Half a century ago, a 6-year-old Roni Raab visited his grandparents, who had made Aliyah, in Israel. On Sunday, Sept. 6, 1970, he, his mother, and 4 siblings boarded a TWA flight to return home to New York. A week later, Roni and his family finally deplaned after a tense, harrowing experience on an airplane that had been hijacked by the PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine). Find out how Roni made it through this dangerous time and how it impacted the rest of his life on this week’s episode of IsraelCast with host Steven Shalowitz.

Ever since he was a little kid, Yonatan Winetraub wanted to go to Mars. Find out how he went from a kid with a dream to the co-founder of SpaceIL, running a robotic mission to the moon, on this week’s episode of IsraelCast. Host Steven Shalowitz talks to Winetraub about the importance of motivating students to be interested in science and engineering, not just being a YouTube star. Hear about the time capsule of hopes and dreams, Beresheet, left on the moon - including a small Bible, letters from communities around the world, and a picture painted by his grandmother.

Courage. Gratitude. Connection. These words are bantered around often enough, but it is rare to find someone with so many stories of simple acts, making connections, and saying thank you. Tune in to this week’s episode of IsraelCast as host Steven Shalowitz sits with Israel advocate and former diplomat Shahar Azani, who relays stories from Kenya, Israel, Yemen, and the United States – and who reminds us of the value and importance of finding commonalities with others and appreciating the simple things in life.

Elhanan Brown’s passion for Israel is contagious. Whether he is teaching in a classroom, touring the country with his students, or guiding groups online, his knowledge of history and love of country come through. This week on IsraelCast, join host Steven Shalowitz as he sits down with Elhanan, an Alexander Muss High School in Israel educator and licensed tour guide, to discuss archeology, if there was even a King David, and everything in between.

How do you build a house in the desert? How do you grow a community when there’s no pipe underground to get the water in for plumbing? Find out in this week’s episode of IsraelCast, when host Steven Shalowitz sits down with real estate exec Jeff Schwartz and JNF-USA’s Chief Development Officer Rick Krosnick, to talk about how they identified the challenges facing those who wanted to move to Israel’s periphery, and figured out how to solve it with the Housing Development Fund.

Is COVID-19 causing a re-envisioning of the world order? In this week’s episode of IsraelCast, we welcome back Ambassador Ido Aharoni, who tackles this question and others. What is the virus’ impact on international collaboration? Why are 100,000 people trying to move to Israel in the next 18 months? How is the travel industry impacted? Listen now to this fascinating conversation.

"Laughter is the best way to take medicine". During these difficult times, listen to an uplifting conversation between Steven Shalowitz and Nimrod Eisenberg, an actor, circus artist, and clown. They dive into the remarkable work done by Dream Doctors, an organization that helps patients with the medical coping process through humor and entertainment. Hear about the history of the "Red Nose", the "Clownbulance" turning dreams into a reality, and the world’s first bachelor’s degree in "Medical Clowning" at Haifa University.

This week on IsraelCast, we travel to the Central Arava and visit with Hanni Arnon, the Executive Director at the Arava Institute Center for Agricultural Training (AICAT). Hanni discusses agriculture in the middle of the desert and the country-wide impact AICAT students have had during COVID-19.

This week on IsraelCast, Steven Shalowitz has a conversation on survival, strength, and resilience with former Soviet Refusenik, Marina Furman. In this sit down, Marina speaks on her ten year struggle with the Soviet government and the “hell” she went through to immigrate to Israel. Listen to Marina elaborate on the importance of fighting for what you believe in and why Israel has a special place in her heart.

Did you know? The Arava Region produces more than 50% of Israel’s fresh vegetables. This week on IsraelCast, Steven Shalowitz speaks with Noa Zer, the Central Arava Regional Council’s Director of Resource Development, from her home in the Central Arava. Listen to Noa address the challenges of growing produce in an area with no water and the impact that the Arava Region has worldwide.