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Send us Fan MailLooking ahead to what's next for the Runnin' Utes as Noam Yaacov is denied eligibility by the NCAA. Plus, a look at the full roster for the '26-'27 season and what the Big 12 said about teams adding former pros to their rosters. Runnin' Hoops Podcast 30% Off Exclusive Deal! – FlyFitTees - Promo code runninhoops
Meet Noam Tamir, CEO of TS Fitness in New York City!THE NUMBERS:First-Half Revenue: +18% vs. prior yearQ2: Highest-revenue quarter in company historyProfit Margin: ~22% (up ~21% vs. prior first half)Noam's Workload: ~30 solid hours/week (capacity available for expansion)KEY MOVES:- Right person, right seat. Filip moved into GM/coaching operations. Parker stepped into primary sales leadership. Both owned their domains instead of Noam managing everything.- Team to salary. Moved the full coaching staff from splits to salary. Commitment and continuity improved. Coaches added private training, mentorship, and sales work to their role.- Revenue diversification. High-ticket mentorship, peptide-support coaching, and private training revenue expanded significantly.Sales efficiency. Q2 generated more joins from fewer leads than Q1 — better conversion without higher volume.- Offer clarity. "3-for-$99 Spring Back Into Fitness" sold 39 programs with ~31% conversion — a simple, low-friction entry point that scaled.- Local over paid. Micro-influencers, founder-led social, community events, referrals, and joint ventures replaced reliance on paid acquisition as costs rose.LISTEN IN FOR:- How moving the team to salary actually protected margin while scaling headcount.- Why leadership seats matter more than individual heroics.- The real math behind "owner capacity" and location expansion.- Building a gym that works without you on the floor every day.Find TS Fitness here: https://tsfitnessnyc.comRegister for The Gold Medal Standard: https://bosretreat.com
In August 2001, Jewish delegates arrived at the UN World Conference Against Racism in Durban expecting to fight bigotry. Instead they walked into what Tom Lantos called the most sickening display of hatred for Jews since the Nazi period. Noam traces how Durban revived "Zionism is racism," seeded the modern BDS movement, and still shapes how the world sees Jews and Israel today, closing with Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and his question of whether the Jewish people are alone or simply apart. Follow Noam on Instagram: noamlweissman_ Check out our episodes on Youtube. This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. ------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Borderlines with That Semite Jewish History Nerds Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Wondering Jews
Starting Lineup: NCAA keeps doing NCAA things Don't overreact to week 1 What You May Have Missed
Hour 1 Starting Lineup: NCAA keeps doing NCAA things Don't overreact to week 1 What You May Have Missed Hour 2 Utes Insider Josh Furlong Weber State head coach Eric Kjar BYU LB Cade Uluave Hour 3 Utah OC Kevin McGiven More NFL to college football transfers Dolly Parton passes away Hour 4 Utah defensive coordinator Colton Swan Sports Roulette Final thoughts
This week we sit down with Toronto architect and developer Noam Hazan, the guy calling the "missing middle" the most alive part of Canadian real estate. After designing for global firms like Foster + Partners and Richard Meier, Noam now helps regular people turn single lots into fourplexes, sixplexes, and garden suites. We get into his own project, the numbers behind MLI Select and the HST rebate, the rise of the "citizen developer," and how to actually make these deals pencil. TORONTO MULTIPLEX EVENT Try it NordVPN risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Use our code "realestate" to get 4 extras months from a 2 years plan Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) | BMO Global Asset Management LISTEN AD FREESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As threats to Jews spike around the globe, there's a part of the world with a brighter outlook--and it's not where you'd expect. This week, Noam and Mijal are joined by Jason Isaacson, the Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer for the American Jewish Committee. Jason has been working tirelessly to normalize relations between Israel and other Middle Eastern countries for decades. He sees plenty of challenges ahead, but plenty of hope as well. Learn more about AJC at ajc.org Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. Follow @wonderingjews on Instagram, and watch and subscribe on YouTube. ------------ This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. Subscribe to the Unpacked newsletter: https://unpacked.bio/22f7b4 For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Borderlines with That Semite Jewish History Nerds Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History
Noam Dworman and Periel Aschenbrand sit down expecting to interview Evan Barker—but when she doesn't arrive, they discuss Tucker Carlson, Daryl Cooper, antisemitism, Germany, immigration, media and why Evan Barker never made it. Chapters 00:00 Waiting for Evan Barker 02:15 Tucker Carlson, Daryl Cooper & extremism 08:35 Germany, antisemitism & lessons from Europe 19:30 Noam on ideology, immigration & prejudice 32:20 Listener emails & why the podcast matters 44:40 Evan Barker finally checks in 49:00 All is forgiven & rescheduling the interview
Noam Dworman and Periel Aschenbrand sit down expecting to interview Evan Barker—but when she doesn't arrive, they discuss Tucker Carlson, Daryl Cooper, antisemitism, Germany, immigration, media and why Evan Barker never made it. Chapters 00:00 Waiting for Evan Barker 02:15 Tucker Carlson, Daryl Cooper & extremism 08:35 Germany, antisemitism & lessons from Europe 19:30 Noam on ideology, immigration & prejudice 32:20 Listener emails & why the podcast matters 44:40 Evan Barker finally checks in 49:00 All is forgiven & rescheduling the interview
As antisemitism has exploded in Canada, debate has raged within its Jewish community. Is the government doing enough to combat Jewish hate? What does it mean to be zionist? Why are young Jews walking away from Israel? Maytal Kowalski, the executive director of JSpaceCanada, has leapt headfirst into all of these uncomfortable questions. In this episode, Noam and Maytal discuss her unique background, the bond between Canada's Jews, and her strong views on Israel and progressive politics. Learn more about JSpaceCanada at jspacecanada.ca Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. Follow @wonderingjews on Instagram, and watch and subscribe on YouTube. ------------ This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. Subscribe to the Unpacked newsletter: https://unpacked.bio/22f7b4 For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Jewish History Nerds Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History
Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: The Ruins' Secret: A Dog's Guide to Hidden Treasures Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-08-12-07-38-19-he Story Transcript:He: בשמש הזהב של אמצע יום הקיץ, נעמדו נועם, אליאב ושירה בשולי העתיקות.En: In the golden sunlight of a midsummer day, Noam, Eliyav, and Shira stood on the outskirts of the ruins.He: האבן הקראקטית והעמודים החצי נופלים למראשותיהם, בעוד קוצים ופרחים פראיים צומחים בצדדים.En: The cracked stones and half-fallen columns stood above them, while thorns and wildflowers grew alongside.He: היה חג ט"ו באב, יום האהבה העברי, ונועם היה נרגש.En: It was the holiday of Tu B'Av, the Hebrew day of love, and Noam was excited.He: הוא רצה להראות לחבריו את כל מה שהוא ידע על האתר הקדוש הזה.En: He wanted to show his friends everything he knew about this sacred site.He: "ברוכים הבאים לעתיקות," נועם הכריז בגאווה, אבל שנייה לפני שהספיק להתחיל, אליאב הניח יד על כתפו וצחק.En: "Welcome to the ruins," Noam declared proudly, but a moment before he could begin, Eliyav placed a hand on his shoulder and laughed.He: "נועם, אולי אתה יודע, אבל נראה שיש למישהו אחר גם תכנית להדרכה היום.En: "Noam, you might know, but it seems someone else also has a plan to guide today."He: "אליאב הצביע על כלב קטן ורעים שפתאום רץ בין האבנים, מושך בעקבותיו קבוצת מטיילים.En: Eliyav pointed to a small, playful dog that suddenly ran between the stones, leading a group of tourists in its wake.He: הכלב לא היה שייך לאף אחד מהם.En: The dog did not belong to any of them.He: שירה, בעינים בוהקות, אמרה, "נועם, אחרי הכלב הזה!En: Shira, with sparkling eyes, said, "Noam, after that dog!He: אולי יגלה לנו משהו חדש.En: Maybe it'll reveal something new to us."He: "נועם היסס לכמה רגעים, אך כשראה את החיוך של שירה החליט.En: Noam hesitated for a few moments, but when he saw Shira's smile, he decided.He: הוא הוביל את חבריו בעקבות הכלב.En: He led his friends in following the dog.He: הכלב קפץ בין האבנים, עצר מדי פעם להריח, ופתאום נכנס לפתח קטן שלא היו מודעים אליו קודם לכן.En: The dog jumped between the stones, stopping occasionally to sniff, and suddenly entered a small opening they had not been aware of before.He: הקבוצה מצאה עצמה בחדר לא מוכר, מלא בממצאים מוזרים.En: The group found themselves in an unfamiliar room, filled with strange artifacts.He: הקירות היו מלאים בציורים עתיקים, ואובייקטים לא שגרתיים פוזרו בכל מקום.En: The walls were covered in ancient drawings, and unusual objects were scattered everywhere.He: זה היה הרגע שבו נועם הבין שהמדריך הלא רשמי שלהם, הכלב, הביא אותם לגילוי מרגש.En: It was then that Noam realized that their unofficial guide, the dog, had brought them to an exciting discovery.He: כולם, גם נועם, הרגישו סיפוק עצום מהתגלית המפתיעה.En: Everyone, including Noam, felt immense satisfaction from the surprising discovery.He: הם החליטו לקרוא לחדר בשם "המדריך", לכבוד הכלב שערך את ההפתעה הגדולה.En: They decided to call the room "The Guide," in honor of the dog who orchestrated the big surprise.He: נועם הבין שבחיים, כמו כאן בעתיקות, יש פעמים שבהם הכי טוב להניח לדברים לקרות בלי תכנון מוקדם.En: Noam understood that in life, just like here in the ruins, there are times when it's best to let things happen without advanced planning.He: בסוף היום, כשהשמש ירדה מאחורי ההרים ובארנקם של נועם היה זיכרון בלתי נשכח, הוא ידע שלמד ערך חדש - לפעמים הרפתקאות מעולות נולדות מהכיוונים הכי לא צפויים.En: At the end of the day, as the sun set behind the mountains and in Noam's memory was an unforgettable moment, he knew he had learned a new value - sometimes the best adventures come from the most unexpected directions. Vocabulary Words:outskirts: שוליruins: עתיקותcracked: קראקטיתcolumns: עמודיםsacred: קדושdeclared: הכריזproudly: בגאווהunofficial: לא רשמיartifacts: ממצאיםancient: עתיקיםorchestrated: ערךreveal: יגלהhesitated: היססsniff: להריחunaware: מודעיםunusual: לא שגרתייםimmense: עצוםsatisfaction: סיפוקdiscovery: תגליתunexpected: לא צפוייםscattered: פוזרוrealized: הביןdirections: כיווניםsparkling: בוהקותentrance: פתחplan: תכניתthorns: קוציםsnuck: נכנסmidsummer: אמצע הקיץconstellations: כוכביםBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.
