Life Stories

Akiva Gersh grew up in a deeply secular Jewish family in the United States and once struggled to identify with his Jewish heritage. Today, more than two decades after making aliyah, he teaches about Judaism and Israeli life and explores what it really means to become Israeli.

Hannah Miriam Bejarano Gutierrez survived a medical crisis that changed her life. Years later, discovering her own autism would transform her understanding of her children, her faith, and the meaning of belonging.

Raised as a pastor’s daughter, Daniela Yisrael never imagined that a shofar’s call would awaken a Jewish connection buried in her family’s past.

What happens to a lifetime of memories if no one writes them down? A moving initiative is preserving Jewish life stories before they are lost forever.

In Jerusalem and the Judean Hills, one artisan is restoring an ancient Jewish craft, intertwining spirituality, artistry, and mystical teachings in every handwoven prayer shawl.

Shabtai Michaeli, a Georgian immigrant, became an iconic street photographer of Jerusalem despite the challenges of illiteracy and disability. Only after his passing did his children learn of his remarkable life story and his deep love for the people of Israel.