The Promised Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The "Picking Sides" Edition Jul 23, 2026

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On Tisha B'Av, Allison Kaplan Sommer, Judah Ari Gross, and Noah Efron talk about (1) this week's primaries in the "Democrats Party" and what they say about Israel's only leftist Zionist party going forward, and (2) whether or not (on this day when we commemorate the laying waste of ancient Israel on account of all the "baseless hatred" people had one for the other back then) our contemporary politics are infected by the same sort of ugly and gratuitous enmity.

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shares on all the sites a campaign video maybe suggesting that his challenger General Gadi Eisenkot cares more about Palestinians than he does about his own son, who died fighting in Gaza. In this election, is everything permissible?

Plus: Marking 400 years since the birth of Shabbetai Tzevi, enjoying unity at Anu and in a yard watching the World Cup Finals. Plus, music of these odd days.

The "Blitzed!" Edition Jul 16, 2026

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Star teacher and activist Rotem Ur-Soco, Linda Gradstein and Noah Efron talk about what to make of 1) The "blitz" of legislation passed by the government in the fading days of the 25th Knesset and 2) A hauntingly beautiful essay in The Atlantic by former Prime Minister and head of the opposition Yair Lapid, which he calls "a love letter to America", and what it maybe says about how many of us Israelis regard the 250 year old democracy across the sea.

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: It may be that one of every twenty residents of Tel Aviv-Yafo was born in an English speaking land, and the city today is lousy with young "Anglos". What is this strange hyphenate: American-Israeli?

Plus: Books and papers representing a man's life's work dumped onto Dizengoff, collected by rubbish trucks and taken to landfill, plus a bunch of things that made our lives worth living over the last little while. And, of course, some new music of our unsettled times.

The "Basketball Courts & the Other Kind" Edition Jul 09, 2026

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Geneva Initiative Deputy Director Tehila Wenger, Miriam Herschlag and Noah Efron talk about: 1) The Cabinet's dramatic statement implying that the government may not comply with a Supreme Court ruling, and whether it signal a constitutional crisis, and 2) The meaning of the Maccabiah, the "Jewish Olympics" underway now, with more than 8,000 competitors from around the world: What should we make today of this remnant from centuries past?

Plus: Laying to rest Supreme Court Justice Edna Arbel, Palestinian-Jewish dialogue today, the storied streets of Tel Aviv, and a new Israeli Poker champ.

The "One Thousand Days" Edition Jul 02, 2026

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Linda, Judah and Noah talk about: 1) The grim milestone marking one thousand awful days since October 7, and what these one thousand days have been for us, and 2) The emergence of a new joint Jewish-Arab political party, A Place for Us All, that unapologetically puts peace at the center of their agenda, along with increasing wages, lowering prices, equality for women and everyone else, and all sorts of other things that people like us admire. The new party gets a harsh reception on the left, especially on the pages of Haaretz, and we try to puzzle out why.

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Shani Gabbai, who was killed at the Nova festival on October 7, returns via AI to speak movingly at her kid sister's wedding. What do we learn, if anything, about the states of our souls from that sad, fragile, strange thing?

Plus: Fifty years since the Entebbe rescue mission, the start of the Maccabiah "Jewish Olympics", some great music and lots more.

The "Winners & Losers" Edition Jun 25, 2026

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Linda and Noah talk about: 1) a Hebrew University poll finding that eleven out of twelve Israelis think that Iran "won the war", and 2) the eviscerating new movie, "Yes", by Israeli director-in-self-imposed-exile Nadav Lapid, who despite his criticism of Israel and Israelis was BDSedly hounded out of next week's Marseille International Film Festival (for which discussion we were joined by novelist and Jerusalem Post film critic Hannah Brown!).

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: New York City's next delegation to Congress will be the most anti-Israel ever. What can you say to that?

Plus: Fifty years of the Reshet Gimel pop radio station, meeting Landsmen in Milan, Yakov Agam and more than you probably ever wanted to know about the Tel Aviv-Yafo city council! Plus, songs from the stunningly beautiful and moving forthcoming record by Ayalah Asherov and Yehoshua Sobol, Ha-Zman ha-Zeh.

The "Great Things" Edition Jun 18, 2026

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Miriam and Noah talk about: 1) The "great deal" that US President Donald Trump struck with Iran, being a Memorandum of Understanding that does what now?, and (2) The resurgence of "communal singing" in Israel, and what it says about the state of our souls, and how nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Have we exaggerated how divided we Jews are?

Plus: Old books, young love and memories on the highest rooftop in Tel Aviv!

The "Linkages" Edition Jun 11, 2026

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Allison and Noah talk about: 1) Our strange, short, truncated warlet with Iran this week, and 2) New findings that point to a weird entanglement between Israeli attitudes towards climate change and our attitudes towards Netanyahu, the courts, the ultra-orthodox and most everything else we argue about here.

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Sam Harris makes waves by saying there's no point in even debating enemies of Israel. Might he have a point?

Plus: An old-new life for Kibbutz Manara and hip new music by the graduates of a not-known-for-being-hip youth movement, Noam.

The "Saw It on YouTube!" Edition Jun 04, 2026

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Allison and Noah talk about President Yitzhak Herzog's alarmed warning that we are turning into animals, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's very viral election ad, about how leftist-wing sorts make right-wing sorts feel like less.

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: I.D.O.5., or Israel Day on Fifth (a.k.a, the Israel Soliidarity Parade) in Manhattan used to be about unity. Now it's about controversy.

Plus: Remembering our friend, the ain't-no-one-like-her, poet-painter-peace-activist-therapist-story-teller Lisa Fliegel. Plus the good karma of Yonatan Razel as he convalesces in Shaarei Tzedek hospital.

The "Fronts" Edition May 28, 2026

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Linda, Noah and Judah Ari Gross talk about the war with Iran and the peace with Gaza, and how US President Donald Trump's diplomatic ADD makes it close to impossible for anything good to come of our miserable wars.

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: The last time our dollars bought so few shekels (and our shekels bought so many dollars), it was before we could dial up the internet, and around the time Mario first got his Kart. What's it mean (hint: diminished retirements for some, and boarded-up NGOs).

Plus: Drawing hope from frogs, philanthropists and hotel buffet breakfasts. And some great new music.

The "Can the Center Hold?" Edition May 20, 2026

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Linda Gradstein and Noah Efron try to make sense of why long-time allies and fellow-travelers of former Alternate Prime Minister and former IDF Chief-of-Staff Benny Gantz have lately left the Blue & White Party, wondering if it is the man or what he stands for. Then they are joined by special guest star Rabbi Joe Wolfson of JLIC-TLV to try and make sense of the many secular and egalitarian Tikkunei Leil Shavuot, all night sessions of study, song, discussion and meditation that have become so popular over the past years asking, what exactly are those things about?

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Everyone said no one would ever vote for Noam Bettan, the Israeli singing in the Eurovision Song Contest, yet he finished in second place. How? Why?

Plus the changing face of Shavuot over the years and a few things that moved us over the week. And some great new music.

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