Israel Story
232 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1.2K ratingsIsrael Story is an award-winning podcast that tells true stories you won't hear on the news. Hosted by Mishy Harman, the bi-weekly show brings you extraordinary tales about ordinary Israelis. The show is produced in partnership with The Jerusalem Foundation. For Hebrew episodes, see סיפור ישראלי, or go to our website: israelstory.org
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Episodes
From the Vault: A Biblical Bond
April 28, 2020 17:59 - 23 minutes - 43.3 MBToday is Yom HaZikaron - the day of remembrance for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism. With everyone instructed to stay home, the typically-packed military cemeteries throughout Israel are largely empty. So we wanted to bring you one of our favorite stories. In 2003, Susi Döring Preston was a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand. That's where she met Tsiki Eyal, at a nightclub. Their passionate love affair would ultimately lead her to the sleepy Israeli town of Mazkeret Batya. There, su...
IsraPalooza
April 26, 2020 13:23 - 1 minute - 3.84 MBJoin us for a day filled with back-to-back interviews, concerts, workshops and classes in celebration of Israel's Independence Day! 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
From the Vault: A Severe Case of Second Generation
April 21, 2020 19:24 - 24 minutes - 46.9 MBIt's Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. Over the years we’ve aired many stories and episodes that relate to the Holocaust in different ways. But today we wanted to replay one of our favorites. Lizzie Doron was born in Tel Aviv in the early 1950s. Like many others of her generation, she grew up in the shadow of the Holocaust, and her childhood was filled with silence. Questions about her family’s past were left unanswered or ignored. So, in a neighborhood where traumatic memories were r...
We Want To Hear From You!
March 05, 2020 17:31 - 2 minutes - 5.29 MBWe want your feedback! Please fill out our listener survey. Head to israelstory.org/survey and help us keep the show free. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
50: Keep Calm and Carry On
December 31, 2019 08:01 - 36 minutes - 83.6 MBWhat does it mean to be 'in it for the long haul'? In our fiftieth episode, which is also our season finale, we explore this question in the context of both creating a podcast and forging a relationship. Some people operate within the confines of reality. Others don't. Instead, they will things into existence. Today we'll meet one such determined woman who - faced with countless obstacles - decided to keep calm, put one foot in front of the other, and carry on in pursuit of love. Stay conn...
From the Vault: Whistle-Stop Tour
December 24, 2019 08:00 - 24 minutes - 56.9 MBBack in 2014, we met Elik Fromchenko. During the day he works at an auto magazine, but - just like Clark Kent - he has a secret superpower: Elik is a world-class whistler. And, in an adventure that could only happen to an Israeli backpacker, he found himself in an ambassadorial role in Hebei Province, China. 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. Hosted on Ac...
"An Audio Egg Roll"
December 23, 2019 08:00 - 1 minute - 2.9 MBIf you happen to associate Christmas Eve with egg rolls, hot-and-sour soup and sesame chicken, tune in to tomorrow's re-release of one of our Season One classics - our sole China-related story. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
49: We Share The Same Sky
December 17, 2019 08:00 - 55 minutes - 88.8 MBRachael Cerrotti was a college freshman when she first came to Israel on a Birthright trip. Shortly thereafter, back in Philadelphia, she and her grandmother - Hana Dubova - started sitting down for what they called "storytelling sessions." The result was a ten-year-long journey in which Rachael retraced her grandmother's steps during, and in the wake of, WWII. Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and by signing up for our newsletter at israelstory.org/newsletter/. For mor...
47: We Share The Same Sky
December 17, 2019 08:00Rachael Cerrotti was a college freshman when she first came to Israel on a Birthright trip. Shortly thereafter, back in Philadelphia, she and her grandmother - Hana Dubova - started sitting down for what they called "storytelling sessions." The result was a ten-year-long journey in which Rachael retraced her grandmother's steps during, and in the wake of, WWII. Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and by signing up for our newsletter at israelstory.org/newsletter/...
Short: "Achoti"
December 10, 2019 08:00 - 19 minutes - 45 MBIn our last episode, "Achi" (my brother), we told the tale of two siblings and their unusual life together. And today, we're sharing a little companion bonus track, in which senior producer Yochai Maital talks to his older sister Temira Finesilver about their very different lifestyles. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...
Bonus: "Achoti" (My Sister)
December 10, 2019 08:00In our last episode, "Achi" (my brother), we told the tale of two siblings and their unusual life together. And today, we're sharing a little companion bonus track, in which senior producer Yochai Maital talks to his older sister Temira Finesilver about their very different lifestyles. 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.
46: "Achi"
December 03, 2019 08:01When God first spoke to Benjamin, he was reading the newspaper. That was just the start of a wild journey that led two Orthodox brothers from the Bronx to a new life, a new homeland, a new lord and - above all - to each other. Growing up, Benjamin and Reuven Berger never imagined they'd be roommates well into their seventies. Nor did they imagine their lives would unfold as brothers in faith. But from their majestic home in the serene village of Ein Kerem, they reflect on an unusua...
48: "Achi"
December 03, 2019 08:01 - 43 minutes - 89 MBWhen God first spoke to Benjamin, he was reading the newspaper. That was just the start of a wild journey that led two Orthodox brothers from the Bronx to a new life, a new homeland, a new lord and - above all - to each other. Growing up, Benjamin and Reuven Berger never imagined they'd be roommates well into their seventies. Nor did they imagine their lives would unfold as brothers in faith. But from their majestic home in the serene village of Ein Kerem, they reflect on an unusual, almost...
Short: The Last "Rabbi" of Baghdad - A Thanksgiving Special
November 26, 2019 08:00 - 18 minutes - 43.1 MBJews have been in Iraq for more than two-and-a-half millennia. Today, the entire Jewish community of Baghdad can fit in a single car. In this special Thanksgiving bonus, we bring you a conversation between Mishy Harman and Emad Levy, the last "rabbi" of Baghdad. It's a busy week. Many of you will be traveling, and those of you staying put will probably be cooking turkeys and preparing cranberry sauce. And while you are doing all that, we wanted to keep you company. With the kind of storyte...
45: By the Rivers of Babylon
November 19, 2019 08:00A century ago, close to one-third of Baghdad's population was Jewish. Today, just five Jews remain in the city. In today's episode, we explore the story of the Jews of Iraq, all the way from Nahum the prophet to a Jerusalemite grandma who became the unlikely champion of kidnapped Yazidi girls. Jews first arrived in what is today Iraq in the 6th century BC, after the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar sacked Solomon's Temple. It was from there that Ezra and Nehemiah led returning exiles...
47: By the Rivers of Babylon
November 19, 2019 08:00 - 50 minutes - 92.8 MBA century ago, close to one-third of Baghdad's population was Jewish. Today, just five Jews remain in the city. In today's episode, we explore the story of the Jews of Iraq, all the way from Nahum the prophet to a Jerusalemite grandma who became the unlikely champion of kidnapped Yazidi girls. Jews first arrived in what is today Iraq in the 6th century BC, after the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar sacked Solomon's Temple. It was from there that Ezra and Nehemiah led returning exiles back to ...
From the Vault: Herr Eichmann
November 01, 2019 07:00 - 31 minutes - 72.7 MBTo most, Adolf Eichmann - the mastermind behind the Nazis’ ‘Final Solution’ - is the ultimate symbol of evil. But to a small group of Israelis, he was no more than a gaunt and balding middle-aged prisoner. This is the story of those who looked evil in the eye, and lived to tell the tale. Last week we aired a story about Dr. Yonah Elian, the anesthesiologist who sedated Eichmann during his capture back in 1960. And today we bring you a rerun of another Eichmann story we aired back in a 2016 ...
