In this episode of Yalla, Let’s Go!, Erica and Abbey sit down with Aaron Bours, native New Yorker, lone soldier, IDF reservist, and CMO of health tech startup Hyro, for a deeply personal conversation about identity, duty, recovery, and belonging.
Aaron shares his journey from Great Neck, Long Island to Israel, why he joined Givati, how he built a career in Israeli tech, and what happened when he was called up on October 7 while in Las Vegas. He recounts his return to Israel, combat in Gaza, the moment he was shot in both legs while trying to save his officer, and the long road of surgeries, rehab, and returning to normal life.
Also on the docket:
making Aliyah and adapting to life in Israel
serving as a lone soldier
Israeli tech, networking, and career-building
October 7 and IDF reserve duty
combat injury, trauma, and recovery
honoring fallen soldiers
why Aaron feels even more rooted in Israel today
the beauty, bureaucracy, warmth, and complexity of living here
This is a powerful conversation about resilience, sacrifice, community, and what it truly means to build a life in Israel.
Subscribe for more conversations with people who live, work, build, and stay in Israel.
#AaronBours #Israel #Aliyah #IDF #LoneSoldier #October7 #Gaza #IsraeliTech #YallaLetsGo #JewishIdentity #Reservist #StartupLife #Hyro #LifeInIsrael #WarRecovery
KEY TOPICS
00:00 - War Called Him Back
00:52 - Why We Still Choose Israel (Even Now)
02:58 - From NYC to IDF to Tech CMO
04:37 - The Career Move That Changed Everything
06:00 - October 7th: The Moment Everything Changed
07:03 - Inside Gaza: What Combat Really Looked Like
09:20 - Shot in Both Legs Saving His Commander
10:17 - The Hardest Part of Rehabilitation
12:40 - Why Most Injured Soldiers Don’t Return to Work
14:35 - The Power of Community That Saved Aaron
15:06 - The Story of Omri
17:13 - Why Aaron Stayed After Almost Dying
18:56 - What Makes Israel Different
20:22 - Real Advice on Aliyah
21:39 - The Hardest Part of Living in Israel
23:20 - The Moment That Defined His Life
26:05 - The Most “Only in Israel” Story Ever
RESOURCES
Follow Aaron on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshprinceoftelaviv/
Follow Aaron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronbours/
Subscribe to Yalla, Let’s Go here: https://www.aleph.vc/yalla-lets-go
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CREDITS
Hosts: Erica Marom, Abbey Onn
Executive Producer: Sarah Bard
Producer: Sofi Levak, Dalit Merenfeld, Myron Shneider
Video and Editing: Nadav Elovic
Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar
Content and Editorial: Jackie Goldberg
Design: Nimrod Sapir
