Israel Story

What Israel Story does

Israel Story (legally Friends of Israel Story) is an Israeli non-profit media organization founded in 2013 that produces a narrative audio podcast often called 'the Israeli This American Life.' The organization produces episodic storytelling content about ordinary Israelis, distributed globally through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and its website israelstory.org, with an embeddable HTML widget that allows third-party sites to share episodes. As of the latest data, the catalog includes 168+ episodes, with new releases continuing through 2026 (e.g., Episode 168 'A Tale of Two Sisters'). The production is operated by a small team of approximately five people based in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, including host/narrator Mishy Harman, COO Zev Levi, Senior Producer Yochai Maital, and contributing reporters and editors such as Mitch Ginsburg, Adina Karpuj, and Daniel Estrin.

The product surface extends beyond the core podcast: Israel Story operates Nomi Recording Studios for production services, publishes educational resources for classroom use, and runs a live events program that includes talks, workshops, tours, and the IsraPalooza festival. Content is produced in partnership with The Jerusalem Foundation and The Times of Israel, which lend editorial credibility and distribution reach. The organization also formed a US-registered entity (Friends of Israel Story, Washington D.C.) to support diaspora fundraising. Israel Story has experimented with AI-generated synthetic voices in at least one episode (Persian-language narration for Episode 163) to preserve source anonymity.

The business model is non-commercial: Israel Story is a registered non-profit that does not charge listeners for content. Revenue is generated through listener donations via a 'Support Us' channel and corporate sponsorships via a 'Sponsor Us' channel. There are no publicly disclosed pricing tiers, paid subscriptions, or enterprise contracts. The primary customer segments are the global Jewish diaspora and Israel-interested individuals seeking nuanced storytelling about Israeli society, with a secondary segment of educational institutions using episodes as teaching materials. Marketing and distribution are community-led, relying on organic podcast discovery, a newsletter, social media (Facebook, Twitter), and live events rather than paid acquisition.

Name

Israel Story

Legal name

Friends of Israel Story

Website

https://israelstory.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Israel Story is an Israeli non-profit that produces an award-winning narrative podcast about ordinary Israelis, distributed globally via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and its website, serving the Jewish diaspora and Israel-curious audiences through free episodes, educational resources, and live events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Podcast Media

NAICS

Sound Recording Industries (5122), Other Sound Recording Industries (51229)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Podcast Networks & Multi-Show Publishers (MPACADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Audio Learning Content (Podcasts, Audiobooks, Listening Programs) (EDAGALAM), Live Podcast Recordings (MPAGACAJ), Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE)

Keywords

• Narrative podcast production
• Audio storytelling content
• Israeli culture podcast
• Jewish diaspora media
• Audio documentary series

Headquarters

HQ city

Jerusalem

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Listener Donations and Support: Israel Story operates a 'Support Us' page and accepts donations from listeners. The organization also has a 'Sponsor Us' page indicating corporate sponsorship opportunities.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship program available through the Sponsor Us page, generating revenue from brand partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Israel Story produces and distributes an award-winning narrative podcast that tells extraordinary tales about ordinary Israelis, often described as "the Israeli This American Life." The show releases episodic audio storytelling content covering quirky, unpredictable, and moving stories about Israeli society and culture, available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the company website.

Product overview

Israel Story is a podcast media organization offering a single core product: an award-winning podcast series that tells extraordinary tales about ordinary Israelis. The organization produces episodic audio content available through major podcast platforms (Apple Podcasts, Spotify) and its own website. Related offerings include Nomi Recording Studios for production, educational resources for classroom use, and live events including talks, workshops, and the annual IsraPalooza festival. The organization operates in partnership with The Jerusalem Foundation and The Times of Israel for content production and distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Israel Story Podcast The award-winning podcast series featuring episodic audio storytelling about extraordinary tales of ordinary Israelis. Often compared to 'This American Life,' the podcast covers quirky, unpredictable, interesting, and moving stories about Israel. Available via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and direct downloads.
• Educational Resources Educational materials and resources derived from podcast episodes, designed for classroom use, curriculum supplements, and cultural education about Israeli society.
• Live Events and Tours Live shows, tours, talks, presentations, workshops, and special events including IsraPalooza and Sipur Yerushalmi, engaging audiences in-person.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple award recognitions as an award-winning podcast

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The Jerusalem FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIsrael Story is produced in partnership with The Jerusalem Foundation, a significant cultural organization supporting Jerusalem-based initiatives. This partnership provides organizational backing and legitimacy to the podcast's mission of sharing Israeli stories.
• The Times of IsraelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIsrael Story is produced in partnership with The Times of Israel, a major Israeli news outlet. This partnership provides editorial credibility and distribution reach for the podcast's storytelling content.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• The Times of Israel: Israel Story's distribution partner and major English-language Israeli news outlet with its own podcast portfolio. Highly comparable in audience targeting (Jewish diaspora, Israel-curious listeners) and editorial proximity to Israel-focused content.
• Haaretz: Major Israeli English-language newspaper with podcast offerings covering Israeli society and culture. Comparable audience targeting (English-speaking Israel-curious listeners) and editorial proximity, though Israel Story's storytelling focus differentiates it.

Broad incumbents

• Radiolab: WNYC's flagship narrative-science podcast. Comparable as a high-production narrative audio show with a similar storytelling ethos, though broader in topic scope and significantly larger in audience and institutional backing.
• NPR: Major public-radio network and producer of narrative podcasts. Comparable as institutional non-profit audio content producer with public-mission orientation and storytelling programming.
• 70 Faces Media: Jewish non-profit media organization producing multiple podcasts including 'Take One' and 'Wondering Jews.' Comparable as a Jewish-content audio producer with institutional backing and a multi-show podcast portfolio.

Direct peers

• The Moth: Non-profit storytelling organization with both a podcast and live events. Direct peer in combining episodic audio storytelling with a live touring/festival circuit, mirroring Israel Story's IsraPalooza and live-tour strategy.
• StoryCorps: Non-profit oral-history podcast/storytelling project. Closely comparable as a non-profit storytelling organization producing audio narratives, with similar donation-supported model and mission-driven positioning.
• This American Life: The flagship narrative-storytelling radio/podcast that Israel Story is explicitly modeled after ('the Israeli This American Life'). Same episodic format, same human-interest storytelling approach, same general audience demographic—just focused on Israeli narratives.
• Unorthodox (Tablet Magazine): Tablet Magazine's flagship Jewish-culture podcast. Direct peer targeting the Jewish-diaspora audience with weekly episodes on Jewish life, culture, and Israel—overlapping heavily with Israel Story's core listener demographic.
• Serial: Pioneering narrative-investigative podcast from the creators of This American Life. Comparable as a high-profile serialized narrative podcast with comparable audience demographics and editorial style.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/israel-story

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Israel Story