This week on IsraelCast, we are joined on the line by Erez Ben-Yosef, Associate Professor in the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at Tel Aviv University, a Fulbright scholar, and the Head of the Timna Valley Archaeological Expedition. In this fascinating conversation, Ben-Yosef shares his experience working at the Timna mines, where archaeologists have found the remains of a pregnant woman, probably of Egyptian origin, as well as remains from textiles, food and organic matter. 

This week on #IsraelCast, featured guest Naftali Aklum joins us on the line from his home in Be’er Sheva. Born in Ethiopia, Naftali discusses Ethiopian Jewish history, culture, and the unique challenges faced by Ethiopians living in Israel.

This week on IsraelCast, comedian and lifelong Jewish educator Benji Lovitt joins us on the line to discuss the nuances of American Jewish humor, how creativity thrives in times of crisis, and the importance of knowing your audience. As a recent oleh (Israeli citizen), Benji utilizes his unique perspective to analyze the complexities of Israeli “sabra” humor and its reflection on Israeli society, understanding it all within the larger context of the phrase “throughout our history, we Jews have laughed to keep from crying.”

Today on IsraelCast, we are thrilled to host the dynamic and multi-faceted Akiva Gersh, a professor at the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, a contributing blogger at the Times of Israel, a musician, as well as the author of the newly released Becoming Israeli, where he chronicles his thoughts about the aliyah experience.

Today on IsraelCast, we're excited to celebrate the first anniversary of our podcast with you! We've had 31 wonderful episodes over the last twelve months. From Jewish National Fund CEO Russell Robinson enlightening us to the transformative work of JNF, to Alon Ben-Gurion, grandson of Israeli founding father David Ben Gurion, we've hosted a cohort of men and women who are each changing the land and people of Israel. Thank you for being a supporter, and if you're new here, welcome! All 31 past episodes of IsraelCast are available for your listening pleasure. Looking forward to year two!

Today on IsraelCast, we were joined in the studio with Judy Isaacson Schaffer, the founder and president of Heroes to Heroes, and extraordinary organization dedicated to helping bring back to life American veterans suffering from PTSD.

Today on IsraelCast , we chatted with Zika Abzuk, a business development senior manager at Cisco Israel. A noted figure in the tech world, Zika’s leading Cisco’s new initiative of country digitization acceleration in Israel. Zika’s numerous initiatives on behalf of Cisco have been widely recognized to the point where The Marker Magazine listed her as one of Israel’s 100 Most Influential People.

Today on IsraelCast , we launch our series of Israel@70 with special guest, Ambassador Danny Ayalon, one of Israel’s most distinguished public servants. Ayalon served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, a Member of Knesset and Ambassador to the United States from 2002-2006, as well as foreign policy advisor to three Prime Ministers. He was elected as the #1 most influential foreign diplomat by Foreign Policy Magazine. In addition to all this, he founded the Truth About Israel, an online series of videos about Israel. They’ve been translated into 50 languages and have garnered a world-wide audience.

Today on IsraelCast ,we bring you a special briefing from current Jewish National Fund President, Dr. Sol Lizerbram, recorded live at the JNF House in NYC. Sol gives us an update on where we are in the progress of our Billion Dollar Roadmap for the Next Decade, a plan laid out just about 5 years ago. In addition to his role at JNF, Sol is co-founder and chairman of HealthFusion Inc., an Internet electronic medical record and healthcare transaction company based in San Diego. Sol is active in many philanthropic endeavors and has received countless honors and awards.