Return Again

Myrna Bennett and her husband Jim, zichrono livracha, grew up in San Francisco, and when they decided to make a stop in Israel on their way to spending some time in Europe, the Land made a greater impact on them than they had expected. Fast-forward some 55 years later, and Myrna Bennett finds herself part of a wonderful Haifa community, with three sons, 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, all of whom live in Israel.  Oh, and one of those three sons is Israel’s prime minister, Naftali Bennett. Myrna was gracious enough to allow my wife and me into her home, where she truly opened up to us, talking about her story, showing us family photos and an AMAZING diary her father kept, and we were even there for a surprise phone call from Naftali. Well, it was a surprise to us. Myrna wasn’t surprised at all … Israel's prime minister calls his mother everyday to say he loves her. And apparently, she loves him more, at least according to Myrna. One extra note: Myrna's husband Jim passed away in 2015, but it was crystal-clear during the interview that he was an absolute equal partner in the Bennetts' amazing story, and that he lives on in so many ways. I wish I could have met him. - Goel 00:00 - Intro 06:32 - Meeting Jim and Visiting Israel 15:31 - Kibbutz Life 25:19 - Setting Up Shop in Haifa 35:00 - Montreal and Embracing Torah 44:41 - Back to Israel 54:35 - Naftali Calls During the Conversation 1:05:02 - My Son, The Prime Minister 1:16:23 - Rapid-fire Questions --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

Rav Simcha Hochbaum grew up on Staten Island, in New York. Beginning in the second grade, when he heard about Avraham’s Aliyah in parashat Lech Lecha, he became focused on the idea of returning to the Land of Israel. He and his wife Leah were able to make that happen in 1995, moving to the Hevron, the city of our forefathers and mothers. Parents of six wonderful children, they still live in Hevron, and that’s where I sat with him recently to Return Again to his Aliyah story. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

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 03:44 - Ari's Paradigm Shift 10:56 - Making Plans 18:16 - Putting Down Roots 24:47 - Can Being a Dentist Make Ends Meet? 33:16 - Children and Family 44:33 - Living Jewish History 54:41 - Discovering the Jewish World 1:06:36 - Rapid-fire Questions --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

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 02:38 - Where It All Began 08:46 - Childhood With Little Jewishness 13:16 - Arrival in Israel 21:11 - Army and Becoming Israeli 28:29 - Evolving Hashkafa 37:37 - Raising Children 56:30 - The Challenge of the Hareidi World 1:04:51 - Israel ... A Work in Progress 1:12:20 - Rapid-fire Questions --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

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. 00:00 - Intro 04:14 - Finnish Jewry 12:19 - Growing Up in Finland 20:30 - Why Aliyah? 28:21 - Life on a Kibbutz 34:50 - Entering and Leaving the Academia Bubble 44:33 - Finding His Groove ... And His Wife 1:05:26 - Kids and Languages at Home 1:13:29 - What COVID Has Done 1:25:00 - Rapid-fire Questions --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

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 02:18 - From Russia to Riverdale 08:30 - Israel Becomes a Goal 16:06 - Leah Meets Her Future Husband - By Chance? 23:12 - Simultaneous Community and Career Journeys 31:37 - The Power of the Jewish Soul 40:06 - The Beautiful Voice Inside Each of Us 45:38 - Israeli (Yemenite!) and American Cultures - Do They Clash In the Home? 52:37 - Rapid-fire Questions --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

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 02:03 - Growing Up in Winnipeg 18:28 - On the Right Path 29:33 - Culture Shock 37:04 - Discovering Breslev 47:06 - Getting Back to Music 56:16 - Education in Israel 1:07:15 - Aliyah Advice and Perspective 1:17:56 - Rapid-fire Questions --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

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 6:00 - Arrival in Israel 13:25 - Meeting Rav Kook and Other Impactful Israelis 21:35 - Aliyah Becomes a Done Deal 31:12 - Getting Settled, in Both Life and Career 43:28 - The Decision to Build a Life in Har Bracha 50:40 - A Scary Moment When Avraham and His Wife's Lives Were on the Line 59:30 - Rapid-fire Questions --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

R' Moshe Lichtman, 30-year Oleh, author of Eretz Yisrael in the Parasha and A Drop in the Ocean, as well as translator of Eim Habanim Semeichah, joins Goel to talk about his Aliyah journey. 01:07 - Where It All Began 15:11 - THE Moment 23:10 - The Plan 30:46 - The Bump in the Road... and New Plan 37:29 - Building a Life in Israel 1:23:49 - Kedem or Israeli Grape Juice? Heinz or Israeli Ketchup? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

