I sat down with Samantha Robinson in Jerusalem in February 2026 — weeks before any of us knew that a second war with the Iranian regime was on the horizon. Sam is the Director of Community Resilience and Development at the Jewish Agency, where she’s part of JReady⁠, the Agency's global initiative for emergency preparedness and community rehabilitation. It was a role she held before October 7th — and one that became even more critical afterward. We spoke about what that work looks like from the inside, about life as the wife of a reservist who has spent hundreds of days on the battlefield while she holds down her rigorous job and as well as the homefront, complete with her four children. Sam and I also talked about the neighborhood pub and concert venue she and her husband spearheaded during Covid — and why they continued to operate it in the aftermath of October 7th. 

 

 

Credits:

Host and Creator: Manya Marcus

Editor and Producer: Ben Wallick

Associate Editor and Producer: Keren Glicksman

Content Editor: Alexandra Yelderman

Logo Design: Samuel Vilemar

Outro Music: "EVERGREEN" | Ziv Moran

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