Israel Story

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...

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...

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 nightma...

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 minu...

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 Yarn...

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 . Stay connected...

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/gj55...

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 . Stay connected with us on Facebook , Instagram , and by signing up for our newsletter at israelstory.org/newsletter/. For more, head to our site or The Times of Israel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...

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 . Stay connected with us on Facebook , Instagram , and by signing up for our newsle...

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 . Stay connected with us on Facebook , Instagram , and by signing up for our newsletter at israelstory.org/newsletter/. For more, head to our site or The Times of Israe...

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 . Stay connected with us on Facebook , Instagram , and by sign...

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 . Stay connected with us on Facebook , Instagram , and by signing up for our newsletter at israelstory.org/newsletter/. For more, head to our site or The Times of Israel . Hosted...

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&n...

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...

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...

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. 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 . Stay connected wi...

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. Stay connected with us on Facebook , the platform formally known as Twitter , Instagram , Tik T...

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. Stay connected with us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and by signing up for our newsletter at israelstory.org/newsletter/. For...

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. 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 The Times of Israel . Stay con...

Our series continues with Yitzhak Meir (“Itche Meiyer”) Levin, the foremost Haredi rabbi to have signed the Declaration of Independence. 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 The Times of Israel . Stay connected with us on Facebook , Instagram , and by signing up for our newslett...

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. 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 o...

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. Stay connected with us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and...

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. Stay connected with us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and by signing up for our news...

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. 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 The Times of Isr...

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. 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 The Times of Israel . Stay co...