Today is the 4th day of Hanukkah. So, the topic in this episode is "sufganiyot," a Hannukah delicacy similar to donuts. Israeli bakeries have mastered the art of frying these oily, sweet and sugar coated pastries of goodness. Only one will rule supreme in 2024! In this episode, we take you through Yalla Israel's process of finding the best sufganiyot of 2024. Drum roll, and the winner is............

In this episode, we honor the upcoming festival of Hanukkah by traveling to the area of Modi'in in search of the long-lost "Tomb of the Maccabees" described in the Book of Maccabees and the writings of Josephus.

It is starting to feel a lot (or a little) like Christmas at the historic Jerusalem International YMCA in this episode.

In this Thanksgiving holiday episode, learn about the vibrant nightlife in Jerusalem. You might be surprised to hear there is a lot happening after dark in the "Holy City!"

Following a week of turmoil; the election of Donald Trump, the firing of Defense Minister Gallant, the anticipation of missiles from Iran, we escape to the serene gardens of the Benedictine Monastery in Abu Ghosh, an Arab Muslim village just a 15 minute drive from Jerusalem. In the monastery's beautiful Romanesque Crusader Church, you can see frescoes dating back to the 12th century, and if you are lucky hear the cheerful Benedictine monk, Brother Olivier sing the Jewish song "Im Eshkachech Yerushalayim" (If I Forget Thee O Jerusalem) in perfect Hebrew. Of course, you must stop for hummus before leaving Abu Ghosh!

In this week's episode, we record from section 18A of Israel's national military cemetery, Mount Herzl, where Avraham "Avi" Yosef Goldberg was laid to rest. This episode is dedicated to the memory of Avi, who fell in Lebanon last week defending the State of Israel. Avi was a shining light, a Rabbi, a scholar, a teacher, a husband, a father, a musician, a warrior, and a friend.

This week we record close to home in the beautiful San Simon Park. On this hilltop in the Katamon neighborhood, a fierce battle took place in 1948 during the War of Independence which determined Jerusalem's destiny.

As the Sukkot holiday began this week in Israel, news broke about the elimination of October 7 mastermind, Yihya Sinwar. In this episode, we put Sinwar behind us and record from Mount Ora on the outskirts of Jerusalem talking about two off the beaten track memorials; Yad Kennedy and Yad Rubenstein. Yad means monument. Yad Kennedy is an impressive monument commemorating the 35th US president John F. Kennedy, and Yad Rubenstein is an elegant marble sculpture memorializing the great pianist Maestro Arthur Rubenstein.