Yuval Davidovits, Rabbi Yoshi's cousin, grew up in Israel and the United States. He recently completed his service as an officer in the Israel Air Force. He reflects on his time in the U.S., his army service, and his time in the reserves over the past several months. 

Sharon Fidelman served as a naval "tatzpitanit" in the IDF. Her job was to monitor Israel's sea border with Gaza using radar and surveillance equipment. Less than a year after completing her service, Sharon witnessed in real-time soldiers in a similar role being slaughtered by Hamas terrorists. She shares her reflections on October 7, describes her experiences of loss and confusion, and offers us reasons to hope.


https://www.timesofisrael.com/sivan-shaarbany-21-curly-haired-partygoer-who-loved-salt-pepper/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDCjjzZm1l0

Join Rabbi Yoshi in conversation with Kenny Hamilton,  an entertainment entrepreneur based in Los Angeles, California.  Kenny has been in music and entertainment for 14 years now, focusing on music management, social media/ influencer marketing, and hospitality.  His journey from an intern on a college radio station to Justin Bieber's bodyguard to a powerhouse in music and sports management is inspiring.  His persistence and pluck is inspiring as is the story of his path to Judaism. 

Ari Dayan is a composer, artist, and performer who has become an "accidental Israel advocate." Born to Israeli parents who had settled in Tarzana, Ari is the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. Follow Ari @witchofthewestcoast

(The Eretz Nehederet video mentioned in the podcast can be found HERE.)

Rabbi Yoshi had the opportunity to speak to three current students at Princeton University's Center for Jewish Life along with the CJL director, Rabbi Gil Steinlauf.  Stephen Bartell, Davi Frank, and Seth Kahn, all current Princeton students, share their stories of navigating challenges on the Princeton Campus in the wake of the October 7 attacks.

https://hillel.princeton.edu/ 

Amanda Berman is the founder and executive director of the Zioness Movement where she works to empower and activate Zionists on the progressive left to stand proudly in social justice spaces as both Jews and Zionists. She is a civil rights attorney who has worked to fight antisemitism legally. Learn about how Zioness is working to educate and empower. To learn more and to support their critically important work, visit www.Zioness.org.

Join Rabbi Yoshi in conversation with his daughter, Naomi, who is a sophomore in a dual degree program at Barnard/Columbia and the Jewish Theological Seminary. She shares her perspective on the disturbing rise in antisemitism and anti-Israel rhetoric on the Barnard/Columbia campus.

On October 7, Amit Ben Shlomo and Roee Arazi, members of the Givati Brigade, were called up for reserve duty in the Israel Defense Forces. A few months into this horrible war, Roee was badly wounded. Amit rescued him and helped to ensure that he was evacuated safely. Hear their amazing, inspiring story and learn how Beit HaLohem, the Israeli Wounded Veterans Organization, helped Roee deal with his physical, mental, and emotional rehabilitation.

To learn more about Beit HaLohem and how you can help with their extraordinary work, visit https://www.israeliwoundedveterans.org/.

Yasmeen Ohebsion, a senior at Tulane University, joins Rabbi Yoshi in conversation about antisemitism on college campuses today. Yasmeen, a leader in the Tulane Jewish community, recently testified in front of Congress about her own experiences of antisemitism at Tulane. She shares her personal insight into how antisemitism continues to impact her life and the lives of other college students, both in the classroom and around campus.

https://tulanehullabaloo.com/65669/news/student-testifies-before-congress-voicing-antisemitism-issues-on-campus/

Audrey Birnbaum grew up in New York in the late 1960s, the child of a Holocaust survivor. When her father, Jack, died in 2018, Audrey discovered hundreds of pages of notes he'd taken which served as a type of memoir of his experience in the Shoah. These notes, her own memories, and her research resulted in her first book: American Wolf: From Nazi Refugee to American Spy.  The book was recently named a finalist for the 2023 Jewish Council National Jewish Book Award in the Holocaust Memoir category.