[Danielle Yablonka — 0:00]

This country is far, far, far from perfect. Like, take your expectations and lower them times 20. I miss Israel. I did my propaganda, but then I throw in a little, like, Zionism and a little sprinkle of thirst trap, Zionist thirst trap.

[Abbey Onn — 0:15]

People that have represented Israel, they've faced a lot of antisemitism. How do you feel about representing Israel at this moment in this kind of competition?

[Danielle Yablonka — 0:21]

My entire modeling world just kind of dried up. I genuinely believe the magic of this country is that life is so hard. We appreciate the little things so much more. There's a reason we're one of the happiest countries in the whole world. I had a therapist who was Israeli right before I made aliyah [immigration to Israel]. She was like, "I don't think you should go." I fired her.

[Abbey Onn — 0:53]

Welcome back to another episode of Yalla,

[Abbey Onn — 0:55]

Let's Go!

[Abbey Onn — 0:56]

The podcast that Erica and I created to remind ourselves why we live in Israel. We interview people from venture capitalists, tech, chefs, athletes, scientists, you name it. And today we're super excited about our guests. But before we dive in, I want to ask Erica, pulse check. How are you feeling about living in Israel today?

[Erica Marom — 1:15]

So you and I just came back from being abroad for a bit.

[Abbey Onn — 1:18]

We did.

[Erica Marom — 1:19]

And something really funny that I think about whenever I'm abroad is, like, when I'm in Israel and I'm walking down the street, people aren't just saying hi to each other or strangers or anything like that. But when you're abroad and you meet another Israeli family, there is, like, this instant feeling of, like, connect.

[Erica Marom — 1:36]

Oh, my God, where are you from?

[Erica Marom — 1:37]

And you feel like all of a sudden you're best friends, because you're part of the same, I don't know, family. It feels like, even though it's not. And you're so excited to meet each other and talk to each other, but in real life here, you would never do that.

[Abbey Onn — 1:49]

1,000%. You hear Hebrew somewhere and you're like, "Oh, we know each other."

[Erica Marom — 1:51]

Yes, exactly.

[Erica Marom — 1:52]

Yeah.

[Abbey Onn — 1:52]

Straight up. Today we're super excited to welcome Danielle Yablonka. She is Miss Israel, about to compete for Miss Universe, a Miami-born model who made aliyah. She's a content creator who turned her social media into a megaphone for Israel after October 7th. And we're super excited to dive into pageantry, Israel, aliyah, and all things. We are going to do something that maybe they don't ask you to do in the pageantry world, but can you tell us your life story in under a minute?

[Danielle Yablonka — 2:22]

Whoa. Challenge accepted. I was born and raised in Miami. I modeled since I was 15 because I'm six feet tall, and I.

[Erica Marom — 2:22]

You could have played basketball.

[Danielle Yablonka — 2:22]

I could have, but I'm afraid of the ball. I am a painter. I'm an artist. Always loved art. I went to Magnet school growing up and did art.

[Danielle Yablonka — 2:41]

I always loved being Jewish. I knew my grandparents were Holocaust survivors, so it just always coursed through me, I could say. And in high school, I started to get more involved. I experienced some antisemitism, and I decided if I cared about Israel so much, I actually had to know what I was talking about. So I started getting more involved in different Jewish youth groups: BBYO, StandWithUs, learning my story more and more and creating more art about antisemitism, Holocaust remembrance. Skip a few chapters.

[Danielle Yablonka — 3:15]

Went to university, had an antisemitic, anti-Zionist professor, where I started posting photos with IDF T-shirts. And people loved it. And I kept posting. And my activism went from art to social media. I was good at it. I loved it. I loved the ability to use my voice in a global platform in my hands. And it's morphed over the years into, I guess now I'm Miss Israel, onto another international stage. So I'm very excited. That's my one minute.

[Erica Marom — 3:50]

So aliyah was never in your original plan. And then after October 7th, you said everything changed. So why— why did it make you feel you had to come here?

