In this episode of Between Cultures, we sit down with a special guest, Yael Oken, who also grew up as an olah chadasha, but with a twist — she was raised in the US with a converted mom, yet she embraced religion voluntarily. We talk about what it was like growing up outside of Israel while still being connected to Israeli culture, and how that shaped her identity when she eventually made Aliyah. We dive into everything from cultural mentality and astrology beliefs to dating, army experiences, and media influences, exploring how her story reflects yet another side of living between cultures.

In this episode of Between Cultures, we explore the ups and downs of growing up with different parenting styles and how culture shapes the way parents raise their kids. We compare Israeli parenting to styles from other countries, sharing stories about curfews, home rules, punishments, and rewards, and reflect on how these approaches shaped our identities as Third Culture Kids. We also talk about moments when our parents tried to protect us from feeling different, but sometimes made us feel even more in between, and the lessons we carry from those experiences today. This episode is all about understanding how upbringing across cultures affects identity, freedom, and the ways we connect with the world around us.

In this episode of Between Cultures, we are joined by our fellow student, Ella Newell, to explore how mental health is understood across the different cultures we have lived in and how those norms shape the way we talk about stress, emotions, and therapy. We share our experiences from growing up in the US, Australia and Israel, including the way mental health is often brushed off, the pressure to toughen up in the army, the different types of media we each consume, and the mantras we use to ground ourselves. We also reflect on how living through conflict, moving between countries, and balancing different expectations has shaped the way we cope and communicate. This episode is all about understanding the cultural roots of our mental health and the strategies we have learned as Third Culture Kids.