Sharing The Voices of Israel

Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan has long prided itself on its deep connection to Israel; in fact, that connection is one of our core values.

In May 2015, the JCC demonstrated its commitment to that value when it first collaborated with Israel Story, a podcast which has been characterized as the Israeli version of This American Life. The result was a multimedia program called Israel Story Live.

Israel Story Live was conceived to share podcasts that focus on everyday Israelis with American audiences that don't have regular access to thoughtful, provocative, and entertaining material on Israeli culture and life. Through storytelling, animation, video, and music, it aims to amplify Israeli voices and stories rarely heard in the mainstream community.

Creating a podcast may very well have been the furthest thing from Israel Story cocreator Mishy Harman's mind when he set out on a road trip through 32 American states in 2011 before returning to Israel to begin his Ph.D. studies. "My best friend downloaded hundreds of episodes of This American Life to my phone," he recalls. Harman had never even heard of podcasts, much less listened to any. When he heard his first episode, "it left me so speechless I had to pull over."

Harman was hooked. "From that moment on, I listened exclusively to the show. For the first time, I understood what life looked like from different vantage points. It didn't take me long to figure out that this was going to be my next project."

Returning to Israel, Harman recruited three childhood friends to come on board. The only problem: No one knew anything about radio. It was a year before they completed their first episode. What began solely for friends and family started to gain an audience and soon went viral. Not long afterward, Israel Story had a prime-time slot on Israeli national radio.

The collaboration between Harman's team and the JCC was initially envisioned as a one-time event, for the JCC's Yom Ha'atzmaut celebration in 2015. "I had heard the podcast of their English radio shows through the online magazine Tablet, and thought it would be great to bring them to New York City," says Megan Whitman, director of The Lambert Center for Arts + Ideas at Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan.

Harman was less confident. "When we showed up with our first show, Herzl 48 [which examined people who shared the most common address in Israel, 48 Herzl Street], I had no idea what to expect," he says. "I didn't know whether this would be of any interest to a savvy NYC audience."

It was. During its inaugural season, Israel Story performed four live shows, each of which was performed twice at Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan to sold-out crowds, reaching 800 audience members. "The reaction surpassed all my expectations," says Harman. "I think [we] tapped into a thirst for a new kind of programming relating to Israel, and to the popularity of podcasts."

Following its premiere at Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, Israel Story Live brought Herzl 48 to Jewish arts and cultural organizations in the New York tristate area and other U.S. cities. Its success led to a more formal relationship with Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan to develop and produce live multidisciplinary events for audiences in New York City and beyond.

Three shows followed in 2016: Israel in Love, 68 and Counting, and That's What She Said.

While the broadcasts are not "live" in the traditional sense—audio is recorded at the events, with post-production work occurring between the live event and program's radio broadcast—audiences at the events "are rewarded with excellent storytelling and layered audio experiences," Whitman says. "The live events seek to transform these stories into different formats, using a variety of artistic media—music, dance, and animation—to amplify the themes and characters."

The shows are made available for broadcast on public radio stations via the Public Radio Exchange; podcasts in English are available through Vox Tablet, the podcast arm of the online magazine, and an extremely valuable partner with Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan—each Tablet podcast is marketed to as many as 70,000 subscribers. The podcasts achieve further reach through podcast subscription services.

This year brought another Yom Ha'atzmaut program, with additional programs planned for the fall and spring of 2018.

"Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan really is, in every possible way, our American home," says Harman. "Together we have created content that we are very proud of, and we are continually blown away by their kindness and generosity."

Sherri Lerner is the former editorial director at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. She has written and edited for numerous publications and is currently on the staff of the Wechsler Center.