The Promised Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" Edition Jan 03, 2019

Show notes

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron, and Don Futterman discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

Right (Or, Naftali & Ayelet's Excellent Adventure)

Numbers one and two of the modern-Orthodox Jewish Home party, leave to start "The New Right." It's sad when kids run away from (The Jewish) Home.

Center (Or, Plenty of Benny)

A general starts a new centrist party in Israel, joining forces with another general and, just like that, they're number two in the polls, behind Netanyahu. Does the future of Israeli politics run down the middle?

Left (Or, The Defenestration of Tzippi Livni)

Avi Gabbay, head of Israel's labor party, defenestrates his main political partner on TV. But is there anything left of the left?

Extra Segment

As you generous people asked, each of us discuss which party we would vote for, if elections were held tomorrow.

Music

Shay Nobelman, ahead of his first major show in three years, at the Ozen Bar, on January 9.

Power Pop Symphony
Girlfriend
Baby in the Rain
Ein La Avir

The "Elections!" Edition Dec 27, 2018

Show notes

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron, and Don Futterman discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

Elections!

Netanyahu calls new elections, spurring the talking heads to talk, the pundits to pund, the experts to expectorate, and all the rest of us to grasp our heads in our hands and rock back and forth while muttering, "Let something good come of this, Puleeeze, let something good come of this."

Alternative Modernity in Kiryat Gat

Does a traditional "Ethiopian farm" in Israel, with mud storehouses and subsistence farming, challenge the way the rest of us live?

Rasah to Slash Our Stash of Cash?

Should Israel go "cashless," or is that just more Big-Brotherization?

Extra Segment

We discuss a question sent in, in one variant or another, by a bunch of listeners: "Why don't you guys have any right-wing folks on your show to get a broader range of opinions? What's the value of talking just among yourselves? Whataya, chicken?"

Music

Yolanta and Rocker-Pocket, off their new debut record, Disteemia.

Lo haya af pa'am shaket
Avazi bar
Ha-yaar hamechushaf
Shir Eres Islandi

"The Grinch and the Jewish Question" Edition Dec 20, 2018

Show notes

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron, and Don Futterman discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

The Vested Quest of the Oppressed Some Israelis watch yellow-vested Parisian protestors burn cars and break windows and thing, "We'd like in on that action." But will Israel's yellow-vest demonstrations produce any positive change?

The Left is from Mars, the Right is from Venus

A new study shows that Israeli leftists are from Mars, and right-wingers from Venus. They don't even agree on what the word 'democracy' means. What does that augur for the future of the country?

The Grinch and the Jewish Question

A big honkin' Christmas tree goes up in the Ashdod Mall. Is it good to have more pluribus in our unam?

Extra Segment

As per the suggestion of longtime friend of the show, Janet Hiller, we discuss "the role of the first family of Israel - how it has become presidential in nature and potentially dynastic."

Music

Sweatshop Boys, Haifa's punkest punks, in honor of their new record, "Two Men."

Unaware (Coco)
Aya Doesn't Like the Garlic Bros.
Special Mood
Brian

The "Us & the Others" Edition Dec 13, 2018

Show notes

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron, and Don Futterman discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

Unsettling

A Tel Aviv leftist sets out to meet settlers in Tekoa, and makes a remarkable documentary about the discussions she has. The settlers come off as decent, human and humane. Is that a problem?

Dissed

Why do so many Israeli parents worry that kids with disabilities might rob their own kids of the attention they deserve at schools and in after-school clubs and activities?

Censoring Computer Copulation

PM Netanyahu shelves a bill to make porn "opt-in" in Israel, arguing that it is a threat to free expression. But is regulating the internet really so bad?

Extra: We call on our patreon supporters to send us questions or topics they'd like us to discuss, and we'll discuss them in the upcoming weeks. We want to be your Siri of Israeli culture and politics!

Music

Yigal Bashan, may his memory be for a blessing.

Yesh Li Tzipor Ketana Ba-Lev
Im Tizkori Oti Sivan
Shneinu Be-Yahad (with Yitzhak Klepter)
Home Again

The "What?!? Some Europeans Don't Like Jews?!?" Edition Dec 06, 2018

Show notes

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron, and Don Futterman discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

In Which Memory of George Herbert Walker Bush?

George H.W. Bush remade the Middle East and changed US-Israel relations forever. Was this a good thing?

What?!? Some Europeans Don't Like Jews?!?

A CNN-sponsored poll finds that almost half of all Europeans don't think Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state. What's an Israeli to do?

28,000 Shots

Hackers upload 28,000 historic photos purloined from Israeli archives. We go through them all and find an amazing vanished world!

Extra Segment: Operation Northern Shield

For our almost too generous patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra segment, we discuss the launch of IDF's "Operation Northern Shield" to stop Hezbollah bad guys from boring beneath Israel's borders. Are we supposed to feel relieved or freaked out?

Music

Songs from Kol ha-Neshama, the new tribute album to the great Ofra Haza.

Yad ba-Yad - Zehava Benn
Be-Kerem Teiman - Miri Mesika
Gavriel - Sapir Saban
Gagua shel Mangina - Yardena Arazi

The "AirBDS?" Edition Nov 29, 2018

Show notes

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron, and Don Futterman discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

AirBDS?

Airbnb kicked Jewish settlers off their site: A courageous political stand or a craven and hypocritical singling out of Israel for censure?

Solidarity on the Scaffolds

More and more Palestinians from the West Bank work in Israel, under better conditions than ever before. Does this bring peace closer, or just make it easier for the status quo to continue forever?