More households in low-income countries own a mobile phone than have electricity or clean water. So why is education one of the last places it has been put to work?Jenny Aker (Cornell) and Noam Angrist (Oxford) are the academic leads on a J-PAL Policy Insight that reviews 30 studies of mobile phone programmes in education. They tell Tim Phillips that the cheapest option, blasting out SMS messages, is usually the one that fails. But put a real person on the other end of the line, and that's an effective and inexpensive way to improve education. The phone is a platform, Angrist points out, not a pedagogy.The research behind this episode:Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). 2026. "Leveraging Mobile Phones for Learning." J-PAL Policy Insight. Academic leads Jenny Aker and Noam Angrist; insight authors Jessica Williams and Demitria Wack.To cite this episode:Phillips, Tim, Jenny Aker, and Noam Angrist. 2026. "Using mobile phones to support teachers, parents, and students." VoxDev Talks (podcast).About the guestsJenny Aker is the Daniel G. Sisler Professor of Development Economics at Cornell University. She is also a non-resident fellow at the Center for Global Development and co-chair of the Digital Identification and Finance Initiative at J-PAL Africa. Her research spans mobile technology and agricultural markets, adult literacy and numeracy, financial inclusion, and the design of cash transfers and social protection in Africa.Noam Angrist is Academic Director of the What Works Hub for Global Education and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, and co-founder of Youth Impact, one of the largest NGOs scaling health and education programmes backed by randomised trial evidence. His research spans distance education, the measurement of implementation, and how programmes that work in a trial can be made to work at national scale.Research and concepts cited in this episodeOne Laptop per Child. The plan to put a cheap laptop in the hands of every child in the developing world, launched in 2005 and abandoned as evidence of its effect on learning failed to appear. Angrist raises it as the cautionary tale for anyone introducing a device: the schools could not absorb it, the software was an afterthought, and nobody planned for charging or breakage. Phones avoid that problem because they are already there, so the marginal cost of adding good pedagogy is low. A long-term follow up from rural Peru found no positive effect on educational outcomes.Mobile coverage. GSMA. 2025. "The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2025." Around 95% of the world's population now lives within range of a broadband network. In sub-Saharan Africa coverage is about 80% and adoption about 60%, and what people mostly hold is a simple handset rather than a smartphone.Phone tutoring in emergencies. Angrist, Noam, Micheal Ainomugisha, Sai Pramod Bathena, Peter Bergman, Colin Crossley, Claire Cullen, Thato Letsomo, Moitshepi Matsheng, Rene Marlon Panti, Shwetlena Sabarwal, and Tim Sullivan. 2023. "Building Resilient Education Systems: Evidence from Large-Scale Randomized Trials in Five Countries." NBER Working Paper 31208, revised 2025. Weekly maths texts combined with live tutoring calls raised test scores by 0.30 to 0.35 standard deviations at an average cost of US$11 per child. SMS on its own moved the needle only where access to learning was already very low.Scaling up without the drop. The first Botswana phone tutoring trial produced an effect of about 0.12 standard deviations; by the fifth replication, in Uganda, Angrist says the effect was over 0.8, and implementation fidelity data improved in step with the order of the studies. He sets this against the voltage drop described by John List in The Voltage Effect (2022), the tendency of programmes to lose their punch as they scale. Common, Angrist argues, but not inevitable.A/B testing the tutoring call. Angrist, Noam, Claire Cullen, and Janica Magat. 2025. "Cheaper (and More Effective) by the Dozen: Evidence from 12 Randomised A/B Tests Optimising Tutoring for Scale." What Works Hub for Global Education Working Paper 2025/001. Roughly half the cost of a tutoring programme goes on scheduling rather than teaching. One call of 40 minutes every fortnight, instead of 20 minutes every week, delivered the same dosage for less. Handing the call to a parent partway through doubled to tripled the effect; motivational nudges to parents did nothing.Monitoring teachers by phone. Aker, Jenny C., and Christopher Ksoll. 2019. "Call Me Educated: Evidence from a Mobile Phone Experiment in Niger." Economics of Education Review 72: 239 to 257. Weekly calls to the teacher, the village chief and two students raised maths and reading scores. The counter-example comes from Côte d'Ivoire, where nudging parents and teachers at the same time left the most motivated teachers turning up less; too much scrutiny, the authors suggest, corroded the motivation the programme depended on.Platform and pedagogy. Angrist's phrase for the distinction the review keeps returning to. The phone carries an intervention; it is not the intervention. Targeted instruction and early childhood stimulation both travel down the line, but somebody still has to decide how often to call, who picks up, and what happens on the call. The same traffic makes the phone a good instrument for research, since the data is traceable and the units of randomisation are well powered.Education Cannot Wait. The United Nations fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises. Its 2022 global estimate put 222 million crisis-affected children and adolescents in need of urgent education support, up from about 75 million in 2016. Angrist uses the same figure in the five-country paper, and cites it here to make the point that the humanitarian structures for education in emergencies exist while the evidence base underneath them barely does.More VoxDev Talks episodesHow AI can put 20 years of development evidence to work. Iqbal Dhaliwal on why One Laptop per Child failed, and what that failure should teach anyone now betting on AI in development.Why we need to invest in foundational learning. Benjamin Piper on the gap between getting children into school and getting them to read, which is the gap most of these phone programmes are trying to close.Related reading on VoxDev.orgHow simple technologies can improve learning: Evidence from Niger, in which Jenny Aker and Christopher Ksoll show that a weekly call to teachers and students almost doubled the effect of an adult education programme.Educating children in emergencies: Global evidence from five randomised trials, the five-country evidence on cheap phone tutoring that runs through much of this conversation.How AI tutors improved learning in Nigeria, on a six-week after-school programme in Edo State that produced large gains in English, and on the guardrails that made it work.
Noam and Jen know that 2026 is hard and scary and that everyone wants to return to 2020. But alas, we do have to discuss the things happening in 2026, like El-Sayed's very slim win in the Michigan Democrat primary for Senate. As per usual the polling was wrong. The problem is, the polling was very, very wrong and people are starting to ask questions about if that happens for less than honest purposes. Speaking of manipulation, Twitter announced that they will be rolling out a new content creator payment system that seems designed to demonetize those who aren't providing anything of use to the platform. The requirements for both content type and metrics will be much higher than they are currently, and it sounds like the platform will be keeping a tight lid on who will qualify for payouts. Will we finally see the end of engagement slop? Will influencers who no longer meet monetization criteria stop posting? We'll find out next month! For our WAWC, we discuss season three of House of the Dragon, which aired it's season finale this past Sunday. Overall the season is a mixed bag, but we do love that Aegon is now comic relief. And that Aemond's fiancee may turn him into a toad if he tried to take Aemond from her.
Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Culinary Connections: A New Beginning at Tel Aviv's Market Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-08-08-22-34-01-he Story Transcript:He: השמש זרחה בעוז על שוק הכרמל בתל אביב, ואורות הקיץ הבהירו את כל הפינות הצבעוניות של הירקות והפירות.En: The sun shone brightly over Shuk HaCarmel in Tel Aviv, and the summer lights illuminated all the colorful corners of the fruits and vegetables.He: נעם, השף הצעיר, נדחק בין הדוכנים הצפופים, מחפש תבלינים מיוחדים וירקות טריים לרגל ראש השנה המתקרב.En: Noam, the young chef, squeezed between the crowded stalls, searching for special spices and fresh vegetables for the upcoming Rosh Hashanah.He: חלום שלו היה להרשים את משפחתו עם מנות חדשות ומיוחדות.En: His dream was to impress his family with new and special dishes.He: באותה השעה, יעל, סטודנטית צעירה שאפתנית העוסקת בלימודי אמנות קולינרית, טיילה בין השוק.En: At the same time, Yael, an ambitious young student of culinary arts, wandered through the market.He: היא התרגשה מהמגוון, אך גם חשה בלחץ המוטל עליה לבחור את המרכיבים המתאימים לארוחת החג של משפחתה.En: She was excited by the variety but also felt the pressure of choosing the right ingredients for her family's holiday meal.He: ברחוב ההומה, הכל נדמה כבלבול ענק של קולות, ניחוחות וטעמים.En: In the bustling street, everything seemed like a giant confusion of sounds, scents, and flavors.He: המוכרים קראו בקולות רמים כדי למשוך את הקונים, ונעם חשב לעצמו שהוא צריך הפסקה.En: The vendors called out loudly to attract buyers, and Noam thought to himself that he needed a break.He: הוא התיישב בבית קפה קטן, מזמין לעצמו מיץ רימונים כדי להירגע ולחשוב.En: He sat down at a small café, ordering himself a pomegranate juice to relax and think.He: יעל, שראתה את כובע השף של נעם, חשה סקרנות והתיישבה לידו.En: Yael, who saw Noam's chef hat, felt curious and sat down next to him.He: "שלום, גם אתה פה לשוק לקראת החג?En: "Hello, are you here for the market in preparation for the holiday too?"He: " היא שאלה בחיוך רחב.En: she asked with a broad smile.He: נעם ענה לחזור בחיוך: "כן, אני מחפש משהו מיוחד לבשל.En: Noam replied, smiling back: "Yes, I'm looking for something special to cook.He: זה די קשה בתוך הבלגן הזה.En: It's pretty hard in all this chaos."He: "הם התחילו לדבר על אהבתם המשותפת לאוכל.En: They started talking about their shared love for food.He: נעם שיתף ברעיונותיו למנות חדשות, ויעל הביעה את רצונה ללמוד עוד על מטבח ולמצוא השראה.En: Noam shared his ideas for new dishes, and Yael expressed her desire to learn more about cooking and find inspiration.He: השיחה ביניהם זרמה, ובשלב מסוים הם החליטו ללכת יחד תוך כדי חיפוש המרכיבים המושלמים.En: Their conversation flowed, and at some point, they decided to go together while searching for the perfect ingredients.He: לבסוף, עם שקיות נייר כבדות אשר התמלאו בתפוחים ירוקים, עשבי תיבול ופרחי מאכל, נעם ויעל יצאו מהשוק.En: Finally, with heavy paper bags filled with green apples, herbs, and edible flowers, Noam and Yael left the market.He: הם היו נרגשים לקראת שיתוף פעולה בהרכבת ארוחת חג בלתי נשכחת.En: They were excited about collaborating on creating an unforgettable holiday meal.He: הם ידעו שמצאו משהו מיוחד אחד בשני - את ההשראה, הביטחון וההתחלה של ידידות עמוקה.En: They knew they had found something special in each other - the inspiration, confidence, and the beginning of a deep friendship.He: ובכך, השוק ההומה הפך לפינה קטנה של שיתוף פעולה והתחלות חדשות.En: And so, the bustling market became a small corner of collaboration and new beginnings.He: הם חזרו משם עם הבטחה משותפת להפתיע ולהפעים את משפחותיהם במטבח, ועם תחושה עמוקה של סיפוק מהדרך החדשה שגילו יחד.En: They left with a joint promise to surprise and delight their families in the kitchen, and with a deep sense of satisfaction from the new path they discovered together. Vocabulary Words:shone: זרחהilluminated: הבהירוcorners: פינותsqueezed: נדחקcrowded: צפופיםupcoming: המתקרבimpress: להרשיםwandering: טיילהfelt: חשהpressure: לחץbustling: הומהconfusion: בלבולrelax: להירגעdiscovered: גילוambitious: שאפתניתculinary arts: אמנות קולינריתvariety: מגווןattract: למשוךvendors: מוכריםconversation: שיחהinspiration: השראהconfidence: ביטחוןcollaborating: שיתוף פעולהholiday meal: ארוחת חגingredients: מרכיביםedible: מאכלpromise: הבטחהsense of satisfaction: תחושה של סיפוקpath: דרךvendors: מוכריםBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.
The Gray Area is taking a short break this week — but we've got something special for you. We're dropping an episode from one of our favorite podcasts, Unexplainable. In it, host Noam Hassenfeld and Vox senior reporter Sigal Samuel explore one of the biggest dilemmas facing growing families: How much should parents decide about their children's future from prenatal testing alone? Noam and Sigal wrestle with the moral dilemmas surrounding genetic testing, parental choice, and the limitations of trying to predict the future. Host: Noam Hassenfeld, Host of Unexplainable Guest: Sigal Samuel, Vox Senior Reporter Listen to more Unexplainable episodes here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unexplainable/id1554578197Read Sigal's advice column here: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/459003/designer-babies-embryo-selection-polygenic-testing-ethics We would love to hear from you. To tell us what you thought of this episode, email us at thegrayarea@vox.com or leave us a voicemail at 1-800-214-5749. Your comments and questions help us make a better show. And you can watch new episodes of The Gray Area on YouTube. Listen to The Gray Area ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Merchant onboarding is where growth goes to die, and where fraud quietly sneaks in. We sit down with Noam Izhaki, Co-founder and CEO of Ballerine, to unpack why the payments stack can feel real-time and automated while KYC, KYB, underwriting, and compliance still depend on slow investigations, scattered systems, and ever-growing analyst teams.We walk through Noam's journey from building early online platforms in Tel Aviv to learning hard lessons in remittances and then at Wix, where the same merchant risk challenges showed up at scale. That experience led to Ballerine: a platform designed to help merchant acquirers, PSPs, marketplaces, card ecosystem players, and banks bring their policies and data into one place and use AI agents to automate decisions across the seller lifecycle, from onboarding through ongoing monitoring. We also dig into how this differs from traditional fraud and compliance point solutions that provide signals but still leave the hardest part, judgment, to humans.Then we zoom out to the future of payments: agentic commerce, agents buying from other agents, and a world where creating “a business” is cheap, fast, and sometimes fake. Noam shares what he's seeing around fraud industrialization, including transaction laundering as a service, and why the biggest advantage may be becoming a true trust layer for the internet with real-time, global risk decisions.If you're building for scale, ask yourself whether your plan requires hiring your way out of risk. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a payments leader who's feeling the pressure, and leave a review with your biggest question about AI in merchant risk.
