aliyah

In this episode, Rabbi Cohen interviews Ambassador Michael Oren, former Israeli ambassador to the United States, about his aliyah journey.

Hon. Michael B. Oren

Michael B. Oren served as Israel's ambassador to the United States from 2009 to 2013.

As Ambassador, he was instrumental in securing U.S. support for Israel’s defense and upholding Israel’s right to security and peace. The Forward named Ambassador Oren one of the five most influential Jews in America and the Jerusalem Post listed him as one of the ten most influential Jews worldwide.

Born in the United States and educated at Princeton and Columbia, Dr. Oren has been a visiting professor at Harvard, Yale, and Georgetown, and was a Distinguished Fellow at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem. He has received fellowships from the British and Canadian governments as well as a Moshe Dayan Fellowship from Tel Aviv University and the Lady Davis Fellowship at the Hebrew University. His last two books, Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East from 1776 to the Present and Six Days of War, were both New York Times bestsellers. He has won the Los Angeles Times History Book of the Year Award and the National Jewish Book Award. 

In Israel, Ambassador Oren served as an officer in the Israel Defense Forces, in the paratroopers in the Lebanon War, a liaison with the U.S. Sixth Fleet during the Gulf War, and an IDF spokesman during the Second Lebanon War and the Gaza operation in January 2009. He acted as an emissary to Jewish refuseniks in the Soviet Union, as an advisor to Israel's delegation to the United Nations, and as the government's director of Inter-Religious Affairs. He was a gold medal-winning athlete in the Maccabiah Games.

Ambassador Oren and his wife, Sally, have three children.

Rabbi Cohen chats with Rabbi Stuart Geller about his decision to make aliyah.

In this episode, Rabbi Cohen talks with Michael Marmur about his aliyah decision.

In this episode, Rabbi Cohen chats with Danielle Lightman about her decision to make aliyah.

Rabbi Cohen chats with Bekah Galinsky about her personal decision to make aliyah.

In this episode, Rabbi Phil Cohen chats with journalist and author Yossi Klein Halevi. 

Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. Together with Imam Abdullah Antepli of Duke University, he co-directs the Institute's Muslim Leadership Initiative (MLI), which teaches emerging young Muslim American leaders about Judaism, Jewish identity and Israel.

Halevi’s 2013 book, Like Dreamers, won the Jewish Book Council's Everett Book of the Year Award. His latest book, Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor, is a New York Times bestseller. He writes for leading op-ed pages in the US, including the Times and the Wall Street Journal, and is a former contributing editor to the New Republic.

His 2001 book, "At the Entrance to the Garden of Eden: A Jew’s Search for God with Christians and Muslims in the Holy Land," will be reissued in 2019 by HarperCollins.

His first book, "Memoirs of a Jewish Extremist," tells the story of his teenage years as a follower of the militant rightwing rabbi Meir Kahane, and his subsequent disillusionment with Jewish radicalism. The New York Times called it “a book of burning importance.”

In 2013 he was a visiting professor of Israel Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and served as a writer in residence at the University of Illinois. He was a senior fellow at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem from 2004 until 2010. Born in Brooklyn, he moved to Israel in 1982, and lives in Jerusalem with wife, Sarah, who helps run a center for Jewish meditation. They have three children.

In the premiere episode of The Making Aliyah Podcast, Rabbi Phil Cohen interviews Andi Shapiro, a recent immigrant to Israel from South Africa. Andi discusses the challenges and thrills of becoming a new resident of Israel.

Bonjour et bienvenue dans ce nouvel épisode de Ces Garçons Là.

Un nouvel épisode qui marque la rentrée.

Je vous propose de rencontrer Victor. 

Il vit à Limoges, et vous allez l'entendre, c'est un garçon très déterminé, qui adore voyager !

Homosexualité, double nationalité, enfance, voyages, ruralité, sécurité sentimentale, et retour en Israël, la vie de Victor est déja bien remplie !

