Return Again

This is part two of a conversation with Eric Esses, originally from Houston and now from Neve Daniel.

Part One of a Two-Part Episode

Eric Esses grew up in Houston, Texas, in a Conservative Jewish family. When his older brother returned from a Federation-sponsored summer trip to Israel and had rave reviews, Eric knew he'd be following in his brother's footsteps two years later. What Eric didn't know was that his summer tour would mark the beginning of a fascinating, exciting and fulfilling journey for him, eventually leading to his decision to make Aliyah. 

00:00 - Introduction

Ari Greenspan grew up the son of a US Army rabbi, and he was sure he’d follow in his father’s footsteps and become a rabbi himself. But when he was standing outside the old Jerusalem train station, he quite literally had an epiphany, and that moment in time set his life on a completely different path, a path that led him to Israel and that has impacted Jews all around the world in many significant ways.

Ari is known to some as one half of the “Ari and Ari” team that travels to far-flung Jewish destinations in search of historical nuggets. But he’s also a member of the founding team at Ptil Tekhelet, the organization that reintroduced the mitzva of tekhelet to the Jewish world after it was lost for 1300 years. Just before Rosh Hashana, I sat with Ari in his Efrat home to Return Again to his Aliyah story.

00:00 - Introduction

Rabbi Ken Spiro grew up a Reform Jew in New Rochelle, New York. As you’ll hear, his Jewish life in childhood consisted of little more than Hebrew school, Passover Seders and Chanuka presents. At the end of high school, something interesting began to happen. So here we are, decades later, and Rabbi Ken Spiro has not only been living in Israel for close to 40 years, but he’s impacted the lives of Jewish people all around the world through his important work with Aish HaTorah. 

Also a tour guide – and a podcaster himself - Rav Ken is a proverbial wellspring of information about Jewish and world history, and what it all means for the Jewish people today. I had the opportunity to sit with him recently in his Old City apartment in Jerusalem to Return Again to his Aliyah story.

00:00 - Intro

Dennis Mitzner is a fascinating guy. Originally from Finland, he’s been involved with Israel and Israel-related issues since he was a teenager in Helsinki.

He started spending time in Israel when he worked on a kibbutz – wait until you hear what his job was! – at 19, and then came back here in 2007 to work on his master’s degree at Tel Aviv University. He made Aliyah for good in 2011.

Dennis and his wife have two children, 4 and 2, and they live in Tel Aviv. That’s where I sat with him this week to Return Again to his Aliyah story.

Leah Aharoni is founder of the Arev Leadership Institute. She’s also a successful and impactful business consultant for woman-owned and women-focused companies. She and her husband, Goel – YES, GOEL – have seven children, from 5 years of age to 25.

Leah grew up in the former Soviet Union until she was 13 (apologies for saying in the pod itself that Leah left Russia at 11), and then moved to the US – Riverdale, NY, specifically, before an amazing turn of events brought on by her boundless curiosity led her to make Aliyah in 1993. Today, Leah, Goel and their family live in the Binyamin town of Kochav Yaakov, and that’s where I sat with her recently to Return Again to her Aliyah story.

00:00 - Intro

Menachem Herman is a giant in Jewish music. 

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he grew up in a musical family – presumably with his guitar nearby at all times. Menachem made Aliyah in 1980, landing at the Diaspora Yeshiva, where he began to play with the Diaspora Yeshiva Band. Songs we all know – and maybe even assumed came from much further back than the 70s and 80s – such as Ivdu Et Hashem B’Simcha, Malchutcha and Hu Yiftach – were Menachem’s world – in addition to learning Torah at the Yeshiva. 

From there, he simply grew to become one of the leading sounds in Chassidic rock music. Throughout the 80s, 90s, 2000s and all the way up to today, Menachem has played all over the world for Jews looking for music that touches the heart and soul. 

Today, Menachem continues to compose and play his music. Menachem and his wife live in Mitzpe Yericho, a gorgeous community on the edge of the Judean hills overlooking the Judean Desert.

00:00 - Intro

Yishai Fleisher was born in Israel, the child of Jewish Refuseniks of the Soviet Union. He grew up in the US, and returned at 17 to serve in the IDF. He then went back to the US for university, and then, finally, returned to the Land for good in 2003. 

Yishai and his wife Malka have three children and live in Efrat, a suburb near Jerusalem.

Yishai has been a radio personality, writer, educator and broadcast program director, but more than anything, Yishai Fleisher is a spokesperson for the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. Today, he serves as International Spokesperson for the community of Hevron, and that’s where we sat to talk, in the Avraham Avinu Synagogue in the city of our forefathers and foremothers.

0:00 - Intro

Avraham Hermon - 22-year Oleh, originally from Allentown, PA, joins Goel to talk about the fascinating journey that has led Hermon to living with his family in Har Bracha, manufacturing his own beer, and running marathons in costume, all for the sake of developing a stronger and stronger relationship with the Land of Israel.

0:00 - Intro and Childhood