Israel Story

Israel Story

About

Israel 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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204 episodes

Wartime Diaries: Idit Ohel

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG0oN5z3SuI("Return to Me") by Avishai Cohen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avishai_Cohen_(bassist) and friends. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

26m
Mar 19
Wartime Diaries: Sharon Gutman Gilor

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smxxi4PbOnc ("Every Hour, A Kiss") by Chava Alberstein https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chava_Alberstein. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

14m
Mar 05
Wartime Diaries: Aliza Raz-Melzer

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 front, or rather many different kinds of 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 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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeDJNrN4J1E ("When You Are Here") by Ninet Tayeb https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninet_Tayeb. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

19m
Feb 23
A Once-in-a-Decade Announcement

We have some truly exciting news: For the first time in almost a decade, we're launching a new podcast. Look for https://linktr.ee/sipuryerushalmiwherever you get your podcasts.  * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

4m
Feb 16
Wartime Diaries: Noam Tsuriely

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZqNoWZuRnA ("When We Get Out of This") by Noam Tsuriely https://www.tiktok.com/@noam_tsuriely?lang=en, Shachar Nahari https://www.instagram.com/shaharn?igshid=161ef4tq16fdr, and Eyal Mazig https://www.instagram.com/eyalmazig_urmusic?igshid=1d0pnqx4477uj. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

18m
Feb 07
Wartime Diaries: Maya German and Benjamin Fainsod

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 https://jerusalemfoundation.org/project/double-impact-building-connections-between-evacuees-and-cultural-institutions-in-jerusalem/,” 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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcwQDtTsRh0 by Matti Caspi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matti_Caspi. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

17m
Jan 30
Wartime Diaries: Hugo (Uri) Wolaj

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 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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_gMtQ7BTo4("Not Alone") by Jane Bordeaux https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%92%27%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9F_%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%93%D7%95. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

22m
Jan 22
Wartime Diaries: 100 Days

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. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

2m
Jan 14
Wartime Diaries: Charlene Seidle

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDq_nVYvxZQ by Elisha Banai and the Forty Thieves https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisha_Banai. Image courtesy of the Leichtag Foundation’s Jerusalem Philanthropic Initiatives. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

19m
Jan 10
Wartime Diaries: Omer Ohana

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 . 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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUJro16dpbs ("I Won The Privilege to Love") by Ivri Lider https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivri_Lider. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

26m
Dec 31, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Issa Kassissieh

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lalv6CsIfqk("Santa Klaus has come to Gaza") by Shir Peled https://twitter.com/ShirPeled. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

16m
Dec 24, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Shira Masami

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWkRFbhWhAU("Raising Dust") by Teapacks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teapacks. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

20m
Dec 21, 2023
We Need to Talk

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 normal circumstances. If what we do has been helpful, or you think it is important, please support us https://www.israelstory.org/ and share our show with friends and family. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

6m
Dec 14, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Riyad Ali

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 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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-dAl5xPFLc ("Half-Half") by Noam Tsuriely https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxCBTZya2P2I9K5tFu2WD_A. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

22m
Dec 12, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Adam Ben Shabath

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgfauWbVYNo ("Love Like This") by Amir Abu https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC35EiiN6UIEIWES-x6iG5Zw and Tzlil Shakuri https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCycknMwlrgOPH1r0fGR9hoA. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

18m
Dec 08, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Shalom Weil

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 Heshkovitz, 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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLMTbjKSyx0 ("Canaanite Blues") by Ehud Banai https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ehud_Banai. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

20m
Dec 04, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17hsNZCAz7M ("The Traveler's Prayer") by Shai Tsabari https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A9%D7%99_%D7%A6%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%99. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

25m
Nov 30, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Elliot Cosgrove and Mishy Harman

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 . 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 https://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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYoIVlzBOK4("Story Father")by Miki Gavrielov https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miki_Gavrielov. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

24m
Nov 28, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Doron Krakow

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 " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkWpbST8pIby Berry Sakharof https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berry_Sakharof and Rami Fortis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rami_Fortis. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

17m
Nov 26, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Hagit Maoz

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IFjevSuJYA ("Empires Fall Slowly") by Dan Toren https://dantoren.com/ and Hemi Rudner https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%97%D7%9E%D7%99_%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%93%D7%A0%D7%A8. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

16m
Nov 23, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Datya Itzhaki

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 https://open.spotify.com/track/23NSrbwTJ5a7Rhii7Yp9f8?si=a34977d491314e00 ("Mom, If I Could") by Hanan Ben Ari https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanan_Ben_Ari. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

19m
Nov 21, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Hai Ashkenazi

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYYYctLmnt4 ("Residue of Life") by The Idan Raichel Project https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idan_Raichel. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

14m
Nov 19, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Ronit Farm

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 https://open.spotify.com/track/5vcjj1PnF81hHkf6tkHZWh?si=efb74447d7fb409c ("To See The Light") by Efrat Gosh https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efrat_Gosh. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

15m
Nov 16, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Chaya Gilboa

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. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

18m
Nov 14, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Faiz Abu Sabehan

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. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

16m
Nov 12, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Mishka Ben-David

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. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

20m
Nov 10, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Agi Mishol

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. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

9m
Nov 08, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Sahar Vardi

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. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

23m
Nov 07, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Louish Rijal

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. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

14m
Nov 06, 2023
Wartime Diaries: Angela Buchdahl and Shlomo Nisanov

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. * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

19m
Nov 05, 2023