Explore every episode of the podcast Oleh at Large: Aliyah Stories
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tynan McArthur Pivots In Israel To His Dreams S03E05 | 06 Nov 2025 | 00:20:47 | |
Tynan McArthur wasn't very satisfied with his career as a dentist in Johannesburg, South Africa. He made a bold choice to move to Israel to chart a new destiny, and it landed him in a whole new field - early childhood education. Find out about Tynan's Aliyah Story and how he made the transition and found a new direction in life in the Holy Land, with some inspiration about how you too can find a new direction in Israel. Production: Yazek Shrem Social Media Coordinator: Tehilah Simantov Follow us on IG @aliyah_stories | |||
| Juda (Yehuda) Honickman Ex-NY'er Israel Advocate Shares His Story S03E04 | 24 Oct 2025 | 00:18:17 | |
Juda (Yehudah) Honickman is a fierce advocate for Israel, and made Aliyah back in 2012. Juda has a great story to tell, how he found himself as an addict in recovery, met his wife and made the move to Israel to work at a recovery clinic. Juda is a positive force on social media for Israel, and we are grateful to hear about his story. Production: Yazek Shrem Social Media Coordinator: Tehilah Simantov Follow us on IG @aliyah_stories | |||
| Running the TLV Marathon, Paying Respects | 28 Feb 2025 | 00:14:06 | |
February draws to a close, with a return to fitness! Find out about the gym scene in Israel, what its like to run the Tel Aviv Marathon (well, just the 10K), a special 'pop vox' interview with my friend and recent oleh Shlomo, and how the recent weeks have been with the return of the Bibas family. And the word of the podcast.. "Bamba" Discussed in this episode: | |||
| Learning the Lingo - Starting Ulpan Lessons S02 E05 | 30 Jan 2025 | 00:14:48 | |
January is about to end, but Hebrew lessons have just started. Find out about "ulpan" - the Hebrew language course in Israel, and David's first impressions. Learn two more new words in this episode as well - "yofeh" and "mitzuyan." | |||
| Year End Wrap-Up - Update Episode S02 E04 | 31 Dec 2024 | 00:18:17 | |
Happy New Year, Hannukah and Christmas! It's been a while since I uploaded an episode, here's a brief update on what's been happening since the last one: | |||
| Volunteer Recruiter Liz Morley Shares All About Sar-El Organization S02 E03 | 19 Sep 2024 | 00:22:39 | |
On this episode, Liz Morley shares her Aliyah Story and about her work with Sar El - the Israeli organization that brings volunteers from around the world to help the Israeli Defence Force. | |||
| Feeding Soldiers and Israel, Visiting the Nova Site S02 E02 | 07 Sep 2024 | 00:18:43 | |
Welcome to Ep 2 of this season of Oleh at Large - chronicling David's experiences as a new immigrant "Oleh" and his process of immigration "Aliyah" to Israel during wartime in 2024. | |||
| The Craziest Israeli Bureaucratic Experience Ever! - S02 Ep 1 | 23 Aug 2024 | 00:19:25 | |
Oleh At Large is back with a new season of David's experiences as a new immigrant "Oleh" and his process of immigration "Aliyah" to Israel during wartime in 2024. | |||
| Ep 9 Dolly the Dog Comes to Israel! Pets Can Make Aliyah Too | 20 Jun 2024 | 00:21:36 | |
The adventure continues, as David shares how he was able to transport Dolly, his 7 1/2 year old Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog, from London to Tel Aviv. How many mistakes did he make? A few.. did she get there in the end? Tune in and find out! And check out the new IG profile @aliyah_stories for regular updates from Israel. | |||
| Ep 8 - Pride Edition with Guest Roy Freeman, Founder LGBT Olim | 29 May 2024 | 00:35:00 | |
In a special episode, just in time for Pride, David interviews Roy Freeman, the founder of LGBT Olim, an organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ people who emigrate to Israel. Hear about how Roy started the group, the reactions he got from the immigration authorities, and all the activies the group does. How will Pride play out this year in the current situation? Find out. | |||
