The Promised Podcast

Noah takes a break from scrolling and refreshing, to consider the songs of this war (which has produced more music than all of Israel’s past wars rolled into one), and what they say about the country and how it has changed over the years, and for the better.

Miriam and Noah talk about the deal struck between Israel and Hamas, via the Qataris and the Americans, that would return 50 hostages, mostly kids and their mothers, in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners and a four day cease fire, the execution of which deal was already delayed on its first day. Miriam talks about evil and Viktor Frankl while Noah, as far as we can tell, lay in a fetal position, moaning on the floor of the studio.

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   —Trolley Problems— If the two goals of the war – crushing Hamas and returning the captives home – turn out to be at odds, what should Israel do? —Ceasefire— What is the answer to the question, “Why not stop the war right now?” —What the Large Demonstration in DC Looked Like From Tel Aviv— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: 300,000 Americans, mostly Jews, demonstrate at the Mall in DC in support of Israel and against anti-Semitism. What was it like seeing that from Tel Aviv? All that and a temporary, new high-rise kibbutz in Tel Aviv, and a tribute in memoriam to Vivian Silver, z”l. Also, buy Don’s book, and if you already did, buy another two copies!

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   —Our Tragedy & Theirs— Should our papers, shows and sites be showing and telling us more about the suffering of Gazans, when we have so much pain of our own to come to grips with? —Bearing Arms— More people have applied for a gun license in the past month than in the prior decade. Should we be worried? —Is Noah About to Get His First Tattoo?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Israelis go in droves to tattoo parlors to ink memento of the October 7 massacres. What’s that all about? All that and good coming from bad, and more new music written in the aftermath of the massacres. Also, last chance to pre-order Don’s book!

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   —Lessons— What can Israelis learn from October 7 about the prospect of peace with Palestinians? —Netanyahu, Now— Can we still rally around our Prime Minister, even now? —We Try to Answer the Question, “How Are You?”— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: A few weeks in, our nerves are frayed. We each try to answer the vexed question, “How are you?” All that and a mother lobbying God with dough to get her girl out of Gaza and new music about our lives after October 7. Also, pre-order Don’s book!

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   —Waiting— The span of time we have now waited for Israel to counter-attack Hamas is now longer than the entire Yom Kippur War. How much longer can we stay in this strange and terrible in-between period without going crazy? —Captives— Is our hostage crisis driving us towards our government (as such things often do), or away from it? —How the Government Deserted An 85 Year Old Hostage For A Second Time— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: An 85 year old hostage is releases, and she says in a press conference that after beating her when she was just captured, Hamas treated her well. What do you do with that? All that and an ultra-Orthodox wedding planned by a couple of married-to-each-other lesbians, plus music from the big telethon raising money for the victims of the Hamas attack.

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 made the right call? —Left Behind— Why are some of Israel’s leading leftists surprised that murdering babies, old-folks and everything in between does not discredit Hamas in the eyes of some of America’s and Europe’s leading leftists? —Is Joe Biden the Zionist Leader Israel Needs?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Is US President Joe Biden the leader Israelis yearn for? All that and the music made this week in hope of finding consolation.

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 our government failed to do. All that and songs of consolation.

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 from the south and the north, and 19 days of bloody fighting ensued. What is the legacy of that terrible war? —Our Peak Sukkah Experiences— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Our peak Sukkah experiences. Come for the booths, stay for Miriam’s joke about the KGB! All that and the music of the supremely talented Ariel Herzog, Shauli Eckel and Seballal!