Now, I know that I’ve always interviewed people who have been in Israel long enough to have perspective, but Michoel Weichbrod’s perspective is so clear, so direct and so focused on Torah that he brings with him many, many centuries of perspective on living in Israel, even though he’s only been here for a few years. I met with him recently in his Ramat Bet Shemesh home, and we talked about his story, as well as the larger issue of Aliyah among the Haredi community in the US. Here’s Michoel Weichbrod, returning again. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

Rabbi Elan Adler is a formerly American rabbi with a fantastic sense of humor, a wonderful story and an inspiring career renewal since making the big move. Rabbi Adler was a successful community rabbi in Baltimore, but eventually, the strong feelings his wife Rivka had for so many years hit him like a ton of bricks, and he knew that Israel was the place for him to continue his family’s life. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

Rabbi Pesach Wolicki told me that he’s been clear on Israel as his destiny for as long as he can remember. So why is it that he came to Israel as a kid, and went back to Canada, and then, when his parents made Aliyah, he decided to stay back in Canada? And why did he make aliyah, only to leave again to spend 5 years in the US? Well, it’s an incredible story of his commitment to life in Israel – and to the Jewish nation – that led to all those things happening, and I was pleased to sit with Rav Pesach recently to hear all about it. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

Ari Abramowitz grew up in Houston, Texas, to a proud Jewish family that believed in the importance of supporting Israel. But for Ari, born Aryeh Yehuda Abramowitz, doing so from afar was never going to be enough. That said, his road to living his life here was not totally smooth, and I had the privilege of joining him on Arugot Farm recently, where he and his family live, to take in the breathtaking views and hear his Aliyah story. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

Lenny Solomon grew up "a modern Orthodox Jew from Queens," and eventually became a Jewish music sensation, playing for audiences around the globe. He's the only Jewish performer to ever play all 50 US states. So what would make him move to Israel? Find out more from Lenny himself. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

Rav Gidon Weitzman grew up in the United Kingdom – first in London and then in Cardiff, a town in Wales. He came to Israel as a teenager and dove in head-first into a life of Torah learning and spirituality. He’s now doing important work for Machon Puah, but there have been many stops along the way – including Kansas City, Missouri – and Rav Gidon had some serious wisdom to share. I greatly enjoyed the conversation in his Modiin home. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

I met Danny Bibbins on a recent vacation I took, and when I heard his story, I just had to figure out a way to have him share it with you, even though it required a 2-plus hour trip up to Kibbutz Tirat Zvi up in the north. It was a ride well-spent. And his story IS great, but it was his perspective on life that truly inspired me.   --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

Danny Hain grew up in a small town in Virginia – Danville, and was a member of one of the only religiously-observant families in that tiny community. His life eventually took him to medical school, and he became quite a successful physician. All seemed to be going well, and he and his wife decided to move their life to Israel, so they could raise their children in the Land promised to our forefathers and foremothers. Well, it wasn’t as easy as it seemed at the time, and the family endured a serious challenge before finally turning the corner and proceeding with their plan. Lots of wisdom in this episode from Danny, and wait until you hear what he has to say during the rapid-fire questions. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

Stuart Schnee grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, went to college at Rutgers and seemingly, was living a fairly straight-forward American life. But a couple of childhood trips to Israel, as well as a few "moments" changed his perspective, and his life, forever. This episode also includes a short monologue by Goel about the current situation in Israel. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

Football, Israel and Torah!? Are you kidding me?! When I heard about today’s guest, Chaim Cohen – coach of the Judean Rebels Israeli football team, I just had to meet him and speak with him about his Aliyah!  And that’s just what happened. I visited him in his Ramat Bet Shemesh home, where we talked about his story, about football, about how a kid who chose his college in part so that he could get AWAY from Jewish people wound up in Israel, and about what ultimately led him home to Israel.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support

David Katz grew up in Cleveland in a pretty Israel-oriented family. And yet, he insists that he’s still not really made Aliyah. Well, in his mind that may be the case, but he and his wife Devorah are the brains and action behind the well-known national Pat BeMelach brand of crackers and bakery in Efrat, and since selling that business they’ve moved on to another concept that I found fascinating. David and I sat at his kitchen table for this one, and I really enjoyed his candid, contemplative and thought-provoking thoughts on living in Israel. And so, here’s David Katz, Returning Again. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-again/support