| Episode 7 - Independence and Citizenship | 22 May 2024 | 00:17:23 | |
It was a big week - Independence Day and David's final interview for his citizenship papers! Find out how to navigate an Israeli BBQ, how the appointment went down, how it almost didn't happen and what happens next! | |||
| Episode 6 - Remembering Fallen Soldiers in Jerusalem | 13 May 2024 | 00:15:12 | |
Yom Hazikaron, or Remembrance Day, is the Israeli day to remember the fallen soldiers and victims of terror. Join David in his first one, at a special memorial service at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem, sponsored by the Michael Levin Base. Speakers included the mother of fallen lone soldier Rose Lubin and the parents of hostage Omer Neutra. | |||
| Comedian Deb Kaye Makes Tel Aviv Laugh S03 Ep03 | 09 Oct 2025 | 00:21:30 | |
Comedian Deb Kaye is an Australian-born Oleh, sharing her Aliyah Story. After raising her kids, Deb discovered she had a knack for comedy, and became a stand-up comedian just a few years ago. Deb tells us how she was able to get back on stage after Oct 7, and about the fun and challenges of English-language comedy in Israel. Mentioned in this podcast: TLV Laughs comedy nights: run by Deb https://www.tlvlaughs.com/ Production: Yazek Shrem Social Media Coordinator: Tehilah Simantov Follow us on IG @aliyah_stories | |||
| Episode 5 - Eurovision Night & Hurricane Eden | 11 May 2024 | 00:08:56 | |
It's Eurovision Night and I'm heading into Tel Aviv to watch the Grand Finals! Here's the quick lowdown on Israeli contestant Eden Golan and her incredible song "Hurricane" - against a LOT of hate, Eden crushed the semi-finals and has a chance at taking the prize! | |||
| Episode 4 - Sirens, Candles, a Museum - Holocaust Remembrance Day | 10 May 2024 | 00:17:29 | |
What’s Holocaust Remembrance Day like in Israel? Find out as David experience’s his first in Israel as the journey to becoming a citizen of Israel continues, including a visit to Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Museum. Here are some of the links referenced in the episode. Yom Hoshoah Siren 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU-Bo3mlPCw Yad Vashem: https://www.yadvashem.org/index.html Broadcast of Torchlighting Ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QTVPL5sbFY | |||
| Episode 3 - Guest Yoni Cooper explains how Nefesh BNefesh can help you! | 02 May 2024 | 00:26:47 | |
In this episode, I chat with Yoni Cooper, my Aliyah Advisor from Nefesh B'Nefesh (NBN) the main organization that helps North Americans make Aliyah (immigration to Israel). You'll hear about the requirements and the services NBN offers new olim (immigrants), and Yoni's Aliyah Story. | |||
| Episode 2 - Law of Return & Rabbi Letters | 24 Apr 2024 | 00:11:23 | |
In this episode, David discussed the Law of Return as the basis for his aliyah, and some of the key elements to begin the process, including receiving a letter from a Rabbi. | |||
| Episode 1 - Introduction to Oleh, Aliyah and Me | 14 Apr 2024 | 00:12:22 | |
In this premiere episode, David discusses his background and why he has chosen to become an immigrant to Israel (an 'Oleh') and start the immigration process (make 'Aliyah'). You also get an Israeli word of the day and a preview of future episodes. | |||
| Hillel Fuld - Activist/Tech Bro Shares his Aliyah Story | 25 Sep 2025 | 00:21:17 | |
