Nicole Zedeck: Making aliyah from Colorado to Israel's front lines

Nicole Zedeck's journey from the ski slopes of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, to making aliyah and embracing life on Israel's front lines is a testament to her deep-rooted connection to her heritage. Growing up in a town more renowned for its outdoor activities than its Jewish community, Zedeck inherited her parents' love for nature and Israel.

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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.

Her family's move to Colorado was initially a one-year sabbatical, but they found themselves captivated by the lifestyle. Zedeck's mother converted to Judaism to ensure a united household, and despite the small Jewish community in Steamboat Springs, the family maintained their traditions. Zedeck's early trips to Israel, starting at age eight, solidified her connection to the country, its history, and its people.

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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.

After graduating high school, Zedeck moved to Southern California to study broadcast journalism and political science at Chapman University. Her early career began at an ABC news affiliate in Huntsville, Alabama, where she quickly learned the ropes as a one-person news team, handling camerawork, reporting, editing, and booking. While navigating her new professional life, she also reconnected with her maternal grandmother in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

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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.

Zedeck's Zionist identity and her affection for Tel Aviv, which she describes as a vibrant, alive city with great food and music, ultimately led her to make aliyah. She views Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people, embodying both a culture and an ethnicity, and has found her place on the front lines.

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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.