"It Felt Like the Best Place I've Ever Been": Jewish Content Creators Discover Israel

When Australian runner and content creator Joel Solomon first landed in Tel Aviv, he was sure he would arrive in a country he knew mainly through headlines. Instead, he found strangers who approached him to talk even before he had time to unpack his suitcases. "I arrived with my suitcases at the Tel Aviv promenade that same afternoon," says Solomon (21), who studies at Wagner College in New York on an athletic scholarship. "Within a few hours, I had already made new friends." From the outside, he says, Israel has always been portrayed as a place associated mainly with conflicts. "Israel has a very bad reputation in the world," he says in an interview with ynet global. "But then you come here, and it really felt like the best place I've ever been."

Joel was one of dozens of Jewish content creators invited to participate in the Taglit Storytellers program, an initiative launched after October 7 with the goal of bringing content creators to Israel, allowing them to experience the country up close, and only then share their experiences with their audience, in their own words. Taglit offers an educational experience, but unlike other advocacy programs, participants in the program do not receive scripts, prepared messages, or posting quotas. Instead, they are encouraged to document and share anything that speaks to them — food, nightlife, religion, sports, music, or meetings with Israelis.

For Joel, authenticity was the guiding principle. "My goal was to be real and not hide anything," he says. In the videos he uploaded, he documented morning runs along the beaches of Tel Aviv, cafes, beaches, and daily life — not the Israel that many in the world expect to see. "I wanted to show what it's really like," he says. "Israel is so small, but it has everything — desert, city, sea, religious areas. It's a beautiful country." But some of the moments that stuck in his memory the most did not become planned content at all. Floating in the Dead Sea, after growing up on the beaches of Australia, was for him a "cleansing experience." The tour of the Old City in Jerusalem and the Muslim Quarter left him stunned by the power of history. And on Shabbat, as he walked through the streets of Jerusalem, he felt, in his words, as if he were living inside a dream. However, the biggest surprise was actually personal. "I have never felt more connected to my Judaism," he says. According to him, in Australia, his Jewish identity was expressed mainly at community events, in the synagogue, or in organized activities. "In Israel, I didn't have to try," he says. "Whether I was walking on the promenade, swimming in the sea, or eating in Jerusalem — I just felt Jewish. It was the most natural feeling I've ever experienced."

"I wasn't looking for a story — I was looking for people"

For content creator Orli Israel, the journey started from a completely different place. "I wasn't really looking for a story," he says. "I wanted to meet other people who create content and meet more Jews. At this stage in my life, I needed that more than anything else." Unlike many creators, Orli says he almost never arrives at a project with a pre-prepared message. His work is based on conversations with strangers, which shape the story instead of him arriving with ready-made conclusions. "I don't come with a story I want to tell," he says. "I create an environment where someone else tells me their story." This approach accompanied him in Israel as well. Instead of filming non-stop, he dedicated a large part of the trip to listening — to other creators, lecturers, and guides who presented different and sometimes opposing points of view. One of the most memorable moments for him was a tour of the Temple Mount, where an Israeli guide and a Palestinian guide led the tour together. "It was a great example that you can have a real discussion," he says. He says that meeting Jewish content creators with different political views also challenged his perceptions, but above all strengthened the importance of listening. "I think the world needs more people who are willing to listen to the experiences of others," he says. The connections that were formed did not end with the trip. As part of the program, Orli met another content creator named Vlad. The two later moved in together in the United States for four months, worked on creating content, and developed a new program. "This connection completely changed the direction my career took," he says. "I became more proud of my Jewish identity."

For musician Kate, the most significant change was personal. Before the terrorist attack by Hamas militants on October 7, she did perform occasionally at Jewish events, but she almost never spoke publicly about her Judaism. After the attack, she wanted to make her voice heard, but complex conversations she had with people in the music industry made her hesitate. "I wanted to speak more and be more involved," she says. "But I also had difficult conversations in the music industry that made me feel isolated and afraid to publicly share this part of my identity." In the Storytellers program, she met other young Jews who were dealing with the same questions. "It opened my eyes," she says. "I met young Jews who care deeply about Judaism and the connection to Israel, each in their own way, and who integrate these values naturally into their lives." According to her, the experience gave her the confidence to present her Jewish identity on social media as well. "This experience made me more proud of my Jewish identity and feel comfortable creating Jewish content." At the same time, Kate also understood better what she wants — and what she doesn't want — to say. "I am not a political activist and not a researcher," she says. "I don't think it's my role to express an opinion on every issue." Instead, she aspires to create Jewish content that integrates naturally into her work as a musician and speaks to her audience.

"Not turning them into spokespeople"

Taglit explains that the Storytellers program was born out of the understanding that young people today consume information more and more through content creators on social media, and less through governments or traditional media outlets. The program brings creators to Israel from North America, Latin America, Europe, Australia, and other countries for trips that include tours, meetings with Israelis, professional workshops, and time for creating independent content. After that, they join an alumni community with about 8 million followers on social media and continue to receive professional guidance, workshops, and support for future projects. Ilan Wagner, VP of Onward programs at Taglit, says the goal is not to turn participants into spokespeople for Israel. "There is a difference between trying to explain policy and creating empathy, connection, closeness, and emotion," he says. According to him, creators are encouraged to integrate Israel and Jewish identity into the platforms they have already built — whether they deal with food, music, travel, fashion, sports, or lifestyle. "They built their audience of followers around a certain field," says Wagner. "We want them to integrate, in their personal voice, the stories about Israel and the Jewish people." This freedom, says Joel, was one of the things he appreciated most. "There were no prerequisites," he says. "No one told us what to post. We weren't even obligated to film a single video." According to him, it was precisely the lack of pressure that made the content more credible. "It never felt like work," he concludes. "It was just an opportunity. What we chose to do with it — was entirely in our hands."