In this episode Benji and Avi sit down with Ohad Merlin, Middle East correspondent for the Jerusalem Post, and expert on the media landscape in the Arab world. We do a deep dive into the Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar, and the myth that Israeli tourists always steal hotel towels. Turns out we live in a pretty tough neighborhood. If you’re feeling depres…

In this episode, Benji and Avi get the lowdown about the educational system from the best high school teacher in Raanana, the one and only Rebecca Perlin Sadinoff! Like most high-school teachers in Israel, Rebecca is on strike (so she couldn’t tell us she was busy). Rebecca explains what’s wrong with children’s education in Israel – but also what’s…

In this episode, Benji and Avi had the privilege of sitting down with Raanana’s own Eli Ziering. Eli's brother, Aryeh Ziering of blessed memory, was killed in action on October 7th near Kibbutz Zikim in Israel's South. Aryeh was a major in the IDF's elite Oketz unit, and an all-around wonderful person whom we knew and loved. Eli wanted to share wha…

In this episode, Benji takes us on a journey to Italy – where he is a mini-celebrity! – to uncover some family secrets from World War II. He is helped by a motley crew of wonderful Italians who are as dedicated to uncovering the truth as he is. Spoiler alert: For the Italian speakers out there, here is one of the TV news segments that aired in 2021…

This week, Benji and Avi enter the mysterious and fascinating world of international diamond dealing. They sit down with Elliot and Dov Tannenbaum, the father and son team that runs Leo Schachter Diamonds, one of the world's largest diamond manufacturers. We cover a lot of ground here: the history, the characters, the secrets of the trade, and the …

A few episodes ago (episode 3), Benji and Avi discussed the thorny topic Haredim not serving in the IDF. During their discussion, Benji told a few not-too-flattering stories about Moishy, one of his Haredi cousins. Now we get to hear from Moishy about what's really going on today in the Haredi community. The introduction is in English, but the conv…

Turns out Benji and Avi don't speak English. Or at least not modern-day SoFlo dialect. In this episode, Benji and Avi sit down with their youngest guests yet, Eliana and Aly, who took an hour out of their Israel summer program to try to explain to two very slow learners what it's like to be a teenager navigating social media and the modern world. S…

There are only a handful of pediatric oncology bone marrow transplant specialists in Israel, and our guest, Dr. Aviva Krauss, is one of them. She's skilled, brilliant, caring, and passionate about saving children's lives. She's also at the breaking point. Join us as we shine a light on what can only be described as a scandal. A medical system that …

What’s it like establishing a first-of-its-kind water park in the Holy Land? What’s it like dreaming a big dream and making it happen – on the mean shores of Tiberias? Which city has the rudest Israelis? Which tourists are the most polite? In this episode Benji and Avi sit down with the man behind Aqua Kef, Ami Ohayon, a French oleh who rolled up h…

Benji and Avi discuss the thorny issue of army service as it relates to Israel's Haredi community. Send us a textBenji and Avi

Benji and Avi are both fathers of combat soldiers in the IDF who have been on active duty during the war. In this episode, they discuss the pride and the fear that have characterized the past months - and the humor in between. Send us a textBenji and Avi

In this, their world premier episode, Benji and Avi, two middle-aged American guys living in Israel, discuss what moving to Israel has been like. There are insights in this episode that will literally change your life - probably for the worse. This episode was recorded on June 8, 2024. Send us a text…