Jay Schultz made Aliyah in 2006 on a one-way ticket — not out of fear, but out of choice. In this episode, Jay explains why life in Tel Aviv offers something Jews can’t find anywhere else, why Aliyah can be a “selfish” decision in the best sense, and how the city has transformed into a global hub of young Jewish life.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Jay explains why his Aliyah was, in his words, “selfish” — a decision rooted not in ideology alone, but in quality of life, human connection, and the lived experience of being Jewish in Israel. He contrasts the quantity of life available in cities like New York or London with the quality of Jewish life found in Tel Aviv, arguing that some things simply can’t be purchased elsewhere.

Jay reflects on the transformation of Tel Aviv over the past two decades — from a provincial city with almost no English-speaking olim into a global hub of young Jewish life. He shares why Tel Aviv, despite its secular reputation, may be one of the most Jewish places on earth, and why Western Aliyah has fundamentally reshaped the city.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Am Yisroel Foundation - https://www.amyisraelfoundation.org/jaymshultz
• Jaffa (Yafo) – https://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/Residents/Yafo
• Nefesh B’Nefesh – https://www.nbn.org.il/
• Hebrew University of Jerusalem – https://www.huji.ac.il/
• Albright Institute of Archaeological Research – https://www.aiar.org/
• Israel Antiquities Authority – https://www.antiquities.org.il/
• Birthright Israel – https://www.birthrightisrael.com/

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. 

Meet Aleeza Chanowitz — a Brooklyn native who made Aliyah at 21 with no clear plan and ended up creating, writing, and starring in her own Israeli TV comedy. In this episode, Aleeza shares her journey from film school in Jerusalem to prime-time television, navigating Israel’s entertainment industry as an American oleh.

She talks candidly about creativity, chutzpah, motherhood, building a life between religious and secular worlds, and what it really takes to make something in Israel without a roadmap.

Mentioned in this episode: 

TLVFest (Tel Aviv LGBTQ Film Festival) – https://tlvfest.com/

HOT (Israeli TV Network) – https://www.hot.net.il/
Bar-Ilan University – https://www.biu.ac.il/

Sam Spiegel Film & Television School – https://www.jerusalemsamspiegel.com/
Henry Winkler – https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001857/
Dismissed (Israeli TV Series) – https://www.hot.net.il/heb/tv/channels/hot3/
Bad Boy (Israeli TV Series) – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28541298/
Par Derrière (Wine Bar, Tel Aviv) – https://www.instagram.com/parderierre/

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. 

Meet Rina Deutsch, a single mother of 5, a coach, teacher, and newly minted entrepreneur who traded Toronto for Jerusalem just weeks before the school year started.

In this powerful episode, Rina gets candid about:

• The Defining Moment: Why the events of October 7th made a decades-long dream a non-negotiable reality.
• Family Dynamics: How she navigated moving to Israel with three of her five children, leaving the two oldest behind.
• The Fast Pivot: Going from high school teacher to securing three jobs in Israel and pivoting into the world of marketing—a true testament to the Aliyah hustle.
• Community Surprise: The surprising lack of stigma around being a single, divorced mother in her new Jerusalem neighborhood.

Plus, tune in for a hilarious round of Israeli Mom Rapid Fire and learn the meaning of the essential slang word: "Gahg."

Production by Yazek Shrem

Social Media & Business Coordinator - Tehliah Simantov

Follow us on Instagram @aliyah_stories

One oleh. Lots of stickers. A nation’s messages captured before they vanished.

Meet Jeff Weiss — an American oleh, author, and endurance athlete who found new purpose in Tel Aviv. After encountering the memorial stickers honoring Israelis killed on October 7th and in the war that followed, Jeff launched Stickers of Meaning, a project preserving their powerful mottos and personal stories.

In this episode, Jeff shares why these messages resonated so deeply, what they reveal about Israeli resilience, and how his own Aliyah journey — from New York to Florida to Tel Aviv — led him toward a renewed sense of meaning and connection.

Mentioned in this episode:

Stickers of Meaning — Israeli memorial sticker project https://www.stickersofmeaning.com/

Jeffrey Weiss Author Site — Books by Jeff Weiss -https://www.jeffreyweissauthor.com/

Nahalat Binyamin Market — Arts & crafts street fair -https://www.nachlatbinyamin.com/en/

Ben Yehuda 126 Synagogue (“126”) — Popular Anglo-friendly shul - https://www.facebook.com/126BenYehuda/

Production by Yazek Shrem

Social Media & Business Coordinator - Tehliah Simantov

Follow us on Instagram @aliyah_stories

In this episode of the Aliyah Story podcast, we explore how recovery didn’t just change Eric Levitz’s life — it gave him a mission that could only be built in Israel. Eric, the founder of AZ House Jerusalem, shares how his own near-death battle with addiction and his experience in a free, donation-based recovery center in Cleveland shaped everything he would later build in Israel. 

