What are the fundamental dynamics driving the Israeli Knesset and the decisions it makes? What Flexibility do individual MKs have to vote for their consciences, versus rubber stamp for their parties? And even though Israelis elect 120 MKs, why do only a handful wield real power. In our last episode of season 1, Carrie and Aliza speak with Michael Oren, Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. and later Member of Knesset, to get the inside baseball on how the Knesset operates and what power...

While the image of teenage IDF soldiers toting M-16s is ubiquitous, can those same soldiers obtain a private weapon post-service? Do Israelis see private gun ownership as a right? And why can't our IDF-veteran hosts get a handgun license? Carrie and Aliza talk with Nadav Kalmar, a professional shooting instructor and two-decade veteran of the nation's security establishment. They speak about Israeli attitudes toward and culture around firearms, and how they are reflected in private gun...

What is Yafo and who lives there? Yafo is seamlessly integrated into Tel Aviv...... or is it? And why is it, that during the May 2021 conflict with Hamas, citizens of Yafo faced riots, while just steps north in Tel Aviv, the streets were calm? Carrie and Aliza speak with lifelong Yafo resident Hilal Habashi to hear a personal perspective on the community and how it fits into the Israeli constellation.

Carrie and Aliza are taking this week off as they get ready to put the final touches on this season's last 3 episode. Carrie has a message about the upcoming Summer Mailbox Episodes! She's asking you to write in with your burning questions about Life in Israel!! Us Among the Israelis is a part of The Joshua Network, sign up for news about the show here!

Why has the Dead Sea shrunk more than 40% in the last 100 years? Can it be saved? Or have we passed the point of no return? And what do regional politics have to do with the shrinking (or saving) of the 'Lowest Place on Earth'? Carrie and Alize speak with the Director of the Center for Transboundary Water Management at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies about why the Dead Sea is drying up, what can save it, and what this all has to do with the epidemic of sink holes along Rt....

How come Israel honors gay marriage but impedes gay couples from building families? Why can a single woman employ a gestational surrogate in Israel, but not a single man? And what are the real consequences of going abroad for surrogacy? Carrie and Aliza speak with father, journalist, and media company owner Grig Davidovitz, who together with his husband made three babies ..... with a little help from a foreign surrogate. Us Among the Israelis is a part of The Joshua Network, sign up for...

Why are Israelis so outdoorsy? What roles do Israel's pioneer roots and citizens' army play in outdoor culture? And how does outdoor culture interact with larger dynamics in Israeli society, such as gender? Carrie and Aliza speak with survivalist Maayan Berkovits, who specializes in building women and girls' confidence in the outdoors, to understand how Israelis have come to love Israel through their feet. Us Among the Israelis is a part of The Joshua Network, sign up for news about the show...

What is the IDF's Spokesperson's Unit? Is it weird that this unit exists? And does the way it sees its purpose match the international community's expectations? Carrie and Aliza speak with Lt. Col. (Res.) Peter Lerner, former IDF Foreign Media Spokesperson, to understand how the IDF Spokesperson's primary role in selling the military to the Israeli public can come into conflict with the international community's expectations of a government mouthpiece. Us Among the Israelis is a part of The...

We're off this week, but we wanted to present you another show from the Joshua Network, The Deal with Nissim Black Educator and community builder Kylie Unell joins Nissim to talk about growing up in Kansas, building relationships in surprising places, and galvanizing her peers across Manhattan and the world.  The Deal with Nissim Black and Us Among the Israelis are both produced by The Joshua Network.

What is "Sheikh Jarrah" and why is it important? What connection is there between this Jerusalem neighborhood and Israel's latest conflict with Hamas? And what do decisions (and indecisions) about this neighborhood reveal about Israeli policy in general? For a deep dive into what influenced the recent Israeli/Gaza conflict, Carrie and Aliza speak with Shany Mor, Adjunct Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former member of the Israeli National Security Council, to...

How does it feel to be caught outside by an air raid siren? What happens when the banal meets the bizarre, and our bubbles are burst? What is happening between Israel and Hamas, and why does it scare our hosts less than the riots breaking out across Israel? In their most personal episode, Carrie and Aliza record audio diaries from Tel Aviv as they experience the escalation of tensions and attacks, finding their way from disconnection to bomb shelters. Join them to get a taste of the confusion...

What is the Rabbinate and how does it dictate what is and is not "Jewish" in Israel? Why do some Israelis feel increasingly alienated from the Rabbinate? And how does a state-funded domestic institution affect world Jewry? Carrie and Aliza speak with Rabbi Seth Farber, who works to reform Israel's Rabbinate through his organization Itim, to understand how top-down organization of the Jewish religion affects life - spiritual and practical - for Jewish Israelis.