David is joined by Hillel Fuld, activist and tech leader, who shares his Aliyah story. Moving to Israel as a teen, Hillel found his way into activism and the tech world, becoming a leader in both. Hillel shares what he loves about Jerusalem, why its a religious imperative to make Aliyah and provides tactical advice on finding a job in the Israeli tech scene. Follow Hillel at: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hilzfuld Dellet Production for Lightboat Media Production by: Yazek Shrem Business and Social Media Coordinator: Tehila Simantov IG: @Aliyah_stories | |||
| Tel Aviv, Here I Am! All New Season Starts Here! S03E01 | 18 Sep 2025 | 00:15:48 | |
We're back with a new season of Oleh at Large: Aliyah Stories, coming at you from an all new location - Tel Aviv! I finally made the move, and this Season 3 premiere episode is all about Florentin, the cool neighborhood where I spent the summer. Oleh At Large: Aliyah Stories is about my journey ("aliyah") as an immigrant (oleh") to Israel, and this season we also have a range of guests - coming up this season are Deb Kaye, Hillel Fuld, Judah Honickman and more. Mentioned in this podcast: Mexcal - great Mexican restaurant in Florentin Holy Cheeses - European-style cheese and gourmet store Alpaca - great happy hour Florentin bar and venue TLVLaughs - English language comedy shows at Hoodna Bar Please subscribe and follow on Instagram at @Aliyah_Stories This is a Dellet Production for Lightboat Media Social Media Coordinator: Tehila Simantov Production and Editing: Yazek Shrem | |||
| Volunteer Organizer Eve Balesi's New Group Helps Missle Attack Victims S02 EP11 | 26 Jun 2025 | 00:13:20 | |
The "12 Day War" with Iran is over, but thousand of Israelis have been displaced with their homes destroyed by Iran's missiles. Within days, Eve Balensi formed "Rising Lions Volunteers" a grassroots organization to help mobilize Olim and connect them to the Israeli groups on the ground helping rebuild and help displaced citizens. I had the opportunity to volunteer myself, and wanted to share the work Eve is doing to encourage more support on the ground and from outside the country. Links to get involved and to donate are here: Rising Lions Volunteers: https://israelvolunteeropportunities.com Donate to Support Rising Lions: https://secure.israelfriends.us/forms/sword-of-iron-israel-volunteer?campaignId=5260 Kerem House: https://keremhouse.com/volunteer/ Vaad Hatzedaka: Gift cards to victims for new home supplies: https://bit.ly/40mlnk1 Produced by Dellet Studios for Lightboat Media Social Media Coordinator: Tehilah Simantov Edited and Mixed by: Yazek Shrem IG: @aliyah_stories © Lightboat Media Ltd. | |||
| Rescue Volunteer and Modiin Super-Mom Ruthie Abitbol Explains it All S02 E10 | 17 Jun 2025 | 00:26:54 | |
This podcast features my very incredible and special niece Ruthie Abitbol, who made Aliyah as a young child, and has grown up to be an incredible woman. Not only is she an incredible mother to three wonderful boys, a devoted wife, daughter and granddaughter, but she is also a volunteer with the Israeli Home Front Command, trained to help out with mass casualty events, such as missile attacks. Ruthie shares what her Aliyah journey was like, and what its like to live in Modiin as a young family. And of course our word of the pod.. havlatz. Mentioned in this podcast: Homefront Command App: https://apps.apple.com/il/app/israel-home-front-command/id1542010719 Modiin: https://www.modiin.muni.il/ModiinWebSiteEng/MainPageEng.aspx Produced by Dellet Studios for Lightboat Media Social Media Coordinator: Tehilah Simantov Edited and Mixed by: Yazek Shrem IG: @aliyah_stories © Lightboat Media Ltd. | |||
| Pride Episode Alert! Guest Mark Shinar Shares his Aliyah and Life Journey S02 E09 | 09 Jun 2025 | 00:37:43 | |
