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Wartime Diaries

Everything in this corner of the world changed on Saturday, October 7, 2023.

All around us, friends, family, colleagues, people have died. People are missing. People have been kidnapped. There’s a lot of uncertainty and we’re all involved in dozens of initiatives but we’re also going to bring you some voices and testimonies that try to paint a picture of these devastating times.

    • Short Episode
    • 25:05
    • 2023

    Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin

    Many of you have probably heard, or read about, Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, the parents of 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin,...
    • Short Episode
    • 24:41
    • 2023

    Elliot Cosgrove and Mishy Harman

    Last week, our host Mishy Harman was interviewed by Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove for the Park Avenue Synagogue Podcast. And as...
    • Short Episode
    • 17:19
    • 2023

    Doron Krakow

    This war is a humbling experience for us all. People — no matter who they are or what they normally...
    • Short Episode
    • 16:11
    • 2023

    Hagit Maoz

    Almost immediately after the start of the attack of October 7th, as rockets were being launched at Jerusalem, and sirens...
    • Short Episode
    • 19:02
    • 2023

    Datya Itzhaki

    In the summer of 2005, the government of Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza. The roughly 8,000 residents of the 21...
    • Short Episode
    • 14:50
    • 2023

    Hai Ashkenazi

    53-year-old Hai Ashkenazi from Tel Aviv is an archeologist, but never imagined he would find himself excavating a 21st-century Kibbutz....
    • Short Episode
    • 15:41
    • 2023

    Ronit Farm

    Normally Chavat Ronit – or Ronit Farm – is a high-end event venue north of Herzliya. Ra’anan Arizon’s seventy dunams...
    • Short Episode
    • 18:47
    • 2023

    Chaya Gilboa

    Chaya Gilboa is a Talmud teacher, an activist, a flaming redhead, and was – for the last three years –...
    • Short Episode
    • 16:20
    • 2023

    Faiz Abu Sabehan

    Over the last five weeks we’ve spoken to many families of hostages. That’s how we met Faiz Abu Sabehan, whose...
    • Short Episode
    • 20:57
    • 2023

    Mishka Ben-David

    Mishka Ben-David might seem – at first – like a harmless and cuddly grandpa, but the truth is that he’s...
    • Short Episode
    • 9:55
    • 2023

    Agi Mishol

    77-year-old Agi Mishol is one of Israel’s most prominent, beloved and widely-read poets. Over the years she’s won practically every...
    • Short Episode
    • 23:41
    • 2023

    Sahar Vardi

    Israel is in the midst of a brutal war it didn’t want and didn’t initiate. And here at Israel Story...
    • Short Episode
    • 14:58
    • 2023

    Louish Rijal

    Among the thousands of people who had the terrible misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time...
    • Short Episode
    • 19:23
    • 2023

    Angela Buchdahl and Shlomo Nisanov

    The nature of the attacks on October 7th, together with certain subsequent reactions around the world, have blurred the lines...
    • Short Episode
    • 16:22
    • 2023

    Gidon Lev

    There’s a lot of Holocaust rhetoric in the air. ‘Never Again’ slogans have resurfaced, Netanyahu has said – on several...
    • Short Episode
    • 7:21
    • 2023

    Noga Friedman

    45-year-old Ido Rosenthal from Moshav Ben Shemen served in an elite commando unit and was killed on the first day...
    • Short Episode
    • 16:11
    • 2023

    Matti Friedman

    The war caught everyone by surprise, of course, and since it broke out at the tail end of the chagim,...
    • Short Episode
    • 13:03
    • 2023

    Alon Shalev

    Many people sprung into action since October 7th. And yet, at the very same time, many Israelis feel… lost. Not...
    • Short Episode
    • 11:55
    • 2023

    Tomer Oshri

    During normal times Tomer Oshri – a 48-year-old history teacher from Jerusalem – works at JDC-Israel and runs an educational...
    • Short Episode
    • 17:58
    • 2023

    Adva Gutman Tirosh

    Even today, nearly three weeks after the devastating attacks of October 7th, there are still hundreds of people who are...
    • Short Episode
    • 10:37
    • 2023

    Raz Newman

    Israel has, of course, branded itself as the Start-Up Nation. And in many ways, Raz Newman is the classic Israeli...
    • Short Episode
    • 19:49
    • 2023

    Sivan Avnery

    For months Sivan Avnery – a physical therapist from Kfar Shmaryahu – was active in the demonstrations against the judicial...
    • Short Episode
    • 14:52
    • 2023

    David Broza

    There’s a long tradition of musicians and entertainers performing on the frontlines during times of war. And, indeed, almost immediately,...
    • Short Episode
    • 17:35
    • 2023

    Yarnin Peled

    Wars are often told through numbers – of the dead, the wounded, the missing, the misplaced. But behind each one...
    • Short Episode
    • 14:51
    • 2023

    Mor Maisel

    This war has forced many people to reevaluate their identities and political sensibilities—not an easy task during these shocking and...
    • Short Episode
    • 16:24
    • 2023

    Hedai Offaim

    During this dark time, Israeli civil society has risen to the occasion. Hedai Offaim – a chef, farmer and social...
    • Short Episode
    • 12:21
    • 2023

    Ofer Tamir

    After the entire team of Kibbutz Kissufim’s dairy farm was murdered, Ofer Tamir from Nahalal rushed down south to rescue...
    • Short Episode
    • 11:58
    • 2023

    The Eulogy for Roi Rotberg

    In 1956, Moshe Dayan – then the IDF’s Chief of Staff – delivered a eulogy for a fallen member of...
    • Short Episode
    • 12:35
    • 2023

    Katherine Leff

    Despite everything, life continues amid the horror. For Katherine Leff, this meant going ahead with the day she’d been dreaming...
    • Short Episode
    • 13:16
    • 2023

    Itai Kramer

    At age 50, Itai Kramer is no longer obligated to serve in the reserve forces, yet he volunteered anyway. Itai...
    • Short Episode
    • 14:17
    • 2023

    Ariel Markose

    Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been called up to reserve duty. But what about the families they leave behind?...
    • Short Episode
    • 13:31
    • 2023

    Sasha Ariev

    Everything in this corner of the world has changed since Saturday, October 7. All around us, friends, family, colleagues, people...

Additional Stories

We are obviously not the only ones doing this kind of work.
Check out some other wonderful projects collecting wartime stories and testimonies:

Wartime Voices

October7.org

Survived to Tell