How is it that Jewish Israelis are surrounded by Arabic, but can’t really speak it? What role did the military play in influencing civilian Arabic instruction? And how is the military-civilian interplay affecting relations between Israel’s Hebrew and Arabic speaking citizens? Carrie and Aliza speak with Dr. Yonatan (Yoni) Mendel, who researches the interplay between Arabic language and Israeli society, to understand how academic treatment of Arabic in Israel has made the language a barrier,...

Why do Israeli parents actively involve themselves in their adult children's military service? Why does the Israel Defense Forces put up with it? And why does the IDF need it? Carrie and Aliza speak with Hanna Beit Halachmi, who runs a group of 30K+ parents of Israeli soldiers, to understand what the dynamic between the IDF, it's soldiers, and their involved families.

Israel is known as a startup culture, but why? And more than that, how do Israelis see themselves in this story? Is the startup story a new trend, or rather the latest iteration of underlying cultural character? Carrie and Aliza speak with Guy Stiebel, who has spent his career selling Israeli startups to Americans, to understand just what is that secret sauce in Israeli character that's made Israel synonymous with startup culture.

How does lobbying in Israel work? In the absence of financial contributions, how do lobbyists influence elected officials? Could the Israeli parliament actually function without lobbyists? And why is every Israeli mandated by law to have a yellow traffic vest in their car?  Carrie and Aliza speak with Rachel Gur, lawyer, former Parliamentary advisor and current lobbyist to understand how lobbyists shape legislation and how knowledge is the greatest currency they have.

Who is the Haredi - or Ultra-Orthodox - Jewish community? Why has the Haredi community made headlines from New York to Jerusalem for bucking coronavirus response restrictions? How does the concept of pikuach nefesh - the Jewish legal principle placing preservation of life above all else - come into play? Carrie and Aliza speak with Pnina Pfeuffer, lifelong Haredi Jew and progression organization CEO of the New Haredim, about the essential tension: do we save the body or do we save the...

How did Israel vaccinate the majority of its population in just three months? And what does the Israeli model for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic via vaccination teach us? Carrie and Aliza talk to bioinformatician Ben Reis about how Israel became the pandemic's most vaccinated nation. Us Among the Israelis is an engaging, insightful, and totally unexpected look at what it’s like to live in the world’s most interesting country. From getting used to living in a country where everyone serves...

How is it that Benjamin Netanyahu is the longest serving Prime Minister in Israel’s history? Why is Bibi's base of support Mizrachim when he himself is Ashkenazi? What are the long standing tensions between Israeli Ashkenazi and Mizrachi communities that drive Bibism? Carrie and Aliza chat with Lebanese-Iraqi Israeli Anat Tsaig about how it came to be that a bunch of Jewish Israelis from places like Iraq and Yemen are fans of the Polish guy from Tel Aviv. Us Among the Israelis is an...

How did the Mizrachim, Jews who came from Arab countries, reshape Israeli culture? And why are so many of the country's biggest stars Mizrachi? Carrie and Aliza chat with author Matti Friedman about how a society founded largely by western European Jews learned to embrace the Mediterrenean vibes.  Music heard in this episode: Margalit Tzanani - Naari Shuva Elay (Come Back My Boy) Eyan Golan - At Sheli Ani Shelach (You are mine, I am yours) Kobi Peretz - Feel The Magic Joe Amar - Lishkat...

How do you get anything done in a country seemingly allergic to customer service? And does being one or two degrees of separation from almost anybody else around you a good thing or a bad thing? Carrie and Aliza talk to professional bureaucracy manager Liad Arussy about cutting through Israel's layer after layer after layer of red tape. Us Among the Israelis is an engaging, insightful, and totally unexpected look at what it’s like to live in the world’s most interesting country. From getting...

Why is Israel embarking on its fourth election in two years? Why so many political parties? And how can you run a country with such a chaotic political system? Carrie and Aliza sit down with journalist Haviv Gur to unlock the magic of Israeli politics. Us Among the Israelis is an engaging, insightful, and totally unexpected look at what it’s like to live in the world’s most interesting country. From getting used to living in a country where everyone serves in the army to making peace with...

Us Among the Israelis is an engaging, insightful, and totally unexpected look at what it’s like to live in the world’s most interesting country. From getting used to living in a country where everyone serves in the army to making peace with customer service in a country where no one ever stands in line, Carrie Keller-Lynn and Aliza Landes, two American expats, explore the mysteries, frustrations, and joys of life in Israel.