Arriving in Israel with no Hebrew, no money, and no plan, Eric followed what he describes as a faith-based jump — trusting that the reason would become clear only after he arrived. Within six months, it did: he realized that the Jewish world had no free, community-driven recovery center, the very kind that saved his life. 

Eric also shares how recovery gave him everything: his community, his life, even the introduction that led him to his wife. “Every dream I ever could have imagined — and many I couldn’t have imagined — came from the decision to get sober.” 

This episode is a powerful look at how recovery doesn’t end with getting better — it can ignite a mission, transform a community, and root a person deeply in Israel.

Mentioned in this episode: 

AZ House Jerusalem - Eric’s treatment center in Jerusalem. https://www.azhousejerusalem.com/

To support AZ House: https://donorbox.org/the-az-house-a-home-to-rebuild-lives

Pizgat Ze'Ev - https://www.jerusalem.muni.il/en/residents/communities/pisgat-zeev/

Anthony's Pizza - https://www.facebook.com/anthonys.pizza.jerusalem/

Follow us on IG: @aliyah_stories

Production: Yazek Shrem

Business & Social Coordinator: Tehila Simantov

Tynan McArthur wasn't very satisfied with his career as a dentist in Johannesburg, South Africa. He made a bold choice to move to Israel to chart a new destiny, and it landed him in a whole new field - early childhood education. 

Find out about Tynan's Aliyah Story and how he made the transition and found a new direction in life in the Holy Land, with some inspiration about how you too can find a new direction in Israel. 

Production: Yazek Shrem

Social Media Coordinator: Tehilah Simantov

Follow us on IG @aliyah_stories

Juda (Yehudah) Honickman is a fierce advocate for Israel, and made Aliyah back in 2012. Juda has a great story to tell, how he found himself as an addict in recovery, met his wife and made the move to Israel to work at a recovery clinic. Juda is a positive force on social media for Israel, and we are grateful to hear about his story. 

Production: Yazek Shrem

Social Media Coordinator: Tehilah Simantov

Follow us on IG @aliyah_stories

Comedian Deb Kaye is an Australian-born Oleh, sharing her Aliyah Story. After raising her kids, Deb discovered she had a knack for comedy, and became a stand-up comedian just a few years ago. Deb tells us how she was able to get back on stage after Oct 7, and about the fun and challenges of English-language comedy in Israel. 

Mentioned in this podcast:

TLV Laughs comedy nights: run by Deb https://www.tlvlaughs.com/

Production: Yazek Shrem

Social Media Coordinator: Tehilah Simantov

Follow us on IG @aliyah_stories

David is joined by Hillel Fuld, activist and tech leader, who shares his Aliyah story. Moving to Israel as a teen, Hillel found his way into activism and the tech world, becoming a leader in both. Hillel shares what he loves about Jerusalem, why its a religious imperative to make Aliyah and provides tactical advice on finding a job in the Israeli tech scene. 

Follow Hillel at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HillelFuld/
Instagram: instagram.com/Hilzfuld
X : twitter.com/Hilzfuld
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/hilzfuld
Website: HillelFuld.com | ampisrael.com/hillel-fuld

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hilzfuld
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hilzfuld

Dellet Production for Lightboat Media

Production by: Yazek Shrem

Business and Social Media Coordinator: Tehila Simantov

IG: @Aliyah_stories

We're back with a new season of Oleh at Large: Aliyah Stories, coming at you from an all new location - Tel Aviv! I finally made the move, and this Season 3 premiere episode is all about Florentin, the cool neighborhood where I spent the summer. 

Oleh At Large: Aliyah Stories is about my journey ("aliyah") as an immigrant (oleh") to Israel, and this season we also have a range of guests - coming up this season are Deb Kaye, Hillel Fuld, Judah Honickman and more. 

Mentioned in this podcast:

Mexcal - great Mexican restaurant in Florentin 

Holy Cheeses - European-style cheese and gourmet store

Alpaca - great happy hour Florentin bar and venue 

TLVLaughs - English language comedy shows at Hoodna Bar

Please subscribe and follow on Instagram at @Aliyah_Stories

This is a Dellet Production for Lightboat Media

Social Media Coordinator: Tehila Simantov

Production and Editing: Yazek Shrem