Yalla, Let's Go!

The Good, Some Bad, And Some Ugly: Avi Mayer, Former Editor-In-Chief Of The Jerusalem Post, On October 7th Journalism, Tel Aviv Vs. Jerusalem, And Feeling Connected To Pot Holes

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 10:53:00 -0000

In this episode of Yalla, Let's Go!, Erica and Abbey sit down with Avi Mayer - founder of Jerusalem Journal and former Editor-in-Chief of The Jerusalem Post - for a candid conversation about identity, belonging, journalism, and what it really means to choose Israel.

Avi shares his journey from New York to Jerusalem at age six, navigating the Gulf War, the Oslo years, and the Second Intifada, before returning to serve in the IDF Spokesperson's Unit. He opens up about leading the Jerusalem Post on October 7th, the fog of war in the newsroom, the mental health toll on journalists, and why he left to build something new. He also gets into why Jerusalem - not Tel Aviv - feels like home, the value of representing Israel on the world stage, and his honest take on whether aliyah is for everyone.

The conversation continues with:

Growing up in Israel during defining historical moments
Building a career telling Israel's story: IDF, Jewish Agency, AJC
Running a newsroom on the worst day in Israel's recent history
Launching Jerusalem Journal and what was missing in the media landscape
The tension and beauty of daily life in Israel
Practical advice for anyone considering aliyah

This is a rich conversation about purpose, press, and the pull of a place you can truly call your own.

Subscribe for more conversations with people who live, work, build, and stay in Israel.

#AviMayer #JerusalemJournal #JerusalemPost #Israel #Aliyah #October7 #IsraeliMedia #Journalism #JewishIdentity #YallaLetsGo #LifeInIsrael #IDF #IsraelStory #MakingAliyah

KEY TOPICS

0:00 - Intro

0:50 - Meet Avi Mayer: The Journalist Who Chose to Tell Israel's Story

2:32 - From Great Neck to Jerusalem: A Life Built Between Two Worlds

3:45 - The Moment He Knew He Had to Come Back

4:38 - Growing Up Amid Terror: How Childhood in Israel Shaped Everything

6:05 - Finding His Purpose: Telling Israel's Story at Every Stage of His Career

7:00 - October 7th in the Newsroom: When Even the Best Sources Knew Nothing

8:11 - The Price Journalists Pay for Bearing Witness

9:30 - Fighting Disinformation with Good Journalism: Is It Enough?

11:23 - Why Avi Left the Jerusalem Post to Build Something New

12:32 - Why Jerusalem Feels Like Home When Everywhere Else Doesn't

13:29 - One Foot in Israel, One Eye on the World

14:18 - What's Hard About Living Here (Even When You Love It)

15:47 - This Is Mine: On Belonging, Beauty & the Pull of Israel

17:11 - Come With Your Eyes Wide Open: Advice for Anyone Considering Aliyah

18:03 - Is Aliyah for Everyone? An Honest Answer

18:45 - "I Bound My Life With the Life of My People"

19:28 - Rapid Fire: Krembos, Gushpanka & Trader Joe's

RESOURCES

Follow Avi on X: https://x.com/avimayer

Subscribe to Yalla, Let’s Go here: https://www.aleph.vc/yalla-lets-go

Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@yallaletsgopodcast

Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://x.com/aleph

‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/

‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/

CREDITS

Hosts: Erica Marom, Abbey Onn

Executive Producer: Sarah Bard

Producer: Sofi Levak, Dalit Merenfeld, Myron Shneider

Video and Editing: Nadav Elovic

Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar

Content and Editorial: Jackie Goldberg

Design: Nimrod Sapir

NYT Bestselling Cookbook Author Adeena Sussman on Finding Love (of Tahini and People) and Why It Matters That the Coffee Shop Knows Her Order

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:07:00 -0000

In this episode of Yalla, Let’s Go!, Erica and Abbey sit down with Adeena Sussman, bestselling cookbook author of Sababa, Shabbat, and her newest book Zariz, for a conversation about food, identity, and building a life in Israel.

Adeena shares her journey from Palo Alto to New York’s food scene to Tel Aviv, why she made aliyah, and how Israeli culture - especially the shuk - transformed her career and cooking style. She opens up about writing cookbooks rooted in Israeli ingredients, adapting Middle Eastern flavors for a global audience, and creating simple, joyful recipes during complex times.

They also discuss life in Israel today, community, October 7th, and why she continues to double down on building her life here.

Also on the docket:

Making Aliyah and finding community in Israel
Life in Tel Aviv and the Carmel Market (shuk)
Israeli food culture and pantry staples
Tahini, harissa, and modern Middle Eastern cooking
Adeena’s new cookbook Zariz
Cooking during wartime and simplifying recipes
Career growth in Israel vs. New York
October 7 and supporting Israel globally
Advice for anyone considering moving to Israel

This is a conversation about food, culture, resilience, and creativity in Israel today.

Subscribe for more conversations with people who live, build, and create in Israel.

