Emigration, urban growth and a changing Jerusalem

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. Jewish world and real estate correspondent Zev Stub joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today’s episode.

A record-setting wave of emigration from Israel continued in 2025, with nearly 50,000 Israelis leaving the country for more than 12 months. Stub describes how Israel’s prolonged military conflict and political tensions have contributed to elevated emigration that could threaten the country’s long-term strategic interests.

Next, Stub recounts the reinterring of Zionist visionary Theodore Herzl's grandparents, Rivka and Shimon Herzl, in a ceremony on Mount Herzl, exactly 77 years after Herzl himself was reburied there on August 5, 1949.

In the second half of our conversation, we look at the attractions of Carmei Gat, a growing city that Stub describes as Israel’s newest boomtown for English-speakers. Stub relates that the neighborhood is now home to more than 30,000 residents, and has become one of Israel’s fastest-growing destinations for national religious families seeking affordable housing.

Stub describes how the neighborhood was the first in the country to be designed using a comprehensive “umbrella agreement” model in which housing, shopping, schools, transportation and parks were all planned together. The model, which is designed to ensure that residential infrastructure is available as soon as residents start moving in, has, according to Stub, been greatly successful.

To close, Stub walks us through the planned renovations to Jerusalem's historic Mahane Yehuda Market, a proposed NIS 54 million ($17.8 million) upgrade scheduled to start in October 2027. We discuss how planners and businesses are navigating conflicting priorities involved in the remodeling.

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

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