Return Again

Stu Schrader grew up in New Jersey, but that’s not where it became clear to him that Israel was where he wanted to build his life. It was a mid-80s visit to a well-known biblical city during his post-high school year in Israel that clarified his goals.

I sat with Stu recently, and we talked about everything from terror attacks to raising kids to sukkot on a cramped balcony. Stu has some important opinions he shares and lots of food for thought for all of us.

Rav Shlomo Katz grew up partly in Los Angeles and partly in Israel, and it was the combined experiences in both countries that led him on the path that brought him to the world of music, torah and, eventually, the community he and Shirat David are working to build in Efrat.

That is where I sat with Rav Shlomo recently. We started with a niggun, and then we talked about his story and explored important issues including education, American-ness, humility and the idea of kehilla in today’s Israeli culture.

Rav Ari Kahn grew up in Brooklyn, the son of a Rabbi who had always yearned to live in the Land, but for various reasons wasn’t able to make his dream a reality. But for Rav Ari, who’s been in Israel since 1984, growing up in that household gave him clarity about making Aliyah someday, and when he and his wife got married, they both knew where they would build their life.  Of course, there was still the need to figure out what that life would be, and that’s what Rav Ari and I discussed when I sat down with him last week in his Givat Zeev home. 

Be sure to stick around for the rapid-fire questions, which evolved into a pretty serious discussion about the future of the Israeli nation.

Oh, and did Rav Ari's parents ever get to Israel? Listen and you'll find out for yourself...

Ezra Jasper, who just completed his IDF service, joins Goel to talk about the highs and lows, and challenging experiences - of serving his country as a soldier and officer in the IDF.

Eleora Moche-Epstein grew up in Englewood, New Jersey, part of a family that was strongly Zionist. She went to Jewish schools, Jewish, Israel focused camp, and living what could be called the “usual” American Jewish upbringing. So what's the big deal, right? Of course, she'd wind up in Israel!

Incidentally, it’s Eleora’s husband Benjy who wrote the song Kumah that is the theme of this podcast. You can find that song and many others of his by searching for Aspaklaria and Shirei Haleviim on Spotify. I highly recommend them.

Dave Silverman grew up in Boston – a Jewish “Townie” in an Irish Catholic neighborhood.  One of just six Jews in his high school, Israel was the farthest thing from his mind as he played football, had fun with his friends and did the usual American thing. Then, he got sucker-punched at the end of 12th grade, and everything changed, even though he didn’t quite realize it at the time.   

I recently visited Dave – who’s now been in Israel for almost 50 years – in his home, where I navigated his wonderfully-confusing Boston accent and listened as he walked me through his incredible story. 

That accent is no joke, so you may need to concentrate extra hard for this episode, but it’s well worth it.

David Lange grew up in Perth, Australia, assuming his life’s work would be dedicated to building wealth - and a family - in Australia. In high school, he had some experiences that would nudge him in the direction of Israel, but it was meeting his future wife Erika – later Ahava Emunah – zichrona livracha, that sealed the deal for a future in Israel, and transformed both his life and his life priorities.

I recently visited David – also known for years as Ozzie Dave of the IsraellyCool blog – in his Bet Shemesh home, where we had a far-ranging discussion about his Aliyah, the cancer battle his wife waged with him by her side, career aspirations in Israel, raising kids and, of course, his Israel advocacy.

Myrna Bennett and her husband Jim, zichrono livracha, grew up in San Francisco, and when they decided to make a stop in Israel on their way to spending some time in Europe, the Land made a greater impact on them than they had expected. Fast-forward some 55 years later, and Myrna Bennett finds herself part of a wonderful Haifa community, with three sons, 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, all of whom live in Israel. 

Oh, and one of those three sons is Israel’s prime minister, Naftali Bennett.

Myrna was gracious enough to allow my wife and me into her home, where she truly opened up to us, talking about her story, showing us family photos and an AMAZING diary her father kept, and we were even there for a surprise phone call from Naftali. Well, it was a surprise to us. Myrna wasn’t surprised at all … Israel's prime minister calls his mother everyday to say he loves her. And apparently, she loves him more, at least according to Myrna.

00:00 - Intro

Rav Judah Mischel grew up in Monsey, NY, the child of parents who were pushing Aliyah for as far back as he can remember. But talking Aliyah and making Aliyah are two separate things. And it took some important circumstances and experiences until Judah was able to make the big move.

This conversation was a lot of fun, and we got into some pretty interesting discussions about the differences among generations, the words we use to describe things and understand things, and what it meant to end the exile for the Mischel family.

Rav Simcha Hochbaum grew up on Staten Island, in New York. Beginning in the second grade, when he heard about Avraham’s Aliyah in parashat Lech Lecha, he became focused on the idea of returning to the Land of Israel. He and his wife Leah were able to make that happen in 1995, moving to the Hevron, the city of our forefathers and mothers. Parents of six wonderful children, they still live in Hevron, and that’s where I sat with him recently to Return Again to his Aliyah story.