• What inspires people to leave their homes and begin anew in Israel?
• What are the difficulties that come with making aliyah?
• What does the process of moving to Israel generally involve?

DOWNLOAD the 24/6 app: https://bit.ly/3YKfGdb

Listen to part 1 and 2 of this series:

Part 1: https://www.franciskakosman.com/podcast/episode/2df71c58/the-pro-and-cons-of-making-aliyah-part-13-with-bracha-kurtzer-gross

Part 2: https://www.franciskakosman.com/podcast/episode/2e00527f/the-pro-and-cons-of-making-aliyah-part-23-with-chanale-fellig

Message Franciska to join The Whatsapp Group: franciskakay@gmail.com

Reach out about new sponsorship opportunities for your brand & organizations - franciskakay@gmail.com

Link to new Music Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zLoWxNJJrU

About Our Guest:

Ken Toltz is an Israel-based writer and strategic communications consultant. He relocated his home and made Aliyah in the summer of 2019 from Boulder, Colorado. Ken is a 3rd generation native Coloradan raised in a Jewish home with both parents being committed activists serving in leadership of long-time Denver Jewish communal organizations. Since attending Hebrew University in Jerusalem for his junior year of college, Ken has been actively supporting a close US - Israel relationship via the political process. Ken has also been a committed gun violence prevention activist founding Safe Campus Colorado and serving on the board of American gun violence prevention organizations.

Times of Israel: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/author/ken-toltz/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KToltz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kentoltz/

Launch Your Podcast Today- www.franciskakosman.com

Check out www.JewishCoffeeHouse.com for more Jewish Podcasts on our network.

Join The Whatsapp Discssion Group:

This week's link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/D3UOpyi9DRG27d3eAMyXCo

Volunteer to share your personal story on the Franciska Show - email: franciskakay@gmail.com

About Our Guest:

Chanale is a singer, songwriter, recording artist, and performer whose melodic and moving songs open the hearts and touch the spirits of women in communities all across the globe. Her powerful performances excite and inspire all-female crowds in places as far as China, South America, Alaska, Colombia, Australia, South Africa and Israel.

Her career began in 1999 when she was invited to sing for “Women in Song” ,a concert that featured performances from talented female musicians from all over the country. Her music reflects her strong Jewish heritage and embraces her contemporary musical taste. 
A powerful performer, Chanale charms her audience with her charisma, upbeat attitude and warm smile creating a unique bond with listeners. With 7 albums of her own, she is also the creator of the Bella Bracha series, and the composer of Parshatime from Toveedo. Her lyrics and melodies can be found on “Watching Over Me” by Michoel Pruzansky, “Sunshine-Levi Cohen”, “Gali’s Song” from The Brooklyn Girls Choir, “Mimmy & Simmy-The Musical”, and most recently “Orthodoxed”.

Chanale works with some of the top names in Jewish music and her interviews with music legends Yossi Green, Abie Rotenberg, and Country Yossi can be found on her Youtube channel. An ambassador for Nefesh B’Nefesh and DailyGiving, Chanale travels around Israel inspiring Aliyah and charity amongst her large social media following on Facebook and Instagram.

Whether behind the piano, guitar, or mixing desk, Chanale remains the leading voice in the Jewish female music scene following the release of B’siyata D’Shmaya, Crown of Creation and Yerushalayim that she performed with her all-female band. Her highly anticipated Kumzits concert and re-release of Shabbos Queen are all more feather’s in Chanale’s musical hat, one she wears proudly.

Chanale is also the host of the weekly squeeze podcast.

Follow Chanale: https://www.instagram.com/chanalemusic/

Listen to the Weekly Squeeze:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weekly-squeeze-with-chanale/id1614568206

The Podcast DIY Launch Course:

https://www.franciskakosman.com/courselaunch

If you'd like to book a consult session with Franciska, click here:  https://checkout.square.site/merchant/5BECR8D49NYV3/checkout/FVSNPB7HVW36LOYAR3L7SJMU

If you'd like to sponsor an episode, click here: https://checkout.square.site/merchant/5BECR8D49NYV3/checkout/6KYMG7OGFR4Y63C43RREZ5MV

Check out: www.JewishCoffeeHouse.com for more Jewish Podcasts on our network.

