The “It Never Bahrains, But It Pours!” Edition
We discuss: 1) the historic accord with the UAE and peace declaration with Bahrain 2) the 3-week lockdown 3) the efforts to ban the TV satire show, The Jews Are Coming
Searching for Deeper Meaning
The Hebrew word לחפש means “to search for.” So what does “המורה סתם מחפש אותי” or “לכי חפשי ת’חברים שלך” mean? Both are slang and they don't mean what you might think they mean!
Living With Ghosts
Michal Ben Naftali's novel, “The Teacher,” examines memories of those who can never forget. People die, but their collective trauma lives on.
The “Disobedient? Sure. But Is It Civil?” Edition
What's behind the Greek-tragic struggle for leadership of the Yesh Atid party? What do we make of Lieberman's call for “civil disobedience” against the government’s coronavirus regulations? Ahead of the Jewish New Year, what events and people mattered most over the year now ending?
Yochi Brandes’ “The Orchard”
“The Orchard” tells the story of Rabbi Akiva, placing him in the context of his contemporaries, the Sages of Jewish tradition and of early Christianity.
Here, Try This!
The word לנסות, to try, is very handy in everyday conversation. People always say, “try this” or “don't try that.” So on this episode, Guy tries to explain it all.
From Genetics To Eugenics
Prof. Amir Teicher, a historian at Tel Aviv University, discusses the cooptation of a seminal, 19th-century genetic theory by a climate of racial categorization several decades on.
The “N, Na, Nah” Edition
Why have the Jerusalem protests lasted so long? Could Naftali Bennett be Israel’s next PM? Did the coronavirus czar step too far when requesting to ban ultra-Orthodox Israelis from entering Ukraine?
Dark Rooms
Prof. Amos Morris-Reich discusses his book “Race and Photography: Racial Photography as Scientific Evidence 1876-1980,” exploring the meeting point between culture and science against the backdrop of racism
Your Israeli Soundtrack for August
We’ve got an incredible show to get you in a fantastic summer mood. Brand new releases from Subliminal, Mosh Ben-Ari, Hadag Nachash, Idan Raichel and many more.
“Three”: D. A. Mishani’s Thriller Read
Marcela has got a thriller for you! “Three” is a page turner that tells the stories of three women. All of them will meet the same man. And he won’t tell the truth about himself.
“Ve,” “Va” or “Oo”
Vé- is sometimes pronounced Va- or Oo-, depending on the usage. So when is the letter ו at the beginning of a word pronounced Vé, Va or Oo? And should Hebrew learners invest their time to learn these elaborate rules?
A Very Diplomatic Review
Dr. Susanne Wasum-Rainer, Germany's Ambassador to Israel, discusses Germany's vision at the start of its Presidency of the Council of the EU, challenges to the post-war global order, German-Israel relations, and her long professional connection to Israel
The “Good Trouble” Edition
Merav Ferziger and her mom, Miriam Herschlag, on the protests shaking Jerusalem at the foundations, and making all sorts of “good trouble.”
Yea or Nay?
The word נגד means against,” and its root gives us the Hebrew words for contrast, contradiction and conflict. We'll also head over to the Knesset in Jerusalem to hear an up or down vote take place.
Disinformation Smells Bad
In “Calling Bullshit: The Art of Scepticism in a Data-Driven World,” co-authors Carl Bergstrom and Jevin D. West argue that people have the power to judge data critically and independently - and they teach us how.
The “The Memory & the Blessing” Edition
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 this week at 83.
“The Tunnel”
It may sound crazy, but A. B. Yehoshua has written a page-turner about an aging engineer in the early stages of dementia, which features descriptions of highway construction in great detail.
Endangered Liberalism
Menny Mautner, Prof Emeritus of Law at TAU, analyzes the onset of the liberal agenda in Israel's political history, up to its precarious state at present
The “A Song for Peace” Edition
From deep in summer doldrums, Noah tells the story of one song that is also, in a way, the story of Israel itself.
Last Boarding Call for Flight #303 to Hebrewville
In this episode, Guy covers the different words and meanings derived from the root ק.ר.א, like how to say, “Call an ambulance”, “Let’s call a spade a spade,” and perhaps the most useful sentence of all, “Let me read to you the text he sent me.”
Prelude to a Nation
Prof. Ruth HaCohen-Pinczower, co-author of “Singing Freedom: The Interplay between Music and Politics in the West,” discusses the power of music as well as power and music.
The “My Temple Was Destroyed & All I Got Was This Lousy Podcast” Edition
Are the demonstrators in front of the PM’s home a new political class? Is our next PM a dyspeptic 76-year-old named Ron? How do you solve a problem like the Eretz Israel Museum?
Meir Shalev’s “My Wild Garden”
Meir Shalev's “My Wild Garden. Notes from a Writer’s Eden,” is a beautiful book, from the size and shape of the hardcopy, to the feel of the paper. Even the font type is notable. The watercolor illustrations subtly draw out the descriptions, rather than compete with them.
Ending Wars Peacefully
In his new book, Jeremy Pressman challenges the notion that violence is the best way to win concessions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or in the Israeli-Arab context more broadly.