzmaut, or the Declaration of Independence - with the man who needs no introduction: Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion.

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Our new series - a deep dive into Megillat Ha’Atzmaut, or the Declaration of Independence - continues with one of the most important early leaders of the religious Zionist movement, Zorach Warhaftig

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Our new series - a deep dive into Megillat Ha’Atzmaut, or the Declaration of Independence - continues with an ardent socialist who knew how to compromise - Mordechai Schattner.

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In 1952 a fierce ideological split divided Kibbutz Ein Harod into two separate kibbutzim, Ein Harod Ichud and Ein Harod Meuchad. Here’s what happened.

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Our deep dive into Megillat Ha’Atzmaut, or the Declaration of Independence - continues with a pioneering feminist, the head of WIZO and one of the two women who signed the Declaration - Rachel Cohen-Kagan.

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Since the earliest days of the State, women have been severely underrepresented in the Israeli parliament. But no one knows more about the trailblazing female legislators who did make it than Shavit Ben-Arie.

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The Declaration of Independence on May 14, 1948, was not only the birth of a state, it was also the birth of Israeli radio.

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Mishy Harman and Mitch Ginsburg take us behind the scenes of “Signed, Sealed, Delivered?” on the Times of Israel’s “The Daily Briefing” podcast, with Amanda Borschel-Dan.

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Immediately following the Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) siren, six of Israel Story’s producers entered the studio to discuss their (very different) perspectives on the day.

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Our deep dive into Megillat Ha’Atzmaut, or the Declaration of Independence, continues with a man known for his linguistic flair, his love of organized labor and, of course, his oversized autograph - David Remez.

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On “Jerusalem Day,” our exploration of the signatories of Megillat Ha’Atzmaut, or the Israeli Declaration of Independence, continues with Daniel Auster, the first Jew to be appointed Mayor of Jerusalem since Byzantine times.

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Released exactly 114 years after he left his native village of Khubesh, Yemen, and set out for Jerusalem, our series continues with Sa’adia Kobashi - a rabbi, a licensed poultry slaughterer, an educator and the lone representative - among the signatories of the Declaration of Independence - of Yemenite Jewry.

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Our series continues with Pinchas Rosen - a lover of classical music, an enthusiastic chess player, an avid reader of Goethe, and Israel’s first Justice Minister. A quintessential yekke, or German-born Jew, he was - more than any other signatory of the Israeli Declaration of Independence - the true ideological heir of Theodore Herzl.

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Our series continues with Moshe Kol (Kolodny), who - for nearly two decades - headed the Jewish Agency’s Youth Immigration Division, and was responsible for bringing more than 100,000 unaccompanied minors from 85 different countries to Israel.

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Our series continues with Yitzhak Meir (“Itche Meiyer”) Levin, the foremost Haredi rabbi to have signed the Declaration of Independence.

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Our series continues with Herzl Rosenblum (AKA Herzl Vardi), a Revisionist and prize-winning journalist who stood at the helm of the Yedioth Ahronoth daily for 38 years and penned no less than 11,400 editorials.

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Our series continues with Meir Argov (Grabovsky), a World War II veteran and a Petach Tikvah-based labor organizer who loved chazanut, or cantorial music, and was Israel’s first - and longest serving - chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

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On a warm winter day in February 2018, Gal Zaychner’s worst nightmare came true: Her 11-month-old son, Noah, didn’t wake up from his nap time.

Our episode tells the tragic story of a victim of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Please take that into account when deciding whether to continue listening.

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In part two of “A Life After Death,” Gal describes the days and months following Noah’s death - the funeral, the grief and the hope of creating a new life.

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It’s been fifty years since the Yom Kippur War. And as such, we want to share our Tell Saki project, which first came out in 2021. Over the course of two episodes, we go back to the horrors of the war, and specifically to one small hill in the Southern Golan Heights where - over the course of thirty-six hours - a group of young IDF soldiers went to hell and back.

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It’s been fifty years since the Yom Kippur War. And as such, we want to share our Tell Saki project, which first came out in 2021. Over the course of two episodes, we go back to the horrors of the war, and specifically to one small hill in the Southern Golan Heights where - over the course of thirty-six hours - a group of young IDF soldiers went to hell and back.

Stay connected with us on Facebook, the platform formally known as Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, and by signing up for our newsletter at israelstory.org/newsletter/. For more, head to our site or The Times of Israel.

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Everything in this corner of the world has changed since Saturday, October 7. All around us, friends, family, colleagues, people have died. People are missing. People have been kidnapped. There’s a lot of uncertainty and we’re all involved in dozens of initiatives but we’re also going to bring you some voices and testimonies that try to paint a picture of these devastating times.

The end song is Nekuda Tova (“Good Point”), by Shuli Rand with Ehud Banai.

