Yael was born in New Haven, Connecticut, but grew up from a young age in Shoresh, a small community outside of Jerusalem.

Yael served over 6 years in the Israel Defense Force (IDF) in different positions as an operations officer and the commander of the tank instructors course in the armed forces. Today, she is a Major in a reserve Tanks brigade. Yael holds a Law degree from Tel Aviv University.  During her studies, Yael worked in "Accesses for All" - a social program aimed at affording underprivileged groups access to academic studies.  Yael clerked in the Ministry of Justice, and was certified as a lawyer in 2023.

Yael moved to New York with Amos, her husband, and their cat - Afula.