48: "Achi"
Israel Story
Israel Story
4.8 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 3 December 2019
⏱️ 46 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
When God first spoke to Benjamin, he was reading the newspaper. That was just the start of a wild journey that led two Orthodox brothers from the Bronx to a new life, a new homeland, a new lord and - above all - to each other.
Growing up, Benjamin and Reuven Berger never imagined they'd be roommates well into their seventies. Nor did they imagine their lives would unfold as brothers in faith. But from their majestic home in the serene village of Ein Kerem, they reflect on an unusual, almost biblical, path that led them far apart and then back together.
In the prologue, Mishy Harman tries to understand why - if an alien landed in Israel today - it would probably think that the word "achi" is a form of Hebrew punctuation.
Act I, "The Berger Bros," is a tale of two brothers who are brothers in more than just one way. Joel Shupack brings us the story of Benjamin and Reuven Berger, the Bronx-born sons of European Jews who escaped the Nazis. Tumultuous years of doubts, revelations and risks led them from a muddy copy of "Peyton Place" all the way to Jerusalem's small community of Messianic Jews.
Ari Jacob composed and performed the original music in "The Berger Bros." Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions. Thanks to Dina Kraft for editorial help. Adam Milliner mixed the episode. The end song, *November, *is by Shaanan Streett, and features Selva de Mar. It was written in memory of Shaanan's sister, Tova.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | May I have your attention please you can now book your train tickets on Uber and get |
| 0:08.0 | 10% back in credits to spend on your next Uber ride so you don't have to walk home in the rain again. |
| 0:16.5 | Trains now on Uber. T's and C's apply. Check the Uber app. You're listening to this podcast, so I know you care about the war in Israel right now. |
| 0:30.0 | And you've been reading the headlines, Massacre and Gaza, genocide perpetrated by Hamas, no by Israel. |
| 0:38.0 | But if you've been listening to this podcast long enough, you know one thing. This stuff seems complicated and honestly |
| 0:46.1 | you shouldn't just pick aside or decide your opinion without really learning, |
| 0:50.3 | without really knowing what you're talking about. |
| 0:54.0 | And that's where this podcast comes in. |
| 0:57.0 | Check out unpacking Israeli history. |
| 1:00.0 | They have episodes with topics ranging from what is Hamas anyway to whether Israel should ransom |
| 1:06.5 | captured soldiers and the history of Israel and its disengagement from Gaza in 2005. Unpacking Israeli history cuts through the noise |
| 1:16.9 | and helps you understand Israel's present through understanding Israel's |
| 1:20.5 | history. So educate yourself. Learn the history behind the headlines. |
| 1:27.0 | Find unpacking Israeli history wherever you get your podcasts. Hey Israel's story listeners, it's Orrin Harmon, me she's brother. |
| 1:42.0 | You're about to listen to an episode called Ahi, which is Hebrew for my brother. |
| 1:46.0 | And right before we dive in, I wanted to say that today's Giving Tuesday, |
| 1:50.0 | an International Day of Charitable Giving. |
| 1:52.0 | So if you believe in Israel's story, if you an international day of charitable giving. |
| 1:53.0 | So if you believe in Israel's story, if you enjoy it as much as I do, |
| 1:57.0 | and no, not just because my brother is the host, I hope you'll consider supporting the show. |
| 2:02.0 | Just go to the website Israel Story.org |
| 2:04.4 | click on the pop-up and give. Thank you. Meet Ronan Bitzalel, a good friend of my brothers. So my name is Ronel Bézale. |
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