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data-image_url="https://static.timesofisrael.com/ajn/uploads/2024/11/Aleeza_60865.jpg" data-image_width="600" data-image_height="451"> <div class="banner-placeholder-ajn"> <div id="div-gpt-ad-ATF_LB_1" class="banner b728x90 ATF_LB_1" data-class=".banner.b728x90.ATF_LB_1" data-old-name="ATF_LB_1" data-name="header_billboard" data-size="[[970, 250], [728, 90]]" data-account="178876888" > <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-ATF_LB_1"); }); </script> </div></div> <div class="sidebar-control">home page</div> <div class="article-content-container sticky-sidebar-relative"> <div class="article-wrap"> <header> <div class="above-headline"><span class="label"><span class="label" data-text="Spreading love">Spreading love</span></span><span class="overline empty"></span></div> <h1 class="headline">Sharing the positives of Israeli culture</h1> <h2 class="underline">'a refuge from all of the craziness in the world '</h2> <div class="under-headline"> <div class="wrap-byline"> <span class="byline"> By <a title="AJN STAFF" href="https://www.australianjewishnews.com/writers/ajn-staff/">AJN STAFF</a> </span> <span class="date">November 11, 2024, 11:08 am</span> <span class="comments"> <a href="#comments"></a> </span> <span class="edit empty"> <a data-id="1297015" href="/wp-admin/post.php?post=1297015&action=edit">Edit</a> </span> </div> <ul class="social"> <li class="facebook"> <a class="popup" data-width="670" data-height="546" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.australianjewishnews.com%2Fsharing-the-positives-of-israeli-culture%2F"> <span>Facebook</span> </a> </li><li class="twitter"> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Sharing+the+positives+of+Israeli+culture&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.australianjewishnews.com%2Fsharing-the-positives-of-israeli-culture%2F&via=aus_jewishnews"> <span>Twitter</span> </a> </li><li class="whatsapp"><a target="_blank" 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src="https://static.timesofisrael.com/ajn/uploads/2024/11/Aleeza_60865-640x400.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Jake Gillis with Aleeza Ben Shalom." decoding="async" title="Jake Gillis with Aleeza Ben Shalom." /></a><div class="caption">Jake Gillis with Aleeza Ben Shalom.</div></div> <div class="article-content"> <div class="the-content"> <p>When Jake Gillis was at a Shabbat meal, those in attendance went around the table and shared what they would be doing if they weren’t in their current career. Gillis immediately piped up with “talk show host”. The podcast host now lives in Tel Aviv but he was raised in the US, surrounded by a love and appreciation of all things Judaism. It was a deep desire to develop a stronger relationship with Israel that inspired Gillis to study at Hebrew University and eventually make aliyah. <p>“I’ve enjoyed podcasts for years and I thought that it would be fun and fulfilling to start one of my own,” Gillis told <em>The AJN</em>, when sharing news about his podcast Sababoosh. <div id="div-gpt-ad-BTF_MPU_1" class="banner b300x250 BTF_MPU_1" data-class=".banner.b300x250.BTF_MPU_1" data-old-name="BTF_MPU_1" data-name="article_mrec_inline" data-size="[300, 250]" data-account="178876888" > <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-BTF_MPU_1"); }); </script> </div> <p>“I also heard a story about a podcast on basketball, hosted by Bill Simmons who introduced the podcast by offering it as a refuge from all of the craziness in the world. I liked the thought of providing something positive and light that could also be educational. A love of Israeli culture – or specifically literature, music or television – can be a lifelong passion and something that will outlast the current conflict. I find it fulfilling to provide content in English about Israeli culture and its people.” <div id="attachment_1297017" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" class="wp-image-1297017 size-large" src="https://static.timesofisrael.com/ajn/uploads/2024/11/Etgar_02834-640x400.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="400" /> <div class="wp-caption-text">Jake Gillis with Etgar Keret. Photos: supplied</div> </div> <p>Sababoosh is 30 minutes of lightness among the heaviness, where Gillis speaks to Israeli chefs, TV show creators, authors and musicians. Guests have included music icon Ivri Lider, renowned author Etgar Keret, renowned chef and cookbook author Adeena Sussman, and television matchmaker Aleeza Ben Shalom, among many more.</p> <p>Gillis explained that he makes a wish list of names and simply reaches out. He has been amazed at how many Israelis are happy to be involved.