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

Episode Sponsor: Eva's Used Books

Looking for your next great read? Eva's Used Books is Israel's friendly online English bookstore, with over 20,000 used books in stock. Whether you're into mysteries, thrillers, fantasy, historical fiction, or Judaism-themed books, there's always something new to discover. Shipping is available throughout Israel, and orders over 150 shekels ship free. Visit evasusedbooks.co and use code SHABABOOSH for 10% off your first order.

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.

Our Sponsor

Destination Morocco Podcast - Listen here

Book a Talk for "Soundtrack of Resilience" - Israeli Music after October 7th- Book here

In this episode, we sit down with Joseph Cedar, director of the Oscar-nominated film, Footnote, to explore the world of Israeli cinema. From moral ambiguity to inventive storytelling, Cedar discusses what makes Israeli film uniquely compelling — how it thrives in the gray, turns limitations into creativity, and tells deeply personal yet universal stories. We dive into his filmmaking process, the challenges and surprises of telling Israeli stories, and why ambiguity, nuance, and ingenuity define cinema from Israel.

In this episode, we hear from Yonatan Nir as he explores how documentary film in Israel functions not only as storytelling, but as a therapeutic act.

Drawing on his work as a filmmaker and pioneer of docutherapy, he examines what happens when the camera becomes a space for listening, witnessing, and emotional repair. The conversation moves between the personal and the collective - how individual stories of trauma, memory, and identity intersect with Israel’s broader social reality, and how the process of filming itself can foster healing, insight, and transformation.

This episode looks beyond documentary as art or journalism and asks what it means for film to actively participate in care, resilience, and meaning-making.

As mentioned in the episode, Yonatan is also the host of DocuNation, an organization that publicizes Israeli documentaries for the world to see. You learn more here.

In this episode of Sababoosh, we dive into mentalism through a conversation with Guy Bavli. What mentalism actually is, how it works, and why it sits in the gray zone between psychology, performance, intuition, and illusion. A close look at why Israelis are disproportionately drawn to this field: constant situational awareness, reading people under pressure, improvisation, and skepticism as survival skills. Mentalism as a cultural mirror, not a magic trick. How attention, perception, and uncertainty shape both the performer and the audience.

Learn more about Guy on his website here.

And check out his book, "Smile for a Change: How the World's Favorite Expression Can Affect Your Life", here.

Coffee carts in Israel are not a trend. They are an institution.

What began as improvised roadside setups has become a defining feature of Israeli public life: espresso machines on wheels at the edge of highways, outside moshavim, near bases, in industrial zones, and at the margins of cities. They serve soldiers, commuters, farmers, freelancers, families, and early-morning regulars who plan their routes around a specific cart.

In this episode, I’m joined by Michal Sapir, founder of Coffee Trail, to trace how coffee carts moved from informal side projects to everyday institutions. We talk about what makes the cart format work in Israel: speed over ceremony, consistency over branding, and community without commitment. We examine what these spaces reveal about Israeli social habits after years of disruption and change.

This conversation uses coffee as a lens to understand something larger: how Israelis gather, pause, and connect in public without pretense. The cart is not about artisanal beans or aesthetics. It is about movement, access, and trust.

An episode about coffee, yes, but more accurately, about how a society builds shared space on the fly.

Check out the Coffee Trail website here.

Although Sababoosh is meant to be light and its soul can be found in music, food, TV, art, sports, and other aspects of Israeli culture.

Reserve duty is a major aspect of Israeli culture. This episode won't get into the war that much itself, but it will focus on how the families of reservists are impacted when their spouse or parent is away for an average of 70 days, but possibly far longer - hundreds of days. Often back and forth for Shabbat or holidays here and there but many large periods of time away.

Rachel and her organization, Haogen, have done some incredible work - helping out 35,000 reservist families. with all sorts of help that she will tell you about.

Why did I choose Rachel for this episode?

She and her organization Haogen are very much the address for help for miluim families and she provides their story in an informative way. She also has been a member of Knesset, on the Jerusalem city council, and the deputy mayor of Jerusalem, so she understands how the government can help, as well as what is lacking. That hole is what is filled by HaOgen.

More info on HaOgen:

https://www.haogenmiluim.org.il/abouthaogen

Their crowdfunding campaign:

https://azm.org/israel-relief/haogen/