On December 14th, 2025, a pair of gunmen killed 15 people attending a Hanukkah event on Sydney's Bondi Beach. For Jewish leaders like Jeremy Leibler (Zionist Federation of Australia), the killings were shocking--even as concerns around antisemitism continued to grow after October 7th. Will Australia's Royal Commission on Antisemitism be a meaningful step towards change? Jeremy speaks openly to Mijal and Noam about the commission, his legacy as the child of Holocaust survivors, and what is giving him hope. Learn more about the Zionist Federation of Australia at zfa.com.au Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. Follow @wonderingjews on Instagram, and watch and subscribe on YouTube. ------------ This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. Subscribe to the Unpacked newsletter: https://unpacked.bio/22f7b4 For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Jewish History Nerds Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History
Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Navigating Friendship and Health Under Tel Aviv's Summer Sun Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-08-05-22-34-01-he Story Transcript:He: תחת השמש התל אביבית החמה של הקיץ, בתי הקפה בעיר שורצים במבקרים שנפגשים לקפה ולשיחה.En: Under the hot Tel Aviv sun of the summer, the city's cafes are bustling with visitors meeting for coffee and conversation.He: בתוך אחד מבתי הקפה המודרניים, האווירה מלאה בריח הקפה הטרי ובשיחות הנמרצות של האנשים.En: Inside one of the modern cafes, the atmosphere is filled with the aroma of fresh coffee and the lively chatter of people.He: אליאור ישב על הכיסא ליד החלון.En: Elior sat on a chair by the window.He: למרות החיוך על פניו, הוא הרגיש מוזר.En: Despite the smile on his face, he felt strange.He: מעין תחושת סחרחורת שליוותה אותו מאז הבוקר.En: A kind of dizziness that had accompanied him since the morning.He: מולו ישבה תמר, חברתו הטובה, והסתכלה עליו בדאגה.En: Across from him sat Tamar, his good friend, looking at him with concern.He: "אתה בסדר, אליאור?En: "Are you okay, Elior?"He: " היא שאלה ברכות.En: she asked gently.He: "אני חושב שכן," השיב אליאור, מנסה לא להתמקד בתחושת הסחרחורת שהפריעה לו להשתתף בשיחה.En: "I think so," Elior replied, trying not to focus on the dizziness that was bothering him and hindering his participation in the conversation.He: בינתיים, נועם, בן דודו של אליאור, הצטרף אליהם.En: Meanwhile, Noam, Elior's cousin, joined them.He: תמיד היה לו חיוך על הפנים ומשהו מצחיק להגיד.En: He always had a smile on his face and something funny to say.He: "הי חבר'ה, מה קורה?En: "Hey folks, what's up?"He: " שאל בעליזות כשלקח לו כיסא והתיישב.En: he asked cheerfully as he took a chair and sat down.He: "אליאור קצת חיוור היום," סיפרה תמר, מנסה לשמור על טון קל.En: "Elior looks a bit pale today," Tamar said, trying to keep a light tone.He: "אה, זה כלום, בטח מזג האוויר החם," אמר אליאור, מנסה לשוות לדבריו ביטחון.En: "Oh, it's nothing, probably the hot weather," Elior said, trying to sound confident.He: נועם צחק ולקח שלוק גדול מהקפה שלו.En: Noam laughed and took a big sip of his coffee.He: "אתה בטח צריך עור של פיל כמו שלי," הוא צחקק.En: "You probably need skin as thick as mine," he chuckled.He: למרות הניסיון להמשיך כמו תמיד, אליאור הרגיש שהוא לא מצליח להתרכז בדברים הפשוטים.En: Despite the attempt to continue as usual, Elior found it difficult to concentrate on simple things.He: שיחה בנושא פוליטיקה או צחוקים טובים עם חברים נראו לו פתאום כמשימות מורכבות.En: A conversation about politics or good laughs with friends suddenly seemed like complex tasks to him.He: בסופו של דבר, הוא קיבל החלטה.En: In the end, he made a decision.He: "תמר, נועם," הוא התחיל בעדינות, "אני מרגיש קצת מוזר לאחרונה.En: "Tamar, Noam," he began gently, "I've been feeling a bit strange lately.He: תחושת סחרחורת שלא עוברת.En: A dizziness that won't go away."He: "תמר הניחה יד חמה על שלו.En: Tamar placed a warm hand on his.He: "אולי כדאי שתראה רופא, רק כדי להיות בטוח," היא הציעה ברצינות.En: "Maybe you should see a doctor, just to be sure," she suggested seriously.He: נועם החזיר את חיוכו המוכר.En: Noam brought back his familiar smile.He: "אל דאגה, אני אבוא איתך.En: "Don't worry, I'll come with you.He: נהיה שם בשבילך.En: We'll be there for you."He: "אליאור נשם עמוק והרגיש הקלה.En: Elior took a deep breath and felt relieved.He: הוא הבין כמה זה חשוב לפתוח את הלב ולשתף את החברים הקרובים שלו.En: He realized how important it is to open up and share with his close friends.He: "תודה, אני באמת מעריך את זה," אמר בחיוך, מרגיש שהלחץ נעלם מעט.En: "Thank you, I really appreciate it," he said with a smile, feeling that the pressure had eased a bit.He: תוך כדי לגימת קפה משותפת, ולמרות השמש החמה בחוץ, הרגיש אליאור שהוא יכול להתמודד עם הכל כאשר חבריו לצידו.En: While sipping coffee together, despite the hot sun outside, Elior felt he could handle anything with his friends by his side.He: החלטתו לראות רופא הוקלה על דעתו בזכות התמיכה שקיבל מתמר ונועם, והוא ידע שהכל יהיה בסדר.En: His decision to see a doctor was eased by the support he received from Tamar and Noam, and he knew everything would be okay. Vocabulary Words:bustling: שורציםaroma: ריחdizziness: תחושת סחרחורתconcern: דאגהhindering: מפריעהsip: שלוקthick: עור של פילconcentrate: להתרכזcomplex: מורכבותrelieved: הרגיש הקלהeased: שנעלם מעטparticipation: משתתףconfident: ביטחוןpolitics: פוליטיקהtasks: משימותsuggested: הציעהappreciate: מעריךatmosphere: אווירהmodern: מודרנייםstrange: מוזרgentle: ברכותgently: בעדינותsmile: חיוךlight tone: טון קלchatted: צחקקcontinue: להמשיךdecision: החלטהhandle: להתמודדsupport: תמיכהrelieved: הוקלהBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.
Jen and Noam take a (slight) break from discussing the depressing political news to talk about important things, like the controversies surrounding data centers and generative AI and the new Spider-Man movie. Important things. We get a bit into the drama surrounding the YouTube content creator Hank Green, who has for some reason self canceled over his sin of….using ChatGPT to do his grunt work so that he can have more time to make more content. Yeah, we don't understand either. We also get into the thornier issue of authors allegedly using genAI in their writing, which has become a flashpoint in the anti-AI space. The issue is, who is to say if an author used genAI, the AI? Readers? Publishing houses? And at the end of the day, does it really matter to consumers, or is this the latest cause as identity? And of course we do a fairly in depth discussion of the new Spider-Man movie Brand New Day, which brings us all the way back to episode 0 of this podcast when we talked about No Way Home. Ah, the nostalgia. Warning - we do spoilers so if you don't want any of that (and have somehow managed to miss spoilers elsewhere) then save the back half of this episode for after you've seen the movie.
Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: From Projects to Partnerships: A Tel Aviv Entrepreneur's Journey Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-08-04-07-38-19-he Story Transcript:He: במרכז יזמות קטן במרכז תל אביב, האירו קרני השמש הקיציים דרך החלונות הגדולים במשרד.En: In a small entrepreneurship center in the heart of Tel Aviv, the summer sunrays illuminated through the large windows of the office.He: רעש של התלהבות מילא את החלל, בעוד יזמים, משקיעים ויועצים שוחחו סביב שולחנות מלאי חטיפים משובחים ומשקאות קרירים.En: A buzz of excitement filled the space as entrepreneurs, investors, and consultants engaged in conversation around tables filled with exquisite snacks and refreshing drinks.He: על הקירות, פוסטרים עם רעיונות חדשניים הציגו את חזון היזמים.En: On the walls, posters with innovative ideas displayed the entrepreneurs' visions.He: אביטל עמדה בראש אחד השולחנות, אוחזת כוס חלב שקדים בידה.En: Avital stood at the head of one of the tables, holding a glass of almond milk in her hand.He: היא נשמה עמוק ובעיניה נראו סימני לחץ.En: She took a deep breath, and her eyes showed signs of pressure.He: הפרויקט שלה היה כמו תינוק שגידלה, והדאגה שמא לא יצליח בגדול לא עזבה אותה לרגע.En: Her project was like a child she nurtured, and the concern that it might not succeed greatly never left her for a moment.He: היא ידעה שזו ההזדמנות שלה למצוא מימון והכוונה שיוכלו להפוך את החלום שלה למציאות.En: She knew this was her opportunity to find the funding and guidance that could make her dream a reality.He: בין הקהל הצפוף, עיני פגשו את עיניו של נועם.En: Among the crowded gathering, her eyes met those of Noam.He: הוא היה יועץ ותיק עם חוכמה מקצועית ועיניים שהקרינו הבנה וסקרנות.En: He was an experienced consultant with professional wisdom and eyes that exuded understanding and curiosity.He: כאשר התקרב, אביטל נעמדה זקופת קומה.En: As he approached, Avital stood tall.He: "שלום, אביטל, נכון?" שאל נועם בחיוך ידידותי.En: "Hello, Avital, right?" Noam asked with a friendly smile.He: "כן, נכון," היא השיבה, מחפשת איזון בין המקצועי לאישי.En: "Yes, that's right," she replied, searching for a balance between the professional and the personal.He: "אני מכירה את עבודותיך בתחום הייעוץ. אשמח לשמוע את דעתך על הפרויקט שלי."En: "I know of your work in the consulting field. I would love to hear your opinion on my project."He: הם שוחחו ארוכות על הטכנולוגיה שאביטל פיתחה.En: They talked extensively about the technology Avital had developed.He: נועם הקשיב בריכוז, והנהן ברגעים המדויקים.En: Noam listened intently, nodding at the precise moments.He: לבסוף, כשאביטל סיימה את ההצגה, היא העזה לומר: "נועם, אני מרגישה שיש כאן גם חיבור מעבר לעסקי. זה משהו שתרצה לבדוק?"En: Finally, when Avital finished her presentation, she dared to say: "Noam, I feel there's a connection here beyond the business aspect. Is it something you'd be interested in exploring?"He: התגובה של נועם הייתה מהירה ולא צפויה. "אביטל, אני אוהב את הפרויקט שלך. את יודעת מה את עושה, ויש לך מה שדרוש להצלחה. וגם..." הוא עצר, הביט בעיניה, "אני מרגיש שאולי כדאי שנראה לאן זה יוביל אותנו גם בפן האישי."En: "Avital, I love your project. You know what you're doing, and you have what it takes to succeed. And also..." he paused, looking into her eyes, "I feel we should see where this could lead us personally as well."He: המילים האלה מפת תדהמה והתרגשות על פניה של אביטל.En: Those words left a look of amazement and excitement on Avital's face.He: היא לא רק מצאה יועץ ואפשרות למימון, אלא גם גילתה שישנם דרכים לשלב מקצועי ואישי יחד באופן שלא חשבה עליו קודם.En: She had not only found a consultant and potential funding, but she also discovered there are ways to combine professional and personal aspects in a manner she hadn't previously considered.He: הקיץ המשיך לזרוח על תל אביב, וכך גם התקוות של אביטל.En: Summer continued to shine on Tel Aviv, and so did Avital's hopes.He: היא מצאה בתוכה את האומץ לרדוף אחרי שתי המטרות שלה.En: She found within herself the courage to pursue her two goals.He: נועם, בצד השני, הבין שיש משהו חשוב יותר מהצלחה עסקית – חיבור אמיתי ושיתוף פעולה שמעשירים את החיים.En: Noam, on the other hand, realized there is something more important than business success – a genuine connection and collaboration that enriches life.He: החלל של מרכז היזמות נשאר הומה, אך אביטל ונועם יצאו ממנו עם כיוון חדש ומלא תקווה עבורם ועבור הפרויקט.En: The space of the entrepreneurship center remained bustling, but Avital and Noam left it with a new direction and filled with hope for themselves and the project. Vocabulary Words:entrepreneurship: יזמותsunrays: קרני השמשbuzz: רעשexquisite: משובחיםrefreshing: קריריםposters: פוסטריםvision: חזוןalmond milk: חלב שקדיםpressure: לחץfunding: מימוןguidance: הכוונהgathering: הקהלconsultant: יועץfield: תחוםpresentation: הצגהcuriosity: סקרנותunexpected: לא צפויהamazement: תדהמהcombination: שילובpursue: לרדוףcourage: אומץcollaboration: שיתוף פעולהenriches: מְעַשֵׁרֵתcrowded: צפוףextensively: ארוכותrealize: הביןopportunity: הזדמנותnurtured: שגידלהilluminated: האירוintently: בריכוזBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.
Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: From Coffee to Collaboration: Crafting a Memorable Tu B'Av Camp Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-07-30-07-38-19-he Story Transcript:He: בוקר קיץ חם, השמש זורחת במלוא עוזה, וטמר נרגשת מאוד.En: A hot summer morning, the sun shining in full force, and Tamar is very excited.He: היא מגיעה לבית הקלייה של קפה ארטיזאני, מקום חמים ומזמין עם ריח משכר של פולי קפה קלויים.En: She arrives at Cafe Artizani's roasting house, a warm and welcoming place with the intoxicating smell of roasted coffee beans.He: אור שמש זורם דרך חלונות גדולים ומוסיף אש לה ריצפה העשויה עץ.En: Sunlight streams through large windows, adding warmth to the wooden floor.He: בפנים, דליה ונעם כבר יושבים בציפייה לפגישה.En: Inside, Dalia and Noam are already sitting in anticipation of the meeting.He: "שלום לכולם!En: "Hello everyone!"He: " טמר קוראת בהתלהבות כשהיא נכנסת.En: Tamar calls out enthusiastically as she enters.He: "היום נתכנן את הקמפ המושלם לט"ו באב!En: "Today we will plan the perfect camp for Tu B'Av!"He: "דליה מחייכת, "אני חושבת שיהיה נהדר לשלב סדנאות יצירה ולהכין כרטיסי ברכה לחברים.En: Dalia smiles, "I think it would be great to include craft workshops and make greeting cards for friends."He: "נעם, שמחזיק בקלסר עבה מלא במסמכים, נראה מהורהר.En: Noam, holding a thick binder full of documents, looks thoughtful.He: "לקמפ יש תקציב מוגבל.En: "The camp has a limited budget.He: אולי כדאי להתמקד בפעילויות פשוטות ומעשיות.En: Maybe we should focus on simple and practical activities."He: "טמר מרימה את ידה בציפייה להקטין את המתח.En: Tamar raises her hand in anticipation to ease the tension.He: "בואו נתחיל בלחשוב יחד.En: "Let's start by brainstorming together.He: אולי האווירה כאן תעזור.En: Maybe the atmosphere here will help."He: "הדיון מתחיל באופן שקט.En: The discussion begins quietly.He: טמר מוודאת ששני החברים יכולים להשמיע את דעותיהם.En: Tamar ensures both friends can express their opinions.He: אבל ככל שהשיחה ממשיכה, הקולות עולים.En: But as the conversation progresses, the voices rise.He: נעם מתעקש על תכנון תקציבי מדויק ודליה רוצה יותר חופש פעולה.En: Noam insists on precise budget planning, while Dalia wants more creative freedom.He: באמצע הוויכוח, טמר מחליטה לספר סיפור אישי.En: In the middle of the debate, Tamar decides to share a personal story.He: היא מתארת את הקיץ האהוב עליה כילדה, כשחבריה צחקו ושיחקו יחד, והייתה תחושת שיתוף פעולה מיוחדת.En: She describes her favorite summer as a child when her friends laughed and played together, and there was a special sense of cooperation.He: "זה לא משנה עד כמה התקציב קטן", היא אומרת בעדינות.En: "It doesn't matter how small the budget is," she says gently.He: "מה שחשוב זה החוויה והזיכרונות.En: "What matters are the experience and memories."He: "המילים נוגעות בלבבות של דליה ונעם.En: The words touch the hearts of Dalia and Noam.He: הם מבינים שטמר צודקת.En: They realize Tamar is right.He: לבסוף, הם מחליטים לעבוד יחד.En: Finally, they decide to work together.He: נעם מציע תיקונים בתקציב ודליה מוסיפה רעיונות חדשים ויצירתיים שמתאימים לכולם.En: Noam proposes budget adjustments, and Dalia adds new, creative ideas that suit everyone.He: בסוף היום, התוכנית מוכנה.En: By the end of the day, the plan is ready.He: הם מתכננים פעילויות מהנות שמכניסות את הרוח של ט"ו באב.En: They plan fun activities that encapsulate the spirit of Tu B'Av.He: טמר נושמת לרווחה, מרגישה שהצליחה להביא לראש אחד את החזון האישי שלה עם הרעיונות של חבריה.En: Tamar breathes a sigh of relief, feeling she managed to align her personal vision with her friends' ideas.He: ערב יורד, השלושה יוצאים ממקום העבודה עם חיוך וגאווה בעבודת צוות מוצלחת.En: Evening falls, and the three leave their workplace with smiles and pride in a successful team effort.He: טמר גאה בשינוי שלמדה - לשחרר, לפרגן, ולעבוד יחד זה הכוח האמיתי.En: Tamar is proud of the lesson learned - to let go, give praise, and work together is the true power.He: עכשיו הקמפ באמת הולך להיות בלתי נשכח.En: Now the camp is truly going to be unforgettable. Vocabulary Words:intoxicating: משכרstreams: זורםanticipation: ציפייהenthusiastically: בהתלהבותcraft: יצירהgreeting cards: כרטיסי ברכהbinder: קלסרthoughtful: מהורהרlimited: מוגבלbudget: תקציבpractical: מעשיותbrainstorming: לחשוב יחדatmosphere: אווירהease: להקטיןtension: המתחexpress: להשמיעinsists: מתעקשprecise: מדויקcreativity: יצירתיותcooperation: שיתוף פעולהmemories: זיכרונותrealize: מביניםadjustments: תיקוניםalign: להביא לראש אחדbreathe a sigh of relief: נושמת לרווחהaccomplishment: גאווהunforgettable: בלתי נשכחpride: גאווהlesson: שינויteam effort: עבודת צוותBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.
Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Overcoming Fear: Diving into the Depths of the Great Barrier Reef Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-07-28-22-34-01-he Story Transcript:He: בוקר אחד שמשי, ארי, לאה ונועם יצאו להרפתקה בלתי נשכחת בריף המחסום הגדול.En: One sunny morning, Ari, Leah, and Noam set out on an unforgettable adventure at the Great Barrier Reef.He: הריף נפרס מתחת לפני הים בצבעים מרהיבים ומשגעים.En: The reef spread beneath the sea's surface in stunning, mesmerizing colors.He: ארי, מטייל נלהב וחקרן, סחב תיק גב מלא בציוד צלילה.En: Ari, an enthusiastic and curious traveler, carried a backpack full of diving equipment.He: אבל בליבו הסתתר חשש קטן ומוכר - פחד מעמקי האוקיינוס.En: But in his heart, there lingered a small and familiar fear – a fear of the ocean depths.He: הם עמדו על הסירה הקטנה, עם המדריך שהסביר על היצורים המתוקים שחיים במעמקי הריף.En: They stood on the small boat with the guide who explained about the sweet creatures living in the depths of the reef.He: לאה ונועם הקשיבו בהתלהבות, אבל ארי נאלץ להתרכז כדי לא לחשוב על הפחד הפנימי שהרגיש.En: Leah and Noam listened eagerly, but Ari had to concentrate in order not to think about the inner fear he felt.He: ״תורכם להיכנס למים!En: "Your turn to get into the water!"He: ״ קרא המדריך בקול.En: the guide called out loudly.He: ארי לקח נשימה עמוקה וצעד קדימה.En: Ari took a deep breath and stepped forward.He: המים היו קרירים, אך נעימים.En: The water was cool, yet pleasant.He: לאט לאט, הם צללו נמוך יותר, אל עולם של אלמוגים צבעוניים ודגים קטנים שהסתובבו סביבם.En: Slowly, they dived deeper into a world of colorful corals and small fish swimming around them.He: ככל שהעמיקו, התנאים נהפכו למאתגרים יותר.En: As they descended further, the conditions became more challenging.He: המים נעשו כהים יותר, ולחצים על האוזניים של ארי התחזקו.En: The water grew darker, and the pressure on Ari's ears intensified.He: ליבו פעם במהירות, אבל האורחים הימיים בהקיפים הקסימו אותו.En: His heart beat rapidly, but the marine wonders surrounding him captivated him.He: פתאום, הצלעלע ענק הופיע מעליהם.En: Suddenly, a giant shadow appeared above them.He: הפחד שטפו גל, אבל ארי החליט להמשיך ולהתמודד עם התחושה הזאת.En: A wave of fear washed over him, but Ari decided to continue and confront the feeling.He: כשהוא הבין שהצל היה לא יותר מאשר מנטה ריי מלטף ועליז, הפחד הומר באושר.En: When he realized the shadow was nothing more than a gentle, playful manta ray, the fear turned into joy.He: מנטה ריי השאיר אחריו שביל של שלווה במים.En: The manta ray left a trail of tranquility in the water.He: ברגע שיצאו מהמים, ארי כתב על פניו חיוך רחב שלא נעלם.En: As they emerged from the water, a broad smile appeared on Ari's face that didn't fade.He: הוא הרגיש גאה.En: He felt proud.He: הפחד, שהכה בו באומץ, התפזר והותיר מקום להערכה רבה ליופי השקט של האוקיינוס.En: The fear, met with courage, dispersed and left room for great appreciation for the ocean's quiet beauty.He: ארי מצא את הביטחון להיתוודות לעומק מכושף מחדש.En: Ari found the confidence to be enchanted by the depths once more.He: ברקע, הריף המחסום הגדול התפשט תחת האופק, מקום שבו הפחד והיופי חיים בכפיפה אחת.En: In the background, the Great Barrier Reef stretched under the horizon, a place where fear and beauty coexist.He: ארי, לאה ונועם חזרו אל החוף מלאי תחושות חדשות ועם זיכרונות שיאביבו בליבם לעד.En: Ari, Leah, and Noam returned to the shore full of new sensations and with memories that would linger in their hearts forever. Vocabulary Words:unforgettable: בלתי נשכחתadventure: הרפתקהreef: ריףmesmerizing: משגעיםenthusiastic: נלהבcurious: חקרןlingered: הסתתרdepths: עמקיcreatures: יצוריםconcentrate: להתרכזsubmerged: נפרסdescended: העמיקוintensified: התחזקוrapidly: במהירותmarine: ימייםwonders: האורחיםshadow: צלconfront: להתמודדgentle: מלטףplayful: עליזtranquility: שלווהtrail: שבילemerged: יצאוbroad: חיוך רחבconfidence: ביטחוןenchanted: מכושףquiet: שקטbeauty: יופיsensations: תחושותlinger: יאביבוBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.
Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: A Spiritual Awakening at the Kotel: Noam's Journey of Faith Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-07-27-07-38-20-he Story Transcript:He: השמש קופחת על האבנים העתיקות של הכותל המערבי.En: The sun beats down on the ancient stones of the Kotel Ha'Ma'aravi.He: קבוצות של עולים לרגל נעות בכובד ראש.En: Groups of pilgrims move with solemnity.He: כאן, כל אחד נושא את תקוותיו וכאביו.En: Here, each person carries their hopes and pains.He: עברי עולות תפילותיהם מתוך פתקים דחוקים בין הסדקים.En: Ivri rise their prayers from notes wedged between the cracks.He: נעם, נער סקרן ובעל נפש חקרנית, הגיע עם טליה ואחיו ארי.En: Noam, a curious teenager with an inquisitive mind, arrived with Talia and his brother Ari.He: עבור נעם הייתה זו הזדמנות לצאת מהשגרה ולהתחבר לשורשיו, בתקווה למצוא מענה לשאלות המעסיקות אותו.En: For Noam, it was an opportunity to break away from routine and connect with his roots, in hopes of finding answers to the questions that occupy him.He: המקום מלא חיים והומה מטיילים, מצלמות שלא מפסיקות לצלם ורחש בלתי פוסק.En: The place is full of life and bustling with tourists, cameras that never stop snapping, and a constant buzz.He: ליבו של נעם משתוקק לשקט פנימי, אך במקום הזה נראה שזה כמעט בלתי אפשרי.En: Noam's heart longs for inner peace, but in this place, it seems almost impossible.He: "ההמולה הזאת משגעת אותי," אמר נעם לטליה, "אני לא מצליח להתרכז במחשבות שלי.En: "This hustle and bustle is driving me crazy," Noam said to Talia, "I can't concentrate on my thoughts."He: "טליה הציעה, "אולי תנסה להתרחק קצת ולצפות באנשים, לראות מה הם מביאים איתם לכאן.En: Talia suggested, "Maybe try stepping back a bit and watching the people, see what they bring here."He: "נעם נעמד בצד והביט באנשים מסביבו.En: Noam stood aside and watched the people around him.He: היה זה שילוב של עולמות, פנים רבות וסיפורים אישיים שנשזרו לתוך המקום הקדוש הזה.En: It was a blend of worlds, many faces, and personal stories woven into this sacred place.He: בהפתעה, קשיש ניגש אליו, חיוך נעים על פניו.En: Surprisingly, an elderly man approached him, a pleasant smile on his face.He: "שלום, צעיר.En: "Hello, young man.He: דומה שאתה שם לב למה שלא רואים בעיניים," הוא אמר בחוכמה.En: It seems you notice what cannot be seen with the eyes," he said wisely.He: הקשיש, ששמו היה יצחק, החל לספר על אמונה ונחישות שעמדו לו בזמנים קשים.En: The elder, whose name was Yitzhak, began to speak about faith and determination that aided him in difficult times.He: "בכל דור יש אתגרים, וכל דור מוצא את הדרך שלו להתמודד.En: "Every generation faces challenges, and each finds its own way to cope.He: אמונה היא לא תמיד תשובה פשוטה, אבל היא דרך להמשיך להקדיש את חייך למשמעות.En: Faith is not always a simple answer, but it's a way to dedicate your life to meaning."He: "נעם הרגיש משהו בתוכו נפתח.En: Noam felt something within him open up.He: היה זה רגע של תובנה, חיבור לאותם סיפורים שבהם הוא נמצא כחוליה בשרשרת.En: It was a moment of insight, a connection to those stories in which he finds himself as a link in the chain.He: כששמש היום החלה לשקוע, עלה בנעם תחושת רוגע חדשה.En: As the day's sun began to set, Noam felt a new sense of calm.He: בביטחון ניגש שוב אל הקיר, שם הפתק שלו, ואמר תפילה חרישית.En: Confidently, he approached the wall again, placed his note, and whispered a silent prayer.He: הפעם, במבט חדש על עצמו ועל מקומו בעולם.En: This time, with a new perspective on himself and his place in the world.He: שוב חבר למשפחתו, נעם הרגיש גאה בשורשיו ונחוש להקשיב לעולם בכל עת.En: Rejoining his family, Noam felt proud of his roots and determined to listen to the world at every opportunity.He: הסיור לכותל היה יותר מהמסע בזמן: הוא היה תחילתו של מסע פנימי אל גילוים חדשים וחיים מלאים ומשמעותיים.En: The visit to the Kotel was more than a journey through time: it was the beginning of an internal journey into new discoveries and a life full of meaning. Vocabulary Words:ancient: עתיקותpilgrims: עולים לרגלsolemnity: כובד ראשinquisitive: חקרניתroutine: שגרהbustling: הומהinner: פנימיconcentrate: מתרכזhustle: המולהweave: נשזרוsacred: קדושpleasant: נעיםelder: קשישdetermination: נחישותcope: להתמודדperspective: מבטopportunity: הזדמנותinsight: תובנהlink: חוליהcalm: רוגעconfidently: בביטחוןjourney: מסעmeaning: משמעותpride: גאהroots: שורשיםdedicate: להקדישgeneration: דורobserve: לצפותblend: שילובchallenge: אתגריםBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.
Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Finding Beauty in Imperfection: @Noam's Creative Journey Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-07-26-22-34-01-he Story Transcript:He: נעם ישב בצריף הקטן, מוקף בעצים ירוקים של יער שקט.En: @Noam sat in the small cabin, surrounded by the green trees of a quiet forest.He: השמש של הקיץ חיממה את כתפיו, והוא הביט בבד הלבן שנצב מולו.En: The summer sun warmed his shoulders, and he looked at the white canvas standing in front of him.He: כאן, בסדנת הציור הקיצית, הוא רצה ליצור את היצירה הטובה ביותר שלו.En: Here, at the summer painting workshop, he wanted to create his best work.He: טליה, המורה הוותיקה, הסתובבה בין התלמידים.En: Talia, the experienced teacher, moved among the students.He: "אל תפחדו מהבד הריק," היא אמרה בחיוך.En: "Don't be afraid of the blank canvas," she said with a smile.He: "תנו לעצמכם להרגיש את הקיץ.En: "Allow yourself to feel the summer.He: האווירה, הצבעים, החום.En: The atmosphere, the colors, the warmth."He: "אבל נעם הרגיש אחרת.En: But @Noam felt differently.He: הוא חשב על הציפיות שעל כתפיו.En: He thought about the expectations on his shoulders.He: הוא רצה שהיצירה שלו תהיה מושלמת, שתרשים את טליה ותראה לכולם מה הוא יכול.En: He wanted his work to be perfect, to impress Talia, and to show everyone what he could do.He: כשניסה להתחיל לצייר, ידיו רעדו מעט.En: When he tried to start painting, his hands trembled slightly.He: שעות עברו, והוא בקושי הצליח להניח כתם צבע אחד.En: Hours passed, and he barely managed to place a single spot of color.He: הוא ראה את שאר המשתתפים מנסים ונהנים, אבל תחושת אי הוודאות הפריעה לו.En: He saw the other participants trying and enjoying themselves, but the sense of uncertainty troubled him.He: הטיל ספק בכל החלטה אמנותית.En: He doubted every artistic decision.He: כשטליה התבוננה בעבודתו, היא חייכה בעדינות.En: When Talia observed his work, she smiled gently.He: "נעם, אולי תנסה לשחרר קצת?En: "@Noam, maybe try to let go a little?"He: " היא הציעה.En: she suggested.He: "אתה לא צריך להיות מושלם.En: "You don't have to be perfect.He: לפעמים היופי נמצא באי־שלמות.En: Sometimes beauty lies in imperfection."He: "נעם החשיב את הצעתה, ולראשונה החליט לוותר על הפחד.En: @Noam considered her suggestion, and for the first time decided to let go of fear.He: הוא לקח עמוק נשימה, והניח למכחול להתנועע יותר בחופשיות.En: He took a deep breath and allowed the brush to move more freely.He: הוא צייר את השמש, היער, ובסופו של דבר, תחושת הקיץ שהתגעגע אליה.En: He painted the sun, the forest, and eventually, the feeling of summer he missed.He: בסוף היום, נעם הסתכל על יצירתו המוגמרת.En: At the end of the day, @Noam looked at his finished piece.He: זה לא היה מושלם במובן מדויק, אבל הייתה בה חיות ורגש אמיתי.En: It wasn't perfect in the precise sense, but it had liveliness and true emotion.He: טליה נעמדה מאחוריו וסיפקה לו את החיוך שתמיד רצה.En: Talia stood behind him and gave him the smile he always wanted.He: "זה נפלא, נעם," היא אמרה.En: "This is wonderful, @Noam," she said.He: הרגשה חמימה מילאה את לבו.En: A warm feeling filled his heart.He: הוא הבין שהדרך היא החשובה, לא התוצאה המושלמת.En: He realized that the journey is what's important, not the perfect result.He: הוא הרגיש בטוח יותר, מוכן ליצור מתוך שמחה ולא מתוך פחד.En: He felt more confident, ready to create out of joy and not out of fear. Vocabulary Words:cabin: צריףcanvas: בדworkshop: סדנהexperienced: וותיקהatmosphere: אווירהdoubted: הטיל ספקartistic: אמנותיתimperfection: אי־שלמותconsidered: החשיבlivelihood: חיותemotional: רגשuncertainty: אי וודאותprecise: מדויקtrembled: רעדוfear: פחדconfidence: בטוחbrush: מכחולfreely: בחופשיותmissed: התגעגעwarmth: חוםjourney: דרךperfect: מושלםsuggestion: הצעהexpectations: ציפיותcreate: ליצורobserved: התבוננהtroubled: הפריעהdecision: החלטהstood: נעמדהattempt: ניסיוןBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.
0:00 "You picked the wrong guy" – the audiobook story 3:12 "You own [Comedy Cellar], one of New York's treasures" 7:28 The customer who will never tip again 15:41 Motivating a team after you've won: finite vs. infinite games 23:23 Noam doesn't like fine dining 39:55 Handling Google reviews & hunting down critics Noam sits down with Will Guidara — author of the New York Times bestseller Unreasonable Hospitality, former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park (named the best restaurant in the world under his leadership), and co-producer of The Bear — for a conversation between two obsessives who refuse to run their businesses as businesses. They compare notes on why the money has to be a byproduct, how to answer a customer who swears he'll never tip again, keeping a team motivated after you've won, why fine dining lost its way, tracking down anonymous Google reviewers, and why Will walked away from the top restaurant on earth to be a better dad.
Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Bonds Unbroken: A Tisha B'Av Farewell at Yafo Port Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-07-25-22-34-01-he Story Transcript:He: בשעות אחר הצהריים החמות של יפו, השמש זרחה על הנמל ואת ריחות הים המלוחים נשמעו סביב.En: In the hot afternoon hours of Yafo, the sun shone on the port and the salty sea smells filled the air.He: המים נצצים כמו יהלומים קטנים והשחפים מרחפים מעל.En: The water sparkled like little diamonds, and the seagulls hovered above.He: נועם, טליה ואלי ישבו על ספסל מול הים.En: Noam, Talia, and Eli sat on a bench facing the sea.He: אך השקט החיצוני לא שיקף את התסיסה הפנימית.En: However, the external quiet did not reflect the internal turmoil.He: נועם עמד לעזוב את ישראל.En: Noam was about to leave Israel.He: הציעו לו עבודה בחו"ל, עם הזדמנויות חדשות ומלהיבות.En: He was offered a job overseas with new and exciting opportunities.He: אך הידיעה הזו יצרה סערה בלבבות של חבריו הטובים ביותר.En: But this news stirred the hearts of his best friends.He: במיוחד טליה, שישבה בשקט, אזניה מצונפות כמו שאלה שמחזיקה דמעה חבויה.En: Especially Talia, who sat quietly, her ears tucked like someone holding back a hidden tear.He: אלי הביט בהבתיוול שלה וניסה לפנות אל נועם בדברים.En: Eli looked at her in her contemplation and tried to speak to Noam.He: "נועם, זה לא קל לנו.En: "Noam, this isn't easy for us.He: לא אחרי כל מה שעברנו ביחד," אמר אלי.En: Not after all we've been through together," said Eli.He: עיניו ניסו לשדר גם הבנה וגם שאלה.En: His eyes tried to convey both understanding and questioning.He: "אני יודע," השיב נועם, נמנע ממבט ישיר.En: "I know," replied Noam, avoiding direct eye contact.He: "אבל זו הזדמנות שאני לא יכול לוותר עליה.En: "But this is an opportunity I can't pass up.He: זה חלום שלי.En: It's my dream."He: "טליה הנידה בראשה, תחושות ההזנחה לא מרפות.En: Talia shook her head, feelings of neglect not letting go.He: "אתה יודע שזה לא רק עבודה, נכון?En: "You know it's not just a job, right?He: זה עוזב את הבית, עוזב אותנו.En: It's leaving home, leaving us."He: ""אני לא עוזב אתכם," השיב נועם, נשימת השקט מהים לאטחה עליו.En: "I'm not leaving you," responded Noam, the quiet breath from the sea enveloping him.He: "אני רק הולך למקום אחר.En: "I'm just going to a different place.He: לחוויות חדשות.En: For new experiences."He: "התפתחה שתיקה נוגעת ללב.En: A heartfelt silence developed.He: היה זה ט' באב, יום של התבוננות פנימית ואבל.En: It was Tisha B'Av, a day of internal reflection and mourning.He: האווירה הכבדה התאימה לתחושות שנשארו במילים.En: The heavy atmosphere matched the feelings left unsaid.He: אחרי כמה רגעים, אלי לקח נשימה עמוקה ואמר, "אולי אנחנו מבינים מה מניע אותך, נועם.En: After a few moments, Eli took a deep breath and said, "Maybe we understand what drives you, Noam.He: רק תזכור, הקשרים שלנו הם חלק ממי שאתה.En: Just remember, our connections are a part of who you are."He: "נועם הביט בחבריו.En: Noam looked at his friends.He: "אני יודע.En: "I know.He: אני באמת יודע.En: I really do.He: וזה לא פשוט לי לעזוב.En: And it's not easy for me to leave.He: אבל אני מבטיח, לא אשכח מהיכן באתי.En: But I promise, I won't forget where I came from."He: "טליה נתנה בו מבט, ונראה כי גם היא מרגישה את הצורך לשחרר מעט מהמתח שבתוכה.En: Talia gave him a look, and it seemed that she too felt the need to release some of the tension within her.He: "נדע לקבל את השינוי הזה.En: "We'll learn to accept this change.He: אנחנו נמשיך לשמור על הקשר," היא לחשה ופתחה את ידיה לחיבוק.En: We'll continue to keep in touch," she whispered and opened her arms for a hug.He: השלושה קמו, הביטו אל עבר הים שליו ושואג בו זמנית, ולעגו בין עצירותיהם על העדשות שבחרו.En: The three stood up, gazed towards the sea—both calm and roaring simultaneously—and joked in the pauses about the lenses they chose.He: הרגע הזה של פרידה בו הבינו שגם מרחק לא יכול לשבור את הקשר שנבנה ונשמר בליבם.En: This moment of farewell made them realize that even distance couldn't break the bond built and kept in their hearts.He: כך, על שפת הים של יפו, בין הבטחות לחוזר ובשיאו של יום ט' באב, הושג שלום פנימי.En: Thus, on the shores of Yafo, amidst promises to return and at the height of Tisha B'Av, internal peace was achieved.He: כולם ידעו ששינוי איננו חורבן, אלא הזדמנות חדשה לעמוד מולו ביחד, אם גם מרחוק.En: They all knew that change is not destruction but a new opportunity to face it together, even from afar. Vocabulary Words:hovered: מרחפיםturmoil: תסיסהoverseas: חו"לstirred: יצרה סערהconvey: לשדרneglect: הזנחהenveloping: לאטחהreflection: התבוננותmourning: אבלatmosphere: אווירהrealize: להביןbond: הקשרamidst: ביןdestruction: חורבןgazed: הביטוtension: מתחfarewell: פרידהnew experiences: חוויות חדשותopportunity: הזדמנותpromise: מבטיחinternal peace: שלום פנימיdrives: מניעcontemplation: הבתיוולhesitating: נמנעaccept: לקבלsparkled: נצציםdiamonds: יהלומיםbench: ספסלwhispered: לחשהrelease: לשחררBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.
Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Sandcastles and Laughter: A Day on Tel Aviv Beach Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-07-25-07-38-19-he Story Transcript:He: בלב קיץ לוהט, על חוף תל אביב מלא שמש ואנשים, מצאו את עצמם לאה, אריאל ונעם מחפשים אתגר.En: In the heart of a hot summer, on the sunlit and crowded Tel Aviv beach, Lea, Ariel, and Noam found themselves seeking a challenge.He: השלושה הביאו דלי, כף והרבה יצירתיות, וחלום אחד משותף: לבנות את ארמון החול הגבוה והמרשים ביותר שיזכה להערצת כל נופשי החוף.En: The trio brought a bucket, a spade, a lot of creativity, and one shared dream: to build the tallest and most impressive sandcastle that would earn the admiration of all the beachgoers.He: לאה, עם עניים מלאות נוצץ חלום, אמרה: "הארמון שלנו יהיה הגבוה ביותר!"En: Lea, her eyes filled with a shimmering dream, said, "Our castle will be the tallest!"He: אריאל, בצחוקו הנצחי הוסיף: "נתקע עליו דגל, כך כולם יידעו שזה ארמון החול של מועדון הפלאפל!".En: Ariel, with his eternal laugh, added, "We'll stick a flag on it, so everyone knows it's the sandcastle of the Falafel Club!"He: נעם, רציני כהרגלו, כבר התחשב באתגרים ההנדסיים: "אנחנו צריכים לשים חומה מסביב כדי שהים לא יחריב את כל החוויה".En: Noam, as serious as ever, was already considering the engineering challenges: "We need to put a wall around it so the sea won't ruin the entire experience."He: בזמן שהחול נשפך מהדלי ונערם למרומים, לאה התמלאה גאווה.En: As the sand poured from the bucket and piled up to great heights, Lea was filled with pride.He: אבל לפתע, הבחינה שהים מתגנב לאט ובוגדני.En: But suddenly, she noticed the sea creeping in, slowly and treacherously.He: "הא, תיזהרו! אולי תהיה פה אפוקליפסת ארמון חול!"En: "Hey, watch out! We might have a sandcastle apocalypse here!"He: אריאל צחק, והוסיף בדיחה נוספת על גלי צונאמי וחול.En: Ariel laughed and added another joke about tsunami waves and sand.He: אבל לבה של לאה כבר דאג קצת, והיא הפנתה את תשומת ליבה לנעם: "איך נתכנן את ההגנה שלנו?"En: But Lea was already a bit worried and turned her attention to Noam: "How do we plan our defense?"He: נעם הציע לבנות חומה עבה מסביב לארמון כדי להגן עליו מפני הגלים, אך לאה עדיין חששה מהשעון.En: Noam suggested building a thick wall around the castle to protect it from the waves, but Lea was still concerned about the clock.He: "אין לנו הרבה זמן", היא אמרה ולקחה נשימה עמוקה.En: "We don't have much time," she said, taking a deep breath.He: הארמון הלך וגדל, אך הגלים גם הלכו והתקדמו.En: The castle continued to grow, but so did the advancing waves.He: "מה נציל, את הארמון או את הזמן?" שאלה חשקיים.En: "What should we save, the castle or the time?" she asked pensively.He: רגע השיא הגיע כשהגלים החלו לגעת בחומה הראשונה.En: The climax came when the waves began to touch the first wall.He: במהירות וטבעיות כולם נרתמו לעבודה, השקענו את כל יכולתם - לאה היוצרת, אריאל החביב, ונעם שדרש שלמות הנדסית.En: Swiftly and naturally, everyone got to work, putting in all their effort—Lea the creative, Ariel the amiable, and Noam who demanded engineering perfection.He: הם לחצו בכפות ובידיים, ניסו להספיק לסיים בזמן.En: They pressed with spades and hands, trying to finish in time.He: אך אז גל אחד פגע בעוצמה.En: But then a wave hit with force.He: המים הרוסו את מבנה החול.En: The water destroyed the sand structure.He: לרגע נפשם התרוקנה, אבל בתוך רגע נוסף פרצו בצחוק גדול.En: For a moment, their spirits sank, but in the next moment, they burst into laughter.He: "זה היה מהיר מהמחשבה שלי!" אמר אריאל.En: "That was faster than I thought!" Ariel said.He: לאה, מחזיקה את בטנה מצחוק, ואמרה: "בואו נתחיל מחדש. הפעם נבנה בעזרת צחוק ובטוח יצליח!"En: Lea, holding her stomach from laughter, said, "Let's start over. This time, we'll build with laughter, and it will surely succeed!"He: השמש התחילה להיעלם באופק, והם המשיכו לבנות.En: The sun began to disappear on the horizon, and they kept building.He: הארמון נעלם, אבל החברות נשארה חזקה יותר מתמיד.En: The castle vanished, but the friendship remained stronger than ever.He: לאה למדה ליהנות מכל רגע עם חבריה, והבינה כי לפעמים הדרך חשובה יותר מהיעד עצמו.En: Lea learned to enjoy every moment with her friends, realizing that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination itself.He: תם, אך לא נשלם.En: The end, but not the conclusion. Vocabulary Words:challenge: אתגרcreativity: יצירתיותadmiration: הערצהeternal: נצחיengineering: הנדסייםtreacherously: בוגדניapocalypse: אפוקליפסdefense: הגנהconsidering: מתחשבthick: עבהpensively: חשקייםswiftly: במהירותamiable: החביבperfection: שלמותvanish: נעלםsunlit: מלא שמשshimmering: נוצץruin: יחריבadvance: התקדמוhorizon: אופקspirits: נפשםrevelation: גילויconclusion: נשלםstructure: מבנהimpressive: מרשיםpride: גאווהmoment: רגעjourney: דרךdestination: יעדseeking: מחפשיםBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.
0:00 "You picked the wrong guy" – the audiobook story 3:12 "You own [Comedy Cellar], one of New York's treasures" 7:28 The customer who will never tip again 15:41 Motivating a team after you've won: finite vs. infinite games 23:23 Noam doesn't like fine dining 39:55 Handling Google reviews & hunting down critics Noam sits down with Will Guidara — author of the New York Times bestseller Unreasonable Hospitality, former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park (named the best restaurant in the world under his leadership), and co-producer of The Bear — for a conversation between two obsessives who refuse to run their businesses as businesses. They compare notes on why the money has to be a byproduct, how to answer a customer who swears he'll never tip again, keeping a team motivated after you've won, why fine dining lost its way, tracking down anonymous Google reviewers, and why Will walked away from the top restaurant on earth to be a better dad.
0:00 The friend he hasn't seen since sixth grade 5:16 Angelina Jolie, BRCA, and the 20% nobody tells women about 18:23 What a cancer cell actually is - and why tumors evolve 26:31 How cancer actually kills you, and what a seizure is 32:14 The last cigarette: why he can't take the test every week 46:27 The best medicine in the world, and who can't get to it 1:03:23 Telling a family there's nothing left Noam hadn't seen Kenan Onel since high school in Ardsley, where Onel graduated first in the class and Noam, by his own account, drifted somewhere well below. Fifty years later Onel runs genetics and genomics at Roswell Park - the only comprehensive cancer center in all of western New York - and Noam has one thing he wants to ask him about. He's afraid of cancer. His grandfather died of it. His father died of it. He's taken the Grail blood test, it came back clean, and he wants to know why he can't just take it every week. What follows is part reunion and part interrogation. Onel explains what a cancer cell actually is, why tumors evolve like finches in the Galapagos, and what is physically happening to someone during a seizure. He explains how cancer kills - the mechanism, organ by organ. And he tells Noam that the test he's counting on just failed its biggest trial in the UK, which sets off the real argument of the hour: whether a guideline written for a population means anything at all to the one person sitting in the chair. Then, near the end, Noam asks how you tell a family there's nothing left to offer. The answer is the best thing in the episode. Also: the 20% of women who are high-risk and have never been told, the doctor who warned Noam that Pellegrino was bad for his son's bones, a scan booked by 4pm the next afternoon, and one entire podcast without mentioning Israel. Dr. Kenan Onel is Chief of the Division of Genetics and Genomics and Director of the Center for Precision Oncology and Cancer Prevention at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Live from the Table is the official podcast of the world-famous Comedy Cellar.
Tisha BAv Kinnos shiur given by Rabbi Noam Peikes on Kinnah 26-Az Bahaloch. Shiur given in Yeshivas Ohr Reuven, Monsey NY.
0:00 The friend he hasn't seen since sixth grade 5:16 Angelina Jolie, BRCA, and the 20% nobody tells women about 18:23 What a cancer cell actually is - and why tumors evolve 26:31 How cancer actually kills you, and what a seizure is 32:14 The last cigarette: why he can't take the test every week 46:27 The best medicine in the world, and who can't get to it 1:03:23 Telling a family there's nothing left Noam hadn't seen Kenan Onel since high school in Ardsley, where Onel graduated first in the class and Noam, by his own account, drifted somewhere well below. Fifty years later Onel runs genetics and genomics at Roswell Park - the only comprehensive cancer center in all of western New York - and Noam has one thing he wants to ask him about. He's afraid of cancer. His grandfather died of it. His father died of it. He's taken the Grail blood test, it came back clean, and he wants to know why he can't just take it every week. What follows is part reunion and part interrogation. Onel explains what a cancer cell actually is, why tumors evolve like finches in the Galapagos, and what is physically happening to someone during a seizure. He explains how cancer kills - the mechanism, organ by organ. And he tells Noam that the test he's counting on just failed its biggest trial in the UK, which sets off the real argument of the hour: whether a guideline written for a population means anything at all to the one person sitting in the chair. Then, near the end, Noam asks how you tell a family there's nothing left to offer. The answer is the best thing in the episode. Also: the 20% of women who are high-risk and have never been told, the doctor who warned Noam that Pellegrino was bad for his son's bones, a scan booked by 4pm the next afternoon, and one entire podcast without mentioning Israel. Dr. Kenan Onel is Chief of the Division of Genetics and Genomics and Director of the Center for Precision Oncology and Cancer Prevention at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Live from the Table is the official podcast of the world-famous Comedy Cellar.
Please take a few minutes to fill out this short survey. Go to: unpacked.bio/podsurvey. We want to hear from you! How do you even begin to define love? How are we supposed to balance love of family with “love thy neighbor?” These are the kinds of questions Rabbi Shai Held tries to tackle in his latest book, Judaism Is About Love. Shai is President and Dean of Hadar and host of the podcast Answers WithHeld. Together with Mijal and Noam, he wonders about how to balance the needs of our Jewish family with the biggest family of all: humanity. For more on Shai's book visit https://hadar.org/torah-tefillah/books/judaism-about-love And be sure to check out Shai's podcast, Answers WithHeld: https://www.hadar.org/torah-tefillah/podcasts/welcome-answers-withheld Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. Follow @wonderingjews on Instagram, and watch and subscribe on YouTube. ------------ This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. Subscribe to the Unpacked newsletter: https://unpacked.bio/22f7b4 For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Jewish History Nerds Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History
Please fill out this short survey. Go to: unpacked.bio/podsurvey. We want to hear from you! A man is detained over a kippah bearing both the Israeli and Palestinian flags. Was it legal? Noam unpacks the surprising history of the Palestinian flag, why Israel once banned it, and why it remains one of the country's most contested symbols. Here are pictures of Alex Sinclair's kippah: https://www.timesofisrael.com/keeping-his-head-educator-detained-for-dual-israeli-palestinian-flag-kippa-dons-replacement/ Check out our episode Oslo: The Peace That Wasn't https://unpacked.media/oslo-the-peace-that-wasnt-2/ Here's a link to sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17R5PM2yXabVEqMKD465pAxKSGVxNINXPwzDLUFWg3VQ/edit?usp=sharing This episode is sponsored by Karen and Mark Holzberg in recognition of the important work OpenDor Media's ConnectEd program is doing with independent private schools. To sponsor an episode or to be in touch, please email noam@unpacked.media. Check out our episodes on Youtube. This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. ------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Jewish History Nerds Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Wondering Jews
Noam and Jen spend a little time talking about things like Iran and what's going on now before getting into the most important topic of the year: Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Spoiler alert - it's a good movie and will win many awards. We discuss the movie itself and, of course, the extremely weird online reactions to the movie and its success. Just a good, old fashioned Ambitious Crossover Attempt episode, like we used to be able to make before everything went pear shaped.
