Thrive Study Abroadcast

Charlie Freidman studied law at Penn University but is now an Investment banker ar goldman sachs and living in Tel Aviv, Israel.

In this episode, Charlie shares his journey and challenges in moving to Israel and pivoting his career trajectory.

After high school, Charlie spent two years in Israel studying at a Yeshiva, which sparked his interest in returning to Israel.

He later studied accounting and finance at Yeshiva University and initially considered becoming a lawyer. However, after working at an accounting firm during a gap year, he realized he was more interested in the business aspects of transactions.

Charlie's decision to pivot from law to investment banking was driven by his passion for Israel and his interest in being part of its thriving tech ecosystem.

He found support from his loved ones and utilized networking to connect with professionals in the investment banking industry.

Despite initial challenges and uncertainties, Charlie's determination and belief in his vision led him to secure a position as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs in Israel. He is at the forefront of the Israeli tech scene, working closely with entrepreneurs, founders, and leading international investors.

Charlie advises others contemplating a career pivot to think long-term and consider both personal values and professional interests. He recommends exploring different paths and networking to build meaningful connections that can lead to opportunities aligned with one's goals.

Max August is an investor for General Atlantic at the Tel Aviv branch and was instrumental in opening the company's office in Israel.

Max is crazy about Israel and Israeli tech.

In today's episode, Max August takes a different route and shares his journey with his Jewish identity and connection to Israel. Max grew up in New York City in a family with some Jewish identity but was not particularly observant. However, his mother's encounter with Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis sparked a deeper connection to Judaism in Max's family.

Max attended Horace Mann School, where he was one of the few who observed some level of kosher. During college at Harvard, he met Israelis and modern Orthodox Jews, which deepened his connection to Israel and sparked his interest in Israeli tech.

After spending time in Israel, Max decided it was time to add to his Shabbat observance, and it has become a life-changing experience for him.

Throughout his journey, Max has navigated challenges with work and family, but his family has been supportive overall.

He encourages others to explore their Jewish identity, understand Jewish history, and learn more about Israel.

Max knows that exploring one's identity and connecting to Jewish history can be eye-opening and lead to a deeper understanding of Jewish values and teachings.

Today, we're thrilled to have Levi Margolin, the executive director of Maayont Israel, the premier Birthright provider. In this episode, Levi shares his personal Birthright journey, what led him to make Israel his home, and his passion for providing the same life-changing experiences to others. He provides insight into running the organization and outlines its aspirations for the future. Tune in to learn more about how Levi is bringing transformative opportunities to a growing number of individuals.

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Visit us at

Website: https://www.thrivestudyabroad.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivestudyabroad/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thrivestudyabroad

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI-M51JMucrBpGZRX9nvhrw

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thrivestudyabroad/

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This podcast is produced and edited by: Intent Media

In this episode, we speak to Dov Forman, the great-grandson of Holocaust survivor Lily Ebert BEM, and co-author of the best-selling book, "Lily's Promise." Dov's mission is to keep his grandmother's stories of the Holocaust alive and share them with the world. At 17, Dov started using TikTok to share his great-grandmother's story, and his posts quickly gained over 2 million followers. He discusses how one post can have a significant impact and how he uses social media to combat anti-Semitic myths and misconceptions about the Holocaust. Dov shares his experiences of making live TV interviews to spread awareness about his great-grandmother's story and the importance of reaching a new audience, especially younger generations. He discusses the unbreakable bond he has formed with his great-grandmother and how it has shaped his perspective on life and the world.

Throughout the episode, Dov emphasizes the importance of patience with his audience in bringing awareness to important issues and the power of storytelling in making a difference. His story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the impact that one person can have in creating positive change.

https://linktr.ee/DovForman

Today, we're thrilled to have Jeremy Pressman on the Thrive Study AbroadCast to share his inspiring journey from being a basketball junkie to a successful venture capitalist.

From an early age, Jeremy pressman was obsessed with basketball; Jeremy made it onto college recruiting lists after trying out for the 5-star basketball camp. He eventually landed a spot on the Yeshiva University basketball team. Despite being committed to his values and refusing to play on Shabbat, while playing at secular colleges, he still made headlines and even had fans showing up with yarmulkes to support him.

