Welcome back! We are back in action after a break of a few months and we have some exciting guests already lined up for the weeks ahead.

My guest today is Yoav Avni, one of Israel's most inventive novelists. He's a two-time winner of the Geffen Award for speculative fiction, which is basically Israel's version of the Hugo, and his novel Three Things for a Desert Island was a national bestseller. If you love Kurt Vonnegut or Douglas Adams, his writing will feel like home. It's funny and a little magical, with a lot of heart underneath. And his latest novel, Time Clocks, is now out in English.

Another of his books, Herzl Said, imagines a Jewish state that was built in Africa instead, after the Zionists said yes to the so-called Uganda Plan. So of course I had to ask him what Herzl would think if he got dropped into Tel Aviv today. We also get into what it's like to write in Israel right now, and Yoav lets us peek inside the mind of a writer, with some hard-won advice on the craft along the way.

BIO

Yoav Avni is an Israeli author, translator, editor, and writing

mentor, born in 1969.

His fiction includes novels and short stories. His novels have been published by two of Israel’s leading publishing houses, Kinneret Zmora Bitan and Keter. One of them, Three Things for a Desert Island, became a national bestseller, and he is a two-time winner of the Israeli Geffen Award for Best Speculative Novel, often

regarded as Israel’s equivalent of the Hugo Award.

His latest novel, Time Clocks, was published in Hebrew in

December 2024 and will be published in English on September 29, 2026, by Roundfire Books in the UK and US.

His novel Crossing a River Twice was first published in Hebrew in 2016 and is scheduled for English-language publication in the UK and the United States in 2027.

Some of his short stories have been published in N-Zine (London), Words Without Borders, JewishFiction.net, and Jewcy.

His writing blends magic realism and speculative fiction with

humor, emotional warmth, and a deep curiosity about human

nature, drawing inspiration from authors such as Tom Robbins,

Kurt Vonnegut, Jerome K. Jerome, Gerald Durrell, and Douglas Adams.

Website: https://yoavavni.com/english.php

Email: yoav.avni@gmail.com

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What role does comedy play in a society under constant pressure? Can laughter do more than entertain—can it actually help people heal?

In this episode of Sababoosh, I sit down with Israeli stand-up comedian Yochay Sponder to explore the unique role comedy plays in Israeli life. We discuss how humor helps people process pain, bridge differences, and find moments of connection even during the most difficult times.

From the nuances of Israeli audiences to performing around the world, Yochay shares why comedy is one of Israel's most revealing cultural lenses. Along the way, we talk about the relationship between trauma and laughter, the responsibility of comedians, the universal language of humor, and why sometimes the best way to understand a society is to listen to what makes it laugh.

Whether you're a fan of stand-up or simply curious about Israeli culture, this conversation offers a thoughtful and surprisingly moving look at the healing power of comedy.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why humor is essential during times of crisis

• How comedy helps people process trauma and build resilience

• What makes Israeli comedy different

• How comedians read a room and adapt to different audiences

• Why laughter creates connection across cultures

Guest: Yochay Sponder, one of Israel's leading stand-up comedians, known internationally for his sharp observations, quick wit, and ability to find humor in even the most complex realities.

Journalism in Israel doesn’t happen at a distance. It happens up close, in hallways, offices, and crowded Knesset corridors where everyone knows everyone — or at least knows someone who knows someone. Covering Israeli politics means being physically present, making endless cold calls, chasing down statements on tight deadlines, and building relationships that can determine whether a story moves forward or hits a wall.

A reporter covering the Knesset isn’t just observing power; they’re constantly negotiating access to it. That can mean interviewing prime ministers and senior ministers one day, and the next day trying to convince a spokesperson to pick up the phone, answer a WhatsApp, or confirm a quote before a deadline hits. In a small country, relationships matter. Trust matters. Knowing how — and when — to ask for a comment matters.

Today’s guest lives inside that world. Lahav Harkov is a journalist who covers Israeli politics from the Knesset, navigating the pace, proximity, and pressure that define Israeli journalism. In this conversation, we talk about what it actually means to report from inside Israel’s political system — how stories get made, how access works, and how the job has changed in the age of social media and AI.

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