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Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been called up to reserve duty. But what about the families they leave behind?

Episode artwork courtesy of Noa Kelner.

The end song is Ima (“Mother”) by Yehuda Levi and Ninet Tayeb.

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This episode includes graphic descriptions of violence.

At age 50, Itai Kramer is no longer obligated to serve in the reserve forces, yet he volunteered anyway. Itai tells us about what went through his mind when he decided to drop everything and put on his uniform.

The end song is Machar Ani Babayit (“Tomorrow I’ll Be Home”) by Ethnix.

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Despite everything, life continues amid the horror. For Katherine Leff, this meant going ahead with the day she’d been dreaming about for so long — her wedding day.

The end song is Od Yishma (“Again It Will Be Heard”) by Ishay Ribo.

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In 1956, Moshe Dayan – then the IDF’s Chief of Staff – delivered a eulogy for a fallen member of Kibbutz Nahal Oz. That eulogy had a tremendous impact on Israeli society and is just as poignant today as it was sixty-seven years ago.

The end song is Shir Eres Negbi (“A Southern Lullaby”) performed by Shoshana Damari.

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After the entire team of Kibbutz Kissufim’s dairy farm was murdered, Ofer Tamir from Nahalal rushed down south to rescue the local cows.

The end song is Kissufim by Etti Ankri.

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During this dark time, Israeli civil society has risen to the occasion. Hedai Offaim – a chef, farmer and social entrepreneur – has transformed his café into a relief kitchen where 750 volunteers prepare more than 10,000 nutritious meals a day for evacuated communities, families in mourning, families of hostages and reservists.

Donors from Israel can use this link: https://payboxapp.page.link/gj55cdBQMNV81qmU7 - "ארוחות ללוחמים ולמפונים - משק עפאים"

Donors who wish to make their gift to a USA public charity and receive a charitable tax deduction for the full amount of gifts to public charities as allowed by law can give to Impact Cubed (tax ID 83-2215503) through cash, credit card or other options for transfer. More information is at https://impactcubed.org/give/.

In the designating section please choose "other" and add "Ofaimme - Arava spirit initiative".

The end song is Hora He’achzut (“Hold On Hora”) by Kaveret.

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This war has forced many people to reevaluate their identities and political sensibilities—not an easy task during these shocking and painful days. Mor Maisel’s opinions are complicated and don’t conform to the norm, which may be challenging for some listeners, and reassuring for others.

The end song is Anachnu Me’oto Hakfar (“We Are From The Same Village”) by Lehakat Pikud Merkaz.

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Wars are often told through numbers – of the dead, the wounded, the missing, the misplaced. But behind each one of those numbers, there is – of course – a person, a family, a community whose life has been altered forever.

For two weeks now we’ve been hearing survival stories, the likes of which we never imagined we’d hear again, at least not on this scale. This is one such story. The story of Yarnin Peled from Kibbutz Be’eri, who survived the carnage of October 7th.

The end song is a community effort from 2019 by Kibbut Be’eri.

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There’s a long tradition of musicians and entertainers performing on the frontlines during times of war. And, indeed, almost immediately, Israel’s leading artists began crisscrossing the country in a joint effort to lift morale.

For David Broza, this kind of work isn’t, unfortunately, new. He’s been performing for troops since the mid-seventies, and for the last two weeks hasn’t stopped for a minute. Broza has given more than fifty concerts since the start of the war — in hotel lobbies, army bases, bomb shelters, kibbutz lawns and even at the bris of a baby from Kfar Aza. Basically wherever his talent can bring some joy and offer a temporary escape from reality, Broza has performed. We joined him at Kibbutz Gal’ed in the north, where he was performing for families evacuated from their homes.

The end song is Yihiye Tov (“It Will Be Good”) by David Broza.

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For months Sivan Avnery – a physical therapist from Kfar Shmaryahu – was active in the demonstrations against the judicial reforms. Like hundreds of thousands of other Israelis, he felt he was fighting for his home, for the very nature of his country. But he had no idea how true that was about to become.

On Saturday morning, October 7, Sivan received a message which is every parent’s worst nightmare: His 18-year-old son Tal was – unbeknownst to him – at the Nova party in Re’im, and was now fleeing for his life. Without a second of hesitation, Sivan knew exactly what he needed to do.

This piece was produced by Adina Karpuj.

The end song is Yeled Shel Abba (“A Father’s Son”) by Mooki.

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Israel has, of course, branded itself as the Start-Up Nation. And in many ways, Raz Newman is the classic Israeli tech entrepreneur. He’s 32, lives in Rishon Le’Zion, has two daughters, and spends most of his time researching AI and meeting with potential angel investors. On October 7th, as people began thinking how to best contribute, Raz immediately opened up his laptop and began building the AI Ezra Bot.

