The Promised Podcast

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and URJ VP and Renaissance Rabbi Josh Weinberg discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Laying Low— Israel's leaders are heartsick about Ukraine and still nervously worried about Putin, and it shows in their muddled response to the war. Should we be doing something more and different for Ukraine? —If It Displease the Court— If your parents came from Morocco, is it harder to get the courts to listen? —30 Years Gone— Menachem Begin was beloved and reviled in his lifetime. As we mark the 30th anniversary of his death, what is the legacy of this remarkable man? —Meeting of the Minds— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we discuss the recent meeting between the leaders of American Reform and Conservative Judaism and Israel's Prime Minister for the first time in six years. Here's the straight dope. All this and the first, young sounds of Nitzan!

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and linguist, Jewish scholar and environmental activist Jeremy Benstein discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Left and Gone— Is there something about the way we see the world that drives Israel's leftists away from the country? —The Hills Are Alive With the Sounds of Lawsuits— Animals and plants are people, too, right? —Talented-Talk-of-the-Town-TikTok-Talmudist Miriam Anzovin— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we discuss how the talented-talk-of-the-town-TikTok-Talmudist Miriam Anzovin is vexing and delighting folks in Israel. All this and the lovely music of Or Edry, to celebrate her lovely, new record, 20 Tza'adim!

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 —Macaroni Acrimony— Each day brings new, anguished protests over rising prices. Does the government have an answer? —Eternity No More— Are ultra-Orthodox soldiers less judicious and humane than all the others? —Oh, the Humanities!— Starting next year, Israel is cancelling make-or-break matriculation exams in the humanities. Is this dumbing down or rising up? —Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out!— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we discuss the message sent by British Jewry to right-wing MK Bezalel Smotrich saying, "Don't let the door hit you on the way out!" All this and pop Wunderkind Noa Kirel on the occasion of her discharge from the IDF!

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. Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Damn that Winged Horse!— Reports that the police used Pegasus to spy on journalists, politicians, bureaucrats, and protestors sent us through all of Kubler-Ross's stages: Shock, Outrage, Fear, Depression, Gallows humor, More depression, Cynical tweeting and, finally, pricing old Nokia flip-phones on Ebay. —Brush Up Your Streicher!— Do Israeli high schools teach too much about the Holocaust, and in the wrong way? —The "Tinder Swindler"— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we ask, should the fact that the "Tinder Swindler" is Israeli worry us? All this and Wunderkind Ollie Danon!

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 —That Word Again!— Amnesty International accuses us of being murderous racists committing crimes against humanity but, then, what's a little constructive criticism between friends? —Turpitude Now, Turpitude Tomorrow, Turpitude Forever— Should politicians displaying "moral turpitude" be banned from holding office for life? Are there crimes for which penance can never be paid? —I'll Remember Yours, If You Remember Mine— Should our collective memory be fixed through collective bargaining? —L'Affaire d'Whoopi— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we discuss Whoopi's oopsie daisy. The Four Finalists to Represent Israel in the Eurovision!

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and returning prodigal son, Ohad Zeltzer-Zubida discuss three 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 —Tantura— "I was a murderer. I did not take prisoners," says a man who, in 1948, was a soldier for Israel in Tantura. —Lessons Learned and Unlearned— Eight years ago, a teacher lost his job for being too out-there leftist in class. Now a mini-series is bringing it all back. What is it about this story that we can't let go of? —Is It Cool for a Non-Jew to Play a Jewess?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we wonder whether it is cool to cast, um, Gentiles like Helen Mirren to play, um, Jewesses like Golda Meir. All this and the Avrom Sutzkever and the power-pop of The Puddles (Ha-Shluliyot)

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and returning 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 —Can't Spell 'Plea Bargain' Without 'Rage' and 'Pain'— Why are so many people so mad about a possible plea bargain that would keep former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu out of both jail and the Knesset? —The Ideology of No Ideology— Israel's new pandemic policy seems to be, Do what you think is best, and good luck to you! Is Israel having the most free-marketty, Adam-Smithian, pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps moment in our almost 74 year history? —Stay a While— Are some Israeli politicians right to worry that if Israelis can enter the U.S. without a visa, some of them will never come back? —Our Fave Israeli Social Media Accounts— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we share some of our favorite, most fun and delightful, Israeli social media accounts. All this and virtuoso jazz vocalist Noam Vazana singing new songs in Ladino.

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. —Memorial Matters— There never was, and will never be, anyone like Yoram Taharlev, May his Memory Be for a Blessing. —In the Heights— Prime Minister Naftali Bennett exults that "This is the moment of the Golan Heights." But should it be? —We've Only Just Begun— Yair Lapid and his Yesh Atid party celebrate ten years in politics, longer than any centrist party ever survived the rough-and-tumble of Israeli politics. What is the secret of their success? All this and new versions of a few of Yoram Taharlev's most beloved songs, off the just-finished project, Ya'aleh ve-Yavo: A Tribute to the Songs of Yoram Taharlev.

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. Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —From Ramallah to Rosh Ha-'Ayin— Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz meet in Gantz's living room. Cause for hope? —Be-Waldered— Revered kids-book writer Rabbi Chaim Walder kills himself after it comes out that he sexually abused dozens of women and girls over decades, and ultra-Orthodox leaders don't know what to do and say. —Dunno Much About Art, But I Know What I Hate— The mayor of Ramat Gan successfully campaigns to get his municipal art museum to take down a painting he finds offensive. What can we learn from this about who ought to decide what we see in the museums our taxes pay for? —Our Covid Rollercoaster— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we talk about the official handling of the pandemic at this omicromical moment, which handling seems like an odd mixture of panic and passivity so great, it almost borders on apathy. It feels like we're in a roller coaster car, having just slowly been hoisted to the top of the first steep decline, and we're about to lose our lunch. All this and the sultry music of Ziv!

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and Sally Abed 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 Link to Give to Standing Together —This Would Not Have Happened a Year Ago— United Arab List head, Dr. Mansour Abbas, says that Israel always has been, and always will be a Jewish State, it's time for everyone to accept that. How big a deal is that? —Sara— Did we have Sara all wrong, all along? —This Is Reality, Itamar!— Politicians, professors and pundits are all turning up on Reality TV. Is gravitas dead? —"Happy" New Year?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we talk about how this New Year's finds us: Down in the Duldrummy dumps? Ready to break out? Dazed and confused? Guardedly optimistic? Weirdly sober? It's kind of a window into our souls! All this and the music of Gedy Ronen!