The Wandering Jew

Hey everyone, welcome back to The Wandering Jew! Fellow creatives, this episode is for you. After a hiatus, I am excited to return to this platform so that I can share more about my journey to building up my illustration career. I start with talking about the war going on in Israel and segued into 5 things I’ve learned so far in this journey, from how to stay structured, dealing with discomfort, lack of certainty and believing in myself. It’s a rocky journey, but it has been interesting, fruitful, and fun too! I end with talking about how my spiritual connection to God has developed during this war and finding meaning during difficult times. I hope you enjoy this episode.(0:00 -3:40): Intro and a brief history of the podcast (3:40-(8:48): War life in Israel and resilience(8:48-13:40): Why I’ve decided try to become a freelancer(13:40-27:40): 5 things I’ve learned so far(27:40-end): Leaning into religion during war time and blessing

Recorded back in May before the war with Iran**In this episode, I chat with my dear friend Racheli about self-growth. We start off talking about how she grew into herself, how we became friends, and comparing the version she was to the person she is now. We get into moving to Israel during corona times, transitioning from her introvert era to her adventurous era, and babbling about summer plans, sewing mitpachats, diabetes summaries, and all the unique Racheli things that make her who she is. We talk summer bucket lists, the challenge of letting go of control, making meaning out of ritual and what brings joy even if you don’t love the source of the tradition. There’s a political tangent about what it feels like to live through conflict and how we each deal with it in our own way.(0:00 – 6:52) Intro and chit chat(6:52 – 12:00) What did Racheli learn about herself before she moved?(12:00 – 16:30) Summer plans babble(16:30 – 30:00) Reflections on living through a war in Israel(36:00 – end) Growth in her 20s and making meaning out of rituals

Future Olim - this one’s for you. In this episode, I sit down with one of my oldest friends in Israel, Alex Porcelain, to talk about what it’s really like to move here and start over. We cover everything from navigating grocery stores, Hebrew mistakes, navigating bureaucracy, and that moment when Israel starts to feel like home. We both reflect on how you don’t need to change who you are to live here, you just need to try. We talk about belonging, missing home, friends who are thinking about making Aliyah, and why we wish more people would take the leap. It’s not impossible. Eventually, you just… live here. We end with some hot takes and a little Porcedawg TikTok magic, of course.(0:00–3:38) – Intro(3:38–12:40) – The early stages of Aliyah: excitement, confusion, and first impressions(12:40–16:11) – Feeling Israeli and the journey of learning Hebrew(16:11–26:00) – Honest advice for acclimating to Israeli life(26:00–32:00) – Bureaucracy, more Hebrew, and learning to navigate the system(32:00–40:00) – Being far from home and watching friends make the leap(40:00–end) – Alex's TikTok journey

In this episode, I chat with my coworker and first Israeli guest on the podcast, Shira Sa’ar! We talk about identity, culture, and the realities of life in Israel. We discuss the different Jewish subcultures in Israel, from Mizrahi to Ashkenazi, and compare them to Jewish communities in the U.S. Then we get into Shira's perspective on political correctness, stereotypes, and why Israeli discourse often leaves little room for complexity. Then, we finish off with a fun game comparing Israeli and American words and Yiddish slang! 0:00 - 7:22 | Shira’s army service and upbringing 8:40 - 14:22 | Jewish subcultures in America vs. Israel 14:22 - 20:00 | Stereotypes, racism, and social divisions in Israel 20:00 - 25:30 | The role of nuance and complexity in Israeli discourse 25:30 - 32:39 | Dating norms, meeting the parents, and cultural expectations 32:39 - End | Israeli vs. American slang + Yiddish quiz

In this episode, I chat with Abby Yucht—fellow immigrant, poet, and case manager with a masters in social work. We dive into the question: Do artists have to be dramatic, or does drama just come with the territory? We explore the role of art in life’s chaos, creating street poems, and what it means to be an artist during difficult times.Our conversation weaves together a full  world—bouncing between getting poetry published, the magic of Jerusalem, and the ever-evolving experience of Aliyah. We dive into reverse culture shock, and how place shapes personality, while laughing about cultural differences, and using our American-ness for good.(0:00) – Intro(4:50 - 9:54) – Abby’s creative journey: from a cappella to poetry(9:54 - 17:40) – What does it mean to be an artist? + Poetry talk(17:30 - 20:00) – Art after October 7th(20:00 - 30:06) – Publishing poetry + Abby shares “Jerusalem Scenes” poem(30:06 - 39:48) – How Aliyah changed Abby’s perspective(40:00 - end) – Advice to her younger self