Dr Mark Shinar, educational leader and Times of Israel blogger, is our guest for a special Pride episode. Mark has become a good friend, and he shares his journey making Aliyah and also coming out once he made Aliyah. Mark has a special voice in the intersection of the Orthodox and LGBTQ community. Listen to a great story of a wonderful man and his family. And of course, a new Word of the Pod - Zorem.. go with the flow! Mentioned in this episode: Camp Moshava: https://moshava.org/ Mark Shinar: https://www.markshinar.com/; Facebook - Mark Shinar Times of Israel: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/author/mark-shinar/ Havruta: https://havruta.org.il/en/%d7%93%d7%a3-%d7%94%d7%91%d7%99%d7%aa-english/ Produced by Dellet Studios for Lightboat Media Social Media Coordinator: Tehilah Simantov Edited and Mixed by: Yazek Shrem IG: @aliyah_stories © Lightboat Media Ltd. | |||
| Summer Camps in Israel - Shawna Goodman Sone shares all! S02 E08 | 03 Jun 2025 | 00:30:53 | |
On this episode, David interviews Oleh Shawna Goodman Sone, founder of Summer Camp Israel, an organization dedicated to supporting the creation of the Summer Camp experience in Israel. It’s not too late to send your 11-16 years olds to Summer Camp, here in Israel, so take a listen and get those trunks packed! And don’t forget our word of the Pod! Mentioned in this episode: Shawna Goodman - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawna-goodman-52a4a9140/ Summer Camps Israel - https://summercamps.co.il/ Instagram: @aliyah_stories Produced by Dellet Studios for Lightboat Media Social Media Coordinator: Tehilah Simantov Edited and Mixed by: Yazek Shrem © Lightboat Media Ltd. | |||
| Michael Levin Base Event for Remembrance Day S02 E07 | 27 Apr 2025 | 00:26:11 | |
In advance of 'Yom Hazikaron,' Israel's National Remembrance Day, David interviews Shira Brown from The Michael Levin Base, annual host of an English-language event to commemorate the day. Shira shares about her own Aliyah journey, how the Michael Levin Base came to be and how it serves lone soldiers and b'not sheirut. And Shira provides the "word of the pod" - TASH. Find out about: Yom Hazikaron event: https://causematch.com/tmlb-yomhazikaron2025 Michael Levin Base: https://themichaellevinbase.org/ | |||
| Stickers Inspire Jeff’s New Mission S03 EP07 | 20 Nov 2025 | 00:23:29 | |
One oleh. Lots of stickers. A nation’s messages captured before they vanished. Meet Jeff Weiss — an American oleh, author, and endurance athlete who found new purpose in Tel Aviv. After encountering the memorial stickers honoring Israelis killed on October 7th and in the war that followed, Jeff launched Stickers of Meaning, a project preserving their powerful mottos and personal stories. In this episode, Jeff shares why these messages resonated so deeply, what they reveal about Israeli resilience, and how his own Aliyah journey — from New York to Florida to Tel Aviv — led him toward a renewed sense of meaning and connection. Mentioned in this episode: Stickers of Meaning — Israeli memorial sticker project https://www.stickersofmeaning.com/ Jeffrey Weiss Author Site — Books by Jeff Weiss -https://www.jeffreyweissauthor.com/ Nahalat Binyamin Market — Arts & crafts street fair -https://www.nachlatbinyamin.com/en/ Ben Yehuda 126 Synagogue (“126”) — Popular Anglo-friendly shul - https://www.facebook.com/126BenYehuda/ Production by Yazek Shrem Social Media & Business Coordinator - Tehliah Simantov Follow us on Instagram @aliyah_stories | |||
| Recovery Inspires Eric’s New Mission in Israel S03 E06 | 13 Nov 2025 | 00:27:00 | |
In this episode of the Aliyah Story podcast, we explore how recovery didn’t just change Eric Levitz’s life — it gave him a mission that could only be built in Israel. Eric, the founder of AZ House Jerusalem, shares how his own near-death battle with addiction and his experience in a free, donation-based recovery center in Cleveland shaped everything he would later build in Israel. Arriving in Israel with no Hebrew, no money, and no plan, Eric followed what he describes as a faith-based jump — trusting that the reason would become clear only after he arrived. Within six months, it did: he realized that the Jewish world had no free, community-driven recovery center, the very kind that saved his life. Eric also shares how recovery gave him everything: his community, his life, even the introduction that led him to his wife. “Every dream I ever could have imagined — and many I couldn’t have imagined — came from the decision to get sober.” This episode is a powerful look at how recovery doesn’t end with getting better — it can ignite a mission, transform a community, and root a person deeply in Israel. Mentioned in this episode: AZ House Jerusalem - Eric’s treatment center in Jerusalem. https://www.azhousejerusalem.com/ To support AZ House: https://donorbox.org/the-az-house-a-home-to-rebuild-lives Pizgat Ze'Ev - https://www.jerusalem.muni.il/en/residents/communities/pisgat-zeev/ Anthony's Pizza - https://www.facebook.com/anthonys.pizza.jerusalem/ Follow us on IG: @aliyah_stories Production: Yazek Shrem Business & Social Coordinator: Tehila Simantov | |||
| Tel Aviv-Yafo, The Holy City - Jay Explains S03 E10 | 06 Jan 2026 | 00:30:00 | |
Jay Schultz made Aliyah in 2006 on a one-way ticket — not out of fear, but out of choice. In this episode, Jay explains why life in Tel Aviv offers something Jews can’t find anywhere else, why Aliyah can be a “selfish” decision in the best sense, and how the city has transformed into a global hub of young Jewish life. In this wide-ranging conversation, Jay explains why his Aliyah was, in his words, “selfish” — a decision rooted not in ideology alone, but in quality of life, human connection, and the lived experience of being Jewish in Israel. He contrasts the quantity of life available in cities like New York or London with the quality of Jewish life found in Tel Aviv, arguing that some things simply can’t be purchased elsewhere. Jay reflects on the transformation of Tel Aviv over the past two decades — from a provincial city with almost no English-speaking olim into a global hub of young Jewish life. He shares why Tel Aviv, despite its secular reputation, may be one of the most Jewish places on earth, and why Western Aliyah has fundamentally reshaped the city. Mentioned in this episode:
Produced by Dellet Studios for Lightboat Media Social Media Coordinator: Tehilah Simantov Edited and Mixed by: Yazek Shrem IG: @aliyah_stories © Lightboat Media Ltd. | |||
| Aleeza makes Aliyah & a TV Show! S03EP09 | 26 Dec 2025 | 00:38:11 | |
Meet Aleeza Chanowitz — a Brooklyn native who made Aliyah at 21 with no clear plan and ended up creating, writing, and starring in her own Israeli TV comedy. In this episode, Aleeza shares her journey from film school in Jerusalem to prime-time television, navigating Israel’s entertainment industry as an American oleh. She talks candidly about creativity, chutzpah, motherhood, building a life between religious and secular worlds, and what it really takes to make something in Israel without a roadmap. Mentioned in this episode: TLVFest (Tel Aviv LGBTQ Film Festival) – https://tlvfest.com/ HOT (Israeli TV Network) – https://www.hot.net.il/ Sam Spiegel Film & Television School – https://www.jerusalemsamspiegel.com/ Produced by Dellet Studios for Lightboat Media Social Media Coordinator: Tehilah Simantov Edited and Mixed by: Yazek Shrem IG: @aliyah_stories © Lightboat Media Ltd. | |||
| Single Mom of 5 Rina Reinvents Herself in the Holy Land - S3E08 | 11 Dec 2025 | 00:20:26 | |
Meet Rina Deutsch, a single mother of 5, a coach, teacher, and newly minted entrepreneur who traded Toronto for Jerusalem just weeks before the school year started. In this powerful episode, Rina gets candid about:
Plus, tune in for a hilarious round of Israeli Mom Rapid Fire and learn the meaning of the essential slang word: "Gahg." Production by Yazek Shrem Social Media & Business Coordinator - Tehliah Simantov Follow us on Instagram @aliyah_stories | |||