This piece was produced by Yochai Maital.

The end song is Kol Hadvarim Hayafim Be’emet (“All The Really Beautiful Things”) by Daniela Spector.

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Even today, nearly three weeks after the devastating attacks of October 7th, there are still hundreds of people who are considered “missing,” which means that they haven’t been confirmed dead, but – at the same time – there’s no definitive proof that they’ve been kidnapped into Gaza. One of those missing is Tamar Gutman, who was at the Nova Party in Re’im. Her sister Adva Gutman Tirosh talks about the difficulties of coping with uncertainty.

This piece was produced by Yochai Maital.

The end song is Yoter Mi’zeh Anachnu Lo Tzrichim (“We Don’t Need More Than This”) by Shlomo Artzi.

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During normal times Tomer Oshri – a 48-year-old history teacher from Jerusalem – works at JDC-Israel and runs an educational non-profit. Nowadays, however, he’s the man in charge of building and operating 17 different makeshift schools for survivors and displaced residents of the communities around the Gaza Border.

The end song is Kol Od (“As Long As”) by Yoni Rechter.

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Many people sprung into action since October 7th. And yet, at the very same time, many Israelis feel… lost. Not everyone knows what to do, nor does everyone feel useful, capable or relevant. And that feeling resonates with Alon Shalev from Zur Hadassah. 

The end song is Avot U’Banim (“Fathers and Sons”) by Eviatar Banai.

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The war caught everyone by surprise, of course, and since it broke out at the tail end of the chagim, many Israelis were abroad. What do you do in that case? Do you rush home? Do you continue your trip? Do you wait it out somewhere safe and far away? As it happens, on October 7th, our producer Mitch Ginsburg was hiking across the Scottish Highlands with his buddy – author, journalist and friend of the show, Matti Friedman. This is their story. 

The end song is “San Francisco” by Arik Einstein.

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45-year-old Ido Rosenthal from Moshav Ben Shemen served in an elite commando unit and was killed on the first day of the war. His wife, Noga, a sociology doctoral student at Ben Gurion University, has since been sharing her feelings on Facebook. She gave us permission to translate and record one of her posts. 

The end song is Rikma Enoshit (“Human Tissue”) performed by Roni Dalumi.

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There’s a lot of Holocaust rhetoric in the air. ‘Never Again’ slogans have resurfaced, Netanyahu has said – on several occasions – that Hamas militants are worse than the Nazis, and just this week the Israeli delegation to the UN wore yellow stars at the Security Council. All of this is, of course, controversial, and many people – including many Holocaust survivors – have different feelings on the matter.

Gidon Lev from Ramat Gan probably isn’t exactly what you imagine when you think of a Holocaust survivor. For many years he lived in Kibbutz Zikim on the Gaza border, where he milked some 200 cows a day. Nowadays, he’s a veritable TikTok celebrity, with nearly half a million followers, and – quite accurately – refers to himself as a “rascal.” When the war broke out he experienced a lot of trauma, and took shelter in Ein Gedi, on the shores of the Dead Sea.

The end song is Pachot Aval Ko’ev (“Less, But It Hurts”) by Yehuda Poliker.

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The nature of the attacks on October 7th, together with certain subsequent reactions around the world, have blurred the lines between Jews in Israel and Jews in the diaspora. Last week, the UJA Federation of New York brought over a delegation of 28 Jewish leaders – mainly rabbis and educators – on a jam-packed 48-hour-long whirlwind of a trip to Israel. We sat down with two, very different, members of the delegation – Reform Rabbi Angela Buchdahl and Orthodox Rabbi Shlomo Nisanov – to hear what it feels like to visit Israel in the middle of a war.

The end song is Am Echad Shir Echad (“One People One Song”) by Selected Israeli Artists.

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Among the thousands of people who had the terrible misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time on October 7th, there were also – as we now all know – many foreigners. People who had little, or no, connection to the long history of violence between Jews and Arabs, Israel and Hamas. Among them were Filipino caregivers, Thai agricultural workers and also a group of Nepali students who had been accepted to an 11-month-long internship at the Sedot Negev Agricultural Training Center.

The end song is Sathi by Sushant KC.

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Today we’ll hear from Sahar Vardi, a Jewish-Israeli peace activist who lost a dear friend, Khalil Abu Yahia, in Gaza.

The end song is Tamaly Maak (“I Am With You”) by Tzachi Halevy.

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77-year-old Agi Mishol is one of Israel’s most prominent, beloved and widely-read poets. Over the years she’s won practically every literary prize here, and Amos Oz once said that her poems “know how to tell a tale, to sing a song and also dance.” Her poetry is colorful and playful, full of nature and a love of the land. And that makes sense since – in addition to writing – Agi and her husband Giora are also farmers, who grow peaches, pomegranates and persimmons.