Wounded in Gaza, Still Fighting for Israel: Aaron Bours’ Story of Resilience, Loss & Purpose

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 11:54:00 -0000

In this episode of Yalla, Let’s Go!, Erica and Abbey sit down with Aaron Bours, native New Yorker, lone soldier, IDF reservist, and CMO of health tech startup Hyro, for a deeply personal conversation about identity, duty, recovery, and belonging.

Aaron shares his journey from Great Neck, Long Island to Israel, why he joined Givati, how he built a career in Israeli tech, and what happened when he was called up on October 7 while in Las Vegas. He recounts his return to Israel, combat in Gaza, the moment he was shot in both legs while trying to save his officer, and the long road of surgeries, rehab, and returning to normal life.

Also on the docket:

making Aliyah and adapting to life in Israel
serving as a lone soldier
Israeli tech, networking, and career-building
October 7 and IDF reserve duty
combat injury, trauma, and recovery
honoring fallen soldiers
why Aaron feels even more rooted in Israel today
the beauty, bureaucracy, warmth, and complexity of living here

This is a powerful conversation about resilience, sacrifice, community, and what it truly means to build a life in Israel.

Subscribe for more conversations with people who live, work, build, and stay in Israel.

#AaronBours #Israel #Aliyah #IDF #LoneSoldier #October7 #Gaza #IsraeliTech #YallaLetsGo #JewishIdentity #Reservist #StartupLife #Hyro #LifeInIsrael #WarRecovery

KEY TOPICS

00:00 - War Called Him Back

00:52 - Why We Still Choose Israel (Even Now)

02:58 - From NYC to IDF to Tech CMO

04:37 - The Career Move That Changed Everything

06:00 - October 7th: The Moment Everything Changed

07:03 - Inside Gaza: What Combat Really Looked Like

09:20 - Shot in Both Legs Saving His Commander

10:17 - The Hardest Part of Rehabilitation

12:40 - Why Most Injured Soldiers Don’t Return to Work

14:35 - The Power of Community That Saved Aaron

15:06 - The Story of Omri

17:13 - Why Aaron Stayed After Almost Dying

18:56 - What Makes Israel Different

20:22 - Real Advice on Aliyah

21:39 - The Hardest Part of Living in Israel

23:20 - The Moment That Defined His Life

26:05 - The Most “Only in Israel” Story Ever

RESOURCES

Follow Aaron on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshprinceoftelaviv/

Follow Aaron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronbours/

Subscribe to Yalla, Let’s Go here: https://www.aleph.vc/yalla-lets-go

Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@yallaletsgopodcast

Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://x.com/aleph

‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/

‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/

CREDITS

Hosts: Erica Marom, Abbey Onn

Executive Producer: Sarah Bard

Producer: Sofi Levak, Dalit Merenfeld, Myron Shneider

Video and Editing: Nadav Elovic

Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar

Content and Editorial: Jackie Goldberg

Design: Nimrod Sapir

How We’re Surviving the (3rd) Iran War

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 12:40:00 -0000

Abbey and Erica record an unusual and very real episode of Yalla, Let’s Go! in the middle of the February 2026 war with Iran.

Between sirens, bomb shelters, and sleepless nights, they reflect on what it actually feels like to live through war in Israel not as a headline, but as everyday life.

They talk about the anxiety of parenting Israeli kids during missile attacks, the reality of running to shelters in the middle of the night, emergency missions to bring kids home, and the strange ways war reshapes daily routines (including taking the fastest showers of your life).

They also grapple with the bigger questions many Olim quietly ask themselves in moments like this:Why are we here?Why stay?What are we building for?

This is a candid conversation about fear, resilience, family, and the complicated love that keeps people here.

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate us 5 stars wherever you listen to podcasts.

From Mumbai to Missiles: Revital Moses on Making Aliyah, Building a 90K YouTube Community & Bridging India and Israel

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 12:07:00 -0000

In this episode of Yalla, Let’s Go!, Erica and Abbey sit down with Revital Moses: a leading voice in India-Israel cultural diplomacy, leveraging digital storytelling to bridge two of the world's most dynamic civilizations. As the creator of "Moses in Israel / Indian in Israel" a YouTube and social media project with millions of cumulative views. She has become a go-to commentator on the evolving India-Israel relationship, offering rare insider perspectives that combine Indian heritage with Israeli Jewish identity.

Born and raised in Mumbai, Revital never planned to live in Israel. She made Aliyah with her family just four days before the first COVID lockdown; heartbroken, frustrated, and unsure she would stay.

Fast forward six years.

Today, she’s built a YouTube community of nearly 90,000 subscribers, amplifying India–Israel relations, spotlighting the 80,000-strong Indian Jewish community in Israel, and creating representation where none existed before.

In this episode, we talk about:

Growing up Jewish in India - one of the only countries with virtually no antisemitism
Making Aliyah when it wasn’t your dream
Reinventing your career during COVID
Surviving a missile strike 50 meters from your home
Why Israel needs to stop only looking West and start looking East
Finding independence, identity, and maybe even love in Israel

This is a conversation about resilience, belonging, and what happens when you decide to stay, even when it’s hard.

