In this episode Rabbi Wildes speaks with David Jablinowitz. Broadcast journalist and public speaker David (Zeev) Jablinowitz, who made aliyah from New York to Jerusalem and then moved to Beit Shemesh, enjoys talking about his interviews with interesting personalities – including US President Barack Obama, and no less than seven Israeli prime ministers.

“Obama laughed at me when I told him that I was a New York Mets fan,” he recalls.

After studying at Queens College, Jablinowitz made aliyah in 1981 from New York, where, growing up, he never imagined that he would one day become a top broadcaster for Israel Radio’s English News.

“I always had a love for journalism,” he says. “Anyone who knew me said I had a passion for knowledge and my curiosity would lead me to my career and they were correct. In high school, I worked on the school newspaper and in college I broadcast a news program so when I made aliyah I was certain I wanted to work in communications and that’s how I came to Kol Yisrael [Israel Radio].”

Jablinowitz worked for over 30 years reporting in and on Israel, 25 of them as a diplomatic and political correspondent at Israel Radio. He has briefed missions visiting Israel from North America, and has traveled to the US on speaking tours. Married to Shari with four children and two grandchildren, he has now left Israel Radio and is contemplating his next career move.