The end song is “Kalipso” by Dotan Malach.

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Mishka Ben-David might seem – at first – like a harmless and cuddly grandpa, but the truth is that he’s lived many secret lives. He has somehow managed to seamlessly transition from community organizing to academia to horse breeding to an illustrious career as a senior Mossad agent. Today, however, he spends most of his time writing. Over the years he has authored 21 books – a combination of spy novels, love stories, philosophy treaties, and literary criticism. Many of them are local best-sellers and have been translated into surprising languages such as Turkish and Korean. In 2017 he published “The Shark,” a dystopian tale which begins with a Hamas attack on Kibbutz Kfar Azza that is eerily similar to — and in fact almost exactly predicts — the horrors of October 7th.

The end song is Halo Noda (“Isn’t It Known?”) by Danny Sanderson.

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Over the last five weeks we’ve spoken to many families of hostages. That’s how we met Faiz Abu Sabehan, whose 53-year-old brother-in-law, Farhan al-Qadi – a father of eleven – has been kidnapped into Gaza. Faiz is a Bedouin politician, and has twice served as mayor of Rahat, the largest Arab city in Israel. He’s also an educator – a teacher, a principal and an administrator. Much like his political patron, Mansour Abbas, Faiz holds a complex position – he’s in favor of fully integrating into Israeli society on the one hand, but remains steadfast and uncompromising when it comes to central tenets of Islam on the other.

Being the mayor of Rahat is one of the most difficult jobs in the country – the city is poor, under-policed and sees more than its share of violence. In fact, Faiz himself has survived multiple assassination attempts. Some of what he says is challenging and might make certain listeners feel uncomfortable. But nevertheless we felt that it’s important to bring his voice too, as an Israeli, as a Bedouin leader and as a family member of a hostage.

The end song is Shir Ahava Bedoui (“Bedouin Love Song”) by Tzlil Mechuvan.

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Chaya Gilboa is a Talmud teacher, an activist, a flaming redhead, and was – for the last three years – the CEO of the Jerusalem Philanthropic Initiatives, which works with local civil society. On October 11th, Chaya turned 40, but instead of any kind of celebration, she was leading a team at the Jerusalem Chamal – the epicenter of the city’s volunteer efforts.

The end song is Anashim Shkufim ("Transparent People") by May Zamosh.

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Normally Chavat Ronit – or Ronit Farm – is a high-end event venue north of Herzliya. Ra’anan Arizon’s seventy dunams are full of quaffed lawns, picturesque trees, instagramable gazebos, a gorgeous pond and a lot of peaceful nature. All of that makes the farm an idyllic setting for upscale weddings and parties. Now, however, it has been converted into an “emotional” emergency room. With all its different stations and activities, it feels like a summer camp for adults, except for the fact that all the campers are survivors of the Nova party at Re’im. The end song is Lirot et Ha'or ("To See The Light") by Efrat Gosh.

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53-year-old Hai Ashkenazi from Tel Aviv is an archeologist, but never imagined he would find himself excavating a 21st-century Kibbutz. Yet in the insane reality that has become our life since October 7th, archeologists too are part of the war effort, and the term “destruction layer” has accrued a contemporary and chilling meaning.

The end song is She'eriot shel Hachaim ("Residue of Life") by The Idan Raichel Project.

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In the summer of 2005, the government of Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza. The roughly 8,000 residents of the 21 Jewish settlements within the Gaza Strip were forced to leave their homes and their communities, which – for decades – they had actually been encouraged and incentivized to inhabit.

The move brought the country to the brink of a civil war. This was especially palpable in the tense relations between the residents of Gush Katif (as the main block of Gaza settlements was known) and their neighbors from the other side of the fence — the largely left-leaning residents of the kibbutzim of Otef Azza, all the same kibbutzim that — eighteen years later — suffered most in the Hamas attack of October 7th.

Now, many of the former residents of the Gaza settlements who never stopped dreaming of returning to the sand dunes of the Strip feel at least partially vindicated. Had their communities not been dismantled back in 2005, they claim, the army would have still been in Gaza, and none of this calamity would have occurred. One such voice is that of 63-year-old Datya Itzhaki, who used to live in the Gush Katif settlement of Kfar Yam.

The end song is Imma Im Hayiti ("Mom, If I Could") by Hanan Ben Ari.

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Almost immediately after the start of the attack of October 7th, as rockets were being launched at Jerusalem, and sirens sent the city’s one million residents into shelters, the heads of the Israel Museum initiated an emergency protocol for the first time since the Gulf War in 1991.