44: The Needle
October 25, 2019 07:00In May 1960, the Mossad captured Adolf Eichmann in Buenos Aires, and brought him to stand trial in Jerusalem. It's one of Israel's most glorified chapters, right up there with Entebbe, the bombing of the Iraqi Nuclear Reactor and Operation Solomon. So why did the doctor who sedated the Nazi mastermind minimize his role in the saga? And what can that tell us about the legacy of World War II, eighty years after its start? Last month, the world marked the eightieth anniversary of Hitl...
46: The Needle
October 25, 2019 07:00 - 41 minutes - 94 MBIn May 1960, the Mossad captured Adolf Eichmann in Buenos Aires, and brought him to stand trial in Jerusalem. It's one of Israel's most glorified chapters, right up there with Entebbe, the bombing of the Iraqi Nuclear Reactor and Operation Solomon. So why did the doctor who sedated the Nazi mastermind minimize his role in the saga? And what can that tell us about the legacy of World War II, eighty years after its start? Last month, the world marked the eightieth anniversary of Hitler's inva...
45: Explosive Confession - A Yom Kippur Special
October 08, 2019 07:00 - 31 minutes - 71.8 MBThe special was recorded in Ben Wallick’s studio and was mixed by Sela Waisblum.Repentance, prayer and charity, we are told, are our saving graces when Yom Kippur comes around. And, of course, confession is a big part of that trifecta. But do we still get the coveted brownie points if that confession took thirty years? In 1989, Robby Berman - a recent Yeshiva University grad and enthusiastic Zionist - made aliyah and was drafted into the IDF. But nothing in his basic training prepared him f...
45: Explosive Confession - A Yom Kippur Special
October 08, 2019 07:00 - 31 minutes - 71.8 MBThe special was recorded in Ben Wallick’s studio and was mixed by Sela Waisblum.Repentance, prayer and charity, we are told, are our saving graces when Yom Kippur comes around. And, of course, confession is a big part of that trifecta. But do we still get the coveted brownie points if that confession took thirty years? In 1989, Robby Berman - a recent Yeshiva University grad and enthusiastic Zionist - made aliyah and was drafted into the IDF. But nothing in his basic training prepared him f...
Short: Explosive Confession - A Yom Kippur Special
October 08, 2019 07:00The special was recorded in Ben Wallick’s studio and was mixed by Sela Waisblum.Repentance, prayer and charity, we are told, are our saving graces when Yom Kippur comes around. And, of course, confession is a big part of that trifecta. But do we still get the coveted brownie points if that confession took thirty years? In 1989, Robby Berman - a recent Yeshiva University grad and enthusiastic Zionist - made aliyah and was drafted into the IDF. But nothing in his basic training prepa...
Short: Dear God - A Rosh HaShanah Special
September 27, 2019 07:00Rosh HaShanah is cleanup time, even at the Kotel. But what happens to the millions of notes tucked away in its cool crevices? And what on earth does that have to do with Leonard Cohen, impromptu sword-fights and carp fish in the bathtub? For many folks, visiting the Kotel is emotional, meaningful and - more than anything - private. In fact, the single most common experience people have at the Western Wall is inherently personal - putting a kvittel, or note in between its ancient as...
44: Dear God - A Rosh HaShanah Special
September 27, 2019 07:00 - 29 minutes - 68.7 MBRosh HaShanah is cleanup time, even at the Kotel. But what happens to the millions of notes tucked away in its cool crevices? And what on earth does that have to do with Leonard Cohen, impromptu sword-fights and carp fish in the bathtub? For many folks, visiting the Kotel is emotional, meaningful and - more than anything - private. In fact, the single most common experience people have at the Western Wall is inherently personal - putting a kvittel, or note in between its ancient ashlar ston...
44: Dear God - A Rosh HaShanah Special
September 27, 2019 07:00 - 29 minutes - 68.7 MBRosh HaShanah is cleanup time, even at the Kotel. But what happens to the millions of notes tucked away in its cool crevices? And what on earth does that have to do with Leonard Cohen, impromptu sword-fights and carp fish in the bathtub? For many folks, visiting the Kotel is emotional, meaningful and - more than anything - private. In fact, the single most common experience people have at the Western Wall is inherently personal - putting a kvittel, or note in between its ancient ashlar ston...
