Jewish National Fund Debuts New Podcast Series: “Israelcast”

New York, NY: May 11, 2017 - Jewish National Fund (JNF-USA) launches its first-ever podcast series, “IsraelCast,” to share firsthand accounts of fascinating work performed by interesting people throughout Israel. Each episode of this new bimonthly podcast will feature conversations and in-depth interviews with writers, CEOs, startup founders, culinary masterminds, activists, modern pioneers, and everyday Israelis shaping the various landscapes that make up the unique tapestry that is Israel.

New episodes of “IsraelCast” will be released every other Wednesday. Listeners can subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play—by simply searching for IsraelCast.

“There's so much going on in Israel, whether in the arts, technology, agriculture—you name it,” says “IsraelCast” host Steven Shalowitz. “On IsraelCast, our objective is to share all this dynamic work and the inspiring people making it all happen with the wider world.”

The first four episodes of “IsraelCast” are now live featuring:

• Episode #1: An introduction to “IsraelCast” by host Steven Shalowitz.
• Episode #2: Jewish National Fund CEO Russell F. Robinson shares his thoughts on Israel’s relevance in the world today, the drive and spirit of its people, as well as JNF’s Blueprint Negev and Go North initiatives.
• Episode #3: An interview with Yedidya Harush, who currently serves as the community representative for Israeli residents living on the border with Egypt in an area called Halutza, established after Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005. Yedidya updates listeners on the exciting developments taking place there and why he’s particularly excited about the Negev.
• Episode #4: A conversation with spice master Lior Lev Sercarz, owner of La Boîte, a biscuits and spice shop in New York City, and the go-to source for specialty spice blends for some of the best restaurants, bars, and chefs across the country including Le Bernardin, Chef Michael Solomonov, and PDT, among others. Lior shares his plans for a Culinary Institute in the Galilee, where he was born and raised, and talks about Israel as a food lover’s paradise.

Future “IsraelCast” podcast guests include:

• Alon Ben-Gurion, the grandson of Israel’s Founding Father and First Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion.
• Hadas Goldman, an actress, social activist and the Co-Founder and Current CEO of the "Tarbut Movement," an Israeli organization that brings artists from different disciplines to live and work in low-income cities throughout Israel.
• Arsen Ostrovsky, a leading international lawyer, diplomat, writer, pro-Israel activist, and the Executive Director of The Israeli-Jewish Congress.

“We are thrilled to introduce you to the stories that make up the fabric of what Jewish National Fund does every day on the ground in Israel,” says JNF-USA CEO Russell F. Robinson. “Every episode of IsraelCast will tell the narrative of someone whose life has been made better by our work, and we want you to be as inspired by them as we are.”

To listen to the “IsraelCast” online, please visit: jnf.org/israelcast.