The Israel Connection

Send us Fan Mail In the Season 3 premiere of the Israel Connection, Esti Zenati interviews Israeli comedian, Shahar Cohen. They talked about Shahar's rise to fame with his 'America vs. Israel' videos, his popular characters like 'Nofar,' and the impact of social media on his career. He also shares insights into his U.S. tour and his mission to unite people through humor. S...

Send us Fan Mail In this special episode, Esti Zenati sits down with Ben Kreshtool and Jill Suffel from Beth El to unpack the rapidly evolving war between Israel and Iran. They explore the surprising alliances forming in the Middle East, what this conflict means for Israel’s future, and offer practical advice—and words of comfort—for tourists currently stuck in Israel who may be feeling anxious or...

Send us Fan Mail  In this episode, Esti Zenati interviews Dr. Yechiel Leiter, the 21st Israeli Ambassador to the United States. Ambassador Leiter reflects on his return to public service after the tragic loss of his son, Major Moshe Leiter, who was killed leading IDF forces into Gaza on November 10, 2023. He outlines his key goals as ambassador, including defending Israel’s legitimacy during a sev...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Israel Connection, Esti Zenati interviews Mazal Tazazo, a survivor of the brutal terrorist attacks at the Nova Festival on October 7, 2023. Mazal, a 35-year-old mother from Southern Israel, recounts her life before the incident, the harrowing details of the attack, and how she survived while losing her two close friends. She shares her journey towards healin...

Send us Fan Mail Esti Zenati interviews Israeli stand-up comedian, content creator and IDF reservist, Matan Peretz. They discuss Matan's comedy journey, the therapeutic role of comedy - particularly during the war, and his rise to global recognition. Matan also shares insights from his recent visit to concentration camps in Poland, his thoughts on Joe Rogan's comments on Israel and his p...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Israel Connection, Esti Zenati revisits with Rabbi Dana Saroken, Beth El's own rabbi and founder of the Soul Center. They explore her inspiring journey from aspiring doctor to spiritual leader, discuss her efforts to connect Israel and America, and the importance of making Judaism relevant for all ages. They also delve into the power of storytelling in...

Send us Fan Mail Esti Zenati sits down with a very special guest, Erin Molan—renowned Australian TV and radio presenter, and former host of the prime-time show Erin on Sky News. Widely recognized for her unwavering support of Israel and the Jewish community, Erin shares the story behind her viral monologue that not only captured global attention but deeply moved hearts in Israel. She opens up abou...

Send us Fan Mail Esti Zenati is joined by two special guests straight from Israel: Guy Flavian and Iris Hillel, co-heads of the Israel's Story initiative. Israel's Story was a hasbara project launched immediately after the October 7 attacks, rapidly growing to involve over 200 volunteers and spreading across social media platforms in multiple languages. The initiative’s goal was to advoc...

Send us Fan Mail Esti Zenati speaks with Yuval David, an Emmy-winning Israeli-American journalist, actor, and LGBT activist. They discuss Yuval’s advocacy for Israel, the Jewish community, and LGBT rights, as well as his role in promoting Jewish representation in media. The conversation explores his experiences in the entertainment industry as a Jewish Israeli-American, particularly after the even...

Send us Fan Mail Esti Zenati is joined by guest, Elkana Cohen, author of the book OCT 7: The War Against Hamas Through the Eyes of an Israeli Commando Officer , which is based on Elkana's diary entries during the war in Gaza. Esti and Elkana talk about his personal experience of what it's like serving in the IDF since October 7, 2023 and being on the battlefield in Northern Gaza for over...

Send us Fan Mail Esti Zenati is joined by Israeli-American Winter Olympian AJ Edelman for an insightful conversation about his journey to Israel and his path to the Winter Olympics. AJ shares his experience making aliyah to Israel in 2016, his journey to the 2018 Winter Olympics, and his preparations for the 2026 Winter Olympics with his Bobsled team, BobTeam Edelman. The discussion also delves in...

Send us Fan Mail Esti Zenati is joined by special guest, Moran Stela Yanai. Moran was held hostage by Hamas for 54 days, after being kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023, and released on November 29, 2023, during the first hostage release deal. They talk about Moran's October 7, her experience in captivity and her hopes and dreams for the near future, for herself and for...