The idea was to protect the nation’s most priceless cultural and historical treasures, the building blocks of our collective identity. The very first step of that protocol was to secure the Museum’s most prized possession, its indisputable star, its “Mona Lisa” – the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Of all the estimated 500,000 treasured items in the Museum’s collections, from Monets to Picassos, from the Chalcolithic hoard of Nahal Mishmar to the House of David inscription from Tel Dan, it was the 2200-year-old scrolls that were packed up and rushed into the museum’s most protected safe. And it was Hagit Maoz, the Curator of the Shrine of the Book where the scrolls are normally housed, who was tasked with this delicate operation.

The end song is Imperiot Noflot Le'at ("Empires Fall Slowly") by Dan Toren and Hemi Rudner.

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This war is a humbling experience for us all. People — no matter who they are or what they normally do — are simply trying to pitch in wherever they can. We’ve thus seen ex-generals jump into their private cars and go save civilians from the carnage of October 7th, former ministers and senior politicians volunteer to pick cherry tomatoes on farms near Gaza, and rock stars jam for a single soldier on an army base.

Likewise, Doron Krakow — the President and CEO of the JCC Association of North America, who in normal times runs an organization that employs tens of thousands of professionals — immediately got on a plane and came to Israel in order to do one thing: Be a grandpa.

The end song is "America" by Berry Sakharof and Rami Fortis.

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Last week, our host Mishy Harman was interviewed by Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove for the Park Avenue Synagogue Podcast. And as this is, in a way, Mishy's wartime diary, we decided to share it with our listeners too.

Today is Giving Tuesday, and we really need your support. As you probably know, almost as soon as the war began, we pivoted our entire operation and launched our Wartime Diaries series, in which we bring you voices that try to capture slivers of life right now. These episodes reach the largest number of listeners we’ve ever known, and we are extremely touched by the outpouring of love coming our way. If you feel that - in some small way - we have helped you get through these terrible weeks, if our episodes have given you some comfort, or hope, or understanding, please go to our website - www.israelstory.org - and help us continue doing what we do. 

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and may we all know quiet and calm days to come. 

The end song is Abba Sipur ("Story Father") by Miki Gavrielov.

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Many of you have probably heard, or read about, Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, the parents of 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was kidnapped from the Nova Party. In many ways they’ve emerged as the face of the hostage families - they’ve met with Biden and the Pope, they were on the cover of Time Magazine, Rachel has spoken at the UN and at the ‘March for Israel’ Rally in Washington D.C. And in all those places, as well as in countless other interviews, speeches and meetings, they’ve told the heartbreaking tale of the two text messages Hersh sent on the morning of October 7th, one saying “I love you” and the other “I’m sorry.” He wrote those messages from within a shelter, where he was hiding with 28 other partygoers. Eighteen of them were killed, and Hersh - whose left arm was blown off - was badly wounded. Shortly thereafter, Hersh and three others from the shelter were loaded onto Hamas pickup trucks and taken into Gaza. It has now been 55 days.

The end song is Tefilat Haderech ("The Traveler's Prayer") by Shai Tsabari.

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As of today, more than 400 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the war. Each one of those deaths, of course, not only marks the end of a life, but also shatters a family, a community, a tribe. And that ripple effect, that communal grieving, was palpable following the death of reservist Yossi Hershkovitz, the 44-year-old Principal of the Religious Zionist Pelech School for Boys in Jerusalem, who was killed on Friday, November 10th. 

Like Yossi, his dear friend and colleague Shalom Weil, has devoted his life to education. Over the years Shalom has taught, founded schools and served as a principal. And ever since the war broke out he’s been working tirelessly to build educational frameworks for those impacted by it most - the families of victims, survivors, evacuees. We however asked him to come into the studio not to talk about his own admirable work, but rather about his soulmate, Yossi, who had replaced him as the Principal of the Pelech School for Boys.

The end song is Blues Cnaani ("Canaanite Blues") by Ehud Banai.

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As has been said many times in the past, identity is like an onion: There are layers of family and country, religion and political persuasions, favorite sports teams, musical preferences and on and on. But for many, such as 23-year-old Adam Ben Shabath, it is their hometown which stands at the center of it all. And now, as a result of the war, Adam's village of Neve Shalom/Wahat as-Salam - with its unique population and delicate equilibrium - is being torn at the seams. Residents are questioning long-held truths - some have shifted their views, while others continue to hold firm or have even doubled down. Adam shares his own private take on the matter.

The end song is Ahava Kazu ("Love Like This") by Amir Abu and Tzlil Shakuri.

