The Promised Podcast - The “Sidelocks & Sidearms?” Edition

The “Sidelocks & Sidearms?” Edition

04/04/24 • 100 min

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

—Families 2.0—

The organization of the families of the hostages has decided to change strategies, linking its campaign to bring the hostages home to the campaign for “elections now.” Is the fight to get the hostages home entering a new phase?

—Sidelocks & Sidearms—

A Supreme Court injunction cuts off, cold-turkey, funding for army-aged, ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva students who learn instead of serve. Couldn’t they have let the turkey get to room-temperature?

—Snap Judgement—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Should a photographer who watched and snapped his shutter while people were being killed, raped and kidnapped get a prize for a picture he took?

Plus a farewell to one of the country’s greatest novelists and activists. And, more music of our times.

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

—Families 2.0—

—Sidelocks & Sidearms—

A Supreme Court injunction cuts off, cold-turkey, funding for army-aged, ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva students who learn instead of serve. Couldn’t they have let the turkey get to room-temperature?

—Snap Judgement—

Plus a farewell to one of the country’s greatest novelists and activists. And, more music of our times.

Previous Episode

The “(Feels Like) Sumpin’ Gonna Give” Edition

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and newly-minted Doctor of Thinkology Gilad Halpern 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

—Abstention Dissension—

There seems to be a very fast decline in US-Israel relations, after the Americans abstain on a UN Security Council resolution that Israel expected them to veto. Are Israel and America, like Ross and Rachel, on a break?

—Standard Deviation—

An expert in urban warfare says Israel is more careful to protect the lives of civilians in Gaza than any other army in history. But even if that is true, does it matter?

—The Great Rupture in American Jewish Life—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Is Peter Beinart right that there is a “great rupture in American Jewish life”? If he is, should we worry?

Plus a farewell to a man who spent decades rebuilding violins that survived the Holocaust, often when the musicians who played them did not. Plus more music of our times.

Next Episode

The “Here and There” Edition

Marking six months since the massacres and the start of the war, 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

—Us, Here—

Whether and how we Israelis have changed, in light of all that has happened. Are we different than we were six months and one week ago?

—Us, There—

Whether and how we Jews around the world have changed, in light of all that has happened. Are we different than we were six months and one week ago?

—Iran’s Promised “Persian Incursion”—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Are we losing sleep over Iran’s promised “Persian Incursion”?

Plus, the presence of October 7 around the Seder table. And, more music of our times.