Dans ce deuxième épisode de Vulgaire le jeu, on plonge dans "Bossypants", l'autobiographie de Tina Fey
Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Ari's Underground Quest: Science, Friendship & Triumph Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-07-17-22-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: בּוּקר אחד חם בקיץ, בתוך בּוּנקר תת-קרקעי חשוך וישן, נערה בשם ארי פוסעת בחשש פנימה.En: One hot morning in the summer, inside a dark and old underground bunker, a girl named Ari walked in cautiously.He: הקירות מבטון עתיק, וכל סביב יש ציוד מדעי ישן שמריח קצת כמו אֲבָק.En: The walls were made of ancient concrete, and all around was old scientific equipment that smelled a bit like dust.He: ארי רצתה לבצע ניסוי מדעי חדשני שבוודאי ירשים את כל חבריה לכיתה.En: Ari wanted to carry out an innovative scientific experiment that would certainly impress all her classmates.He: ליד ארי עמד שולחן גדול שעליו מונחים כלים הזרים לעיניה.En: Next to Ari stood a large table with tools unfamiliar to her eyes.He: היא שאפה להביא הארה מלומדת לחברים שלה, שחשבו שהיא שקטה מדי.En: She aspired to bring learned enlightenment to her friends, who thought she was too quiet.He: המִקום היה קסום בעיניה אך בעייתי: קטן, חשוך, וצפוף.En: The place was enchanting in her eyes but problematic: small, dark, and cramped.He: התחלה לא טובה לניסוי מורכב כמו שלה.En: Not a good start for a complex experiment like hers.He: נחושה להפוך כל קושי להזדמנות, היא גיבשה רעיון: להתאים את הניסוי שלה למקום המוגבל.En: Determined to turn every difficulty into an opportunity, she formulated an idea: to adapt her experiment to the limited space.He: אבל איך עושים את זה לבד?En: But how to do that alone?He: כאן נכנסו לתמונה נעם ויעל.En: This is where Noam and Yael came into the picture.He: הם לא ידעו עד כמה הם יוכלו לעזור לה.En: They didn't know how much they would be able to help her.He: "אני צריכה עזרה," ארי אמרה לבסוף, כששיניה רוקעות מרוב פאניקה.En: "I need help," Ari finally said, her teeth chattering from the panic.He: נעם עם עיניו מלאות הברק ויעל שעזבה לרגע את ספריה, מבינים את דחיפותה של ארי, הצטרפו מבלי להתבלבל.En: Noam, with his eyes full of sparkle, and Yael, who momentarily left her books, understood Ari's urgency and joined without hesitation.He: כל אחד מהם הביא רעיון.En: Each of them brought an idea.He: המַשְמָעָות הייתה ברורה: לשתף פעולה ולחשוב יחד, כדי שיוכלו להתגבר על כל מכשול.En: The implication was clear: collaborate and think together so they could overcome any obstacle.He: ומכשול כזה הגיע אליהם במהרה: מכשיר חשוב בניסוי נתקע, ולא עבד בצורה חיובית.En: And such an obstacle arrived quickly: an important device in the experiment got stuck and wasn't working properly.He: במקום להתייאש, ארי זכרה את המשפטים התמכים של חבריה, ואת כל מה שלמדה בשיעורים.En: Instead of giving up, Ari remembered her friends' supportive words and everything she had learned in class.He: יחד, הם החלו להמציא פתרון מהיר ויצירתי.En: Together, they began to invent a quick and creative solution.He: הַמזור שהם מצאו היה פשוט ואפקטיבי, והניסוי הצליח!En: The remedy they found was simple and effective, and the experiment succeeded!He: ארי הבינה משהו חשוב באותו רגע: החלוקים שבין עזרה לפגיעה הם דקים אך חיוניים.En: Ari realized something important at that moment: the thin, yet crucial, line between help and harm.He: הביטחון של ארי בעצמה עלה, והיא הבינה את כוחו של צוות.En: Ari's confidence in herself increased, and she understood the power of teamwork.He: בסופו של היום, החום בקיץ היה פחות מורגש כשהחברים חגגו את הצלחתם.En: At the end of the day, the summer heat was less noticeable as the friends celebrated their success.He: באותה חוויית מעבדה קטנה בבונקר חשוך, התגלתה לארי ולחבריה לא רק דרך חדשה במדע, אלא גם משהו עמוק הרבה יותר - חשיבותה של עבודת צוות וחברות אמת.En: In that small laboratory experience in the dark bunker, not only did Ari and her friends discover a new path in science, but also something much deeper - the importance of teamwork and true friendship. Vocabulary Words:bunker: בּוּנקרcautiously: בחששconcrete: בטוןdust: אֲבָקinnovative: חדשניaspired: שאפהenlightenment: הארה מלומדתenchanting: קסוםproblematic: בעייתיcramped: צפוףdetermined: נחושהformulated: גיבשהadapt: להתאיםimplication: המַשְמָעָותobstacle: מכשולovercome: להתגברchattering: רוקעותurgency: דחיפותהhesitation: בלי להתבלבלcollaborate: לשתף פעולהremedy: הַמזורeffective: אפקטיביcrucial: חיונייםconfidence: ביטחוןsupportive: תמכיםinvent: להמציאsolution: פתרוןharm: פגיעהcelebrated: חגגוlaboratory: מעבדהBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.
CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro - four nice things about Peter Beinart 4:50 Will God punish Israel? Jeremiah, tradition, and belief 13:20 The critical-mass hypothetical: a 49% Hasidic America 22:03 Quebec, Czechoslovakia, South Africa - why not divorce? 41:35 The right of return: "You can cherry-pick anything" 54:24 1948: They were closer to the Holocaust than we are to COVID 63:40 Day one of a one-state solution: the list 79:53 "An agenda dressed up in violins" Claude Says: Peter Beinart - editor-at-large of Jewish Currents, New York Times opinion writer, and author of "Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza" - joins Noam Dworman and Dan Naturman for an honest, occasionally heated conversation about the questions underneath the Israel-Palestine debate. Does Jewish tradition teach that Israel's survival depends on its ethics - and does Beinart, an observant Jew, mean that literally? Is there such a thing as demographic critical mass? Why is secession the answer everywhere from Quebec to Czechoslovakia, but one shared state the answer here? Is the Palestinian right of return a sacred principle, a practical question, or - as Noam puts it - "an agenda dressed up in violins"? Plus: South Africa and Mandela, Iran, the Olmert-Abbas offers, what Benny Morris actually wrote about 1948, Robert Jackson's "suicide pact," and what day one of a one-state solution would look like for a gay couple in Tel Aviv. Two people who disagree about almost everything - except the settlements - actually talk to each other. Peter's book: Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza https://bit.ly/4ygbHH8 Peter's Substack: The Beinart Notebook https://peterbeinart.substack.com/
Please take a few minutes to fill out this short survey. Go to: unpacked.bio/podsurvey. We want to hear from you! Actress and philanthropist Moran Atias was raised in a Moroccan Jewish home that expected her to marry young and have children, just like the generations before her. Her mother married at 18. Her grandmother was wed at the age of 12. When Moran broke from that tradition, it threatened to tear her family apart. In this deeply personal conversation, Moran shares her unforgettable journey towards motherhood with Noam and Mijal. To check out Moran's TED Talk, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO1CBhA67Hs And don't miss Moran's latest TV credit, Joseph of Egypt, when it drops on Amazon Prime! Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. Follow @wonderingjews on Instagram, and watch and subscribe on YouTube. ------------ This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. Subscribe to the Unpacked newsletter: https://unpacked.bio/22f7b4 For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Jewish History Nerds Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History
Please fill out this short survey. Go to: unpacked.bio/podsurvey. We want to hear from you! Noam sits down with Haviv Rettig Gur in Jerusalem to unpack why Israel feels like a tinderbox, whether it's time to retire the word "Zionism," the debate over Palestinian identity, and what the future holds for the US Israel alliance. Fresh off three intense days traveling the country, from the Gaza border to Jerusalem's Old City, Haviv challenges assumptions on the left and the right, offering a provocative look at where Israel is headed. This episode of Unpacking Israeli History is sponsored by Andrea & Larry Gill and is in memory of Leo M. Bernstein. To sponsor an episode or to be in touch, please email noam@unpacked.media. Check out our episodes on Youtube. This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. ------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Jewish History Nerds Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Wondering Jews
Jen and Noam record a day late because they were busy mourning the loss of Lindsey Graham. OK not really, but we did have to push back recording to make sure we could get a full headcount on current GOP leadership and their health status. Luckily Mitch McConnell also made an appearance (kinda) after being MIA for a month, but it's fair to say we have a bit of an old man problem going on. As for the other Graham that left us last week, Graham Platner's Senate run finally came down in flames after Politico ran the story the NYT wouldn't detailing the sexual assault allegations against him. Not that he went quietly - he recorded an 11 minute selfie video telling us all how this was not his fault and it's all because (((they))) don't want him around. We're also learning some wild stuff about the duo that found him in the first place, including the usual nepo baby reveal. They are all like this, every damn time. For our WAWC, Noam and Jen can actually talk about the same things again! We both have read and recommend There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm, and we both agree it would be a good candidate for the emerging trend of finding buzzy online horror stories to turn into movies. We do a little chatting about this week's episode of HotD since we recorded on a Monday, and also on the new Ghost In The Shell anime currently airing on Amazon.
Noam Segal is a longtime research leader across Airbnb, Meta, Twitter, Zapier, Intercom, and Figma, a certified coach, AI builder, and my community research lead. Together, we run the annual Tech Worker Sentiment Survey, now in its second year and one of the largest of its kind: a quantitative study of how people in tech actually feel about their jobs, AI, burnout, and the future of their careers. This year's survey captured responses from thousands of workers across product, engineering, design, research, marketing, data, and sales, and the results are striking.In our in-depth conversation, we discuss:1. Why AI has split the tech workforce almost exactly in half—one half that's thriving, another that's shaken2. The four emotional archetypes defining tech workers right now (the Energized, the Conflicted, the Disoriented, and the Resentful)3. Why burnout has jumped an alarming 11 points in a single year4. Why nobody in tech would recommend their job to someone entering the industry today5. The #1 fear in tech right now (it's not job loss to AI)6. Why managers are the single biggest lever for employee well-being7. Concrete advice for what employees and leaders can do right now—Brought to you by:WorkOS—Make your app enterprise-ready, with SSO, SCIM, RBAC, and more: https://workos.com/lennyMercury—Radically different banking, now with Command: https://mercury.com/command?utm_source=lennys&utm_medium=sponsored_newsletter&utm_campaign=26q3_brand_campaign—Episode transcript: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-tech-workers-actually-feel-about—Archive of all Lenny's Podcast transcripts: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/yxi4s2w998p1gvtpu4193/AMdNPR8AOw0lMklwtnC0TrQ?rlkey=j06x0nipoti519e0xgm23zsn9&st=ahz0fj11&dl=0—Where to find Noam Segal:• X: https://x.com/noamseg• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noamsegal—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Noam Segal(02:34) About the survey: methodology and scope(06:04) The core finding: AI has split the tech workforce in half(13:03) The AI identity stance(14:40) The four archetypes: Energized, Conflicted, Disoriented, Resentful(19:35) Burnout is surging (and why shipping faster is making it worse)(22:53) A glimmer of hope(24:55) Layoff worries(29:15) The career recommendation NPS score(36:45) The ladder metaphor: rungs disappearing beneath our feet(45:14) AI is making us faster, not better(52:53) The #1 fear: being squeezed to do more for the same pay(55:55) The emotional landscape and “smiling exhaustion”(01:01:02) Designers and researchers: the most negative group two years running(01:06:27) Who's happiest(01:12:18) Managers: the single biggest lever on well-being(01:18:47) The industry is “chaotic”(01:24:53) What employees and leaders can do right now(01:31:32) AI guilt and closing thoughts—Referenced:• How tech workers are feeling in 2026: a workforce splitting in two: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-tech-workers-are-feeling-in-2026• How tech's most resilient workers handle burnout: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-techs-most-resilient-workers• Please stop the AI Confidence Theater: https://www.elenaverna.com/p/please-stop-the-ai-confidence-theater• Velocity over everything: How Ramp became the fastest-growing SaaS startup of all time | Geoff Charles (VP of Product): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/velocity-over-everything-how-ramp• NPS Is The Worst: https://www.npsistheworst.com• The Terminator: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088247• Skynet: https://terminator.fandom.com/wiki/Skynet• Inside Devin: The world's first autonomous AI engineer that's set to write 50% of its company's code by end of year | Scott Wu (CEO and co-founder of Cognition): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-devin-scott-wu• Devin: https://devin.ai• An AI state of the union: We've passed the inflection point, dark factories are coming, and automation timelines | Simon Willison: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/an-ai-state-of-the-union• Redeploying Fable 5: https://www.anthropic.com/news/redeploying-fable-5• Why half of product managers are in trouble | Nikhyl Singhal (Meta, Google): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/why-half-of-product-managers-are-in-trouble• Inside Linear: Building with taste, craft, and focus | Karri Saarinen (co-founder, designer, CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-linear-building-with-taste• Building beautiful products with Stripe's Head of Design | Katie Dill (Stripe, Airbnb, Lyft): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-beautiful-products-with• The design process is dead. Here's what's replacing it. | Jenny Wen (head of design at Claude): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-design-process-is-dead• OpenAI Codex lead on the new shape of product work | Andrew Ambrosino: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/openai-codex-lead-on-the-new-shape• Elon Musk: ‘Chances are we're all living in a simulation': https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/02/elon-musk-tesla-space-x-paypal-hyperloop-simulation—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com
Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: A Floral Memory: Love Blooms in the Garden's Heart Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-07-12-22-34-00-he Story Transcript:He: אבי עמד בכניסה לגן הבוטני.En: Avi stood at the entrance to the botanical garden.He: האוויר היה חם ובפנים הפרחים פרחו בצבעים עזים.En: The air was warm, and inside, the flowers bloomed in vibrant colors.He: הדרך ללב הגן הייתה פתלתלה, מלאה צמחיה מרהיבה ושלטי הסבר על המינים השונים.En: The path to the heart of the garden was winding, filled with magnificent vegetation and explanatory signs about the different species.He: אבל אבי חשב רק על פרח אחד – זה שסבתא שלו אהבה כל כך.En: But Avi thought only about one flower - the one his grandmother loved so much.He: הוא הבטיח שהיום הוא יראה אותו.En: He promised that today he would see it.He: יעל עמדה לידו, מחייכת.En: Yael stood next to him, smiling.He: היא תמיד הייתה לצידו, תומכת בחלומות שלו.En: She was always by his side, supporting his dreams.He: אולי היום תספר לו על הרגשות שלה כלפיו.En: Perhaps today she would tell him about her feelings toward him.He: אבל קודם הפרח.En: But first, the flower.He: "הגובה הזה של אנשים משוגע," יעל אמרה.En: "This crowd of people is crazy," Yael said.He: "איך נצליח להגיע?En: "How will we manage to get there?"He: "אבי השפיל מבט.En: Avi lowered his gaze.He: לא היה לו זמן לחשוב על פתרונות, כי לידם עמד נועם, היריב הוותיק שלו מהאוניברסיטה.En: He didn't have time to think of solutions because Noam, his long-time rival from university, was standing nearby.He: נועם היה עסוק בחיפוש דרכים משלו להגיע אל הפרח ולתעד אותו.En: Noam was busy finding his own ways to reach the flower and document it.He: המשחק הפעם היה על היוקרה והפרסום.En: The game this time was about prestige and publicity.He: אבל בשביל אבי זה היה אישי.En: But for Avi, it was personal.He: "אבי, אני חושבת שאולי נוכל למצוא דרך אחרת," יעל הציעה וניגשה למפה של הגן.En: "Avi, I think we might find another way," Yael suggested and approached the garden's map.He: "אולי יש פינה שקטה ואנחנו יכולים לראות משם.En: "Maybe there's a quiet corner, and we can see from there."He: "לפני שאבי הבין, הם התחילו לזוז, עוקפים אנשים ומשיגים זווית ראייה משלהם.En: Before Avi realized, they started moving, weaving through people and finding their own viewpoint.He: אבל בדיוק כשהגיעו לשיחים קרובים, ראה מישהו מהצוות והם נתפסו.En: But just as they reached some nearby bushes, a staff member noticed them, and they were caught.He: "היא לאישה הזו אני אספר על סבתא שלי," אבי לחש ליעל.En: "I'll tell this lady about my grandmother," Avi whispered to Yael.He: מנהל הגן, איש מבוגר עם פנים רציניות, ניגש אליהם.En: The garden manager, an elderly man with a serious face, approached them.He: אבי סיפר לו על סבתא שלו, איך הייתה לוקחת אותו לראות פרחים והייתה מחייכת כשהפרח הזה הוזכר.En: Avi told him about his grandmother, how she used to take him to see flowers and would smile when that particular flower was mentioned.He: "זו לא רק סיבה אישית.En: "It's not just a personal reason.He: זה גם כבוד.En: It's also an honor."He: "המנהל הבין והנהן.En: The manager understood and nodded.He: "בואו, אני אתן לכם הצצה מכובדת.En: "Come on, I'll give you a respectable glimpse."He: "אבי ויעל התקרבו אל הפרח.En: Avi and Yael moved closer to the flower.He: הוא היה יפהפה, זורח בצבעים שקשה לתאר.En: It was beautiful, shining in colors that were hard to describe.He: אבי הרגיש משוחרר סוף סוף.En: Avi felt finally free.He: הוא ידע שלעולם לא היה מגיע לרגע הזה בלי יעל.En: He knew he would never have reached this moment without Yael.He: הוא חייך אליה והם התחלקו ברגע שבו הפרח היה הרבה יותר מאשר פרח, הוא היה זיכרון, הוא היה אהבה.En: He smiled at her, and they shared the moment where the flower was much more than a flower; it was a memory, it was love. Vocabulary Words:entrance: כניסהbotanical: בוטניbloomed: פרחוvibrant: עזיםwinding: פתלתלהmagnificent: מרהיבהvegetation: צמחיהspecies: מיניםcrowd: הגובהmanage: נצליחlowered: השפילgaze: מבטsolutions: פתרונותrival: יריבdocument: לתעדprestige: יוקרהpublicity: פרסוםweaving: עוקפיםviewpoint: זווית ראייהbushes: שיחיםstaff: הצוותcaught: נתפסוwhispered: לחשהglimpse: הצצהrespectable: מכובדתfree: משוחררshared: התחלקוmemory: זיכרוןfeelings: הרגשותelderly: מבוגרBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.
Please take a few minutes to fill out this short survey. Go to: unpacked.bio/podsurvey. We want to hear from you! As Mijal and Noam explore the idea of "family" through the Jewish lens, it's necessary to step back and wonder if the Jewish people are an extended family of their own. We're off this week, so we're revisiting an episode from last fall, where are hosts start with a basic question: What is Judaism? Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. Follow @wonderingjews on Instagram, and watch and subscribe on YouTube. ------------ This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. Subscribe to the Unpacked newsletter: https://unpacked.bio/22f7b4 For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Jewish History Nerds Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History
Please fill out this short survey. Go to: unpacked.bio/podsurvey. We want to hear from you! Fifty years ago, Air France Flight 139 took off from Tel Aviv on the morning of June 27, 1976. No one could have suspected that the soon-to-be-hijacked flight was about to lead to one of the world's most daring and risky rescue missions. To mark 50 years since the raid, we're bringing back one of our favorite episodes: Noam unpacks Operation Thunderbolt, Israel's secret operation to rescue the hostages at Entebbe, and asks whether this story has enduring lessons for us today. This episode is generously sponsored by Marci and Alex S. Kaufman. To sponsor an episode or to be in touch, please email noam@unpacked.media. Check out our episodes on Youtube. This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. ------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Jewish History Nerds Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Wondering Jews
Noam and Jen finish up their America250 celebrations in time to record an episode this week, because woo boy last week was a doozy. SCOTUS handed down their long waited but predictable (kinda?) decision upholding birthright citizenship, along with a few other notable decisions involving executive power and campaign finance. Speaking of campaigns, Platner's isn't going so well now that he's out of the primary, and the knives are starting to come out. For this week's WAWC, Noam recommends the video game Cairn, which does a great job of simulating the stress of actual rock climbing. Jen recommends Smoking Behind The Supermarket With You, a nice romance anime featuring full grown adults.
A conversation about the future of Israel and world Jewry. Can Israel protect itself without becoming a global pariah? Did Hamas gamble that even losing the war could pull Israel into isolation? Noam and Sobelman discuss occupation, unilateral withdrawal, the settler movement, Jewish vulnerability abroad, and the difficult tradeoffs now shaping Israel's future. 00:00 Intro: Daniel Sobelman returns 03:47 Israel after October 7: a new era for Jews and Israel 08:58 Sobelman: October 7 as a nuclear-level shock 11:48 Why Israel was blamed before it responded 15:50 Hamas's strategy: provoke a war and isolate Israel 22:35 Occupation, moral corrosion, and the West Bank dilemma 32:23 Could Israeli initiative restore its global standing? 34:03 Settlers, politics, and the failed path of unilateral withdrawal 41:29 Israel as both Jewish safety net and source of Jewish vulnerability 52:02 Resistance vs normalization: the future of the Middle East Daniel Sobelman is a professor of international relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Middle East Initiative. Read his book, "Axis of Resistance" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D9L7QQNN?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback
Please fill out this short survey. Go to: unpacked.bio/podsurvey. We want to hear from you! Does identity define us or limit us? Noam searches for answers with Nuseir Yassin, better known as internet personality Nas Daily. Nas Daily, has 68 million followers and a media company reaching 300 million people a month. He is also Israeli and Arab, and the world keeps telling him to pick one. This is not a political episode. It's a conversation about identity, belonging, and what it costs to hold complicated truths. This episode is dedicated in memory of Armand Lindenbaum, the grandson of Rav Avigdor Amiel, by his wife, Jean, and children, Felice, Amiel, and Ariel Lindenbaum-Sebag. To sponsor an episode or to be in touch, please email noam@unpacked.media. Check out our episodes on Youtube. This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. ------------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Jewish History Nerds Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Wondering Jews
Was the MOU a good idea? Noam says yes, the Professor says no. The Table is joined by Kian Tajbakhsh. They discuss his years as a political prisoner in Iran, the psychology of the Iranian regime, why he believes Iran's leaders genuinely seek Israel's destruction and what the West continues to misunderstand about the Middle East. He also weighs in on Trump, the latest U.S.-Iran developments and the future of the region. Kian Tajbakhsh is Visiting Professor of International Relations at NYU and Fellow at Columbia University's Committee on Global Thought. An Iranian-American scholar of Middle East geopolitics and Iranian politics, he previously worked as a democracy and human rights advocate inside Iran. He spent nearly 13 months in Tehran's Evin Prison, including 8 months in solitary confinement in a high-security IRGC wing, followed by 6 years under house arrest as a political prisoner, before being released as part of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. He is the author of Creating Local Democracy in Iran (Cambridge University Press 2022). His essays have appeared in The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, Project Syndicate, and his analysis has been featured on NBC, CNN, BBC, CBC, and NPR. He writes and comments frequently on Iranian politics, regional geopolitics, and democratic reform; author of The Iran Crisis Notebook on Substack. www.kiantajbakhsh.net kian.substack.com CHAPTERS 02:20 Arrested by Iran & Life in Solitary Confinement 16:20 House Arrest and Release 20:30 October 7 and America's Blind Spot 23:00 Why Iran Wants to Destroy Israel 35:50 Trump, Iran, and the New Middle East Strategy 49:20 Was Trump's Deal a Mistake?
Sean Rameswaram, co-host of Today, Explained, recently went on a dairy adventure. Noam talks to Sean about what he learned, and about why raw milk is gaining popularity, even though there are significant health risks. Guest: Sean Rameswaram, co-host of Today, Explained For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable (and get ad-free episodes) by becoming a Vox Member today: vox.com/members Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
She escaped an arranged marriage the DAY AFTER her mother died…and what happened next will leave you speechless.In this unforgettable episode of Mayim Bialik's Breakdown, Zarna Garg reveals the raw, shocking, and deeply inspiring story behind her rise, from fleeing tradition under unimaginable circumstances to becoming one of the boldest voices in comedy today.After losing her mother, Zarna made a life-altering decision overnight—running away from an arranged marriage and surviving by couch surfing for 2 years. What kept her going? A surprising legacy of kindness her mom left behind that saved her life.From immigrating to America with nothing, to redefining her identity on her own terms, Zarna shares what America truly means to her and why she believes destiny had a hand in her success.She opens up about love, loss, and rebellion - how she navigated dating solo (including her wildly unique online dating ad!) and ultimately found her perfect match.Encouraged by her own kids, Zarna took a leap into stand-up comedy...and never looked back. Today, she's breaking stereotypes, pushing boundaries, and challenging cultural norms with every punchline.Zarna addresses the backlash she faced for performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival—and why she did it anyway, hoping to inspire women in marginalized communities.She gets real about the tough questions:- Did her father's death change how she sees karma?- Why should you NEVER ask your partner “what are you thinking?”- Is Western culture completely misunderstanding yoga?- Are beauty standards harsher in India or America?Plus, her hilarious takes on:- Growing up influenced by American culture & sibling birth order- Why she loves Mayim's "Amy Farrah Fowler" character from The Big Bang Theory- Balancing cultural pride without “demonizing” her roots for Western audiences Zarna also shares her powerful belief that ALL religions hold value, and how she's built her own philosophy by taking the best from each.This is more than comedy. It's survival, rebellion, identity, and destiny...all wrapped in one incredible story you don't want to miss. Her perspective might completely change how you see culture, courage, and what it really means to choose your own life!Go to https://bioptimizers.com/breaker and use code BREAKER for 15% off. 2026 is the year you finally start sleeping great again.Go to https://tidd.ly/4uVltMe and use the code MAYIM50 to get $50 off your Elastique order.Check out Wondering Jews with Mijal and Noam podcast and subscribe: https://unpacked.bio/nmxGet the Discounted Early Bird registration to the IANDS Annual conference before the sale ends July 15. Visit https://conference.iands.orgSee Zarna Garg on The Million Dollar Excuses Tour: https://zarnagarbtour.com/Follow us on Substack for Exclusive Bonus Content: https://bialikbreakdown.substack.com/BialikBreakdown.comYouTube.com/mayimbialikSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.