Israel Beat Jewish Music Podcast

14/02/2024

PODCAST: Many recited blessings when they voted for the first time in an independent, democratic Jewish State in 1949. Hear memories of the exciting days of Israel’s first elections amid war and learn about the colorful candidates including Rachel Cohen-Kagan of WIZO, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Amin-Salim Jarjora, the Christan-Arab mayor of Nazareth, former militant Lechi fighter Nathan Yellin-Mor, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Maimon who was arrested by the British for Zionism, Zecharia Glosca of the Association of Yemenis in Israel and a moving memoir by Rabbi Moshe Yekutiel Alpert who wore his Shabbat best to the polling booth.

A moving account of Israel’s first democratic elections amid the War of Independence and the colorful candidates who led the Jewish State’s early years.

08/02/2024

PODCAST: Jerusalem’s Sacher Park attracts picnic-goers, athletes, and families but back in 1967 it was the planned site of a cemetery for the projected mass casualties of the invading Arab armies. But Israel’s lighting victory in the Six Day War meant a large cemetery was not necessary. Learn about Harry Sacher, the Zionist philanthropist for whom the site is named who helped draft the Balfour Declaration which declared Palestine as a Jewish homeland. Also learn about the little-known cemetery from 1948, created when the Jordanians occupied the Mount of Olives. Today, people still visit the grave of the great Hasidic leader Rabbi Gedalia Moshe Goldman, the Zvhiller Rebbe, who once sacrificed his freedom for a fellow Jew in a Soviet prison.

Today Jerusalem’s Sacher Park is a fun place to play sports but had Israel lost the Six Day War, it was planned to be used to bury the victims.

01/02/2024

https://benbresky.substack.com/p/moroccan-aliyah-struggles-and-triumph

David Littman never knew his job helping Jewish children in Morocco was part of a secret illegal immigration mission called Operation Mural. He was one of the many who risked their lives helping Jews leave move to Israel after the Moroccan government banned aliyah. Another hero is Yehudit Yehezkeli Galili, a member of the Misgeret, a Jewish underground that ran self defense units and helped Operation Yachin in which tens of thousands of Moroccan Jews escaped persecution for a better life in the holy land.

Learn about the 1948 Anti-Jewish riots in Oujda and Jerada, the Bloody Days of Fez, the sinking of the Egoz and the heroism of Sultan Mohammed V who stood up to the N***s.

The Jews of Morocco struggled to immigrate to Israel. Learn about Operation Yachin, the Misgeret underground, the secret operation to rescue children, the sinking of the Egoz and the lows and high of

24/01/2024

Tu Bishvat is the new year for the trees and Israel is a pioneer in creating sustainable agriculture and water management. Meet Simcha Blas who invented modern drip irrigation and built Israel’s first pipeline to the Negev. Learn about his rabbinical family from Europe and the struggle to revive the deforested and arid land through the Netafim company, born in Kibbutz Hatzerim, an agricultural community pioneered by the Tehran Children who escaped the Holocaust via Iran.

Learn how Israel made the desert bloom with drip irrigation, invented by Simcha Blass, a Jewish engineer who pioneered Israeli water systems.

17/01/2024

PODCAST: Biography of the Baba Sali, Mystical Moroccan Rabbi

The Kabbalistic Abuhatzeira family helped lead the Jewish community of Morocco during turbulent times and the journey to Israel. This week marks the 40th yahrzeit of the Baba Sali.

The Kabbalistic Abuhatzeira family helped lead the Jewish community of Morocco during turbulent times and the journey to Israel. This week marks the 40th yahrzeit of the Baba Sali.

11/01/2024

PODCAST: Operation Solomon, the massive airlift to rescue the Ethiopian Jewish community made history by bringing over 14,000 Jews to Israel. Learn about the tragedy of the trek through the Sudanese desert, the abrupt halt of Operation Moses and Jewish-Ethiopian community leaders who risked their lives to covertly arrange immigration of thousands to Israel amid famine and political turmoil such as Baruch Tegegne, Ferede Aklum and Yona Bogale.

Plus the little-known back-story of Ethiopian Jews and their yearning for the land of Israel which dates back to the 1800s with Abba Mahari and the Ashkenazic Jewish leaders who connected to their struggle such as Dr. Jacques Faitlovitch and Rabbi Azriel Hildesheimer.