Email Franciska - franciskakay@gmail.com

Join The Whatsapp Discssion Group:

This week's link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/D3UOpyi9DRG27d3eAMyXCo

Volunteer to share your personal story on the Franciska Show - email: franciskakay@gmail.com

About Our Guest:

Bracha Kurtzer Gross made Aliyah as a teenager, jumped into Israeli high school, served as a Bat Sheirut at Nefesh B'Nefesh and met her husband while studying in university in Israel. She has her BA in Political Science from Reichman University (IDC) and her MA in Diplomacy from Haifa University. She now lives with her husband and children in Canada, where she runs Balabustë, an organization designed to empower women through Judaism and femininity.

Follow Bracha on IG: https://www.instagram.com/balabuste_official/

The Podcast DIY Launch Course:

https://www.franciskakosman.com/courselaunch

If you'd like to book a consult session with Franciska, click here:  https://checkout.square.site/merchant/5BECR8D49NYV3/checkout/FVSNPB7HVW36LOYAR3L7SJMU

If you'd like to sponsor an episode, click here: https://checkout.square.site/merchant/5BECR8D49NYV3/checkout/6KYMG7OGFR4Y63C43RREZ5MV

Check out: www.JewishCoffeeHouse.com for more Jewish Podcasts on our network.

Email Franciska - franciskakay@gmail.com

This week we sat down with Hannah Weis. Hannah is a London-born songwriter, who settled in the Tamar neighborhood with her husband Dovi and 3 mini-humans.  (You can sneak a peek of them all dancing around in this lyric video! https://youtu.be/ATYFKMC6yfA). It was great to hear from Hannah on  how she and her family finally found a home and got settled here in Efrat after living in Jerusalem for a period of time. 

We chat about:

•  Her journey making Aliyah solo at 18
• Creative living
• Efratian clouds
• finding fulfillment as a mommy creative
• Finding her Nirvana here in Efrat.

Talented young Oud player and singer Aliya Cycon joins the podcast. She was born and raised in America, but her music suggests otherwise. Singing in Arabic, Spanish and English, while showing off her exciting and virtuosic Oud playing, Aliya shares her curiosity for the world through her original compositions and multi-cultural covers. She has performed at the Nobel Business For Peace Awards in Oslo, and toured internationally as a “Cultural Ambassador” for the US State Department, selling out a 1,000-seat amphitheater in Amman, and performing in three Tunisian summer music festivals. Notable collaborations include Jordanian music stars Tareq Jundi, Nasser Salameh and Yarub Smirat. Tunisian icon Zied Gharsa, and LA-based pop singer Naïka. Aliya is sponsored by Godin Guitars, La Bella Strings, and Avid Technology. Check out her new Spain-based project, Aliya and the New Andalus.

Topics include:

• Aliya is originally Polish, and grew up with piano, which was her first love, and she applied to start in jazz at Berklee and was accepted
• She went on a trip to Palestine with her father, and this left an impression on her - her father runs a coffee company with grassroots activities to assist and support underdeveloped communities
• This introduced her to Arab style music, and she was enamored with the style and the oud especially, which was her first stringed instrument
• This was her first experience with heterophonic performance and monophonic melodies
• She embarked on a journey from jazz piano into Arab music on the oud which involved the study of makam, taqsim, etc.
• Studied at Alwan for the Arts in Manhattan for an introduction to Arab music, which had just started to offer Arab music courses
• Interesting story of Aliya's first experience with Rast (Arab mode similar to the major scale, but with particular quarter tones and rules of interpretation)
• Came into contact with great records through her dance background, including Simon Shaheen's Turath and Ziad Rahbani's Ana Mush Kafr
• Ziad Rahbani is one of her main influences, which was her main entry point into Arab music, and Shaheen's compositions and tone as well, and Sharbell Rouhana (Lebanes oudplayer) and Marcel Khalifa
• The Arabic Music Retreat played a big role in her musical development (week-long music conference in Western Massachusetts at Mt. Holyoke College)
• Oud with vocals in the troubadour style embodied her art as far as how she progressed, and this was based in part due to certain artists she found inspirational
• Not a purist, she listens to various styles of music and different artists
• She is currently in Spain, and not surrounded by Arab taksim style music as much anymore, some more Spanish influences in her current environment
• The oud is a part of her brand, as a female artist
• Aliya also has some travel tips for oud players for soft-case and hard-case pros/cons
• She started with instrumental ideas in jazz fusion for oud, not as much with vocals, but this progressed over time - a binary question she faced as an American interested in Arab Jazz fusion
• Tigran Hamasyan was an influence, as an Armenian jazz pianist
• Spent some time working on her arranging skills with her second album and orchestration, and even explored cinematic composition styles
• She incorporated a second oud player for a time while she worked on her oud playing skills, and started to showcase her own oud playing
• Eventually, she added some Spanish and French vocals and imbued her songs with more of a Mediterranean hue, and geared toward playing for audiences that can enjoy her performance, using some flamenco influence as well
• She uses La Bella strings, and was able to spec her own strings, and received a Godin oud for her graduation gift from Berklee College of Music from her parents
• Godin reached out to her and asked her to perform at NAMM, and endorsed her, and now she has two Godin ouds
• Najib Shaheen restored her Syrian oud and she uses this for recording at times for her Prayer album, and she also uses her John Vergara oud for both live and recording and is on her Aliya and the Andalus album
• Her favorite oud is made by Abu Alaa, the Palestinian oud luthier - this oud provide a deep voice and was used on her song "Jasmine"
• Aliya conducted a tour in Kuwait in April 2019, and used her electric oud, but received help with finding an acoustic oud from a network of local oud players
• Aliya uses a Syrian tuning (Syrian oud tuning C-F-A-D-G-C), and discusses her experience with another high F string, and how this is more characteristic of Iraqi Ouds (Nasir Shamma, etc.)
• She is currently living in Valencia, Spain finishing her Masters degree and active with shows, songs, and videos, where she became inspired by Andalusian music and culture and exploring flamenco and fusion style with Arab music
• Aliya began studying and jamming with Pedro Navarro for flamenco guitar but notes some challenges arise with different keys when guitars and ouds work together
• Her time in Tunisia broadened her horizons with respect to understanding Andalusian and Ottoman influences amalgamated with North African motifs
• Over time she wanted to feature her oud and vocals more given feedback from listeners
• Aliya put a group together without a guitar to allow the oud to be more prominent, so the bass takes on a lot of responsibility with harmonic support (Miquel Alvarez), rounded out with a Balkan Gypsy trumpeter from Slovenia (Timote Kotnik) and a flamenco percussionist she knew from Berklee (Sergio Martinez)
• Aliya used harmony instead of heterophony in her style, and uses arpeggios for voices instead of full chord strumming on the oud, and how the different styles of her band members are compatible
• With live performance being so enjoyable, she made videos for her tracks to embody that spirit and as a marketing tool and brand building approach
• If she could only do one concert with any artist in history, Aliya would want to perform with Yanni
• Her playlist features some guilty pressures as Kenji Jiraq and a trio of Yemeni sisters called Aiwa with electro-pop and visuals, and Vicente Amigo as the "new Paco"
• Listeners can find Aliya on Spotify, CD Baby, and most streaming services by searching for "Aliya Cycon Project", and this will allow the listener to find all her albums including her new EP "Aliya and the New Andalus"
• Aliya is also on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook (search for "Aliya Cycon Music")
• Check out Aliya's new EP "Aliya and the New Andalus"

David Reed, W5SV, began his ham radio story in Mexico at the age of 6, and was undoubtedly one of Mexico’s youngest hams at age 7.  W5SV has a rich and interesting story that includes stints in electronics technology, advanced education, as a US Marine Corps pilot, and as homicide detective. The twists and turns in this story makes this QSO Today an interesting ride.