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Since the start of the military operation in Gaza, countless reports by journalists embedded with the IDF troops have appeared in the Israeli media. But there was one eight-and-a-half minute-long TV broadcast that aired on Kan - the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation - that stood out. In it, Riyad Ali, a 61-year-old Druze journalist from the town of Maghar in the Galilee, accompanied soldiers from the Golani Brigade who were operating in the Zeitun neighborhood of Gaza City. He spoke to a bunch of them, including one shy officer, Yussef, who just so happened to also be Druze. It was a pretty standard interview, but at some point something unusual happened: Unsatisfied, perhaps, with the officer’s guarded answers, Riyad took the mic and launched into an on-air monologue. He spoke from the depths of his heart about the discrimination the Druze population faces and reminded viewers that the Declaration of Independence promised all Israeli citizens equal rights, irrespective of race, religion or sex. Despite the Druzes’ loyalty, he went on, and despite the fact that six Druze soldiers have been killed since the start of the war, they still feel like second class citizens. That clip went viral. Riyad’s courage to speak up surprised and touched many Israelis, who are - these days - accustomed to a more patriotic tone on the news. But when he chose, in what seemed like a spur of the moment decision, to go public with his more complex views, Riyad wasn’t only speaking as a member of the Druze minority. He was also speaking as a man who, nineteen years ago, was himself kidnapped by Hamas in Gaza.

The end song is Nus Nus ("Half-Half") by Noam Tsuriely.

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Stories are the strongest way to connect. To understand. To care.

Under normal circumstances we’d create some sort of polished appeal, but obviously these are not normal circumstances.

If what we do has been helpful, or you think it is important, please support us and share our show with friends and family.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

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More than 200,000 Israelis - from both the South and the North - have been forced to leave their homes since the start of the war. Some have relocated to hotels or kibbutzim, others have opted to move in with family or friends, or else even rent apartments in entirely new surroundings. In today's episode we get a glimpse of what that reality feels like. Shira Masami is one of nearly 30,000 residents who have left the southern city of Sderot - a city which suffered a horrendous attack on October 7 - and who are now dispersed around the country.

The end song is Maaleh Avak ("Raising Dust") by Teapacks.

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It’s a sad Christmas Eve in Jesus’ homeland. The alleyways of Jerusalem’s Old City, the streets of Nazareth, the churches of Bethlehem - all usually bustling with countless pilgrims and tourists from all over the world - are largely empty. There are no trees, no stars, no sparkling lights. Christmas has essentially been canceled, and not just as a figure of speech: Back in November, the patriarchs and heads of practically all the local Christian denominations issued a decree calling upon their flocks to forgo any public celebration of the holiday in solidarity with the victims of the war. But there is one man who simply cannot accept the idea of a Christmas-less year. And that man is Issa Kassissieh.

The end song is Santa Klaus Higiya Le'Azza ("Santa Klaus has come to Gaza") by Shir Peled.

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The war has brought many new people into the limelight: For nearly three months we've been hearing countless stories of casualties, hostages, survivors and family members, many of whom have entered our hearts and never left. In some cases we feel like we’ve gotten to know these unsung heroes personally. One of the first big stories of the war, in that initial crazy week after October 7th, was that of 30-year-old Sagi Golan from Herzliya - a decorated officer in an anti-terrorism unit, who was killed in action in Be’eri in the early hours of October 8th. His story made headlines because Sagi was supposed to have married his partner, Omer Ohana, two weeks later, and his death brought to the fore - once again - the matter of the army and LGBTQ rights. Though the IDF has recognized same-sex partners of fallen soldiers as being eligible for full financial and emotional support since the mid-1990s, the matter had never been enshrined in law. So in the weeks after Sagi’s death, Omer led a successful campaign to legally secure the rights of same-sex and common law partners of fallen soldiers.

The end song is Zachiti Le'ehov ("I Won The Privilege to Love") by Ivri Lider.

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Upwards of $1 billion in donations have been sent to Israel since the start of the war. For years Charlene Seidle, the Executive Vice President of the San Diego-based Leichtag Foundation, has been at the forefront of the Jewish philanthropic world. While the Leichtag Foundation supports various causes in the States and in Israel, their main local focus is bridging social and economic gaps in Jerusalem. They’ve given life to hundreds of grassroots initiatives and have created the ‘Jerusalem Model’ - a diverse network of social entrepreneurs, activists and leaders from all sectors around town - Jews, Muslims, Christians, religious, secular, etc. Since Charlene and her team have been nurturing and cultivating these relationships for so long, they were particularly well-situated to understand the needs on the ground in the immediate aftermath of October 7th.

The end song is San Diego by Elisha Banai and the Forty Thieves.

Image courtesy of the Leichtag Foundation’s Jerusalem Philanthropic Initiatives.

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Today is the hundredth day of the war. And, though our Wartime Diaries series continues, we want to stop, mark this day and share 100 seconds of the many voices we’ve been hearing among - and around - us, since October 7th.