Getting High

In 2050, 98% of Israelis will live in skyscrapers crammed onto an endless expanse of concrete, says a new report. But is this really so bad?

Extra Segment: An EL AL Flight from Hell

For our almost too generous patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra segment, we discuss the El Al flight from New York to Tel Aviv forced to land in Athens so religious passengers could disembark before the onset of the Sabbath. Tempers flared, fists shook, frequent-flier cards were burned. What should we make of a religious war at 30,000 feet?

Music

A tribute to a genius grandmother and her brilliant grandson: Yaffa Yarkoni and Michael Suissa

Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu – Yaffa Yarkoni
Retina – Michael Suissa
Rak Etmol – Yaffa Yarkoni (with Arik Einstein)
Ein Shum Baaya – Michael Suissa (With Cohen@Moshon)

The "Sometimes They'll Give a War and Nobody Will Come" Edition Nov 22, 2018

Show notes

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron, and Don Futterman discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

Sometimes They'll Give a War and Nobody Will Come

Haaretz praises PM Netanyahu for single-handedly preventing war in Gaza. Are we in bizzaro-world, or were we just wrong about Netanyahu?

Slights, Plights, Fights and Flights of the Right

Israel's right-wing Defense Minister resigns over the cease-fire with Hamas, and its right-wing Education Minister and Justice Minister almost do the same. Is Israel's right experiencing a dark night of the soul?

Mothers, Children and the Quest for Peace

Israel's biggest peace movement is run by women who say that "motherhood" is a moral and political tool that, if used right, might end more than a century of strife between Jews and Palestinians. Might the complications of family cut through the complications of our conflict?

Extra Segment: Black Friday, Israeli Style

For our almost too generous patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra segment, we will discuss the weird ascendance of Black Friday here, in a country that has neither Thanksgiving or Christmas. Is it globalization gone wild, or should we stop worrying and learn to love the low, low prices?

Music

Cookie Levanna (aka Kobi)

משלים עוד סיבוב Mashlim od Sivuv
הפוליסיה Hapolisia
עכשיו זה מאוחר מדי Achshav Zeh Meuchar Medai
גם אני Gam Ani

The "Mourning in America" Edition Nov 15, 2018

Show notes

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron, and Don Futterman discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

Mourning in America

Is it true that American Jews may never forgive Israel for its reaction to the Pittsburgh massacre? Should it be true?

Our Rabin, Not Yours!

Leftists use whistles, stadium horns and vuvuzelas to drown out right-wing speakers at the 23rd annual memorial of Rabin's assassination. Why has the left become more combative about our slain Prime Minister's legacy?

Bloch Shock

A feminist woman with spectacular karma just became mayor of a majority ultra-orthodox town in Israel. How the hell did that happen?

Extra Segment: "Countries Without Nationalism are like People Without Souls"

For our most spectacularly generous patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra segment, we will discuss an essay by Gil Troy called, "No, Nationalism is Not a Dirty Word or Trump Property." Is nationalism the problem or the solution? Or is it more complicated than that?

Music

Spinster Sister, in honor of their new singles ahead of their first record in thirteen years!

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet
Poison
Declaration
Mirror Instead

The "Peace Happens" Edition Nov 08, 2018

Show notes

Crashing the First International Conference on Innovations in Conflict Resolution and Mediation, Don and Noah discuss seeking peace amidst violence and distrust, the secular and profane, ancient enmities and fragile hopes, with Northern Irish leaders who helped to end centuries-old conflict between Protestants and Catholics, Unionists and Republicans. What, if anything, do we have to learn from their experience?

Don and Noah then discuss with a rabbi and former MK and Minister, the roles religions play in prolonging and, perhaps, resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

God, country, violence, faith, hatred, love, death and rebirth: this episode has got it all! All that and the soulful Irish music of The Bloomers, and the genial good-will of Natalie Goodis!

Between Belfast, Bethlehem and Beer Sheva

What can Israelis and Palestinians learn from Northern Ireland? A lot, says former First Minister Peter Robinson, who devoted his life to finding peace among Protestants and Catholics.

Light Out from the Nations?

What else can Israelis and Palestinians learn from Northern Ireland? So so much, says Rev. Gary Mason, who devoted his life to finding peace among Protestants and Catholics.

Gods of War, Gods of Peace

Is religion a barrier to peace between Jews and Palestinians? Rabbi, MK and Minister Michael Melchior says that the path to peace is paved with religion.

Music

The Bloomers, which Haaretz rightly calls "Israel's best traditional Irish music."

Step It Out Mary
Star of the County
The Clueless Tinker
Ranting Roving Robin

The "Love's 'lections Lost" Edition Nov 01, 2018

Show notes

In this very special, environmentally-sound, recycled edition of the Promised Podcast, we rebroadcast discussions about:

Whether the fact that the rabbis did not protest the passage of a very liberal abortion law means that we are mistaken about rabbinic reach and overreach
Whether we need more professorial types in politics, or whether the eggheads shouldn't stay in their seminar rooms where they belong
Why Israeli parents are so unworried about the dangers facing their kids at play and out and about in the world.

Participating in today's show are Allison, Don, Noah, Times of Israel Ops & Blogs Editor Miriam Herschlag, and Shaharit Think Tank Grand Puba Eilon Schwartz.

Music

Coolooloosh, celebrating the tenth anniversary re-release of their classic album Elements of Sound and their forthcoming reunion concert at the Barbie in Tel Aviv on November 14.

People of the Street
Elements of Sound
Music Business
Lock your Doors

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