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, and wanted to share the work Eve is doing to encourage more support on the ground and from outside the country. Links to get involved and to donate are here:

Rising Lions Volunteers: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Ghv3murSOL3I7k8cAsV7Jt

Kerem House: https://keremhouse.com/volunteer/

Vaad Hatzedaka: Gift cards to victims for new home supplies: https://bit.ly/40mlnk1

Produced by Dellet Studios for Lightboat Media

Social Media Coordinator: Tehilah Simantov

Edited and Mixed by: Yazek Shrem

www.lightboat.media

IG: @aliyah_stories

© Lightboat Media Ltd.

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. Ruthie shares what her Aliyah journey was like, and what its like to live in Modiin as a young family. And of course our word of the pod.. havlatz.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Homefront Command App: https://apps.apple.com/il/app/israel-home-front-command/id1542010719

Modiin: https://www.modiin.muni.il/ModiinWebSiteEng/MainPageEng.aspx

Produced by Dellet Studios for Lightboat Media

Social Media Coordinator: Tehilah Simantov

Edited and Mixed by: Yazek Shrem

www.lightboat.media

IG: @aliyah_stories

© Lightboat Media Ltd.

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 - Zorem.. go with the flow!

Mentioned in this episode:

Camp Moshava: https://moshava.org/

Mark Shinar: https://www.markshinar.com/; Facebook - Mark Shinar

Times of Israel: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/author/mark-shinar/

Havruta: https://havruta.org.il/en/%d7%93%d7%a3-%d7%94%d7%91%d7%99%d7%aa-english/

Produced by Dellet Studios for Lightboat Media

Social Media Coordinator: Tehilah Simantov

Edited and Mixed by: Yazek Shrem

www.lightboat.media

IG: @aliyah_stories

© Lightboat Media Ltd.

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://www.linkedin.com/in/shawna-goodman-52a4a9140/

Summer Camps Israel - https://summercamps.co.il/

Instagram: @aliyah_stories

Produced by Dellet Studios for Lightboat Media

Social Media Coordinator: Tehilah Simantov

Edited and Mixed by: Yazek Shrem

www.lightboat.media

© Lightboat Media Ltd.

In advance of 'Yom Hazikaron,' Israel's National Remembrance Day, David interviews Shira Brown from The Michael Levin Base, annual host of an English-language event to commemorate the day. Shira shares about her own Aliyah journey, how the Michael Levin Base came to be and how it serves lone soldiers and b'not sheirut. And Shira provides the "word of the pod" - TASH.

Find out about:

Yom Hazikaron event: https://causematch.com/tmlb-yomhazikaron2025

Michael Levin Base: https://themichaellevinbase.org/

February draws to a close, with a return to fitness! Find out about the gym scene in Israel, what its like to run the Tel Aviv Marathon (well, just the 10K), a special 'pop vox' interview with my friend and recent oleh Shlomo, and how the recent weeks have been with the return of the Bibas family.

And the word of the podcast.. "Bamba"

Discussed in this episode:
- Tel Aviv Marathon - https://www.tlvmarathon.co.il/MenuDefault_en.aspx?Id=8947
- La'Bayit Gifts - https://www.labayitgifts.com/
- Bamba at Trader Joe's - https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/bamba-peanut-snacks-058373

January is about to end, but Hebrew lessons have just started. Find out about "ulpan" - the Hebrew language course in Israel, and David's first impressions. Learn two more new words in this episode as well - "yofeh" and "mitzuyan."
Discussed in this episode:
- Lillenblum 7 - the Hebrew language boutique community
https://www.lilienblum7.com/
- the 172 bus - https://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/en/Live/Transportation/Pages/PublicTransportaiton.aspx

Happy New Year, Hannukah and Christmas! It's been a while since I uploaded an episode, here's a brief update on what's been happening since the last one:
- I moved to Holon
- I bought a car
- My benefits ended :(
- I've run into bomb shelters many times
- Eaten a lot of donuts
We have two words for the podcast this time - Sufganiyot and Sylvester. Thanks for listening, please like and subscribe, with hopefully more to come in 2025.
#wrapped #newyears #israel #bringthemhomenow #zionist