AJ Edelman, Captain of the Israeli Bobsled Team

Over the last two years, Jewish National Fund-USA has had incredible success pivoting away from traditional fundraising methods and focusing on their partners’ (donors) needs, making thousands of wellness calls to check up on people and launching virtual tours of Israel for people who wanted to see their ancestral homeland from the comfort of their own home. Now, under CEO Russell F. Robinson’s leadership, JNF-USA is stronger than ever, with a vast array of programs and initiatives for the land and people of Israel. Host Steven Shalowitz sits down with Robinson to discuss the importance of teen travel to Israel, his excitement about bringing JNF-USA’s upcoming $350 million World Zionist Village to fruition, and the importance of JNF-USA’s Conversations on Zionism and why we need to keep the discussion going.

AJ Edelman is an Israeli Olympian and Israel’s first sliding sport Olympian. He is now the captain of the Israeli bobsled team. A lifelong athlete who started out as a hockey goalie, he is now a five-time Israeli national champion who aims to raise Israel’s profile in Winter Olympic sports. Equally important, he’s a Modern Orthodox Jew trying to inspire Israelis and others to accomplish the impossible.

Jewish National Fund-USA ensures that no member of Israeli society is left behind, from its state-of-the-art rehabilitative facility in the Negev to Special in Uniform, which integrates teens with disabilities into the Israel Defense Forces. In recognition of Jewish Disability, Acceptance, Awareness, and Inclusion month, host Steven Shalowitz sits down with Yossi Kahana, the director of JNF-USA’s Task Force on Disabilities, to talk about JNF-USA’s work supporting people with disabilities, what he’s learned in his 20+ years of experiences working with disabled Israelis, and the importance of making sure nobody gets left behind.

With plans to open in early 2023, Jewish National Fund-USA’s Galilee Culinary Institute (GCI by JNF) is set to revolutionize the culinary arts. Located in Kiryat Shmona in Israel’s fertile Galilee region, GCI by JNF is a 12-month, community immersion and intensive culinary arts program designed specifically for students to acquire a combination of practical culinary skills and a broad understanding of the major themes moving the food world today. Host Steven Shalowitz sits down with the CEO of GCI by JNF, Nathan Hoffman, to discuss the culinary scene in Israel’s north, how GCI by JNF plans to transform the industry, and why he loves living in Tzfat.

In May 2021, the media breathlessly followed the 11-day armed conflict between Israel and Hamas, with hundreds of pundits appearing on television and commenting on social media to analyze the escalation of fighting. However, according to Middle East expert Jonathan Schanzer, much of the media missed many important details, opting for a version that ignores many of the complexities and nuances of the most recent conflict. Host Steven Shalowitz sits down with Jonathan to discuss his new book, Gaza Conflict 2021: Hamas, Israel, and Eleven Days of War, the history of Hamas and its conflict with other Palestinian factions, and the future of policymaking regarding Israel and Hamas.

During the Gulf War, Israelis looked for stability amidst the fear and chaos of a constant barrage of missiles from Iraq. As an IDF spokesperson, Dr. Nachman Shai served as the calming voice that told them when it was safe to exit their bomb shelters. Now, as Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Shai looks to build bridges between Israeli Jews and Jews from all over the world. Host Steven Shalowitz sits down with Shai to discuss the importance of being honest with Israelis during the Gulf War, the differences between Israeli and Diaspora Jews, and the importance of reaching out to Jews everywhere to ensure their safety from old and new forms of anti-Semitism.

For years, Jewish National Fund-USA has been transforming Israel’s Negev and Galilee to attract new residents to the regions, by improving the quality of life, supporting tourism, agriculture, healthcare, education, and so much more. On this week’s episode of IsraelCast, JNF-USA’s ever-energetic PR and Communications Manager in Israel, Yael Levontin, walks host Steven Shalowitz through JNF-USA’s vision for the land and people of Israel, from its Blueprint Negev and Go North initiatives in the Negev and Galilee to its push to redefine the conversation on what it means to be a Zionist. She also reflects on her personal experience with JNF-USA and Israel, and how she balances work and raising five children.  

On this week’s episode of IsraelCast, host Steven Shalowitz sits down with Shufutinsky to discuss his mixed-race heritage as a black Russian Jew, how his rap music is both an extension of his identity and a platform to discuss real-world issues, and the importance of minority communities not being defined by outsiders, instead forging and maintaining their own unique identity.

For Jews living in the Soviet Union, identity was a complicated and sensitive issue. Though many Jews assimilated into Soviet culture, they still forged their Jewish identity through shared cultural interests, get-togethers, and the necessity to stand together in the face of anti-Semitism. In this episode, host Steven Shalowitz sits with Izabella Tabarovsky, Program Associate to the Kennan Institute, Contributing Writer at Tablet Magazine, and expert on Soviet Jewry, who talks about her experience growing up in the Soviet Union, what Americans can learn from the modern Refusenik movement, the importance of Russian-speaking Jews in the Zionist movement, and what Israel means to her personally.   

 Many young Jews and Zionists today are grappling with their identity. What does it mean to be Jew? What does it mean to be a Zionist? How do those identities intersect with other parts of who I am? How do I deal with people online telling me my Judaism is a problem? Amy Albertson, a professional Social Media Coach and Jewish activist, has dealt with these questions her whole life as a Chinese-American-Jewish woman. Host Steven Shalowitz sits down with Amy to talk about Zionism and how her experiences with antisemitism, the greater Jewish community, and Israel led her to further explore her Jewish identity and become an activist for Jewish pride around the world.