A Pittsburgh radio personality is broadcasting his daily show live from Jerusalem this week as part of a program that aims to improve Israel's image in the United States.

KDKA radio talk show host Mike Pintek is broadcasting from Jerusalem from June 2 to 6 as part of the America's Voices in Israel program.

Created by The Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations in partnership with the Jerusalem Post, the program brings American radio hosts to Israel to experience life there and broadcast programming about it to their listeners at home.

"Most listeners here don't fully understand what it's like to live there surrounded by enemies," said Pintek, whose show can be heard weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon on 1020 AM. "We want to learn about what everyday life is like."

Pintek is broadcasting from America's Voices' state-of-the-art radio station in Jerusalem. He is also touring historic and religious sites and interviewing Israeli politicians, people on the street and former Pittsburghers who made aliyah.

"I'm going to try to bring to my listeners a simple understanding of what's going on," he said. "We'll hopefully get various views to get an overall picture that's listener-friendly,"

But Pintek is interested in more than politics, he said.

"I also want to learn about what kind of sports are popular, what the food's like, what's on T.V., what's the entertainment like, what's shopping like," he said. "I want an overall view of what's going on over there."

The purpose of the program is to inform Americans about Israel by harnessing the power of talk radio, organizers say. It serves to educate about experiences in Israel and also develops contacts between local communities and radio personalities.

The program developed over a number of years, said America's Voices Chairman Malcolm Hoenlein, who is also the executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations. The idea was sparked after Hoenlein brought Rush Limbaugh to Israel in the 1990s and "saw the profound impact that had," he said. Tens of millions of people listened.

"We believe the truth and reality of Israel is the best selling point," he said. "[Talk show hosts] can expose people to Israeli leaders, to people in society, to their own impressions. It really can counter a lot of the misinformation."

America's Voices is working with the United Jewish Communities and with local federations to recruit local radio personalities for the program.

"It's a wonderful way to engage federations and radio stations to gain some exposure to Israel, to the matsav and to the challenges Israel is facing at this critical time," said UJC spokesman Glenn Rosencrantz. "Talk radio is a very powerful medium. Generally, people who are listening are engaged and loyal listeners. We see it as a very potent media tool, as does the Pittsburgh federation."

Locally, the United Jewish Federation worked with KDKA to offer them programming and interview opportunities and logistical guidance.

Several national radio talk show hosts have already participated, including G. Gordon Liddy and Oliver North. Fifteen to 20 local radio hosts are also scheduled to take part in the program, Rosencrantz said.

As for Pintek, visiting Israel has been a long-time dream. In college, he met a young man his own age who went to live on a kibbutz in Israel.

"I envied him," he said. "Now, all these years later I get a chance to go."

Many people asked Pintek if he had gone nuts when he told them he was going to Israel, he said, but the security situation there doesn't scare him. "I could be hit by a PAT bus here in Pittsburgh as I walk across the street. Anything could happen anywhere. I'm not worried about it. I'm excited," he said.

Pintek said he is looking forward to talking to Israelis and Palestinians to reach an understanding of the conflict. "A lot of people here say 'why can't you all get along?' There are reasons and we want to find out what they are," he said. "I hope to come away with some understanding of why the peace process is so difficult and an overview of everyday life. ... I have a suspicion it will be a real awakening."