Day 718 - They tried to kill us; we survived; let's eat
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 23 September 2025
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Culture editor Jessica Steinberg joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Today, we dive into aspects of Israel's culinary life and hear about Steinberg's most recent visit to Kibbutz Be'eri in the south: Just two weeks before Rosh Hashanah, Steinberg joined baker Yaki Sagi as he was pouring honey cake batter into loaf tins at the Lalush bakery in Be’eri's dining hall complex. We learn how Be'eri is slowly rebuilding and about Sagi's flourishing bakery.
We then turn to Tel Aviv, where Steinberg attended the 11th Whisky Live event. One of the whiskies she tasted is called Single Be’eri, a single malt project led by Be’eri resident and former Knesset member Haim Jelin, distilled at Tel Aviv’s Milk & Honey, with part of the proceeds donated to the rehabilitation of communities in the Western Negev.
And finally, we learn how nearly 10 months after the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, a new set of culinary tours by the Tel Aviv-based Asif Culinary Institute of Israel is aiming to boost restaurants in Israel’s north that are still struggling with the fallout of the war.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Can spinach pies infuse strength back into Kibbutz Be’eri? This baker hopes so
10 months after Lebanon war, culinary tours aim to help local eateries
Israel’s Whisky Live 2025 to feature local malt honoring Kibbutz Be’eri
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IMAGE: Chef Yaki Sagi and the Lalush brownies beloved by many Kibbutz Be'eri members (Courtesy)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Times of Israel's daily briefing. |
| 0:05.8 | Today is Tuesday, September 23rd, Day 718 of the war. |
| 0:12.1 | Amanda Borschelle, Dan here with our culture editor, Jessica Steinberg, whom you all know |
| 0:17.2 | as my partner in crime on the Times of Israel podcast. |
| 0:20.5 | Hi, Jessica. Thanks for joining me |
| 0:21.8 | on this Roche-Shanas special edition. Hey there. Always love to be on the other side of the mic, |
| 0:27.6 | with you, Amanda. Thank you so much. And today we have a pre-recorded episode that we will |
| 0:33.8 | dive into Israeli life through Jessica's reporting throughout the country. |
| 0:38.9 | So we're going to go with her on a trip to Kibbutzbe Erie on the border with Gaza |
| 0:43.7 | and also way up north to hear about a new set of culinary tours. |
| 0:49.2 | And along the way, we may also have a few whiskey lechayms. |
| 0:57.2 | So all of this and more when we're back. |
| 1:07.9 | Nothing has given me such delight as the proposal to establish a Hebrew university in Jerusalem. |
| 1:12.1 | More than a century has passed since Albert Einstein wrote this in his diary. A century of cutting-edge research and innovation at Israel's leading academic institution |
| 1:18.3 | that Einstein, alongside many other luminaries, helped establish. Join me, Gilad Halpern, for The View |
| 1:25.2 | from Mount Scopus, a podcast series exploring the past, |
| 1:28.8 | present and future of the Hebrew University. |
| 1:31.5 | The View from Mount Scopus. |
| 1:33.2 | Available wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 1:42.7 | I'm Ahmed Roshel Dan here with our culture editor, Jessica Steinberg. |
| 1:48.1 | So Jess, I just loved how you set the scene of your recent trip to Kibbutzbury, and I'm going |
| 1:54.4 | to read out the opening of your really amazing piece. |
... |
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