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The war has been going on for over three months, and many of us have settled into some sort of altered routine, a "new normal." But there are hundreds of thousands of people, possibly millions, for whom nothing is normal. Hugo (Uri) Wolaj of Kibbutz Be’eri is one of them: everything about his life - his job, his friends, his family, his parenting style, everything - changed on October 7th. Uri spent more than 20 hours that day hiding with his wife and daughters in the safe room. They were evacuated to a Dead Sea hotel in the early hours of October 8th and have been there ever since. But last week he returned to Be’eri, for a rare and eerie visit to his own home.

The end song is Lo Levad ("Not Alone") by Jane Bordeaux.

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Today's "Wartime Diary" takes us to a place that is, under normal circumstances, one of the most visited sites in the entire country - Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo, or as it's officially known, 'The Tisch Family Zoological Gardens.' Since the start of the war, the city of Jerusalem has welcomed more than 30,000 evacuees from both the North and the South. With such an influx of people, and especially of kids, there was a real need to create new programming and activities. The Jerusalem Foundation stepped in and launched “Double Impact,” an initiative that sent tens of thousands of evacuees (as well as the city’s school children) to various cultural and recreational institutions such as museums, theaters, the aquarium and, of course, the zoo. The result benefitted not only the kids themselves, who got a day of fun and enrichment, but also the city's struggling institutions. 

The end song is Noah by Matti Caspi.

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Some 350,000 Israelis have been called up to reserve duty since the start of the war, in what has been the largest mobilization in the country’s history. These are people who were plucked out of their homes, families and daily lives, and inserted into a totally different world, one which is in most cases - just to add to the confusion - a mere car ride away. And those transitions back and forth, between the craziness of the frontline and the veneer of normalcy at home, can be dizzying and unsettling. We’re hearing more and more about that juxtaposition now that large numbers of reservists are being released from their service, and are returning to their regular lives. 

One of them is Noam Tsuriely from Jerusalem. Noam’s a rapper, who recently put out his debut album and had, pre-war, a string of big time gigs all lined up. He was summoned for reserve duty on Oct. 7th, and has spent most of the last four months in Gaza. We spoke to him just as he came out of Gaza, and began his readjustment to civilian life.

The end song is Kshenetse Mize ("When We Get Out of This") by Noam Tsuriely, Shachar Nahari, and Eyal Mazig.

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We have some truly exciting news: For the first time in almost a decade, we're launching a new podcast. Look for Sipur Yerushalmi wherever you get your podcasts. 

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There has been endless talk of the “Home Front” during this war. The "Home Front," as in what goes on here in Israel, as opposed to what happens on the battlefield - in the streets and alleyways of Gaza. But, there is - of course - also a home front, or rather many different kinds of home fronts: some are stoic, others less so; some are somehow managing, others not at all. Much to her dismay, Aliza Raz-Melzer's 50-year-old husband Amiad volunteered to go fight. She gave us a glance into her home front. A home front that is conflicted - proud and supportive on the one hand, divided and even furious on the other.

The end song is K'She'Ata Kan ("When You Are Here") by Ninet Tayeb.

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One of very few positive outcomes of this war is that the ongoing debate surrounding the participation of female soldiers in combat has been decisively answered. Women are, as the IDF’s Chief of Staff - Herzi Halevi - has said on multiple occasions, an integral part of the military effort. They serve in tanks and in field intelligence posts, as pilots and naval officers, infantry soldiers, engineering specialists, canine handlers, medics and more. In fact, out of the 625 doctors and paramedics operating in Gaza in late December, 73 - more than ten percent - were women. In today's episode we talk to one of them, First Lieutenant Dr. Sharon Gutman Gilor.

The end song is Kol Sha'ah Neshika ("Every Hour, A Kiss") by Chava Alberstein.

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Alon Ohel - a talented young jazz pianist - was kidnapped from the Nova party on October 7th, and has been held hostage in Gaza ever since. His family has spent the last five plus months sending him good vibes and good music. In today's episode, his mother - Idit Ohel - talks about the importance of energy, friendship and hope during these dire times.

The end song is Shuvi Elay ("Return to Me") by Avishai Cohen and friends.

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In the immediate aftermath of October 7th, Shai Davidai - an Assistant Professor at Columbia University - became an unlikely public defender of Israel. And truthfully, even he was surprised by this turn of events: As a committed left-wing Israeli, he had spent years criticizing the government, and often took to the streets to demonstrate against its policies. But the atmosphere he witnessed on college campuses (and specifically on his own campus at Columbia), compelled him to speak up and speak out.

The end song is Yesh Lecha Chaver ("You've Got a Friend") originally by Carol King, performed by Tzila Dagan.