[Danielle Yablonka — 3:59]

So it's interesting, because October 7th isn't the reason I made aliyah. It definitely made me want to do it even more. It actually happened for me a few months before. Before I even had the idea of moving to Israel. I said, "No way. I could never live there. The country's so small. Like, I can do more for Israel abroad." And then after October 7th, I realized that I just couldn't handle it anymore. I couldn't handle being a voice for Israel outside of Israel. I needed to actually experience it and live it and be here with people who are understanding the pain and feeling that I'm going through. I was supposed to be on a flight in November of 2023, which obviously got canceled, and I did everything I could to get back here after October 7th. And I met my boyfriend at the time, and of course, I was, like, dying to get back. And then I made aliyah in September of 2024, 25. Not sure now which year.

[Abbey Onn — 4:56]

Can you talk to us a little bit about how modeling changed after October 7th?

[Danielle Yablonka — 5:01]

Yeah, it stopped.

[Abbey Onn — 5:03]

Say more.

[Danielle Yablonka — 5:04]

Right after October 7th, there was another model that I worked with. We look alike. She's tall and dark, dark features, Middle Eastern features. And for years we've worked together, and she's Palestinian. And I'd always ask, "How's your family in the West Bank? How's your family?" All these things. I'd always just throw a little Arabic in there. Like, we'd always giggle, and people told us we look like sisters.

[Danielle Yablonka — 5:26]

And after October 7th, she posted on Instagram and said, "You have a Palestinian friend." And I commented on that post and I said, "Like, I feel for you. I'm also in pain. I hope your family's safe, and I'm praying that we end Hamas." Something along those lines. And she ended up, and I was reading through the comments, and all of the comments were, "I'm so sorry. We love you. We support you." This is, like, three days after October 7th. And I realized not a single person who'd commented on her post said a word to me. And I'd been posting nonstop at how much pain I was in, my people were in. Not a single person from my modeling world texted to see how I was doing, but they were commenting on her post. "We love you. We are standing with you." And I just— I couldn't believe it.

[Danielle Yablonka — 6:15]

I really— I couldn't, I couldn't understand. She blocked me. And this is someone I'd worked with for years. I felt betrayal. And on top of that, my entire modeling world just kind of dried up. Nobody wanted to work with me. I'm a hanger, not a mouthpiece. I'm not supposed to be political, even though— how, for me, how is my identity political? Talking about what's happening in my country, how is that political? But I was getting in a lot of trouble for just speaking out online. No one wants to associate. And even harder was Jewish brands or Jewish spaces that didn't want to associate, because they also wanted to step back from Israel and whatnot. So it really dried up, and it just wasn't the space for me anymore.

[Erica Marom — 7:04]

So we are very curious.

[Danielle Yablonka — 7:04]

Talk to me.

[Erica Marom — 7:04]

How do you become Miss Israel?

[Danielle Yablonka — 7:09]

I don't know. No, I'm just kidding. They stopped doing pageantry completely here in Israel in 2021, I believe. The last Miss Universe was here in 2021 during COVID, and Noa Cochva was the last crowned Miss Israel here in Israel. Dear friend, wonderful girl.

[Danielle Yablonka — 7:28]

And one day, 2024-ish, I saw on Instagram that they were hosting a Miss Israel pageant in Miami. I was like, "What is this? Is this real?" But they had the sashes, they had the crowns, and the girl went to Miss Universe. Ofir went to Miss Universe and represented Israel. She is a beautiful, kind, fiery girl, Israeli, who went and represented us. Her dream is to be an actress, to be a model. So that was her. She wasn't in the hasbara [public diplomacy] activism world, but she carried the crown like no other.

[Danielle Yablonka — 7:59]

And I realized in 2025, as soon as the applications opened up, I was like, "I'm going to run for Miss Israel. Let's do it." I met the requirements. My dad's Israeli. I'm Jewish. So what did I do? I ran. I ran for Miss Israel. I flew from Israel to Miami. I flew from Israel to Miami to go run for Miss Israel. It was actually, like, this close to being canceled because of the Iran war that summer. Like, really, the day they were just about to say, "You know what, guys? We're not doing it this year."

