Yalla, Let's Go!

In this episode of Yalla, Let's Go!, Erica and Abbey sit down with Giovahnna "Gio" Ziegler - Brazilian olah, marketing leader in Israel's high-tech ecosystem, former contestant on Brazil's Next Top Model, best-selling author, and mother of two. Gio shares her journey from Rio de Janeiro to Tel Aviv, why Aliyah was a philosophical certainty more than a logical decision, how she built a successful career in Israeli tech without speaking Hebrew, and what it's like to raise trilingual kids in a Yemeni-Brazilian household. She opens up about the LGBTQ community in Israel vs. Brazil, why she'll never go back, and why Israelis' refusal to apologize in the supermarket is actually genius. The conversation continues with: Growing up in a famous artistic family in Brazil - and rejecting it Being the first openly gay contestant on Brazil's Next Top Model Building a marketing career in Israeli tech from scratch Starting (and quickly shutting down) her own agency Raising kids in three languages in Tel Aviv The LGBTQ community in Israel: openness, acceptance, and belonging Why she feels Israeli - not Brazilian This is a bold, funny, and deeply personal conversation about reinvention, belonging, and the life you build when you bet on yourself. Subscribe for more conversations with people who live, work, build, and stay in Israel. #GioZiegler #Israel #Aliyah #BrazilianOlah #IsraeliTech #LGBTQ #LifeInIsrael #YallaLetsGo #TelAviv #Marketing #JewishIdentity #NextTopModel KEY TOPICS  0:00 - Intro 0:49 - Meet Gio: From Rio to Tel Aviv 2:17 - Life Story in One Minute: Hippie Roots, Corporate Career, and Two Boys 2:44 - Why She Made Aliyah: A Philosophical Decision 3:53 - Not Another Boring Marketeer? Actually, Kind Of 5:20 - New York Times, South Africa, and Getting to Israel 6:57 - Growing Up in a Famous Artistic Family — And Rebelling 8:27 - Did Moving to Israel Mean a Career Setback? 8:55 - How She Cracked the Israeli Tech Market 10:13 - Starting Her Own Agency (And Why She's Shutting It Down) 11:19 - Brazil's Next Top Model: The Tyra Banks Contract, the NDA, and the Gay Twist 13:52 - From a House of Models to Her Wife Hofit 14:01 - Marrying Into a Yemeni Israeli Household 15:35 - IVF in Israel: What's Free, What's Not, and the Danish Donor 17:16 - The LGBTQ Community in Israel vs. Brazil 19:43 - Raising Trilingual Kids: Hebrew, Portuguese, and English 21:16 - Would She Ever Go Back to Brazil? Absolutely Not. 21:37 - What's Hard About Living in Israel (Lines. Just Lines.) 22:07 - Why She Loves Israelis: Unapologetic, Good-Hearted, and Consistent 23:18 - Advice for Anyone Considering Aliyah: Just Do It 24:07 - Rapid Fire: Israeli Salad, Kafkafim & the Haredi Kid RESOURCES Follow Gio on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giovahnna/  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, Yotam Kushnir Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Jackie Goldberg Design: Nimrod Sapir

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

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.

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  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

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.

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  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: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

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  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 Video and Editing: Nadav Elovic  Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

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. 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 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  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 Video and Editing: Nadav Elovic  Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi