Oleh at Large: Aliyah Stories

Michal Slawny Cababia shares her journey from Virginia to Aliyah, political activism and the Knesset, and discusses what English-speaking olim should know about Israeli politics, Beyachad, bureaucracy, political representation and voting. Michal Slawny Cababia made Aliyah from the United States in 2008. Years later, she found herself serving in Israel’s Knesset. In this Israel Votes episode, Micha...

Former MK, writer and current Knesset candidate Dr. Einat Wilf joins David Levine to discuss her return to politics, the Reservists–Economic Party, universal service, the relationship between Israel and the Jewish world, and why she believes Israel must fight a war of ideas as seriously as it fights on the battlefield. For more than a decade, Dr. Einat Wilf became known internationally as one of I...

News commentator Benyamin Moalem joins David Levine for an Elections 101 guide to Israel's 2026 election — explaining parties, the Knesset, the 3.25% threshold, coalitions, the race to 61 seats, and what olim need to know before going to the kalpi . Israel's election system can feel completely foreign to a new oleh, let alone folks outside the country. There are no local congressional di...

Writer and storyteller Josh Rose joins David Levine to share his Aliyah story — from Manchester and London to Tel Aviv, from writing about Jewish and LGBTQ identity in the UK to building a new life in Israel after arriving just days before war changed everything. Josh Rose never expected to make Aliyah. He grew up in Manchester, lived in London, worked as an environmental manager, and built a writ...

Jakey Parry joins David Levine to share his Aliyah story — from growing up in Perth, Australia, to moving to Israel at 18, joining the IDF, building a following through Hebrew humor, and finding his place in Israel through army life, comedy, theater, and community. Jakey Parry grew up in Perth, Australia, in a strongly Jewish, Zionist, modern Orthodox community. After a Bnei Akiva gap year in Isra...

Ian Mark joins David Levine to share his Aliyah story — from a stressful finance job in New York to moving to Israel in three weeks, finding work, building community, dating as an oleh, and eventually creating DateNight AI after co-founding the viral Corona Crush Facebook group during COVID. Ian Mark thought he would move to Israel one day — maybe after a successful finance career, maybe after mak...

Israeli real estate lawyer Moshe Binyamini joins David Levine for a practical guide to buying property in Israel as an oleh or overseas buyer. They discuss remote purchases, hidden costs, mortgages, taxes, developers, new-build risks, currency issues, and the biggest mistakes olim should avoid before signing a contract. This is a practical episode for anyone thinking about buying in Israel, making...

In this solo episode of Oleh at Large: Aliyah Stories , David Levine shares a personal update from his own Aliyah journey — from life in Yafo to finally getting the keys to his new apartment in Sarona. After two years in Israel, several temporary apartments, and six months living in Yafo, David reflects on what he has loved about the neighborhood: the Old City, the flea market, the beach, the dog...

Entrepreneur and new olah Maayan Gordon joins David Levine to share why she and her family left the comfort of American life and made Aliyah during a war. From motherhood and business to community and purpose, this is a story about finding home and building a life in Israel—one messy step at a time. After years of building businesses in the United States, Maayan never imagined she would one day le...

Writer Shlomo Kates joins David Levine to discuss his Aliyah journey, life in Tel Aviv, volunteering for IDF service later in life, and why he believes Israel is the only place where he can fully embrace all parts of his identity. Shlomo shares his views on the future of Canadian Jewry and how LGBTQ Jews fare in Israel.  This is a conversation about belonging, resilience, and finding home. Links M...

Meet Ambassador Michael Oren - historian, bestselling author, former Israeli ambassador to the United States, former member of Knesset, and one of the leading voices connecting Israel and the Jewish world. But long before diplomacy and public life, Ambassador Oren was simply a Jewish kid from New Jersey who grew up in the shadow of the Holocaust and experienced antisemitism firsthand. Inspired by...

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 wor...

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 betw...

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: The Defining Moment: Why the events of October 7th made a decades-long dream a non-negotiable reality. Family Dynamics: How she navigated moving to Israel with three of her five childr...

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...

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 Is...

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 c...

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 Siman...

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://...

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: Facebook: https://ww...

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...

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,...

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. Ruth...

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 - Z...

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:...