In 1991 over 14,000 Ethiopian Jews flew to Israel in only 36 hours, the largest rescue operation of its kind.

04/01/2024

Learn about the history of the tzitzit fringes on the tallit and the search for the long-lost tekhelet blue color, the Radziner Rebbe who fought the N***s, and more.

Learn about the history of the tzitzit fringes on the tallit and the search for the long-lost tekhelet blue color. The Radziner Rebbe who fought the N***s, Rabbi Isaac Herzog, and more.

28/12/2023

PODCAST: IDF weapons expert U*iel Gal never wanted the gun named after him. But his invention went on to defend the country during the Sinai Campaign, Six Day War and beyond. Born in Germany, his family fled the Holocaust to a small kibbutz where young U*i developed an early interest in innovative weapons. Learn about his father, the noted Bauhaus artist Erich Glas who was forced from his job and home by the N***s, his brother the award-winning educator Michael Gal, and a side-note about the film Terminator 2.

IDF weapons expert U*i Gal never wanted the gun named after him. But his invention went on to defend the country during the Sinai Campaign, Six Day War and beyond.

21/12/2023

PODCAST: Asarah B'Tevet, the Tenth of the Hebrew month of Tevet is a Jewish fast day which marks the beginning of the siege on Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. But it also served as Holocaust memorial day before Yom HaShoah and was used to protest unfair treatment of Russian Jews during the Soviet era. Learn about the Chamber of the Holocaust on Mount Zion, Rabbi Mordechai Nurock who initiated Holocaust commemoration in Israel, and how this minor fast day had major implications for keeping memory alive.

The Tenth of Tevet was Israel's first Holocaust Memorial Day and was used by the Soviet Jewry movement.

12/12/2023

https://benbresky.substack.com/p/chanukah-during-world-war-ii In the 1940s, American Jewish soldiers lit the Chanukah candles with Holocaust survivors, Tel Aviv was ordered to hide their menorahs, and the annual torch relay marathon took place starting from the graves of the Maccabees in Modiin. Hear about Chanukah during World War II, during the fight against the British Mandate’s White Paper, and finally culminating with the first Chanukah in the newly established State of Israel in 1948.

In the 1940s, US soldiers lit candles with Holocaust survivors and Jewish troops were compared to Maccabees.

06/12/2023

Singer-songwriter Yitzchok Mayer Malik talks about his 20 years of performing at Israel Defense Forces army bases and compares today's conflict to the Second Lebanon War of 2006 during which he lost his friend Michael Levin. His Notes of Strength project helps boost the morale of Israeli soldiers. Hear stories about singing Jewish songs amid tanks, sirens, and hostage negotiations and getting lost on the Gaza border. https://benbresky.substack.com/p/israeli-musicians-inspire-idf-soldiers

30/11/2023

https://benbresky.substack.com/p/kindertransport-refugee-walter-bingham
PODCAST: Walter Bingham describes the Kindertransport reenactment, modern German attitudes to Jews post-Holocaust and his travel to Europe during the Israel-Gaza war.

Walter Bingham describes the Kindertransport reenactment, modern German attitudes to Jews post-Holocaust and his travel to Europe during the Israel-Gaza war.

22/11/2023

PODCAST: History of Krav Maga

Imi Lichtenfeld developed his self-defense method of Krav Maga fighting anti-Jewish gangs before escaping Europe during World War II and teaching martial art to the newly formed Israel Defense Force.

Listen now (5 mins) | Imi Lichtenfeld developed his self-defense method of Krav Maga fighting anti-Jewish gangs before escaping Europe during World War II and teaching martial art to the newly formed Israel Defense Force.

15/11/2023

A brief review of Jewish and Pro-Israel rallies in Washington DC including the Rabbis March in 1943, the Six Day War rally in 1967, Freedom Sunday for Soviet Jewry in 1987 and the National Rally in Solidarity With Israel in 2002 featuring rare sound bytes from Natan Sharansky, Elie Wiesel and more.

Listen now (8 mins) | An overview of Jewish rallies from the Holocaust to the Six Day War, Soviet Jewry and modern terrorism. Featuring rare sound bytes.