[Danielle Yablonka — 8:34]

So, thank God, ceasefire-ish, I flew to Miami, ran for Miss Israel, and I came in first runner-up, which was devastating for me, because it was the first time in my life that I didn't prepare myself for not winning. I was like, "I'm going to fully lock into this. I am Miss Israel. I'm going to win. Manifestation, da-da-da-da." And to not win, I felt so lost. I put everything into it. But Hashem [God] had a plan, and I look back at it now and I see it, and I'm so grateful for it, because this year is the 75th anniversary of Miss Universe, and it was meant to be. Now I've had more time here in Israel. I've learned my people more. I'm studying Hebrew more. Everything came into alignment. Thank you, Hashem.

[Danielle Yablonka — 9:23]

So now I just happen to be going to Miss Universe in Puerto Rico this November. I'm training nonstop, learning how to be a beauty queen, how to walk around.

[Erica Marom — 9:33]

What does that mean? Like, what are you doing to prepare?

[Danielle Yablonka — 9:37]

Well, I'm flying to Miami next week to go train with the Latinas, because this is their Olympics. Okay, you laugh. I laughed, too. This is their Olympics. They take it so seriously. I'm so lucky to have an amazing team in the Miss Universe organization. And I'll actually be going to New York as well to walk in New York Fashion Week for a few of the designers giving me dresses for Miss Universe.

[Erica Marom — 10:01]

Yay!

[Abbey Onn — 10:02]

That's so exciting.

[Danielle Yablonka — 10:03]

Yeah, it is.

[Erica Marom — 10:03]

This is like a little girl's dream.

[Danielle Yablonka — 10:05]

I know. I feel like a queen.

[Abbey Onn — 10:07]

I want to ask something that we didn't plan on asking, but just thinking about the 70— you know, the 75th.

[Abbey Onn — 10:12]

Right?

[Abbey Onn — 10:13]

It's the 75th anniversary? Thinking about Eurovision and people that have represented Israel, they've faced a lot of antisemitism. How do you feel about representing Israel at this moment in this kind of competition?

[Danielle Yablonka — 10:24]

That's a fantastic question, and I've thought about it a lot. I'm really worried. Unfortunately, the Miss Israel organization doesn't have unlimited funds. It's actually— the owner is an Israeli man and a former Miss World, and they're paying for this out of their pockets. We are looking for sponsors, if anyone wants to sponsor me and my journey. But I don't have security at the moment, and I've gotten this far, thank God. It does scare me.

[Danielle Yablonka — 10:54]

I think about it a lot, and I pray to Hashem that it'll work out, that they'll have protection, that someone will step in, someone will want to give me security of any kind. Especially when I go to New York Fashion Week. I'm more afraid to go to New York than I am to go to Puerto Rico. There's not much I can do. I can hold my head up high. I'm not hiding myself. I'm not going to be pretending I'm anyone else. I am Miss Israel. I will represent this country, and anything ugly that anyone does, that's on them. But I'm going to smile and represent this country that I love. And from a safety standpoint, for my mother, who's probably watching, I will be very safe. I have already connected with the communities in Puerto Rico, and I will figure out the best, most secure way to go about everything.

[Erica Marom — 11:47]

What does that responsibility feel like, you know, to know that you're going on stage to represent this entire country that is at the center stage of everything going on in the world right now, or always has been in the news? You know, what does that responsibility feel like for you?

[Danielle Yablonka — 12:03]

I have to tell myself Cuba's probably got a bigger spotlight, because, like I said, this is the Latin Olympics. That's my way of calming my nerves. But I'm not even worried about the international stage. I'm not worried about antisemitism. I'm used to haters. I'm worried about making my people proud. I already have so much imposter syndrome as an olah [new immigrant]. I did when I got the crown. I was like, "How can I do this? My Hebrew's not that good. Like, am I Israeli?" But I am. I have a passport, and I've worked hard. Everything lined up for this. And I have to remind myself, it's all coming down to this. So all I want is to be the best representation I can be and make the people watching me proud. That's all that matters to me.

