The Promised Podcast

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.

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

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.

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.

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!