After a not-too-brief hiatus, Benji and Avi return to discuss the afterlife and the existence of demons... who happen to have podcasts. Send us a text

In this episode, Benji and Avi take advantage of the Trump Ceasefire to look back on twelve (eleven?) days of war. There's no denying it — it's been a scary couple of weeks. Benji succeeded in protecting his children — and his dogs. Avi has trust issues - and a beef with Iranian plastic surgeons. (By the way, Avi was right about the city of Tehran, but wrong about Iran as a country.) Will Trump and the world be wise enough to preserve Israel's miraculous achievements in the war? We have...

In this episode Benji and Avi sit down (and then stand up when he walks in, and then sit down again after he sits down) with Rabbi Seth Farber! We find out how he is the descendent of smugglers and grand rabbis, why his face is on the dartboards of so many religious parties, and how ITIM - the NGO he founded - helps well-meaning Israelis navigate the labyrinths of the Chief Rabbinate, especially when it comes to important lifecycle events. We dive deep into (clean?) mikvah waters, and f...

Benji and Avi spent Passover in the north of Israel, and in this episode they discuss the repairs and improvements Israel has made there, as well as the repairs and improvements they need to make to their post-Passover physiques. On the way, they dish on everything from the comeback of rudeness in American culture, to the most conscientious urologist in Israel. They're spillin' the matzoh, with no gefilters! Send us a text

Join Benji and Avi for a tour of what's maddening this March. High-altitude inequality, an incomplete Egyptian pantheon, Trump, Bibi - there's a lot to cover! Send us a text

In this episode, Avi tells us what he really thinks about the Palestinians while Benji suffers in more ways than one. Send us a text

In this episode, Benji and Avi sit down with Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Israel's special envoy for combating antisemitism. We discuss Michal's childhood playing hide-and-seek with senior politicians in the Knesset, her immigration experiences, life as an MK, and Israel's long-forgotten war against color TV. Michal shares her deep insight into the post-October 7th outbreak of of global antisemitism, and how we can confront it. Send us a text

In this episode, Benji and Avi sat down with Alex Haruni, owner of the fabulous Dalton Winery in the north of Israel and all around great guy. We talked with Alex about wine in general, what's special about making wine in Israel, and the particular challenge of making wine in Israel when rockets are falling in your vineyards. We learned as much as we drank (a lot)! While describing his riveting and globe-spanning family history, Alex discussed the fascinating story of the crypto-Jews of Mash...

In this episode, Benji and Avi cover a lot of ground - missiles flying over Raanana (and sometimes landing there), the US elections, the replacement of Israel's defense minister, bigamy, Molotov cocktails and much more. It's another normal week in an abnormal world. Enjoy! Send us a text

In the days leading up to Yom Kippur, Benji and Avi were looking for ways to avoid asking themselves the tough questions that a serious introspection would demand - and they found it! In this, our pilot Q&A episode, we answered questions sent in by listeners. From the situation in Israel to ET the extraterrestrial, we covered a lot of ground. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions. If you have questions you'd like us to address in a future Q&A, please send them in using the link bel...

In this episode, Benji and Avi sit down with Rabia Melchem. Rabia is an IDF reserve soldier, a successful AI and data science product engineer, a husband, a father and a Druze Israeli. The Druze have always been a dynamic and important part of Israel, and their contribution to the country has come into even sharper focus during the past year of war. Without pulling any punches, Rabia helps us understand more about the experience of the Druze community in Israel, and about his own journey from...

In this episode Benji and Avi sit down with Daniel Sevitt, bibliophile and, well, left-wing optimist. We talk books, politics, and the private lives of dragons. The conversation is mostly civil, as you would expect from a conversation with a gentlemanly British book nut. Daniel has an incredible YouTube channel called GuiltyFeat, which you can find here. He has made more than 200 videos, including this awesome one where Daniel talks about books he got for his bar mitzvah. Send us a text

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 depressed after this episode, here’s a Sesame Street blast from the past featuring Bob McGrath, the coolest person who ever lived in Teaneck,...

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 right with it. We all agree the kids are great – but how? We go into the belly of the beast to understand the current strike, what helicopters and...

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 what her experience of becoming a bereaved sibling has been like. The grief, the pain, and even finding the humor through it all. It's a poignant per...

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, and here is one of the articles published after Benji's trip. Send us a text

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 unique challenges ahead. We also find out why Benji once spent a week peering into a shower drain. - For a taste of 47th Street in the la...

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 conversation with Moishy is in Hebrew. Please note that at minute 1:13 there's an English recap of the conversation for our our English-speaki...

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. Send us a text

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 punishes you if you happen to be among the best of the best. Fear not, there's humor here, but also a call to action. Something's got to ch...