562 episodes

An inside view of how Israel can warm your heart and make your blood boil. It’s a show by a journalist, a professor and an NGO professional who live in and love Israel even though it drives them crazy, and who each week discuss the latest in Israeli politics, culture, and society.

The Promised Podcast TLV1 Studios

    • Religion & Spirituality
    • 5.0 • 24 Ratings

An inside view of how Israel can warm your heart and make your blood boil. It’s a show by a journalist, a professor and an NGO professional who live in and love Israel even though it drives them crazy, and who each week discuss the latest in Israeli politics, culture, and society.

    The “Passing Judgments” Edition

    The “Passing Judgments” Edition

    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
     
    —Gantz and Gallant Game the Endgame—
    Two of five of the members of Israel’s “War Cabinet” tell Prime Minister Netanyahu that he has to figure out what comes next in Gaza. Or else!
    —Unwarranted—
    The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court seeks warrants for the arrest of Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant, the first time warrants have been sought for democratically-elected politicians. So will the world start arresting Israeli politicians when they travel abroad?
    —A Huge Win Despite the Loss—
    For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: When sorority sisters turn on sorority sisters, you know sh*t’s gotten real!
    All that and a memorial appreciation of Yael Dayan and a good bye to the old TLV1 studios. Plus more music in the sad spirit of our times.

    • 1 hr 35 min
    The “Calamities, Past and Not” Edition

    The “Calamities, Past and Not” Edition

    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
     
    —Now, Rafah—
    What are we to make of Israel’s rolling incursion into Rafah? Oy.
    —On Film—
    There’s a new hour-long movie about the rape and sexual assault of Israeli women on October 7 and since. Oy.
    —A Huge Win Despite the Loss—
    For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Eden Golan’s amazing adventure at the Eurovision song contest.
    All this and more music of these troubled times.

    • 1 hr 22 min
    The “Days Like These” Edition

    The “Days Like These” Edition

    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
     
    —Days of Awe—
    What do Yom Ha-Zikaron (Memorial Day) and Yom Ha-Atzmaut (Independence Day) mean in this annus horribilis? How can we celebrate, now?
    —School Daze—
    What should we make of the enraged protests raging on university campuses? Kids these days, am I right?
    —Al Jazeera on the Chopping Block—
    For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Israel blocks Al Jazeera for 45 days, on the grounds that the network is neither fair nor balanced. Dumb move?
    Plus, a look back fifty years, a vegetable vending machine, and more music of these troubled times.

    • 1 hr 46 min
    The “Ashes & Dust” Edition

    The “Ashes & Dust” Edition

    To mark Yom Ha-Shoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Noah describes the decades-long path Israelis followed to come to terms with the Holocaust, culminating in a record in 1988, fully 43 years after the camps were freed.
    (Out of concern for the environment, this episode is reused and recycled, though not reduced.)

    • 1 hr 24 min
    The “Missing” Edition

    The “Missing” Edition

    At Passover Seders all around the world, a place setting was laid before a chair left empty for one of the 133 hostages held in Gaza. We look back at the 200 days of anguish, hope, and despair that divide Simchat Torah on October 7 from this week’s holiday.

    • 1 hr 54 min
    The “Unsmote, but Smitten Nonetheless” Edition

    The “Unsmote, but Smitten Nonetheless” Edition

    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.
    —Going Too Farsi? (Or, the Persian Incursion)—
    We — with the help of the US, UK, Jordan and other capable allies — buffly rebuffed the biggest missile and drone attack on Israel ever. But what does it tell us about the past and augur for the future?
    —Passover, 5784—
    How is this Passover different from all other Passovers?
    Plus, a bereaved father on solidarity, flower-girls, fruit bats and more music of our times.

    • 1 hr 14 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
24 Ratings

24 Ratings

Mdglassman ,

Shockingly thoughtful

Shockingly thoughtful on a very wide range of political and cultural topics/experiences

Eyal80 ,

Good use of busy time, not just free time

If you're looking for holy trinity of intelligent discourse of Israeli politics, comedy, and opera - do not listen to this podcast! However, if you lower your standards to just two of three then this is the podcast for you.

I disagree with the team on this podcast about 5 times each episode, and so I happily give them 1 star for each disagreement.

EconomistReviewer ,

Modern Israeli viewpoints succinctly presented

An enjoyable discussion about the current day issues in Israel. While the positions are rooted in the Leftist-progressive side - this is in no way a regurgitation of the standard left-right talking points. It is led so eloquently and thoughtfully by Noah Efron - indomitably optimistic and with un-ending compassion - even to those with the most upsetting and angering views; with Alison Kaplan who is so well at describing the real situation in all its nuance- and at the same time expressing her opinion in piercingly direct terms which is such a pleasure to hear, and with Don F. (Futerman?)who also is masterful in expressing his views although he - alas - is often the textbook/reference-book lefty voice in the program (just in case you want to know what the conventional left-wing view is on just about anything in Israel). If you want to hear an interesting discussion about modern Israel this podcast is amazing. Thank you Noah Efron - you are doing great- you should do more podcasting because you are a natural. (Yeah you're also funny but in a Dad-jokes kind of way...)

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