Growing up in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, a town known more for its world-class skiing than for its Jewish community, Nicole Zedeck followed in her parents’ footsteps, pursuing their love for the outdoors and for Israel.
“I tried it all! Nature, hiking, ice climbing, fly fishing. We had skiing three times a week as our PE [physical education] – instead of dodgeball,” she reports.
Nicole inherited her parents’ love of skiing, as well as her mother’s love of country music.
Her father, from Florida, and mother, from Texas, were on separate “boys” and “girls” ski trips to Colorado and “met at a classic bar.” After conducting a long-term relationship, her mother moved to Florida, and the two married and had two children.
They moved to Austin, Texas, for her father’s work and then decided to test the waters of Steamboat Springs by taking a one-year sabbatical there. The family was hooked and decided to relocate to Colorado.
Zedeck reports that her mom converted to Judaism “to raise us in a united household,” and the family enjoyed life in Steamboat Springs. “The community was very small. We had no synagogue, and the rabbi drove in from Denver. We had 30 to 60 people for Rosh Hashanah in a community center.”
Nicole says she grew up coming to Israel with her family, which she describes as a “big Zionist family.” After her first trip to Israel at age eight, Nicole came five or six times subsequently, including celebrating her bat mitzvah with her brother, who is one year older, and a Birthright trip.
“We came on family vacations to Tel Aviv. We were not religious, but I loved the history and the Jewish people – you feel it when you are here.
“I knew I wanted to live in Tel Aviv one day. It is one of the best cities in the world – vibrant and alive with good food and music. [To me], as a Zionist, it felt like home for the Jewish people, which is both a culture and an ethnicity.”
When Nicole graduated high school, she moved to Southern California to study broadcast journalism and political science at Chapman University.
Nicole’s first job after graduation, in many ways an ideal job for a broadcast journalist looking to learn the ropes, was with the ABC news affiliate in Huntsville, Alabama.
The 21-year-old quickly found herself as a one-person news team. “I was the cameraman, reporter, editor, and booker.... You learn so much about the industry.”
While Zedeck didn’t know anyone her age in Alabama when she arrived, she quickly bonded with other young people in their 20s who relocated from the coasts to work at the station.
Unlike the other 20-somethings, Nicole had a family member in the state – her maternal grandmother! She lived in Muscle Shoals, a city of 16,000 in the northern part of the state, famous for its two recording studios that had recorded many hit songs since the 1960s. Her grandmother was already a regular watcher of the Alabama ABC TV station long before Nicole arrived.
As her two-year contract was soon coming to an end, Zedeck began considering her options. A typical trajectory in the industry is to start one’s career in a smaller market with an affiliate and gradually move to larger cities.
Nicole still had Tel Aviv on her mind. “I was 23, single, had no dog, and knew that, if I wanted to go abroad, I should do it now!”
Her parents were living in Nashville, Tennessee, at the time. “I was deciding between Nashville and Tel Aviv.”
Zedeck came across a job opening with i24 English-language TV in Israel and applied. The network expressed some interest in Nicole, and there were several exploratory conversations.
Finally, the network said, “We need you in two weeks.”
Zedeck was overjoyed – but was still under contract in Huntsville, Alabama.
“I said, how about four weeks?! They said, yes.”
Zedeck was able to renegotiate her contract and prepare for her move to Israel. “That was in December 2022. I started with i24 in February 2023!”
From Colorado to the front lines
Upon her arrival in Israel, Nicole hit the ground running. She started as a general correspondent for i24, reporting on stories such as a Palestinian shooting of two soldiers followed by hundreds of Israelis attacking Palestinians near the Tapuah junction in Huwara.
Despite the busy pace and sometimes difficult-to-cover stories, Nicole is unequivocal. “I love it! It was great being in the field every day and it was a great way to see the country.”
Within a few months of her arrival, October 7 happened.
“On October 10 I was in the first group of reporters allowed to go to Kfar Aza,” she says. “You get a lot of meaning from these stories. It is meaningful to tell these stories in the right way.”
Zedeck feels lucky to bring these stories to English-speaking viewers who live very far from Israel. She observes that most viewers in the US are Evangelical Christians, and she welcomes the opportunity to “share the facts with the whole world.”
She adds, “There is so much history here of all of the major religions.”
Beyond the impact of her reporting to the Christian world, Zedeck enjoys bringing her stories to the Jewish world. She feels that “since October 7, there has been a big problem with Jews in American losing their Israel identity.”
Among her regular viewers are her mother and father. “My parents watch i24 news every day. They are most supportive and proud!”
After two years as a correspondent in the field, Zedeck has transitioned this past year to anchor in the nightly 8 p.m.-to-9 p.m. slot, Sundays to Thursdays. She writes her own text and questions for guests.
Almost daily, she is keenly aware of the contrast of her current Jewish life in Israel with her life and work in America.
“In Steamboat on Yom Kippur, you had to miss a math test. Here, there is no work!” In addition, she reports, “One of the first things I noticed here is that there is a mezuzah on every single door in my apartment building!”
As Zedeck reflects on her three years in Israel, she acknowledges that the war was a difficult period but feels lucky to be “surrounded by people who give you strength.” She observes that “in Israel, life continues despite the war,” and adds, “That’s how I want to live!”
Zedeck is pleased to have a wonderful Israeli boyfriend, Itai, and was happy and proud to cook a full American Thanksgiving dinner for him and his family recently.
She acknowledges, however, that it was a little sad not being able to do the same for her own parents who live far away. She notes sadly, “Life is happening here without them, and I have to come to terms with that.”
Zedeck continues to make progress with Hebrew at Ulpan Lilienblum 7, and she celebrates victories over the everyday challenges of living in Israel. She cites making a dentist appointment and opening a bank account among her small daily victories.
“It all depends on your attitude. I was so excited. I said, ‘Wow – I succeeded in making a doctor’s appointment!’ It makes you very independent, which is a positive thing.”
Her only regret is that she did not serve in the IDF. “I would have loved it and loved giving back.”
Though she arrived at age 23 and did not need to serve, she notes, “I didn’t think about it then, but in hindsight, I recommend considering it as an option. If you don’t serve, there will always be a core part of Israeli society you are not in tune with. We miss out on a core part of being Israeli.”
While there are challenges living in Israel, things are going well for Zedeck both professionally and personally.
“We are the only Jewish country in the world. There is a price for being here. I choose to be here!” ■