“The Toltecs believe that every human is an artist, and the art we create is our lives.” —Don Miguel Ruiz

Today’s guest uses practical examples and guides us through conceptual, transpersonal art experiments to demonstrate how we can use the power of art to access our inner child, express our buried emotions, and use any form of art as a catalyst to transform our lives.

Pure creativity is an activity that has no predefined destination or purpose, while applied creativity is an activity that always has a goal or application in mind.

Pure creativity can be seen as a kind of play, while applied creativity is usually seen as work.

We welcome creative consultant and coach with a stellar list of clients from IBM to American Express and the author of multiple titles including the focus of today’s show “Parallel Mind, The Art of Creativity: The missing manual for your right brain”, Aliyah Marr.

We talk:

• Creativity
• Left and Right Brain
• Open Focus
• The Inner Child
• The benefit of Limitation
• Limiting Beliefs
• Internal Dialogues
• Overcoming Fear

More about Aliyah here:

https://www.parallelmindzz.com/

In this, the 200th edition of the QSO Today podcast, the QSO Today is with Eric Guth, 4Z1UG, creator of the QSO Today Podcast as the guest and  is hosted by Jim Wilson, K5ND. In this interview, Eric tells his ham radio story, about his early exposure to electronics,his elmers, and how his amateur radio interest evolved to the QSO Today podcast. Eric answers listener questions at the end of the interview with Jim.

How to Manage a Multicurrency Lifestyle

Overseas retires and expat need to use multi-currency strategies to save money, reduce fraud risk, and optimize overseas investing.

Can Bonds Increase Income from Your Investment Portfolio?

By Douglas Goldstein, CFP® - helping olim handle U.S., IRA, investment, and brokerage accounts from Israel

A retired widow met with me last week to discuss how to increase income from her investment portfolio. I reviewed her account and made some suggestions for restructuring her investments to get predictable income. We spoke a lot about bonds. Here’s why:

Bonds pay a set amount on a fixed schedule, so if you are looking for predictable income, bonds may work for you. A bond’s interest rate is often commensurate with the level of risk; if you buy a “high-yield bond” (or “junk bond”) you get a higher interest rate than if you buy a high-quality bond. A well-designed portfolio incorporates different types of bonds in order to diversify risk and maximize returns, and it reflects the risk tolerance of the client.

Build a bond ladder

Another way to diversify risk while creating a predictable income stream is to use a technique called “bond laddering.” This means you buy a series of bonds with successive maturities, such as one, two, three, four, and five years. When the first bond matures at the end of the first year, you reinvest the principal in a new five-year bond at the prevailing interest rate. The following year, when the next issues matures, you do the same thing. This way, you have ongoing and dependable returns. You can customize the rungs of your ladder (i.e., the amounts of money you wish to invest), the height (meaning the longer and shorter term investments), and materials (types of bonds, like corporate or government bonds) to suit your own personal needs and risk tolerance. Bonds do have risks, so be sure to speak to your financial advisor, or get in touch with my office, to determine which specific bonds may be right for you.

Two videos on bond ladders

Watch two short videos about creating a bond ladder at: www.Profile-Financial.com/bond-ladder. If you have investments in the United States or are interested in receiving dependable income from your portfolio, call my office (02-624-2788).

Douglas Goldstein, CFP®, is the director of Profile Investment Services, Ltd. www.profile-financial.com. He is a licensed financial professional both in the U.S. and Israel. Call (02) 624-2788 for a consultation about handling your U.S. investments from Israel. Securities offered through Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC, MSRB, FSI. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not those of Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. or its affiliates.