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

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  Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@yallaletsgopodcast  Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yallaletsgopodcast/  Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.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