Hannah Jaffe-Walt (Host)

And then, these last few weeks, being unable anymore, even with all his skills and connections, to get money, cash, into his sister's hands. Hearing how their children are not eating. Something changed for Youssef. He felt literally dumbstruck.

And then, these last few weeks, being unable anymore, even with all his skills and connections, to get money, cash, into his sister's hands. Hearing how their children are not eating. Something changed for Youssef. He felt literally dumbstruck.

Leaving Gaza made Youssef the newest member of a well-established club. There are about 5 million Palestinians living inside the West Bank in Gaza. And the rest, about 9 million Palestinians, live all over the world. People who are trying to maintain family and connections across countries and time zones and bad cell connections.

Leaving Gaza made Youssef the newest member of a well-established club. There are about 5 million Palestinians living inside the West Bank in Gaza. And the rest, about 9 million Palestinians, live all over the world. People who are trying to maintain family and connections across countries and time zones and bad cell connections.

Leaving Gaza made Youssef the newest member of a well-established club. There are about 5 million Palestinians living inside the West Bank in Gaza. And the rest, about 9 million Palestinians, live all over the world. People who are trying to maintain family and connections across countries and time zones and bad cell connections.

Today's show is about those conversations inside one family and between friends, colleagues. Yusuf's family agreed to share all the messages they sent back and forth to each other over years. We got them translated. All the late night musings and updates and petty resentments and serious resentments and jokes and plans and fears.

Today's show is about those conversations inside one family and between friends, colleagues. Yusuf's family agreed to share all the messages they sent back and forth to each other over years. We got them translated. All the late night musings and updates and petty resentments and serious resentments and jokes and plans and fears.

Today's show is about those conversations inside one family and between friends, colleagues. Yusuf's family agreed to share all the messages they sent back and forth to each other over years. We got them translated. All the late night musings and updates and petty resentments and serious resentments and jokes and plans and fears.

Intimate moments where you can see how these conversations and relationships change over time. How do you keep being a family? And we hear from other people on the outside and others inside, figuring out what to say and what to keep secret. Stay with us.

Intimate moments where you can see how these conversations and relationships change over time. How do you keep being a family? And we hear from other people on the outside and others inside, figuring out what to say and what to keep secret. Stay with us.

Intimate moments where you can see how these conversations and relationships change over time. How do you keep being a family? And we hear from other people on the outside and others inside, figuring out what to say and what to keep secret. Stay with us.

It's This American Life, Act 1, I'm fine, don't worry. Within any family, there's the group chat and there's the side chat. The person Yusuf is always checking in with most is his youngest sister in Gaza, Asil. June 2024, Yusuf to Asil. Yo, my sister, please confirm you're well. Asil, I feel like I haven't seen you since the last century.

It's This American Life, Act 1, I'm fine, don't worry. Within any family, there's the group chat and there's the side chat. The person Yusuf is always checking in with most is his youngest sister in Gaza, Asil. June 2024, Yusuf to Asil. Yo, my sister, please confirm you're well. Asil, I feel like I haven't seen you since the last century.

It's This American Life, Act 1, I'm fine, don't worry. Within any family, there's the group chat and there's the side chat. The person Yusuf is always checking in with most is his youngest sister in Gaza, Asil. June 2024, Yusuf to Asil. Yo, my sister, please confirm you're well. Asil, I feel like I haven't seen you since the last century.

The thing Yusuf says more than anything else in these chats is, please confirm you're well. The thing Asil says most? I'm fine. Don't worry. Yusuf says Asil is the one in the family who's most like him. Practical, can-do, unfazed, also stubborn. Asil is 10 years younger than Yusuf. She's a nurse. She wants to know things and do things.

The thing Yusuf says more than anything else in these chats is, please confirm you're well. The thing Asil says most? I'm fine. Don't worry. Yusuf says Asil is the one in the family who's most like him. Practical, can-do, unfazed, also stubborn. Asil is 10 years younger than Yusuf. She's a nurse. She wants to know things and do things.

The thing Yusuf says more than anything else in these chats is, please confirm you're well. The thing Asil says most? I'm fine. Don't worry. Yusuf says Asil is the one in the family who's most like him. Practical, can-do, unfazed, also stubborn. Asil is 10 years younger than Yusuf. She's a nurse. She wants to know things and do things.

She trusts him. When Asil was trying to figure out the safest place to give birth to her first child in a war zone, the person she planned it out with was Yusuf. When she needs advice on anything, Yusuf. In the beginning of their WhatsApp chat after he left Gaza, you can see Yusuf trying to set the terms of their new situation. His point over and over, the important things have not changed.

She trusts him. When Asil was trying to figure out the safest place to give birth to her first child in a war zone, the person she planned it out with was Yusuf. When she needs advice on anything, Yusuf. In the beginning of their WhatsApp chat after he left Gaza, you can see Yusuf trying to set the terms of their new situation. His point over and over, the important things have not changed.

She trusts him. When Asil was trying to figure out the safest place to give birth to her first child in a war zone, the person she planned it out with was Yusuf. When she needs advice on anything, Yusuf. In the beginning of their WhatsApp chat after he left Gaza, you can see Yusuf trying to set the terms of their new situation. His point over and over, the important things have not changed.