08/11/2023

Learn about the Merkava, the new AI-powered Barak, the secret missile carrier, the conquest of Gaza in 1956 & the men from the small Jewish State who built a powerful armored corps amid terrorism.
https://benbresky.substack.com/p/podcast-history-of-israel-tanks

01/11/2023

PODCAST: Times are tough for Israeli tour guides, but Rachel Lazar of Rachel Lazar Tours knows both the joys and challenges that come with showing people the ancient, historic sites in the land of the Bible. Listen to her interview about her favorite sites and the idiosyncrasies of touring Jerusalem.

Listen now (5 mins) | Interview with Israeli tour guide Rachel Lazar on her favorite sites and some unusual challenges when touring Jerusalem.

25/10/2023

https://benbresky.substack.com/p/podcast-history-of-magen-david-adom Listen now (6 mins) | The history of Magen David Adom, Israel’s first responder medics, from World War I, to the 1929 riots, until today. Learn about Dr. Meshulam Levontin, Dr. Moses Erlanger, Dr. Nancy Caroline and others. Magen David Adom American Friends of Magen David Adom

Listen now (6 mins) | The history of Magen David Adom, Israel’s first responder medics, from World War I, to the 1929 riots, until today. Learn about Dr. Meshulam Levontin, Dr. Moses Erlanger, Dr. Nancy Caroline and others

05/10/2023

https://benbresky.substack.com/p/audiobook-if-not-higher-by-i-l-peretz The classic story If Not Higher by the famous Yiddish writer I. L. Peretz about a Rebbe whose students believe he travels to heaven during Slichos prayers.

Listen now (8 mins) | The classic story If Not Higher by the famous Yiddish writer of the I. L. Peretz about a Rebbe whose students believe he travels to heaven during Slichos prayers.

27/09/2023

PODCAST: History of the Carlebach Moshav

Interview with Reb Yankala Shemesh on the founding of Moshav Mevo Modiim, home to Israel’s first health food outlet, granola and organic farming.

Before the city of Modi'in, amid the archeological ruins of the Maccabees, there was a small, idealistic community with one road, one phone line and one car that they shared. Also known as Moshav Meor Modiin, the students of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach paved the way.

Listen now (9 mins) | Interview with Reb Yankala Shemesh on the founding of Moshav Mevo Modiim, home to Israel’s first health food store, granola and organic farming.

14/09/2023

PODCAST: Blowing the shofar in the 1905 Russo-Japanese War, the unusual tashlich customs of the Kurdish Jews, and a touching hasidic Baal Shem Tov story to usher in the Jewish new year.

Listen now (12 mins) | Blowing the shofar in the 1905 Russo-Japanese War, the unusual tashlich customs of the Kurdish Jews, and a touching hasidic Baal Shem Tov story to usher in the Jewish new year.

07/09/2023

https://benbresky.substack.com/p/joshuas-alter-on-mount-ebal-and-prof

My latest podcast is about the time I climbed the Mount of Curses (Har Eval) and visited Joshua's Alter. Plus, the story of the man who discovered it, Prof. Adam Zertal, a kibbutznik who became an archeologist after recovering from an injury in the Yom Kippur War.

Listen now (6 mins) | A story about the time I climbed the Mount of Curses. Plus, the wounded kibbutznik who discovered the Biblical site and how he was convinced of its authenticity.

31/08/2023

https://benbresky.substack.com/p/history-of-jerusalems-first-train
History of Jerusalem's התחנה הראשונה ירושלים - The First Station Jerusalem, Silo Cafe & Woodstock

Interview from Jerusalem Woodstock with organizer Tracey Shipley Shipley from the historic Silo Cafe סילו קפה@. Plus how Yosef Navon got the train rolling in 1892 and Eliezer Ben-Yehuda's inspirational poem.

Listen now (10 mins) | Interview from Jerusalem Woodstock with organizer Tracey Shipley from the historic Silo Cafe. Plus how Yosef Navon got the train rolling in 1892 and Ben-Yehuda's inspiration poem.

24/08/2023

NEW PODCAST: I attended the Hutzot Hayotzer festival in Jerusalem were I saw hand-made arts, crafts, jewelry and clothing from Israel and around the world, plus food and music. This festival dates back to the late 1960s when Jerusalem was reunited. Back in the late 1890s, the area was home to the Jewish neighborhood of Jurat al-Anab which featured one of the first Berman’s Bakery flour mills. Also, learn about the history of the Sultan’s Pool.

