Jay Schultz made Aliyah in 2006 on a one-way ticket — not out of fear, but out of choice. In this episode, Jay explains why life in Tel Aviv offers something Jews can’t find anywhere else, why Aliyah can be a “selfish” decision in the best sense, and how the city has transformed into a global hub of young Jewish life.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Jay explains why his Aliyah was, in his words, “selfish” — a decision rooted not in ideology alone, but in quality of life, human connection, and the lived experience of being Jewish in Israel. He contrasts the quantity of life available in cities like New York or London with the quality of Jewish life found in Tel Aviv, arguing that some things simply can’t be purchased elsewhere.

Jay reflects on the transformation of Tel Aviv over the past two decades — from a provincial city with almost no English-speaking olim into a global hub of young Jewish life. He shares why Tel Aviv, despite its secular reputation, may be one of the most Jewish places on earth, and why Western Aliyah has fundamentally reshaped the city.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Am Yisroel Foundation - https://www.amyisraelfoundation.org/jaymshultz
• Jaffa (Yafo) – https://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/Residents/Yafo
• Nefesh B’Nefesh – https://www.nbn.org.il/
• Hebrew University of Jerusalem – https://www.huji.ac.il/
• Albright Institute of Archaeological Research – https://www.aiar.org/
• Israel Antiquities Authority – https://www.antiquities.org.il/
• Birthright Israel – https://www.birthrightisrael.com/

Produced by Dellet Studios for Lightboat Media

Social Media Coordinator: Tehilah Simantov

Edited and Mixed by: Yazek Shrem

www.lightboat.media

IG: @aliyah_stories

© Lightboat Media Ltd.

Meet Aleeza Chanowitz — a Brooklyn native who made Aliyah at 21 with no clear plan and ended up creating, writing, and starring in her own Israeli TV comedy. In this episode, Aleeza shares her journey from film school in Jerusalem to prime-time television, navigating Israel’s entertainment industry as an American oleh.

She talks candidly about creativity, chutzpah, motherhood, building a life between religious and secular worlds, and what it really takes to make something in Israel without a roadmap.

Mentioned in this episode:

TLVFest (Tel Aviv LGBTQ Film Festival) – https://tlvfest.com/

HOT (Israeli TV Network) – https://www.hot.net.il/
Bar-Ilan University – https://www.biu.ac.il/

Sam Spiegel Film & Television School – https://www.jerusalemsamspiegel.com/
Henry Winkler – https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001857/
Dismissed (Israeli TV Series) – https://www.hot.net.il/heb/tv/channels/hot3/
Bad Boy (Israeli TV Series) – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28541298/
Par Derrière (Wine Bar, Tel Aviv) – https://www.instagram.com/parderierre/

Produced by Dellet Studios for Lightboat Media

Social Media Coordinator: Tehilah Simantov

Edited and Mixed by: Yazek Shrem

www.lightboat.media

IG: @aliyah_stories

© Lightboat Media Ltd.

Meet Rina Deutsch, a single mother of 5, a coach, teacher, and newly minted entrepreneur who traded Toronto for Jerusalem just weeks before the school year started.

In this powerful episode, Rina gets candid about:

• The Defining Moment: Why the events of October 7th made a decades-long dream a non-negotiable reality.
• Family Dynamics: How she navigated moving to Israel with three of her five children, leaving the two oldest behind.
• The Fast Pivot: Going from high school teacher to securing three jobs in Israel and pivoting into the world of marketing—a true testament to the Aliyah hustle.
• Community Surprise: The surprising lack of stigma around being a single, divorced mother in her new Jerusalem neighborhood.

Plus, tune in for a hilarious round of Israeli Mom Rapid Fire and learn the meaning of the essential slang word: "Gahg."

Production by Yazek Shrem

Social Media & Business Coordinator - Tehliah Simantov

Follow us on Instagram @aliyah_stories