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The horrific events of October 7th reminded many people of the darkest chapter in Jewish history - the Holocaust. And indeed, for the past six months, there have been as many comparisons to the Shoah as there have been critiques of those comparisons. 

Of the roughly 130,000 Holocaust survivors living in Israel today, just under 10,000 reside in Jerusalem. Many of them participate in the Jerusalem Foundation’s Café Europa, which offers a physical meeting place, a wide range of social and cultural activities - concerts, lectures, memorials, workshops - and professional help in navigating the thickets of Israeli bureaucracy. We recently spent a morning at the Café Europa branch in Jerusalem’s German Colony neighborhood, where we heard all kinds of opinions about the Holocaust comparison. But the person with the strongest feelings on the matter just so happened to also be Café Europa’s oldest member - 100-year-old Walter Bingham.

The end song is Tzair LaNetzach ("Forever Young") by Rami Kleinstein.

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Next week, millions of Jews around the world will sit down at their Passover tables, for what will invariably be a very different kind of seder. The timeless question of how this night, or this Pesach, is different from all other nights, and all other Pesachs, has gained an entirely new - and tragic - dimension since October 7th. And few, if any, have thought about this matter more than forty-three year old Mishael Zion, a liberal Orthodox rabbi and Jewish educator from Jerusalem. 

In 1997, Mishael’s father - Noam Zion - together with his friend David Dishon - published a popular English-language Haggadah called “A Different Night.” Seven years later, Mishael joined forces with his dad in creating an Israeli version - HaLayla HaZeh: Haggadah Israelit. And this year, two decades after that Israeli Haggadah came out, Mishael and his father decided to update it, for the first post-October 7th seder.

The end song is Chad Gadya ("One Little Goat") by Chava Alberstein.

To purchase a digital copy of the Israeli Haggadah in Hebrew, click here.

To download the Zion Haggadah supplement in English, Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, German and French, click here.

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Forty-seven-year-old Tzvika Mor is from the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba, near Hebron. His son, Eitan, was kidnapped from the Nova Festival, where he had been working as a security guard. In fact, Eitan was only kidnapped in the afternoon of October 7th, after spending nearly nine hours evacuating injured party-goers to safe locations nearby. During that whole time Eitan heroically returned to the festival grounds again and again, under fire, to save complete strangers. At around 15:30 he was himself taken by terrorists and driven into Gaza, where he’s remained ever since.  

Tzvika, is an outlier among the families of the hostages. As campaigns across the country and throughout the world call upon the leaders of Israel and the Hamas to reach a deal that would release the hostages, Tzvika believes that the Israeli government should keep on fighting, and reject any offer that includes a ceasefire, even if it comes at the cost of his son’s freedom, perhaps even his life. He established a small group of like-minded relatives of hostages called Forum Tikvah, or the Hope Forum. They stress the importance of the nation and the state over the life of any individual, even if that individual happens to be your loved one. And in that, ironically, their right wing position echoes the left wing socialist and collectivist sentiments that were dominant in the early days of the state.

The end song is Akedat Yitzchak ("The Binding of Isaac") by Naomi Shemer.

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It’s Yom HaZikaron again, Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror. Since the start of the war, 1511 Israeli civilians and members of the armed forces have been killed. That's 1511 families who have joined the dreaded circle of grief and bereavement. 1511 families whose lives will never again be the same. 

Today, we share the story of one such family. A small family. One that was just starting off, really. Thirty-year-old Yuval Halivni was a reserve officer who was killed on October 9th. He left behind a wife, Amit Halivni Bar-Peled, who is a pastry chef and makes amazingly elaborate wedding cakes, and a little boy, Jon-Jon, who was less than two when his dad was killed.

The end song is Hatishma Koli ("Hear My Voice") by Rivka Revivo.

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Lihi Lapid is a celebrated photojournalist, columnist and best-selling author - of children's books, cookbooks and award-winning novels. She’s also married to Yair Lapid, the former Israeli Prime Minister and current Leader of the Opposition. In 2021 Lihi published Zarot, a sweeping tale that explores a complicated mother-daughter relationship, the tolls of immigration and the reality of marginalized groups within Israeli society. When it came out, it received glowing praise, especially from the notoriously harsh critics at Haaretz who called the novel, “a wonderful work written with restraint and wisdom.” And this spring, three years later and in what is an entirely different world, the English translation - On Her Own - was published by HarperCollins. We sat down to talk about October 7th, feminism, special needs, and what it’s like to have a major work of fiction - written by the former Prime Minister’s wife - come out in the middle of a war.

The end song is Hey Shketa ("Hey Quiet One") by Ivri Lider.

Photograph by Jennifer Bukovza, courtesy of Lihi Lapid.

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