</p> <p>“The aim of Sababoosh is to spread a love of Israel through its culture,” he said. “Especially since October 7, current events and history have become such a significant part of the conversation and I want to help shift to positive aspects of Israel that can be associated with love and not hate. Not everyone connects with the news or Israeli history, but many people have at least one facet of culture that interests them.”</p> <p><strong>Sababoosh is available wherever you stream your podcasts.</strong></p> <p class="newsletter-promo moveto-p2"> <a href="/signup/?utm_source=ajn-articles&utm_medium=middle-link&utm_campaign=signup-buttons"> Get The AJN Newsletter by email and never miss our top stories </a> <a href="/signup/?utm_source=ajn-articles&utm_medium=middle-link&utm_campaign=signup-buttons"> Free Sign Up </a> </p> </div> <div class="article-topics"> <div>read more:</div> <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.australianjewishnews.com/topic/arts-lifestyle/">Arts & Lifestyle</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.australianjewishnews.com/topic/music/">Music</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.australianjewishnews.com/topic/podcasts/">Podcasts</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.australianjewishnews.com/topic/israel/">Israel</a> </li> </ul> </div> <ul class="social bottom"> <li class="facebook"> <a class="popup" data-width="670" data-height="546" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.australianjewishnews.com%2Fsharing-the-positives-of-israeli-culture%2F"> <span>Facebook</span> </a> </li><li class="twitter"> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Sharing+the+positives+of+Israeli+culture&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.australianjewishnews.com%2Fsharing-the-positives-of-israeli-culture%2F&via=aus_jewishnews"> <span>Twitter</span> </a> </li><li class="whatsapp"><a target="_blank" href="https://wa.me?text=The Australian Jewish News: Sharing+the+positives+of+Israeli+culture https%3A%2F%2Fwww.australianjewishnews.com%2Fsharing-the-positives-of-israeli-culture%2F"><span></span></a></li><li class="email open_mailto" data-article="1297015" data-lang="eng" data-site="The Australian Jewish News" data-title="Sharing the positives of Israeli culture"> <a target="_blank" href="mailto:?subject=The Australian Jewish News: Sharing the positives of Israeli culture&body=I found this on The Australian Jewish News and thought it might interest you: https%3A%2F%2Fwww.australianjewishnews.com%2Fsharing-the-positives-of-israeli-culture%2F" onclick="return false;"> <span>email</span> </a> </li><li class="print"><a href="javascript:window.print();"><span>Print</span></a></li> </ul>   <div id="comments" class="comments"> <h5>comments </h5> <div class="fb-comments" data-href="http://www.australianjewishnews.com/sharing-the-positives-of-israeli-culture/" data-numposts="5"></div> </div>  </div> </div> <aside class="sidebar sticky-sidebar"> <div class="sticky-sidebar-wrap"> <div id="div-gpt-ad-BTF_SKY_1" class="banner b300x250 BTF_SKY_1" data-class=".banner.b300x250.BTF_SKY_1" data-old-name="BTF_SKY_1" data-name="article_half_page_sidebar" data-size="[300, 250]" data-account="178876888" > <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-BTF_SKY_1"); }); </script> </div>    <div id="div-gpt-ad-BTF_MPU_2" class="banner b300x250 BTF_MPU_2" data-class=".banner.b300x250.BTF_MPU_2" data-old-name="BTF_MPU_2" data-name="article_mrec_sidebar" data-size="[300, 250]" data-account="178876888" > <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-BTF_MPU_2"); }); </script> </div> </div> </aside> </div> </article> </div> <div class="ajax-sidebar main"></div> </div> <script> ( function ( body ) { 'use strict'; body.className = body.className.replace( /\btribe-no-js\b/, 'tribe-js' ); } )( document.body ); </script>   <noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-PDHTZLL" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden" aria-hidden="true"></iframe></noscript> <script> /* <![CDATA[ */var tribe_l10n_datatables = {"aria":{"sort_ascending":": activate to sort column ascending","sort_descending":": activate to sort column descending"},"length_menu":"Show _MENU_ entries","empty_table":"No data available in table","info":"Showing _START_ to _END_ of _TOTAL_ entries","info_empty":"Showing 0 to 0 of 0 entries","info_filtered":"(filtered from _MAX_ total entries)","zero_records":"No matching records found","search":"Search:","all_selected_text":"All items on this page were selected. 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