The Promised Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The "New Worlds & Old" Edition Mar 31, 2022

Show notes

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

—Half a Dozen Foreign Ministers—

Not long ago, who could even imagine that the foreign ministers of Bahrain, the UAE, Morocco, Egypt, the US and Israel would all gather in the Negev desert to talk about creating a middle-eastern "mini-NATO" alliance?

—Jewish Character?—

Why worry about the "Jewish character" of Israel at all?

—A Peep at the Past—

Israel's greatest cult movie, Metzitzim (Peeping Toms) turns 50 this month. Why has so bleak and disagreeable a film been so popular for so long?

—Unpacking AIPAC—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: MK Alon Tal tells the AIPAC Israel lobby that the time has come to stop supporting American legislators who think the last American election was stolen from Donald Trump. Does he have a point?

All this and the R&B and rock'n'roll of The Bench!

The "Three of Four Estates" Edition Mar 24, 2022

Show notes

After an encomium to the late Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, Allison, Noah and Voice of America radio superstar Linda Gradstein 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

—Presidential Address—

Volodymyr Zelenskyy tells Israelis that it's time to step up and help Ukrainians, like Ukrainians helped Jews during the Holocaust. What should we do with an appeal like that?

—Laws of the Land—

Israel's new government just finished its first legislative session. How'd they do?

—Times Will Tell—

An Israeli journalist starts a year-long project of monitoring how the New York Times reports on Israel, finding so far that the paper is biased against us. What should we make of this sort of watchdogging-the-watchdog?

—Restaurant Reviewing in the Age of an Israeli Culinary Revolution—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, Linda Gradstein takes us behind the curtain, into the world of restaurant reviewing in the age of an Israeli culinary revolution.

All this and the ultra-orthodox Indie great, Yonatan Razel!

The "What to Remember, What to Forget" Edition Mar 17, 2022

Show notes

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.

Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon

—No Place for Politics—

Yad Vashem won't host a speech by Volodymyr on the grounds that there's no place for politics when it comes to the Holocaust. But that can't be right, can it?

—Was Pegasus Just Horsefeathers?—

Eight weeks after it was called "maybe the most important story in Israel's history," reports that police used spy software to surveil all sorts of innocent people has disappeared from our minds and our newsfeeds. What happened?

—Amalek—

Has the time come to retire the notion of Amalek, absolute and evil anti-semites who appear in each generation in a different guise?

—Purim Love—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we talk about how we learned to stop worrying and love Purim.

All this and Hila Cohen Elazar, celebrating her new record!

The "Showing Up" Edition Mar 10, 2022

Show notes

Sally Abed, 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

—Showing Up—

Should Israel take as many refugees from Ukraine as want to come?

—Another Milestone—

Sexual assault charges are dropped against a leading light of the gay community because what he did "does not cross the threshold of criminality."

—Making Shabbat—

Should government money go to making Shabbat more "relevant" to secular folks?

—Haifa O' Haifa—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we ask Sally, who just moved to Haifa, why she loves the place.

All this and the remarkable debut record of Revaya Raisch!

The "Seeing Ourselves and Others" Edition Mar 03, 2022

Show notes

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!

The "Humans and Other People" Edition Feb 24, 2022

Show notes

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!

The "Losing Our Humanities?" Edition Feb 17, 2022

Show notes

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!

The "What Do We Need to Know?" Edition Feb 10, 2022

Show notes

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!

The "Turpitude Now, Turpitude Tomorrow, Turpitude Forever" Edition Feb 03, 2022

Show notes

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!

The "Ghosts" Edition Jan 27, 2022

Show notes

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)