43: "The Wall" Part IV - This Wall is My Wall
September 10, 2019 07:01 - 1 hour - 89.1 MBIn its final installment, our 'Wall' series comes full circle, back to where we began - the Kotel. But this time we won't be meeting Holocaust-survivors-turned-Palestinian-housewives. Instead, we will meet Jews who - in the name of their Judaism - have set off on a lifelong crusade. Walls can make us feel safe, warm and protected. But that's also their greatest danger. After all, walls can cut us off from what is going on outside, and hiding behind them can give us a false sense of security...
43: The Wall Part IV - This Wall is My Wall
September 10, 2019 07:01Walls can make us feel safe, warm and protected. But that's also their greatest danger. After all, walls can cut us off from what is going on outside, and hiding behind them can give us a false sense of security and stability. Throughout this series, we've tried to open up windows in the walls that make up Israeli society. And that's a tricky thing to do, really. You need to make sure you don't damage the foundations that keep us bonded together. But you also need to be ready to see...
Welcome, Shalom and Call Home
September 05, 2019 17:02 - 9 minutes - 10.3 MBIf you are new to the show, there are so many episodes for you to check out. Why not start with Operation Hulda, Love Syndrome, and Milk, Honey and Sweet Mary Jane? You can also sign up to our newsletter, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And lastly, whether you are new to Israel Story, or have been following us from day one, do us a favor - go to Apple Podcasts, rate us and leave a review. Thanks! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
42: "The Wall" Part III - The Invisibles
August 12, 2019 11:41 - 56 minutes - 93.5 MBAfter visiting two of Israel's most visible walls, we shift gears to slightly more abstract ones. Walls, both new and old, that you might have a harder time finding on the ground, but will - nevertheless - show us where we came from and where we are going. Walls are something you can see. Something you can touch. Something you can run into and get a nasty bump on your head. Or... are they?! In our episode today - part three of our miniseries - we tell the stories of three walls that won't a...
42: The Wall Part III - The Invisibles
August 12, 2019 11:41Walls are something you can see. Something you can touch. Something you can run into and get a nasty bump on your head. Or... are they?! In our episode today - part three of our miniseries - we tell the stories of three walls that won't appear on your typical map. Three walls you'd probably miss unless you heard about them, well... here. But don't think that makes them less significant or present in daily Israeli society. Not at all. In fact, they help us trace our history all the w...
41: The Wall Part II - The Other Side
July 23, 2019 08:02For the last seventeen years, when people say "the wall' and "Israel" in the same sentence, they're usually referring to something very specific: A four-hundred-and-forty-mile-long barrier - some 95% of which is a sophisticated multi-layered fence, and some of which, especially in urban areas, is an imposing concrete wall. Seen from the Israeli side, this fence/barrier/wall represents security, stability and safety. It allows us to calmly ride the bus, peacefully go out dancing, and...
41: "The Wall" Part II - The Other Side
July 23, 2019 08:02 - 1 hour - 82.3 MBSome call it the 'security fence,' while others prefer the 'West Bank barrier.' But to most around the world it is known simply as the 'separation wall.' Our series continues with a visit to what is perhaps the most divisive symbol of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But as usual, we'll go beyond the politics, to the people. For the last seventeen years, when people say "the wall' and "Israel" in the same sentence, they're usually referring to something very specific: A four-hundred-and-fo...
40: The Wall Part I - Operation Hulda
July 02, 2019 10:28Everywhere we turn these days, it seems as if walls are staring back at us. Their powers are magical: They protect and alienate; keep people both in and out; and can even - as we have all seen - bring mighty governments to a total standstill. Israel, too, has its share of walls, and no, not just the West Bank separation wall. In this four-part miniseries, we visit some of the country's most famous walls journeying from the Bronze Age to the modern-day Start-Up Nation, from the socce...