Listen now (7 mins) | History of the Hutzot Hayotzer arts & crafts festival in Jerusalem, the Sultan's Pool and the lost Jewish neighborhood of Jurat al-Anab.

17/08/2023

https://benbresky.substack.com/p/music-festival-merges-history-and
The annual Aharit Hayamim Festival in Gush Etzion is organized by a family whose roots in the region go back to the pre-state days. Hear interviews from Grammy-nominated musicians Yossi Fine, Nachman Solomon of The solomon brothers האחים סולומון band, guitar wiz Lazer Lloyd, and new up-and-coming band Shlepping Nachas.

Listen now (20 mins) | Review of the Aharit Hayamim festival in Gush Etzion including interviews with Yossi Fine, Lazer Lloyd, Nachman Solomon, and Shlepping Nachas.

15/08/2023

https://www.jpost.com/must/article-754279
From flying defibrillators to biodegradable toilet paper, the young geniuses at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design are displaying their final projects to the public at the Bezalel Graduate Exhibition, from August 3-18, at the academy’s new campus in the historic Russian Compound area of Jerusalem.

Students at Jerusalem's Bezalel Academy of Art and Design's graduate exhibit show off their innovative final projects.

10/08/2023

NEW PODCAST: Meet the innovative graduate students from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design industrial design department. Plus, a brief history of the school, founded in 1906 by Boris Schatz. Designs include a flying defibrillator, biodegradable toilet paper, smart clothing for cancer survivors and more high tech artistic innovations.

Listen now (53 mins) | Interviews with students from Bezalel. Designs include a flying defibrillator, biodegradable toilet paper, smart clothing for cancer survivors and more high tech artistic innovations.

03/08/2023

World War I gave Zev Jabotinsky and Yosef Trumpeldor the opportunity to form a fledgling Jewish army. Hear audio from relatives of soldiers and a tribute to John Patterson, who helped train.

Listen now (12 min) | World War I gave Zev Jabotinsky and Yosef Trumpeldor the opportunity to form a fledgling Jewish army. Hear audio from relatives of soldiers and a tribute to John Patterson, who helped train.

20/07/2023

https://benbresky.substack.com/p/biography-of-zev-jabotinsky-rare
This podcast is a brief biography of the Zionist leader Zev Jabotinsky who helped start the Jewish Legion, the Betar youth movement, and was jailed by the British in the wake of the 1920 riots. Included is rare audio of Jabotinsky speaking in English and excerpts from a 1934 film in which he speaks in Yiddish about the importance of moving to Israel. Plus excerpts from an interview with his grandson, also named Zev Jabotinsky.

Listen now | Hear Zionist firebrand Zev Jabotinsky in his own words plus his grandson's reminiscences. A brief biography of the man who helped found the Jewish Legion, the Betar youth movement, and was jailed by the British in the wake of the 1920 riots. Included is rare audio of Jabotinsky speaking...

13/07/2023

https://benbresky.substack.com/p/tribute-to-rabbi-sholom-gold-and
PODCAST: Rest in Peace Rabbi Sholom Gold. A biography of an American-Jewish rabbi in Israel whose speeches and articles on Torah, Zionism and Aliyah have been ubiquitous in Israel’s English-speaking community for over 40 years. Plus, the history of the Orthodox Union and its founder Rabbi Henry Pereira Mendes, a Sephardic American leader who championed Zionism in its early years and composed melodies we still sing in synagogues today. These two rabbis, both affiliated with the OU, lived in different eras but shared the same passion for education and pro-Israel activism. Orthodox Union OU Israel

Listen now (12 min) | Rest in Peace Rabbi Sholom Gold. A biography of an American-Jewish rabbi in Israel. Plus, the founder of the Orthodox Union, Rabbi Henry Pereira Mendes, an early Zionist whose songs we still sing.

06/07/2023

Did the ancient Judeans drink beer? Find out as we journey to historic Gush Etzion for the Tekoa Beer Festival to meet festival goers.

Listen now (9 min) | Interviews at the exciting Tekoa Beer Festival featuring Israeli music & food. Did the ancient Judeans brew beer? This unique Gush Etzion town on the edge of the desert is rooted in the Bible.