[Abbey Onn — 12:53]

I have no doubt you'll do it.

[Erica Marom — 12:54]

Yeah.

[Danielle Yablonka — 12:54]

Thank you.

[Abbey Onn — 12:55]

Okay. I want to talk to you a little bit about your journey as an olah, because it's a huge change, and it's not only modeling and pageantry, but it's the language. You have a jewelry brand. How did moving here change all those things for you?

[Danielle Yablonka — 13:09]

So as I stated before, my modeling career sort of dried up when I continued speaking about Israel online. When I came here, I was an English teacher. I came through a Masa program, and it was really still in wartime when I moved here. Like, active, active wartime, where we're going to a shelter pretty often, and I'm in a school, an elementary school. I was living in Rishon LeZion, so it wasn't like a main city like Tel Aviv where everyone's speaking English. I felt that I really integrated and started in a hard place, especially with kids who will take such advantage of you.

[Danielle Yablonka — 13:50]

But to be— I almost felt like a kid myself, where I was experiencing these sirens and these moments from a kid's perspective. It was nothing any child should have to go through. And now I really feel like I've grown into a different woman. I'm coming from Miami, where I find— here I feel like the best version of myself. I'm around my community. I'm trying things. I'm talking to everyone. I'm Miss Israel. It's just— I'm stepping into a whole new era of Danielle Yablonka. So aliyah has completely turned me into a strong, powerful, Jewish, proud Israeli woman.

[Abbey Onn — 14:35]

How has your social media changed? Right? You said initially that people were following you because you were a model or, you know, competing in pageantry, but then you kind of bait-and-switched, in a sense.

[Danielle Yablonka — 14:35]

Great question.

[Abbey Onn — 14:35]

How has it changed?

[Danielle Yablonka — 14:50]

I always joked that I was like a— what's it called? I did my propaganda. I was the hot model, hot and Jewish, and I'm posting my hot pictures, modeling pictures. But then I throw in a little, like, Zionism and a little sprinkle of thirst trap. A little sprinkle of thirst trap, Zionist thirst trap. Now I have politicians and rabbis that follow me, so I'm not so comfortable doing that, but—

[Erica Marom — 15:16]

Maybe that's what they were following you for.

[Danielle Yablonka — 15:20]

So I've just sort of completely morphed into straight activism. Straight. I decided to use my platform not to talk about myself anymore. In a way, I was able to, more— I was able to use my platform to tell the story of those who can't, who don't have a platform. And that was everything for me. I went from talking about myself, talking about my Jewish pride, to showcasing stories of those murdered on October 7th and the pain that these people are going through, but also getting to show the injured soldiers, their smiles, their resilience.

[Danielle Yablonka — 15:59]

I avoid the word resilience because I feel like sometimes we overuse it. We're tired of it. I don't think I could ever be tired of it, because that's what keeps me going. And so, to circle back to your question on how my social media has changed, I've used it as a tool to amplify other people's voices to the best of my ability. I discovered my love for interviewing. I'm good at it, and I love people. So when I'm able to combine that and showcase and use my platform for good, that's the biggest gift in the entire world.

[Abbey Onn — 16:29]

Amazing.

[Erica Marom — 16:31]

So I can't help noticing your beautiful earrings. And you designed these?

[Danielle Yablonka — 16:37]

I did.

[Erica Marom — 16:38]

You are a jewelry designer.

[Erica Marom — 16:39]

You design, like, jewelry based on Judaica.

[Danielle Yablonka — 16:42]

Yes.

[Erica Marom — 16:42]

So how did you— tell us a little bit about this?

[Danielle Yablonka — 16:44]

Like, I'm wearing now one of my favorite— I'm going to, like, hide, my nail broke. I'm wearing my Spanish Inquisition necklace. Oh, the camera guy's like, "Whoa."

