The Israel Connection

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In this episode of the Israel Connection, Esti Zenati revisits with Rabbi Dana Saroken, Beth El's own rabbi and founder of the Soul Center. They explore her inspiring journey from aspiring doctor to spiritual leader, discuss her efforts to connect Israel and America, and the importance of making Judaism relevant for all ages. They also delve into the power of storytelling in Jewish identity and the challenges faced by Jewish students on college campuses.

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Esti Zenati sits down with a very special guest, Erin Molan—renowned Australian TV and radio presenter, and former host of the prime-time show Erin on Sky News. Widely recognized for her unwavering support of Israel and the Jewish community, Erin shares the story behind her viral monologue that not only captured global attention but deeply moved hearts in Israel. She opens up about life after Sky News, her steadfast commitment to standing with Israel and the Jewish people, and her resolve to remain on the right side of history. Erin also offers a personal glimpse into motherhood, reflecting on the challenges and joys of raising her young daughter as a single parent. 

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Esti Zenati is joined by two special guests straight from Israel: Guy Flavian and Iris Hillel, co-heads of the Israel's Story initiative. Israel's Story was a hasbara project launched immediately after the October 7 attacks, rapidly growing to involve over 200 volunteers and spreading across social media platforms in multiple languages. The initiative’s goal was to advocate for Israel and promote its perspective during a particularly turbulent time. In this conversation, Guy and Iris share their experiences within the world of hasbara, offering insights into the challenges they faced while managing such an urgent and high-stakes initiative. They also open up about the psychological toll of working around the clock in such an emotionally intense environment, highlighting the personal and mental health challenges that come with being immersed in this type of advocacy on a 24/7 basis. 

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Esti Zenati speaks with Yuval David, an Emmy-winning Israeli-American journalist, actor, and LGBT activist. They discuss Yuval’s advocacy for Israel, the Jewish community, and LGBT rights, as well as his role in promoting Jewish representation in media. The conversation explores his experiences in the entertainment industry as a Jewish Israeli-American, particularly after the events of October 7, 2023, and the impact on perceptions of Israel. 

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Esti Zenati is joined by guest, Elkana Cohen, author of the book OCT 7: The War Against Hamas Through the Eyes of an Israeli Commando Officer, which is based on Elkana's diary entries during the war in Gaza. Esti and Elkana talk about his personal experience of what it's like serving in the IDF since October 7, 2023 and being on the battlefield in Northern Gaza for over a year, experiencing major losses of close friends and becoming a father for the first time.  

Elkana's book mentioned above is available for purchase in the US on Amazon.com. 

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Elkana's friends who were killed on or after October 7, 2023: Avi Buzaglo, Ben Bronstein, May Naim, Gaya Halifa, Yotam Ben Bassat, Aryeh Shlomo Ziering, Omri Michaeli, Roy Yosef Levy, Eliad Ohayon, Yehuda Natan Cohen, Moshe Yedidyah Leiter, Sergey Shmerkin, Matan Meir, Yosef Chaim Hershkowitz, Yedidya Asher Lev, Eyal Meir Berkowitz, Gal Meir Eisenkot, Tzvika Lavi, Etan Nach, Liav Elosh, Daniel Ben Harosh, Maoz Fenigstein, Shauli Greenglick, Shay Shamriz, Dvir Pima, Dan Weidenbaum, Itay Seif, Yarden Zackai. May their memory be a blessing forever.

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Esti Zenati is joined by Israeli-American Winter Olympian AJ Edelman for an insightful conversation about his journey to Israel and his path to the Winter Olympics. AJ shares his experience making aliyah to Israel in 2016, his journey to the 2018 Winter Olympics, and his preparations for the 2026 Winter Olympics with his Bobsled team, BobTeam Edelman. The discussion also delves into AJ's advocacy for Israel over the past year and a half, highlighting the personal and professional impact his advocacy has had on his life and career.

To support BobTeam Edelman and learn more, go to: israelbobsled.team

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Esti Zenati is joined by special guest, Moran Stela Yanai. Moran was held hostage by Hamas for 54 days, after being kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023, and released on November 29, 2023, during the first hostage release deal. They talk about Moran's October 7, her experience in captivity and her hopes and dreams for the near future, for herself and for the remaining hostages.

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 Esti Zenati hosts attorney Ran Bar-Yoshafat, who also serves in the IDF reserves as a combat Special Forces soldier. Ran shares his experience fighting in Gaza, Northern Israel, and Judea & Samaria since October 7, 2023, all while balancing life as a newlywed and a first-time father, having spent over 250 days on the battlefield. They also discuss Ran's role as a speaker on US college campuses, focusing on his experience at UC Berkeley, where rioters interrupted and shut down his event. 

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Esti Zenati is joined by guest co-host, Ben Kreshtool, and special guest, comedian Modi Rosenfeld! They talk about Modi's career in comedy, his favorite places to perform in Israel and his current US tour, Pause for Laughter.

Modi will be performing in Baltimore at The Lyric on Sunday, March 2. Get your tickets at modilive.com.

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Esti is joined by Hen Mazzig, a globally recognized speaker, educator, author, and digital influencer who has become a trusted voice on Jewish issues and Israel, appearing as an expert in media across four continents, including outlets like BBC, CNN, The Washington Post, SkyNews, New York Times and more. They talk about Hen's personal experience advocating for Israel for many years and being one of the most known voices in the pro-Israeli world, Mizrachi & Sephardi Jewry and growing up in Israel.