Hi, this is Manya Marcus. It’s March 16th, 2026, and I’m recording this from not Israel. I was able to fly home last week and arrived back in Chicago just a few hours before Shabbat began.

What you’re about to hear are reflections from several people about how they left Israel during the war - and what those departures meant to them. 

During my unexpected 13 days in Israel at the start of the war, I was able to record so many conversations with people living through those moments in real time. We’ll have more chapters here for you soon. 

Learn more about our podcast at https://www.whatcameafter.com/