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What are the fundamental dynamics driving the Israeli Knesset and the decisions it makes? What Flexibility do individual MKs have to vote for their consciences, versus rubber stamp for their parties? And even though Israelis elect 120 MKs, why do only a handful wield real power. In our last episode of season 1, Carrie and Aliza speak with Michael Oren, Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. and later Member of Knesset, to get the inside baseball on how the Knesset operates and what power individual legislators do - and don't - have to represent Israeli citizens. This episode is in partnership with the Rosen School - click here to save 20% on your course to study modern Hebrew with classes accredited by Hebrew University.

While the image of teenage IDF soldiers toting M-16s is ubiquitous, can those same soldiers obtain a private weapon post-service? Do Israelis see private gun ownership as a right? And why can't our IDF-veteran hosts get a handgun license? Carrie and Aliza talk with Nadav Kalmar, a professional shooting instructor and two-decade veteran of the nation's security establishment. They speak about Israeli attitudes toward and culture around firearms, and how they are reflected in private gun ownership policy.

What is Yafo and who lives there? Yafo is seamlessly integrated into Tel Aviv...... or is it? And why is it, that during the May 2021 conflict with Hamas, citizens of Yafo faced riots, while just steps north in Tel Aviv, the streets were calm? Carrie and Aliza speak with lifelong Yafo resident Hilal Habashi to hear a personal perspective on the community and how it fits into the Israeli constellation. Us Among the Israelis is a part of The Joshua Network, sign up for news about the show here!

Carrie and Aliza are taking this week off as they get ready to put the final touches on this season's last 3 episodes. Carrie has a message about the upcoming Summer Mailbox Episodes! She's asking you to write in with your burning questions about life in Israel. Us Among the Israelis is a part of The Joshua Network, sign up for news about the show here.

Why has the Dead Sea shrunk more than 40% in the last 100 years? Can it be saved, or have we passed the point of no return? Why are companies still allowed to profit off of its mineral harvest? Where are the Israeli and Jordanian governments in this story? Carrie and Aliza speak with Dr. Clive Lipchin, the Director of the Center for Transboundary Water Management at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, about why the Dead Sea is drying up and, in order to save it, who has to start caring. Us Among the Israelis is a part of The Joshua Network, sign up for news about the show here!

How come Israel honors gay marriage but impedes gay couples from building families? Why can a single woman employ a gestational surrogate in Israel, but not a single man? And what are the real consequences of going abroad for surrogacy? Carrie and Aliza speak with father, journalist, and media company owner Grig Davidovitz, who together with his husband made three babies ..... with a little help from a foreign surrogate. Us Among the Israelis is a part of The Joshua Network, sign up for news about the show here!

Why are Israelis so outdoorsy? What roles do Israel's pioneer roots and citizens' army play in outdoor culture? And how does outdoor culture interact with larger dynamics in Israeli society, such as gender? Carrie and Aliza speak with survivalist Maayan Berkovits, who specializes in building women and girls' confidence in the outdoors, to understand how Israelis have come to love Israel through their feet. Us Among the Israelis is a part of The Joshua Network, sign up for news about the show here!

What is the IDF's Spokesperson's Unit? Is it weird that this unit exists? And does the way it sees its purpose match the international community's expectations? Carrie and Aliza speak with Lt. Col. (Res.) Peter Lerner, former IDF Foreign Media Spokesperson, to understand how the IDF Spokesperson's primary role in selling the military to the Israeli public can come into conflict with the international community's expectations of a government mouthpiece. Us Among the Israelis is a part of The Joshua Network, sign up for news about the show here!

We're off this week, but we wanted to present you another show from the Joshua Network, The Deal with Nissim Black Educator and community builder Kylie Unell joins Nissim to talk about growing up in Kansas, building relationships in surprising places, and galvanizing her peers across Manhattan and the world.  The Deal with Nissim Black and Us Among the Israelis are both produced by The Joshua Network.

What is "Sheikh Jarrah" and why is it important? What connection is there between this Jerusalem neighborhood and Israel's latest conflict with Hamas? And what do decisions (and indecisions) about this neighborhood reveal about Israeli policy in general? For a deep dive into what influenced the recent Israeli/Gaza conflict, Carrie and Aliza speak with Shany Mor, Adjunct Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former member of the Israeli National Security Council, to understand how decisions made when Israel was a 19-year old conquering power in 1967 affect controversies on the ground today. Us Among the Israelis is a part of The Joshua Network, sign up for news about the show here!

How does it feel to be caught outside by an air raid siren? What happens when the banal meets the bizarre, and our bubbles are burst? What is happening between Israel and Hamas, and why does it scare our hosts less than the riots breaking out across Israel? In their most personal episode, Carrie and Aliza record audio diaries from Tel Aviv as they experience the escalation of tensions and attacks, finding their way from disconnection to bomb shelters. Join them to get a taste of the confusion of a rocket attack, and the anxiety of waiting for the next round to occur.

What is the Rabbinate and how does it dictate what is and is not "Jewish" in Israel? Why do some Israelis feel increasingly alienated from the Rabbinate? And how does a state-funded domestic institution affect world Jewry? Carrie and Aliza speak with Rabbi Seth Farber, who works to reform Israel's Rabbinate through his organization Itim, to understand how top-down organization of the Jewish religion affects life - spiritual and practical - for Jewish Israelis.