40: "The Wall" Part I - Operation Hulda
July 02, 2019 10:28 - 53 minutes - 85 MBAnd... we're back! We kick off our fourth season with a brand new miniseries - "The Wall." Today's roller-coaster of a mystery begins with Israeli paratroopers liberating the Kotel, continues with a symbolic mid-war birth, and ends up going in the most surprising direction imaginable. Everywhere we turn these days, it seems as if walls are staring back at us. Their powers are magical: They protect and alienate; keep people both in and out; and can even - as we have all seen - bring mighty g...
Exciting News
April 25, 2019 05:28Here’s a little bonus - a wonderful recent story from our friends at Unorthodox. For more, head to our site.
Now That’s a Buzzword!
June 27, 2018 12:30 - 2 minutes - 4.83 MBA quick note from a big celebration. For more, head to our site. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
39: "Mixtape" Part IV – War, Peace and Bumper Stickers
June 15, 2018 06:43 - 42 minutes - 78.3 MBIn our season finale, we explore two songs that - perhaps more than any others - capture the complex and intermingled nature of Israeli society. Over the last four episodes, we’ve told the stories behind some of Israel’s most iconic songs. When we set off on this musical journey, we hoped to find a unicorn, a unifying island of Israeliness that escapes the usual polarization which dominates most conversations about Israel. Instead, however, we discovered that music not only reflects, but of...
39: Mixtape Part IV – War, Peace and Bumper Stickers
June 15, 2018 06:43Over the last four episodes, we’ve told the stories behind some of Israel’s most iconic songs. When we set off on this musical journey, we hoped to find a unicorn, a unifying island of Israeliness that escapes the usual polarization which dominates most conversations about Israel. Instead, however, we discovered that music not only reflects, but often amplifies, our contrasts. We all sing in different keys, with different words and in different voices. And that, at the end of the da...
38: "Mixtape" Part III – Eastward Bound
June 08, 2018 06:22 - 47 minutes - 87.3 MBIn a music scene dominated by Ashkenazi culture, Mizrahi singers had to patiently pave their way to the Israeli mainstream one song at a time. In Part III of our miniseries, we meet two Yemenite trailblazers, In Israel today, Mizrahi – or “Eastern” – music is ubiquitous. In fact, to many, it is practically synonymous with Israeli music. But that wasn’t always the case. For decades, Israeli radio stations ignored Mizrahi tunes and exclusively played music rooted in Ashkenazi traditions. That...
38: Mixtape Part III – Eastward Bound
June 08, 2018 06:22In Israel today, Mizrahi – or “Eastern” – music is ubiquitous. In fact, to many, it is practically synonymous with Israeli music. But that wasn’t always the case. For decades, Israeli radio stations ignored Mizrahi tunes and exclusively played music rooted in Ashkenazi traditions. That began to change in the late-1970s and early-1980s, due – in no small part – to a few veritable trailblazers. The original music in this episode was composed, arranged and performed by the Mixtape Ban...
37: "Mixtape" Part II – Iron and Gold
June 01, 2018 07:34 - 43 minutes - 90.5 MBOur musical journey through the intricacies of Israeli society continues. And this time we explore a song that, ever since the dramatic month that forever changed Israeli history, has become the country's soundtrack: "Jerusalem of Gold." In 1968, an up-and-coming left-wing politician by the name of Uri Avnery brazenly suggested replacing Israel’s national anthem, HaTikvah. His proposal was surprising, given the fact that the would-be replacement was the unequivocal anthem of the Six Day War...
37: Mixtape Part II – Iron and Gold
June 01, 2018 07:34In 1968, an up-and-coming left-wing politician by the name of Uri Avnery brazenly suggested replacing Israel’s national anthem, HaTikvah. His proposal was surprising, given the fact that the would-be replacement was the unequivocal anthem of the Six Day War, Yerushalayim Shel Zahav. While Avnery’s motion never made it to the Knesset floor, Yerushalayim Shel Zahav has indeed become an anthem of sorts. It is probably the most recognizable and beloved Israeli tune ever, and is repeate...
