The “Saw It on YouTube!” Edition
We talk about President Herzog’s alarmed warning that we are turning into animals, and PM Netanyahu’s very viral election ad, about how leftist-wing sorts make right-wing sorts feel like less.
Air It Out
The Hebrew word for air is אוויר, while אווירה is atmosphere/ambience. There are other interesting words taken from אוויר, like fluffy or ceiling fan.
The “Fronts” Edition
We talk about the war with Iran and the peace with Gaza, and how US President Donald Trump’s diplomatic ADD makes it close to impossible for anything good to come of our miserable wars.
The “Can the Center Hold?” Edition
We discuss: 1) Why long-time allies of Benny Gantz left the Blue & White Party, wondering if it is the man or what he stands for 2) What exactly are those secular and egalitarian Tikkunei Leil Shavuot all about?
The “Paths to Perdition” Edition
We discuss: 1) The controversial opinion piece in the Times suggesting that Israeli guards and soldiers sexually assault Palestinian prisoners 2) Why Jerusalem Day has become an almost sectarian holiday for religious Zionists.
The Arab King and the American Republic
In his most recent book, Aaron Magid explores the fascinating story of Jordan’s King Abdullah II: a monarch shaped by American culture, dependent on American support, yet ruling one of the region’s most fragile and strategically vital countries.
The “School Daze” Edition
We discuss: 1) How the war with Iran quickened a surprisingly close strategic relationship between Israel and the UAE 2) How Israel is seen on college campuses, from the quad to the student union to the seminar room to the faculty lounge.
The “This Feeling is Called Hope” Edition
We discuss: 1) President Herzog’s split-the-baby reply to PM Netanyahu’s request for a pardon 2) The announcement that former PM Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid will run together in the upcoming elections, and whether the whole they make is bigger or smaller than the sum of its parts.
A Nightmare on Herzl Street
A generation raised on VHS, torrents, and global cinema reinvented horror in Israel—turning familiar tropes into sharp, funny, and deeply local cultural critique. As Prof. Olga Gershenson explains, Israeli horror is anything but escapist—it’s subversive, original, and long overdue.
The “Men & Gods” Edition
We discuss: 1) The imposed cease-fires and whether Israelis ought to worry we’re becoming a vassal state 2) What explains why an IDF soldier took a sledgehammer to a statue of Jesus in a yard in a village in Lebanon.
Losing Our Story?
Etgar Keret joins us to discuss his favorite literary form, the impact of AI on storytelling and the power of literature post-Oct 7.