The Promised Podcast

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Linda Gradstein and Noah Efron discuss 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   —Unity, Sure, but Not National Unity— One leader of Israel's opposition joined Netanyahu in a "War Cabinet." The other leader of the opposition did not. Who m...

Peace, co-existence and social-justice activist Sally Abed tells Noah what these last, terrible days of grief, anger and fear have been like for her, as an Israeli Arab. This is not for everyone, not at this moment, and if it is not for you, at this moment, don't listen to it. For some people, it is maybe just what they want to hear, at this moment.

Allison, Miriam and Noah talk about the only thing that could possibly be on our minds at this moment of tragedy, mourning and anxiety. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Citizens Stepped in Where Government Failed— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: For the first 24 hours of tragedy, journalists did what ou...

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. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —Partition Plans?— On Yom Kippur, Tel Aviv became a battlefield in a religious war. What happened? —That War— Exactly fifty years ago, Israel was attacked fr...

Noah tells the story of one song that is also, in a way, the story of Israel itself.

In this very special episode of sustainably recycled stuff devoted to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, hear about the evolution of the great piyyut and prayer, u'netanah tokef, and hear how members of the crew make sense of the strange and beautiful holiday from their strange and beautiful perspectives. Jeremy Benstein, "The Bikes and Vibes of Yom Kippur in the first modern, Jewish city" Miriam H...

In this very special holiday Turducken of a podcast, we've stuffed into our own carcass an interview that Allison did for the Haaretz Weekly podcast with Noah and his comrade-in-politics Inbal Orpaz on why they are running for city council and what they stand for.  The tryptophan alone is reason enough to listen!

After a momentous week, after many momentous months, the Promised Podcast wishes you and yours a new year of every good thing!

Maybe no one is a better symbol of how Israel is changing (and did more to cause this change) than Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, who died at 83 in 2020.

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Don Futterman and Noah Efron discuss 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   —It Ain't the Economy, Stupid!— Israel may be the most expensive country in the world, and that fact has zero-zilch-nada impact on politics here. How come? —Elu...

Linda Gradstein, Noah Efron, and scholar-public intellectual-podcaster Masua Sagiv discuss 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   —Extremism in the Name of Moderation— Extremism in the name of moderation is no vice? —Won't Anyone Think of the Children?!?— Wha...

Linda Gradstein and Noah Efron discuss 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   —Out of Dodge?— A recent poll shows that almost one in three Israelis are thinking about leaving the country. But are all these folks really about to leave? —General Malaise— What h...

Allison Kaplan Sommer and Noah Efron discuss 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   —Shikma— Does it matter that the first-among-equals leader of Israel's biggest-ever protest movement is a woman (and a renowned particle physicist and a mother of five)? —Gal,...

Allison Kaplan Sommer and Noah Efron discuss 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   —National Unity?— Does the idea of tossing out of the government the far-right parties, and swapping in the center-left, makes a lick of sense? Is this even possible anymore?...

Linda Gradstein, Allison Kaplan Sommer, and Noah Efron discuss 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   —What Happened?— The government passed the law that limits the court's ability to limit the Ministers and cabinet. So why did the two sides fail to reach com...

Sally Abed, Allison Kaplan Sommer, 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   —Fortress of Democracy?— Does anyone really think it would be a good idea for Israel's Supreme Court to fire Benjamin Netanyahu? —Jenin, Again— Two weeks ago, t...

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. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —Phase Change?— As summer heats up, there's an escalation of the protests and counter-protests. Looks like it's going to be a scorching summer. —Israel's "Constitu...

As the massive protests enter their seventh month, the Promised Podcast looks at the place of protest in Israeli society. (This episode contains time-tested content from the vault, so you know it's good!)

In the waning days of Pride Month, the Promised Podcast ransacks its archives for memorable LGBTQ+ moments and music!

Prodigal Wunderkind Ohad Zeltzer-Zubida, Allison Kaplan Sommer and Noah Efron discuss 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   —What's More Reasonable Than Reasonableness?— Prime Minister Netanyahu decided to move forward the judicial reform by passing a law li...

Sally Abed, Allison Kaplan Sommer and Noah Efron discuss 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   —Selectile Dysfunction— There was a weird Knesset vote this week that elected a representative from the opposition to the Judicial Selection Committee but no repre...

Ace reporter Linda Gradstein, Allison Kaplan Sommer and Noah Efron discuss 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   —On Foreign Shores?— Israeli ministers and MKs are drowned when they try to speak overseas, by Israeli protestors. Is that cool? —The Past is Nev...

Ace reporter Linda Gradstein, Allison Kaplan Sommer and Noah Efron discuss 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   —Food Fight!— Can the government's war on Coca Cola be resolved by diplomatic means? —Can You Dig It?— Is the best thing Israeli archeologists ca...

Ace reporter Linda Gradstein, Allison Kaplan Sommer 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   —Spending, Rending, Upending— Opponents say the two-year budget Netanyahu's government just passed is "a looting of the public coffers." Do the...

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Don Futterman and Noah Efron discuss 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   —Gaza Nova— What the hell just happened between us and Gaza? —Taxation, Like Charity, Begins at Home— Redistribution of income seems like a good idea until it's...