The “Godlessness, in Theory & Practice” Edition

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and Wunderkind critic Ohad Zeltzer-Zubida discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

Godlessness: The Theory
The doyen of Israeli sociology and a major public intellectual J’Accuses the left of swapping out good, Enlightenment values for mamby-pamby postmodern relativism, thereby allowing the rabbis to take over the country. Does she have a point?

Godlessness: The Practice
Avigdor Lieberman and his right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party say that only they will keep Israel “liberal” by beating back the rabbis. Were we wrong to think that the right, by nature, admires religion?

Meanwhile, at the Movies…
Should settler filmmakers get tax shekels to make settler films about settler experiences on settlements?

Is Birthright to Thank for the Increase in Jewish American Babies?
For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra segment discuss an essay by Brandeis Professor Leonard Saxe, suggesting that the birthright program has “helped bring about a 25% rise in the US Jewish population.” What is it – if anything — about two weeks in Israel that could possibly account for the increased commitment to American Judaism?

All this and the soul of Ayala Ingedashet!

Music
Ayala Ingedashet

  • Ayo
  • Basar Va-Dam
  • La-nua
  • Sa

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1 comment on “The “Godlessness, in Theory & Practice” Edition

  1. Rev. Manuel Colunga-Hernandez says:

    WOW~!!! THANK YOU. That first discussion on religion – I wish I could have a transcript – I would love to use this as part of a course in Religion. I am not per se ‘religious’ I do hold that there is a Universal Mind and that Mind IS listening. Every time I tune in I think I am listening to a twin world broadcasting from another dimension but so alike! The point-counterpoint-counter-cantra-point discussion of an article I previously knew nothing of was explained in toto by the voices back and forth. May I finish by saying: You are living proof of there being a true Interdenominational-interdimensional BabelFish in this rush of voices online.

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