[Danielle Yablonka — 16:44]

So during the Spanish Inquisition, Jews invented—

[Erica Marom — 17:02]

Wow.

[Abbey Onn — 17:02]

Oh, my God.

[Danielle Yablonka — 17:02]

Yeah. Jews invented these magnetic necklaces that would open in public, and then in private they would close them, as this not only way to hold onto their Judaism but this act of defiance against their forced conversions, their forced expulsions. And I'd actually found a similar necklace in Bethlehem, of all places. And I'd never heard of it before. I couldn't really find that much about it on the internet. And I knew in that moment, I was like, "I have to make my own version of this." This is so cool.

[Erica Marom — 17:32]

So cool.

[Danielle Yablonka — 17:33]

Yes.

[Danielle Yablonka — 17:34]

And it's my favorite, absolute favorite piece. It's really selling out like crazy now, baruch Hashem [thank God]. And the point is not to hide who you are. It's to remember that history, that at one point we did have to hide who we are. And now we can wear it. We can share the story. I love hearing my guy— I have a male version. I love at parties when my guy friends are like, "Yo, yo, yo, bro, check it out." And they're like, "Do this." And then they're looking at me while they're telling the story, to make sure they're getting it right. But they're like, "Did you know that during the Spanish Inquisition—" And I'm like, "Yes."

[Erica Marom — 18:06]

Okay, so I want to change topics for a second and get a little more personal.

[Danielle Yablonka — 18:09]

Yeah.

[Erica Marom — 18:10]

We've had a couple of people come on our show talking about what it's like to date in Israel, in Tel Aviv in particular.

[Danielle Yablonka — 18:17]

Yes.

[Erica Marom — 18:19]

Can you tell us about your experience?

[Danielle Yablonka — 18:21]

Sure. Can we— is it possible to—

[Erica Marom — 18:23]

You want to take it off?

[Danielle Yablonka — 18:24]

Yeah, it's heavy.

[Erica Marom — 18:26]

Of course.

[Danielle Yablonka — 18:27]

I'm schvitzing [sweating].

[Erica Marom — 18:28]

Yeah, put it on the books so everyone can see it.

[Danielle Yablonka — 18:31]

Wow. Dating is rough. It's rough. I moved to Tel Aviv a year ago, and it's hard out here. I joke, but I'm not really joking. In my phone, I have a list of, like, 50 first dates in Tel Aviv. I'm not to 50 yet, don't worry. But there was a day that I went on three dates in one day. Like a coffee date, a lunch date, and then a dinner date. And I was so tired by the end, like, telling the same story over and over again. "Hi, I'm Danielle. I'm an activist."

[Danielle Yablonka — 19:04]

So dating here is really hard, but I also find it really fun. I think the stories are iconic. And I live in a girl apartment, and we all, you know, we talk. We have girl talk. And the one thing in Tel Aviv is that everyone knows everyone. So I'm always scared to run into people on a date. Of course I want to find my person, but my roommates keep reminding me now, at this time, that I have a mission right now. I'm going to Miss Universe, and that should be my focus.

[Erica Marom — 19:40]

You travel a lot, you know, on behalf of Israel, you know, being an activist and showing Israel to the world. Are you ever tempted to not come back?

[Danielle Yablonka — 19:51]

No, I want to be here. I actually feel like a tourist in Miami now. I said earlier, I really feel like the best version of myself here. I didn't mention the reason I made aliyah, the real— that moment where you're like, "I'm going to move here." I was here in July of 2023, and I was sitting on the beach with a bunch of friends, new friends that I'd made, and we're all just talking about fun content. And it's the middle of the judicial reform, and, you know, it's cuckoo, and social media. But I'm sitting on the beach and I'm just like, "Wow." I packed a suitcase for 10 days, and it extended for two months. And I'm wearing the same bathing suit I've been wearing every day, and I'm wearing the same shorts that probably haven't been washed in a week. Nobody cares what I'm wearing. No one cares what I look like.

