Return Again

Football, Israel and Torah!? Are you kidding me?! When I heard about today’s guest, Chaim Cohen – coach of the Judean Rebels Israeli football team, I just had to meet him and speak with him about his Aliyah! 

And that’s just what happened. I visited him in his Ramat Bet Shemesh home, where we talked about his story, about football, about how a kid who chose his college in part so that he could get AWAY from Jewish people wound up in Israel, and about what ultimately led him home to Israel. 

David Katz grew up in Cleveland in a pretty Israel-oriented family. And yet, he insists that he’s still not really made Aliyah.

Well, in his mind that may be the case, but he and his wife Devorah are the brains and action behind the well-known national Pat BeMelach brand of crackers and bakery in Efrat, and since selling that business they’ve moved on to another concept that I found fascinating.

David and I sat at his kitchen table for this one, and I really enjoyed his candid, contemplative and thought-provoking thoughts on living in Israel. And so, here’s David Katz, Returning Again.

David HaIvri grew up in New York, in a family of 4. Israel and Aliyah were nowhere near their consciousness, but then David’s father got the bug. 

Fast forward a few years, and the family moved to Israel, where they struggled mightily to make a go of it.

David is a major Aliya success story, but it was not as rosy for the rest of his family, all of whom eventually went back to the US.

So how did David succeed when the rest of his family couldn’t make it happen? Well, let’s just say that Shabbat meals can do amazing things for a young teen looking for inspiration.

David (email: [email protected]) and I sat in Jerusalem recently, where he reflected quite candidly on his story. 

What should we make of Olim who decide to spend a chunk of time outside of Israel? What are the pros and cons, and what might it do to someone's Aliyah? Ezra Jasper, who recently spent five months in the US with his wife, Or Ya, joins Goel to discuss this important topic.

Mark Tobin moved to Israel with his wife and family almost 25 years ago, after a beautiful courtship that had Israel at its center, as well as stops in Brooklyn and Boca Raton.

I had planned on interviewing Mark a few months ago, and we kept having to postpone for one reason or another. Eventually, we were all set, and yet again, I had to cancel. That was just a few days before Mark’s wife Dodi, z"l, died tragically after battling cancer.

But Mark is a strong believer in the importance of Aliyah, so when he asked me again recently, “So when are we doing the podcast?” I jumped at the opportunity. And Mark did not disappoint.

The conversation was fun, uplifting, interesting and, at times, devastating. I think we all can learn a lot from Mark’s story, and from Mark.

For this conversation, Mark sat in the same chair Dodi had sat in for her interview, as he was gracious enough to allow me into his Bet Shemesh home.

Mati Gill moved to Israel with his family at the age of 11 for the proverbial “Let’s try it out” year. Except he and his siblings didn’t realize it at the time. They thought it was a one-year adventure, after which they’d return to their Columbus, Ohio, community.

The year was coming to an end, and Mati’s parents held a family meeting: Should we stay in Israel or go back to Columbus?

Mati’s siblings felt one way, and Mati felt the other way. Guess who’s opinion won the day?

Today, Mati is CEO of AION Labs, a first-of-its-kind develop of start-ups that are attempting to solve some of healthcare’s most complicated problems. But he’s done a lot of other things, and I greatly enjoyed sitting with him in his Tel Aviv apartment recently to hear all about it. 

So you’ll say, Who’s Sorra Landau? Well, I’ll tell you. 

I originally wanted to interview her because she’s the mother of Binny Landau, a popular singer in Israel today, known for songs such as Kedem – which you were just listening to, Armono Shel Melech and Mishkan. Truly beautiful songs. But as I began my conversation with Sorra, I realized she was much more than that, and has a story of her own, as well as a lot of wisdom that she’s built over her many years in Israel.

Sorra grew up in Brooklyn but has been living in Israel since the 70s, first in Kiryat Arba and now inn Efrat, which is where I sat with her recently to talk about her Aliyah, her family, her husband’s many projects, including the important Standing Together organization, and, of course, whether she has Heinz or Israeli ketchup in her fridge.

Sorra offered her wisdom simply, but the messages were powerful.

Tal Brody grew up in Trenton, New Jersey, and was a scholastic basketball star, named to the Newark Star-Ledger All-state team as a senior, before choosing The University of Illinois as his college of choice. He want on to star for the basketball team there as well, and was eventually drafted by the then-Baltimore Bullets of the NBA in 1965. He was headed for a pro basketball career in the world’s best league.

Instead, he decided to play in Israel for a year, and that began an incredible journey that is still unfolding today.

This was an amazing interview, filled with great stories, an incredible life-decision and, more than anything else, a beautiful illustration of what a positive outlook can do for a person … and for the nation of Israel.

I sat with Tal in his apartment last week, and we talked about all of these things, and lots of others. And yes, I just had to get his thoughts on today’s NBA, too, even though it has nothing to do with Aliyah.

Malkah Fleisher grew up in Sherman, Texas, in a strongly Jewish but non-observant family – the only Jewish kid in her high school.

Through various twists and turns, she finally arrived in Israel in 2003, and has been impacting the Jewish people ever since. 

I found Malkah’s story fascinating and meaningful. Not that I should be surprised. After all, she’s married to Yishai Fleisher, who I also interviewed about six months ago.

I sat with Malkah recently in her Efrat home, to listen to her story, laugh, and even shed a tear as she told me about visiting the Kotel for the first time, bringing along with her all of her ancestors. It’s a description not to be missed. 

Here’s Malkah Fleisher, Returning Again.

Rav Shaul Leiter grew up in New York in the '60s, an authentic child of that fascinating decade.  And when he was out for a run one day, wearing nothing but a pair of running shorts and with his long hair in a ponytail, he had no idea that his life was going to change forever, eventually leading him to Israel in 1979. He wound up in Tzfat where he, his wife and two other couples built an absolute gem of an organization – Ascent, but we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves. 

I sat with Reb Shaul recently in his Tzfat office, to hear his story, some lessons, and the best darned description of eating falafel that I think I’ve ever heard.