The Promised Podcast

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Miriam Herschlag and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Waiting— The span of time we have now waited for Israel to counter-attack Hamas is now longer than the entire Yom Kippur War. How much longer can we stay in this strange and terrible in-between period without going crazy? —Captives— Is our hostage crisis driving us towards our government (as such things often do), or away from it? —How the Government Deserted An 85 Year Old Hostage For A Second Time— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: An 85 year old hostage is releases, and she says in a press conference that after beating her when she was just captured, Hamas treated her well. What do you do with that? All that and an ultra-Orthodox wedding planned by a couple of married-to-each-other lesbians, plus music from the big telethon raising money for the victims of the Hamas attack.

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Linda Gradstein and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Unity, Sure, but Not National Unity— One leader of Israel's opposition joined Netanyahu in a "War Cabinet." The other leader of the opposition did not. Who made the right call? —Left Behind— Why are some of Israel's leading leftists surprised that murdering babies, old-folks and everything in between does not discredit Hamas in the eyes of some of America's and Europe's leading leftists? —Is Joe Biden the Zionist Leader Israel Needs?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Is US President Joe Biden the leader Israelis yearn for? All that and the music made this week in hope of finding consolation.

Peace, co-existence and social-justice activist Sally Abed tells Noah what these last, terrible days of grief, anger and fear have been like for her, as an Israeli Arab. This is not for everyone, not at this moment, and if it is not for you, at this moment, don't listen to it. For some people, it is maybe just what they want to hear, at this moment.

Allison, Miriam and Noah talk about the only thing that could possibly be on our minds at this moment of tragedy, mourning and anxiety. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Citizens Stepped in Where Government Failed— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: For the first 24 hours of tragedy, journalists did what our government failed to do. All that and songs of consolation.

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Miriam Herschlag and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Partition Plans?— On Yom Kippur, Tel Aviv became a battlefield in a religious war. What happened? —That War— Exactly fifty years ago, Israel was attacked from the south and the north, and 19 days of bloody fighting ensued. What is the legacy of that terrible war? —Our Peak Sukkah Experiences— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Our peak Sukkah experiences. Come for the booths, stay for Miriam's joke about the KGB! All that and the music of the supremely talented Ariel Herzog, Shauli Eckel and Seballal!

Noah tells the story of one song that is also, in a way, the story of Israel itself.

In this very special episode of sustainably recycled stuff devoted to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, hear about the evolution of the great piyyut and prayer, u'netanah tokef, and hear how members of the crew make sense of the strange and beautiful holiday from their strange and beautiful perspectives. Jeremy Benstein, "The Bikes and Vibes of Yom Kippur in the first modern, Jewish city" Miriam Herschlag, "Sins for the Internet Age" Noah, "And to think that I saw it on Yom Kippur" All that and indie songs of Yom Kippur!

In this very special holiday Turducken of a podcast, we've stuffed into our own carcass an interview that Allison did for the Haaretz Weekly podcast with Noah and his comrade-in-politics Inbal Orpaz on why they are running for city council and what they stand for. The tryptophan alone is reason enough to listen!

After a momentous week, after many momentous months, the Promised Podcast wishes you and yours a new year of every good thing!

Maybe no one is a better symbol of how Israel is changing (and did more to cause this change) than Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, who died at 83 in 2020.