The Wandering Jew

Rebecca Kerzner
  • 5.0 (7)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT

The Wandering Jew is a podcast about Aliyah, spirituality, mental health, and being your best self. Featuring interesting people that will help capture a glimpse of what life is like in Israel right now.

  1. 08/14/2025

    Racheli White: Summer Bucket Lists and Big Life Shifts

    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

    44 min

  2. 04/10/2025

    Alex Porcelain: Would We Even Be Friends in America?

    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

    47 min

  3. 03/26/2025

    Shira Sa'ar: Handling Nuance During Wartime

    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

    43 min

  4. 03/12/2025

    Abby Yucht: Poetry, Aliyah & the Messy Beauty of Israel

    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

    48 min

  5. 02/26/2025

    Jude Bronstein: Disability Advocacy, Mental Health & Owning the Struggle

    In this episode, I chat with Jude Bronstein, a disability advocate and fellow olah. We discuss what their life is like dealing with having cerebral palsy, how to be a disabilities advocate and owning your struggles without pushing yourself too hard. Jude shares how to learn to accept your different states of mind rather than resist them. I hope you appreciate this real, down-to-earth and honest episode.  Follow Jude’s work at disabledreamer.com or on Instagram @disabledreamer. (0:00-4:00) - Jude is a long time podcast listener! (4:00-15:00) - Cerebral Palsy and writing as a coping mechanism (15:00-26:51) - Being a disability advocate (26:51-35:00) - How to build a positive mindset during difficult times (35:00-38:00) - IFS theories (38:00-end) - Advice for getting through hard times

    45 min

  6. 02/13/2025

    Ryan Galer: Starting Over Jewishly

    In true “wandering Jew” fashion, in this episode I chat with fellow Jerusalemite, film-maker, artist, writer, and now future Jewish educator! From Paris to Estonia to Jerusalem, Ryan has really explored himself in a variety of facets. From teaching himself yiddish to being a French boujee film maker to making all kinds of art, he leaves no stone unturned. We talk about the importance of going out of your comfort zone and not limiting yourself to being one type of Jew. I hope you enjoy this artsy and whimsical episode. (0:00-7:38) - Ryan’s windy journey from Paris to Estonia to Jerusalem! (7:38-10:21) - Jewish upbringing and being a patrilineal Jew (10:21 -16:15) - Writing Yiddish in the snow (16:15-21:00) - Ryan’s awakening in Jerusalem + Rebecca’s final college art project (21:00 -27:00) - Adjusting to Jerusalem life  (27:00-32:20) - Jewish expression can change and grow  (32:20 - 40:00) - Tennis metaphor (40:00 -end) - Final lessons and breakthroughs

    47 min

  7. 01/30/2025

    Emma: When Your Roommate is an Anti-Zionist

    In this episode, I chat with my roommate Emma, who lived with me for the past 10 months for research abroad in pursuing her Phd. Emma and I come from very different backgrounds in our zionism, and we really got into some hard-hitting questions about terrorism, colonialism, and the establishment of Israel. Though there were moments we disagreed, I felt grateful for our cordial and cathartic conversation. My goal was to share my belief in the importance of open dialogue and creating space for different perspectives. (0:00-5:30)- About the PHD and wartime in Israel (5:30-9:30) - Emma’s upbringing  (9:30-13:55) - Being complicit in your country’s crimes  (13:55-20:10) - How is Israel supposed to combat terrorism? What is terrorism? (20:10-27:25) - Is Israel placed on a higher moral ground than other places and is it antisemitism? (27:25-35:22) - The founding of Israel and settler colonialism (35:22-43:10) - Rebecca’s reflections on her journey in Aliyah and Zionism (43:10-end) - Emma’s last thought on anti-Zionism and progressive values

    47 min

  8. 01/13/2025

    The Pod is Back! NYC, Grapes, and Believing in Yourself

    Welcome to a brand new season of The Wandering Jew! In this episode, I chat about where I’ve been, what the new podcast will be about, stories from my recent trip in New York visiting family and friends, eating grapes on new years with a group of strangers, and a little pep-talk about believing in yourself. I hope you enjoy this light introduction episode.  Baby we’re back!  (0:00-3:29) - How the new pod will be different from That’s So Kvetch! (3:329-10:43) - What I’ve been up to and NYC nostalgia (10:43-13:22) - Spanish grapes superstition on New Years (13:22-23:35) - Confidence tips from career coach, and strategies to believe in yourself (23:25-end) -  Making space for new dreams final blessing + explanation of the wandering jew

    28 min
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About

The Wandering Jew is a podcast about Aliyah, spirituality, mental health, and being your best self. Featuring interesting people that will help capture a glimpse of what life is like in Israel right now.

Information

  • Creator
    Rebecca Kerzner
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Rebecca Kerzner
  • Show Website
    The Wandering Jew