The Promised Podcast

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Don Futterman and Noah Efron discuss three 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 —Ben-Gvir, Bistu Schein?— The popularity of a one time acolyte of Rabbi Meir Kahane is growing leaps and bounds. Why? —Energy Drain— Why are the leaders of Israel's liberal-left Meretz party, dropping out like flies? —From Zion Will Come Our Salvation— Will video marriage in Utah solve Israel's wedding woes? —No Shakes— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: A popular young Israeli singer does not shake President Joe Biden's outstretched hand because she observes the prohibition against Negiah, unmarried women and men touching each other, and Israeli social media explodes. Why was this a thing? All this and Kob, as his great, new record, Kavanot Tovot, drops!

Miriam Herschlag, Don Futterman and Noah Efron discuss three 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 —Biden' Time— What is US President Joe Biden's visit to Israel much ado about, nothin' or sumpin'? —New Blue, or the Great White Hope— What do you get when a centrist party and a right wing party merge? —Judaica mens in corpore Judaico— Isn't it weird that there are Jewish Olympics, by Jews, of Jews and for Jews? —Why Haven't Death and Bereavement Notices Changed in 100 Years?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Death and bereavement notices – the little signs that get printed up and hung around the neighborhood when someone dies, and on the door of the people sitting shiva – haven't changed a bit in a hundred years. Why? What accounts for the remarkable stability of this small-but-really-important cultural artifact? All this and Nunu!

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 —The Torch Has Been Passed— Yair Lapid, once a weight-lifting, party-going, celebrity hunk, is sworn in as Israel's 14th Prime Minister. What a long strange trip it's been. —There Will Be Blood— Why is menstruation trending in Israel? —Dealing With Jewish Thugs— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Haredi thugs break up a Bat Mitzvah and two Bar Mitzvah's at the Wall in the most awful way. How do we cope with a thing like that? All this and Amir Lev!

Sally, Miriam, Ohad, Don and Noah tell stories of people who made and make our lives worth living. Plus, duets and collaborations by singers we love. (If the stories sound familiar, it is because, as renowned folklorist Joseph Campbell said, there are tales that live deep in our collective unconscious, that all of us know without being told. That, and because we've played them on the podcast in the past.) All this and duets and collaborations by singers we love!

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Don Futterman 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 —Going to the Polls!— Prime Minister Bennett decides to throw in the towel and take the country to new elections. What does it say about what was, what is, and what will be? —Not Going to the Poles!— Foreign Minister (and soon-to-be replacement Prime Minister) Yair Lapid decides to cancel all high-school trips to concentration camps in Poland. Would we be better off rethinking entirely the way we think about Holocaust education? —Where Do These Elections Find Us?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Does the prospect of new elections inspire anxiety, hope, or maybe just boredom? All this and Idan Rafael Haviv!

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and prodigal son Ohad Zeltzer-Zubida 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 —Dead Man Governing?— Is it time for Naftali Bennett to say when? —"I Am Not Mentally Ill!"— Why is ex-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suing ex-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and what's it say about Israeli politics? —Falafel – Good or Icky?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: We were gonna talk about Iranian death squads in Istanbul, but we ended up talking about a more pressing issue: Falafel – Good or Icky? All this and Maor Cohen!

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and prodigal son Ohad Zeltzer-Zubida discuss three 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 —Temporary Regulations Make Temporary Governments— Israel's government fails to renew temporary provisional regulations first put into place in 1967 by then Minister of Defense Moshe Dayan, and renewed 18 times since then, regulations that allow Israeli law to apply to Israeli citizens living in the West Bank which, by Israeli and International law both, is not part of Israel proper. What now? —Can't Spell "Heteronormativity" Without TV— Israel's biggest reality show just married off two hunky, dreamy gay guys? Is one small step towards heteronormativity a giant leap for LGBTQ folks? —I've Got BDS On My Mind— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: As Ohad buys pencils and notebooks to get ready to go to PhD school in America, is BDS on his mind? All this and Shim, in honor the release of her new EP, and in honor of the show in honor of the release of her new EP at Levontin 7, on June 22, at 10

On the week of a tense Jerusalem Day, Allison Kaplan Sommer and Noah Efron talk about the capital city and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Al-Quds— An EU-funded, UN-midwifed Palestinian Authority plan sets out how Jerusalem will be developed as the capital of Palestine by 2030. Some Israelis decry this as a stratagem to undermine Israeli sovereignty over a united Jerusalem, which it sort-of is, but is that necessarily a bad thing? —Ir ha-Kodesh— Ask someone in Tel Aviv what they think about Jerusalem, and they'll probably tell you that they don't think about Jerusalem. —Jerusalem's Hidden Gems— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: What are a few of the most charming unsung (or undersung) spots to see in Jerusalem? All this and hip-hop by Jerusalem favorite son, Guy Mar!

On Don's birthday and the day before Miriam's, Don Futterman, Miriam Herschlag and Noah Efron discuss three 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 —The MK Formerly Known as Ex-Member of the Coalition Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi— Mertz MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi quits the coalition, sending Israeli politics into turmoil, only to rejoin three days later. What the hell was that about? —Thank You for Your Service— After days of vicious debate, Israel's coalition and opposition agree to pay college tuition for discharged combat soldiers. Is that really a good idea? —Denied of the Valkeries— Wagner died 140 years ago. Is it time to put to rest our Gevalt-by-Association, and let his music boom from Tel Aviv stages? —Son of a Surgeon— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Don just dropped an amazing podcastilogical monologue about growing up his father's son, and we hear all about it, not just from the author, but also from the auteur! All this and a new debut record by Joav Ben-Moshe!

Miriam Herschlag, Don Futterman and Noah Efron discuss three 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 —Nakba— Nakba Day memorializes as a tragedy the day when a Jewish State was reborn after two thousand tumultuous, stateless years. What can an Israeli Jew say to that? —How We Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Microchip— An old joke says: The food at that restaurant is terrible and the portions are too small! The Bank of Israel says: High-tech is tearing Israel apart, and we need more of it. Which one is funnier? —The Netanyahus— A Pulitzer Prize presents for a packs-a-punch parable about the parent of a past premier. —Lag B'Omer: Then and Now— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: We talk about Lag B'Omer's past, and whether and how the holiday is changing in front of our eyes. All this and new songs by Tzuf/Zohar/Inbal!