He eventually went to Israel to study to become a rabbi and play professional basketball for a year. While in Israel, he transitioned from being a basketball player to a venture capitalist. Working with the Adidas founding family, Jeremy invested in the future of sports, fitness, and gaming technology. He even had the opportunity to bring NBA legend Michael Redd to Israel.

Jeremy's story is a testament to integrating all of the passions of one's life to build a meaningful and successful career and life. Join us in this episode as we explore the importance of staying true to your values and finding success in your passions.

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Visit us at

Website: https://www.thrivestudyabroad.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivestudyabroad/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thrivestudyabroad

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI-M51JMucrBpGZRX9nvhrw

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thrivestudyabroad/

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This podcast is produced and edited by: Intent Media

Maya and Jamie

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Visit us at

Website: https://www.thrivestudyabroad.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivestudyabroad/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thrivestudyabroad

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI-M51JMucrBpGZRX9nvhrw

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thrivestudyabroad/

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This podcast is produced by Intent Media

Today, we're thrilled to have Alex Oppenheimer on the Thrive Study Abroad-Cast. Alex is a San Francisco native and former investment banker who left the fast-paced world of finance to study in Yeshiva in Israel. After returning to work for a few years, he decided to take on a new investment opportunity- this time making Aliyah while navigating the world of venture capital in Israel. He eventually became the founder of Verissimo Ventures, a venture capital fund investing in early-stage software start-ups based in Israel. Join us as Alex shares his journey to Aliyah and why the priority-driven focus of life in Israel fits with his personality. Learn Alex's tips for making the highest return on investments in all areas of life.

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Visit us at

Website: https://www.thrivestudyabroad.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivestudyabroad/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thrivestudyabroad

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI-M51JMucrBpGZRX9nvhrw

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thrivestudyabroad/

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This podcast is produced and edited by: Intent Media

When he took a semester off from Duke and came to Israel, Noah Stevens thought he was giving up swimming for good. But there was another plan for him at Tel Aviv University, he got to swim for the Tel Aviv University team!

Noah talks with rabbi Issacs about his early trips to Israel as an athlete, his sacrifice, being part of the Israeli tech ecosystem, and his Thrive army experience.

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Visit us at

Website: https://www.thrivestudyabroad.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivestudyabroad/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thrivestudyabroad

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI-M51JMucrBpGZRX9nvhrw

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thrivestudyabroad/

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This podcast is produced and edited by: Intent Media

Max August is an Associate at General Atlantic and focuses on the firm’s technology investments in Israel. Before joining General Atlantic in 2020, Max was a 2019 General Atlantic Summer Analyst.

Max has been exploring his relationship with Israel and his Jewish identity. He sits down with Rabbi Issacs and shares how he studied at Harvard undergrad and studied abroad at Tel Aviv University. Max describes how studying abroad with Thrive at Tel Aviv University led him to open a branch of his VC firm in Tel Aviv. He explains that Tel Aviv is one of the best cities for venture capitalism, and Israel is the ideal place to grow your career and improve your social and religious life.

In 2022, Max was named to Forbes Israel’s 2022 ’30 Under 30′, a list of young leaders selected by an expert panel of industry leaders and Forbes’ editorial team.

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Visit us at

Website: https://www.thrivestudyabroad.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivestudyabroad/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thrivestudyabroad

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI-M51JMucrBpGZRX9nvhrw

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thrivestudyabroad/

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This podcast is produced by Intent Media

Avi Lewis is a Software Engineer at Meta and an Influencer on Linkedin. He is constantly looking for ways to explore the world around him and find opportunities to impact.

In this episode, Adi and Avi explore their deep-rooted relationship and talk about what Avi is doing to make a difference in the world. From helping job seekers with his website goozali.com to hosting busloads of people for Friday night dinners, he is always spreading the love!

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Visit us at

Website: https://www.thrivestudyabroad.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivestudyabroad/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thrivestudyabroad

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI-M51JMucrBpGZRX9nvhrw

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thrivestudyabroad/

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This podcast is produced by Intent Media