Send us Fan Mail  Esti Zenati hosts attorney Ran Bar-Yoshafat, who also serves in the IDF reserves as a combat Special Forces soldier. Ran shares his experience fighting in Gaza, Northern Israel, and Judea & Samaria since October 7, 2023, all while balancing life as a newlywed and a first-time father, having spent over 250 days on the battlefield. They also discuss Ran's role as a speaker...

Send us Fan Mail Esti Zenati is joined by guest co-host, Ben Kreshtool, and special guest, comedian Modi Rosenfeld! They talk about Modi's career in comedy, his favorite places to perform in Israel and his current US tour, Pause for Laughter . Modi will be performing in Baltimore at The Lyric on Sunday, March 2. Get your tickets at modilive.com .

Send us Fan Mail Esti is joined by Hen Mazzig, a globally recognized speaker, educator, author, and digital influencer who has become a trusted voice on Jewish issues and Israel, appearing as an expert in media across four continents, including outlets like BBC, CNN, The Washington Post, SkyNews, New York Times and more. They talk about Hen's personal experience advocating for Israel for many...

Send us Fan Mail Esti talks to guest, Mitch Gold, founding member of FIDF Baltimore and member of the FIDF National Board. They talk all things FIDF and Mitch shares his experience in Israel during the past year and as a child, living in Be'er Sheva with his family in the 1960's and during the Six Day War.

Send us Fan Mail Esti is joined by Howard Libit, Executive Director of the Baltimore Jewish Council. They talked about the important role the Jewish Council plays within the Jewish community, the rise in antisemitism and The Associated Antisemitism Task Force. Howard shares his experience working with representatives from other religions and also his experience in Israel prior to the war. And of c...

Send us Fan Mail In this Part II of The New Shinshinim episode, Esti is joined by Baltimore Shinshinim, Shachar and Itamar, for a fun conversation! They talk about their road to becoming Shinshinim, their personal connections to October 7th and how it affected their lives. And lastly, they share their favorite Israeli things, from places to snacks and Israeli music.

Send us Fan Mail Esti is joined by one of the new Baltimore Shinshinim , Yahel, for this Part I of the conversation with the 2024-2025 Shinshinim . They talk about Yahel's experience in Baltimore, growing up in Israel and her personal connection to the October 7 attack and the hostages. 

Send us Fan Mail Esti Zenati is joined by Dalia Ziada, Egyptian award-winning writer and political analyst specializing in governance, geopolitics, and defense policy in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. They discuss Dalia's support for Israel and its fight against radical Islam, the Arab world's relationship with Israel, Dalia's partnership with Hillel International an...

Send us Fan Mail Esti Zenati is joined by special guest, Jonah Platt. Jonah is an actor, artist, Jewish advocate for Israel and the Jewish people, and the host of his newly released podcast, Being Jewish with Jonah Platt. Jonah and Esti talk about being Jewish in today's climate, Hollywood's silence when it comes to Israel & the "ceasefire" letter debacle, and Jonah's...

Send us Fan Mail Send us a text Esti Zenati is joined by Jewish writer, activist and co-host of the We Should All Be Zionists podcast with Dr. Einat Wilf. They talk about Blake's activism experience and why he has chosen to be active in the fight against antisemitism, Zionism, his recent aliyah  and more! 

Send us Fan Mail Esti Zenati is joined by a special guest, Dr. Einat Wilf. They discuss the importance of Zionism, the right path to peace in the Middle East, and her latest book, We Should All Be Zionists.

Send us Fan Mail Esti is joined by her own 9-year-old daughter, Jazz, and Beth El's Executive Director, Ben Wachstein, to talk about Esti & Jazz's trip to visit their family in Israel this summer and Jazz's upcoming first time at a sleep away camp. Stay tuned for a trip & camp recap in August!

Send us Fan Mail Esti Zenati and Ben Kreshtool talk to our special guest, Idan Tzameret, owner of Kitchen Design by Idan on Falls Rd in Baltimore and Beth El member, about the experience he had with antisemitism in early May, his life as an Israeli, including his years in the IDF, and the current war.