36: "Mixtape" Part I – Our Hope?
May 25, 2018 05:43 - 36 minutes - 83.8 MBWelcome to 'Mixtape,' our very first mini-series. Over the course of the next four episodes, we will go on a musical journey through anthems, songs of yearning, of war, of peace, and hear the stories behind some of Israel's most iconic tunes. Let’s face it – when it comes to Israel, everything is complicated. Politics are complicated, religion is complicated, democracy is complicated, the conflict is complicated. Even our complications are complicated. These are the things that take us out ...
36: Mixtape Part I – Our Hope?
May 25, 2018 05:43Let’s face it – when it comes to Israel, everything is complicated. Politics are complicated, religion is complicated, democracy is complicated, the conflict is complicated. Even our complications are complicated. These are the things that take us out to the street. That make us shout, and cry. That fill us with hope, and – just as often – plunge us into utter despair. But there is (seemingly) one island within Israeli society that escapes complexity, and brings us together more tha...
35: Whither Thou Goest
May 18, 2018 06:42 - 1 hour - 93.4 MBRuth the Moabite said she'd follow her mother-in-law, Naomi, anywhere. That blind devotion has since made her an enduring symbol of loyalty, faith and determination. And, just in time for our smorgasbord of cheesecakes, lasagnas and blintzes, Somewhere between post-Passover fatigue and summer-is-around-the-corner excitement, Shavout tends to be overlooked. But in reality, it is the secret gem of the Jewish calendar: A festival that’s all about strong women, wheat harvests, creamy cheesecake...
34: Coming Out, Getting In
March 30, 2018 07:48 - 1 hour - 92.9 MBPayam Feili is a gay Iranian poet. Nadav Schwartz is an Orthodox Israeli Jew. But in ways both astoundingly similar and utterly different, both men have journeyed out of their communities, leaving behind almost everything but their identity. Tonight, Jews around the world will gather together at their seder tables. They will drink wine, ask questions, search for the Afikoman and recite the obligation to see themselves as if they personally had come out of Egypt. And that is, really, what th...
Bonus: Meet Our Unorthodox Friends
February 19, 2018 15:36Today, we bring you an episode from our friends over at Unorthodox – another show produced by Tablet Magazine: “The Kids Are Alright.” For more, head to our site.
33: Milk, Honey and Sweet Mary Jane
February 02, 2018 13:09 - 50 minutes - 47.1 MBCannabis in the Holy Land is clearly a booming business. Through the unlikely story of Amos Silver, the Israeli 'Green Giant,' we take a deep dive into the world of Telegrass, the hot application that has made buying weed as easy as ordering a pizza. According to a recent study conducted by the Israeli Anti-Drug Authority, the Holy Land might as well be rebranded as a ‘Weedtopia.’ More than a quarter of adults aged 18 to 40 reported having used marijuana within the last month. This stat, sa...
32: King of the Hill
December 23, 2017 17:39 - 1 hour - 63.9 MBFrom the top of Tell El-Ful, an abandoned hilltop in East Jerusalem, you can see all the way from Amman to Tel Aviv, from Jerusalem to Ramallah. And you can also travel back and forth in time. Imagine an abandoned White House, covered with graffiti, open to the winds, full of trash, broken bottles and condom wrappers. Now go a step further and picture it against the background of the most beautiful Middle Eastern panorama you can conjure up. Ever since we learned about the existence of a de...
Short: Fed-Ex Over Your Snow
November 28, 2017 06:37 - 16 minutes - 37.2 MBPeople in one-hundred-and-eighty-seven countries around the world – including Iran, Iraq and Papua New Guinea – tune in to Israel Story. And today, we went out to talk to a few, very special, fans: our youngest and oldest listeners. For more, head to our site. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.