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate us 5 stars wherever you listen to podcasts.

KEY TOPICS

00:00 – Intro

02:00 – “I never wanted to live in Israel”

04:00 – Making Aliyah four days before COVID

07:00 – Launching a YouTube channel & finding a voice

10:00 – The 80,000 Indian Jews in Israel

13:00 – Why Israel needs to look East

17:00 – The missile strike & choosing to stay

22:00 – Independence, identity & building a life here

25:00 – Bridging two ancient civilizations

27:00 – Rapid fire

RESOURCES

Follow Revital on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mosesinisrael/

Subscribe to Revital’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@indianinisrael

Subscribe to Yalla, Let’s Go here: https://www.aleph.vc/yalla-lets-go

Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@yallaletsgopodcast

Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://x.com/aleph

‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/

‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/

CREDITS

Hosts: Erica Marom, Abbey Onn

Executive Producer: Sarah Bard

Producer: Sofi Levak, Dalit Merenfeld, Myron Shneider

Video and Editing: Nadav Elovic

Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar

Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring

Design: Rony Karadi

Aleeza Ben Shalom, Host of Netflix’s Jewish Matchmaking, Says Israel is the Best Place to Find Love

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 11:13:00 -0000

In this episode of Yalla, Let’s Go!, Erica and Abbey sit down with Aleeza Ben Shalom, a renowned relationship coach and matchmaker who shot to international fame as the star of Netflix’s Jewish Matchmaking. She is also the host of the “The Jewish Matchmaker” podcast on ILTV. To date, she has successfully helped over 250 people make their way down the aisle, and has trained over 450 matchmakers and coaches. Currently Aleeza alongside World Mizrachi has begun the Jewish Matchmaking Movement.

Yalla, Let’s Go! explores what it really means to make Aliyah and build a life in Israel - the opportunities, the challenges, and everything in between. Each episode features candid conversations with Olim from diverse backgrounds. The podcast is produced by Aleph, the team behind Invested, Israel’s leading English-language business podcast.

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate us 5 stars wherever you listen to podcasts.

KEY TOPICS

00:00 - Intro: Aleeza Ben Shalom Made 300+ Matches

02:25 - From Philly to Netflix

04:05 - Aliyah Was My Dating Filter

05:45 - Wait Too Long and You’ll Never Move

07:05 - Why Israel Wins at Love

08:15 - Why Olim Give Up and Leave

09:00 - The Kotel Moment That Changed Everything

10:40 - Why Aliyah Breaks (or Builds) You

12:45 - The 5-5-5 Rule That Ends Dating Confusion

13:55 - Why Not Touching Changes Everything

16:30 - Raising Kids in War Made Them Stronger

18:20 - Jewish Life vs. Jewish Convenience

20:55 - The Life Choice I’ll Never Regret

RESOURCES

Learn more about Aleeza at: https://marriagemindedmentor.com/

Follow Aleeza on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleezabenshalom/

Subscribe to Yalla, Let’s Go here: https://www.aleph.vc/yalla-lets-go

Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@yallaletsgopodcast

Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://x.com/aleph

‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/

‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/

CREDITS

Hosts: Erica Marom, Abbey Onn

Executive Producer: Sarah Bard

Producer: Sofi Levak, Dalit Merenfeld

Video and Editing: Nadav Elovic

Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar

Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring

Design: Rony Karadi

Avi Lewis, Software Engineer at Meta, Says This is How to Land a Tech Job in Israel

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 23:06:00 -0000

In the very first episode of Yalla, Let’s Go!, Erica and Abbey sit down with Avi Lewis, who made Aliyah from Australia and now lives in Israel with his wife and four children. Avi is a software engineer at Meta’s Tel Aviv office and shares daily insights on LinkedIn through his “1 idea a day” series, helping people navigate Israel’s tech job market.

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate us 5 stars wherever you listen to podcasts.

KEY TOPICS

00:00 - Intro

03:01 - From Australia to IDF to Meta

04:45 - The real reason Avi chose Israel at 16

05:56 - How Olim actually break into Israeli high-tech

07:14 - The Olim advantage Israeli employers don’t see

08:09 - How one LinkedIn post helped a reservist land a job

10:32 - The biggest lie Olim tell themselves before moving

12:53 - Do you need to be rich to make Aliyah work?

15:50 - Soft landing vs. hard landing: which one really works?

18:14 - Do you ever regret moving to Israel?

RESOURCES

Follow Avi Lewis on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avi-lewis/

Learn more about Goozali: https://goozali.com/

Subscribe to Yalla, Let’s Go here: https://www.aleph.vc/yalla-lets-go

Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@yallaletsgopodcast

Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://x.com/aleph

‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/

‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/

CREDITS

Hosts: Erica Marom, Abbey Onn

Executive Producer: Sarah Bard

Producer: Sofi Levak, Dalit Merenfeld

Video and Editing: Nadav Elovic

Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar

Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring

Design: Rony Karadi