[Danielle Yablonka — 20:39]

And then when I went back to my— "I'm going to move here." But when I went back to Miami, I was like, "Who's going where?" And everyone's like, "What do you do?" And, you know, it's a completely different culture. And I— this is something really special, actually. I was in the taxi yesterday, and my taxi driver was like, "Oh, you make aliyah? Why you move here?" And I'm like, "Because I love Israel. I'm a Zionist." "I know, but it's hard to make money here. Life is hard here. I want to leave." And I was like, "No, that's really sad." And we're driving past the most beautiful sunset, and I'm like, "Look outside the window." He's like, "Ah, you can get this anywhere." He sounds like my dad. And I literally said to my taxi driver, I was like, "Listen, you're in a country— we're in a country that, yes, it's so hard to make money, it's so hard to find a job, it's hard to survive here. But people appreciate life so much more. And if life was easy here and we didn't have war and money was flowing in, I don't think there would be as many people walking on the Tayelet [boardwalk] right now, appreciating the sunset as much as they do."

[Danielle Yablonka — 21:43]

I genuinely believe the magic of this country is that life is so hard. We appreciate the little things so much more, and there's a reason we're one of the happiest countries in the whole world. And I truly believe that it's because of all this hardship and the war and the intensity. We're all going through something together, and we don't put masks on, and we're not trying to put on this perfect facade all the time for everyone. What place do you walk at a Monday night on, like, Nachalat Binyamin, and every place is packed? Every place. The tayelet, I live next to the tayelet, every place is packed. The tayelet has hundreds of people every night, running, walking. It's beautiful to see. So Israel is the place for me now. When I leave Israel, all I think about is coming home, coming back to my roommates, coming back to my friends who have become my family. I want to be here. I just— I feel so safe, and, like, the best place in the whole world.

[Abbey Onn — 22:44]

Okay.

[Abbey Onn — 22:44]

She did it.

[Erica Marom — 22:45]

Wow.

[Abbey Onn — 22:45]

I mean, that's why we started the podcast.

[Erica Marom — 22:47]

Exactly. That's—

[Erica Marom — 22:47]

You did it.

[Danielle Yablonka — 22:47]

Boom. I unlocked the code. Make aliyah.

[Abbey Onn — 22:52]

Okay, so if we want everyone to make aliyah, what is one piece of advice you would give them from the last two years?

[Danielle Yablonka — 22:58]

Wow. Have an Israeli boyfriend. No, I'm just kidding.

[Abbey Onn — 23:01]

We agree. We said marry Israelis.

[Danielle Yablonka — 23:05]

But making aliyah, finding yourself an Orly from Nefesh B'Nefesh, I don't know. She really helped me so much. It actually took me a year to make aliyah. They didn't— my parents don't have a ketubah [marriage contract]. They got married in Vegas.

[Erica Marom — 23:21]

Cool.

[Danielle Yablonka — 23:21]

It was really weirdly hard for me to prove my Judaism, which actually hurt me more than anything, making aliyah. And I got on my TikTok a lot of comments from other people saying how, like, they'd converted, or different things, and that's why they couldn't make aliyah. So I think my biggest advice is, like, don't let it deter you. I mean, keep pushing. If you want to be here, you can get here. You'll figure out a way. This country is far, far, far from perfect. Like, take your expectations and lower them times 20. The buses suck. Like, it's really fun for the summer, and you think you got the buses down, but you don't. And they'll drive right past you. You know, there's a lot of hard, hard moments, but it's just— it's worth it. And to find as much support as possible.

[Danielle Yablonka — 24:12]

Last thing I'll say— I know I have long-winded answers. I had a therapist who was Israeli right before I made aliyah, and she was like, "I don't think you should go. I don't think, you know, it's not safe." I fired her. It's like, "I don't want you to be my therapist anymore." I was like, I'm going. I'm going to do this. Surround yourself with people who are like, "We know this is where you belong, and we're so proud of you for going places." So make aliyah. Surround yourself with people. It was my non-Jewish friends, my roommate from Guyana, who was like, "Danielle, I know how much your country means to you. I'm so proud of you for getting up and picking up and moving there."

[Abbey Onn — 24:51]

Wow. We love her.

[Danielle Yablonka — 24:51]

Yeah, I love her too. So—

[Erica Marom — 24:53]

So fire your therapist.

[Danielle Yablonka — 24:55]

Yeah, fire your therapist. Unless she supports your aliyah.

[Abbey Onn — 25:01]

Okay.

[Erica Marom — 25:02]

When you're, you know, a million years from now, when you're old and looking back on your life, okay, what's one thing that you think will have been true about your life because you made aliyah that would have never been true otherwise?

[Danielle Yablonka — 25:12]

Ooh. B'ezrat Hashem [God willing], I would have never found my perfect Israeli husband if I didn't make aliyah. But I'm a strong believer that everything happens for a reason. I don't know the woman I would be if I hadn't made— I can't even— it's hard to even answer that. And I think all of my answers combined kind of lead up to this answer, where Hashem has a path, Hashem has a vision of where I'm going.

[Danielle Yablonka — 25:44]

I don't think I'd be as connected to my Judaism as I am. I have a joke, and now you will be the first ones to get it on camera. It's my hot take of the last few months, but Tel Aviv is holier than Jerusalem.

[Erica Marom — 25:55]

Ooh, yeah. Why?

[Danielle Yablonka — 25:58]

Okay, yeah. Because in Jerusalem, everyone's a little religious, and there's all the holy sites. For me, I don't connect to holy sites so much. I connect to the people around me connecting. That's just the way my soul works. And in Tel Aviv, you have to put effort into being Jewish. It's a very secular, progressive city. But every Friday, I turn off my phone and I go to shul [synagogue]. I go to Beit Knesset [synagogue], and I pray. And it's not something I can do in the States, because you can't reach anyone, and I don't come from a Jewish area. The shul is a lot of older people. I don't think I'd be as connected to my Judaism. And Tel Aviv is more holy because you have to put the effort in to being Jewish here and observing. So that's my hot take. I know, I just mixed those up.

[Erica Marom — 26:43]

Wow.

[Danielle Yablonka — 26:44]

Yes.

[Danielle Yablonka — 26:44]

But looking back at my life, it all— it all led up to this. I— I look, I hope I can look back and show my future daughter, like, "That was your mommy."

[Erica Marom — 26:55]

Yeah.

[Danielle Yablonka — 26:55]

I hope I make her proud.

[Abbey Onn — 26:57]

You will. All right, we're going to do a rapid fire. We're going to ask you a bunch of questions.

[Danielle Yablonka — 27:01]

Hard for Danielle. I like to talk. Let's go.

[Erica Marom — 27:04]

One word. One word.

[Abbey Onn — 27:05]

You could do this. Favorite Israeli food or snack?

[Danielle Yablonka — 27:09]

Bissli.

[Erica Marom — 27:10]

Favorite place in Israel?

[Danielle Yablonka — 27:12]

Tel Aviv.

[Abbey Onn — 27:14]

Favorite Hebrew word or slang?

[Danielle Yablonka — 27:15]

Achla [great].

[Erica Marom — 27:17]

What do you miss most from Miami?

[Danielle Yablonka — 27:19]

My parents.

[Abbey Onn — 27:21]

What does Shabbat or Saturday look like for you?

[Danielle Yablonka — 27:23]

No phone. Shul. Kiddush [blessing over wine]. Beach.

[Erica Marom — 27:28]

What's your only-in-Israel moment in one sentence?

[Danielle Yablonka — 27:30]

You run into everyone that you know within a one-mile radius.

[Erica Marom — 27:38]

Perfect. Thank you so much for joining us.

[Abbey Onn — 27:41]

It was a joy.

[Abbey Onn — 27:41]

Lovely. And we're wishing you so much luck representing Israel.

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