“The Promised Podcast is my lifeline to all things Israel. Particularly when abroad in the galut. These are witty, smart, insightful Israelis who are always informative and fun to listen to.”
— Axel Chitlin
“This podcast is fabulous: fun, witty, musical, inspired. Talk about Israel and issues by critical Americans who live in and love Israel. My favorite part of each podcast is the closing portion, What a Country! Try this, you will love it!”
— BerniceHP
“I download the latest from this crew. Trends are emerging from each of the regulars that are fascinating albeit unknown to themselves. A reality show for Zionists!”
— Evan Canter
Recent Episodes
The “Songs of Innocence and Experience” Edition
We discuss 1) the all-time high turnover among Knesset Members 2) the brouhaha over the decision to limit how much mayors can pay pop stars to perform for Independence Day celebrations 3) the International Bible Contest, the weird centerpiece of Independence Day celebrations for the past 61 years
The “Simulacrum and Dissimulation” Edition
We discuss 1) an Instagram Story reconstructing what it would have been like if a girl in the Holocaust had Instagram 2) a commercial for a big-box discount supermarket that presents Ashkenazi “wholesalers” as heartless oppressors of Mizrahim 3) the strange list of honorees chosen to light torches at the official Independence day ceremony
About the Hosts
Noah Efron
Noah aspires to make his living as a professional podcast host, raising bloviating to high art. It was his childhood dream. He teaches at Bar Ilan University, where he was founding chairperson of the program in Science, Technology & Society. He served on the Tel Aviv-Jaffa City Council. Noah also played bass for an ill-fated band named Liquid Plumr, and has run marathons, slowly, on three continents. He lives in Tel Aviv with his wife, daughter, son, dog, and cat. His greatest regret is that he is not Nora Ephron.
Allison Kaplan Sommer
Allison was the Fall 2017 Arnold Distinguished Visiting Chair in Jewish Studies. She has been a journalist and columnist for Haaretz since 2012. She is the former Washington DC correspondent, feature writer and critic for the Jerusalem Post, and has written on a freelance basis for U.S. publications, including the New Republic, Politico, The Forward, and JTA. Originally from Rhode Island, she earned her B.A. in English and Theater at Wesleyan University and her M.A. from the Columbia School of Journalism. She moved to Israel in 1993 and lives in Ra’anana with her husband and three children.
Don Futterman
Don is the Israel Program Director of the Moriah Fund and Director of the Israel Center for Educational Innovation. He is a columnist for Haaretz, and has written for the Daily Beast, the San Francisco Chronicle, Tikkun, Moment, and other periodicals. Don was a commentator for public radio in San Francisco and Seattle, and before that — an iniquity of youth — a professional actor and story-teller.
The “Keeva & Us” Edition
We discuss 1) the strange glue that binds former Soviets and God-fearing ultra-Orthodox Jews in Netanyahu's government 2) the new credit-rating system that reveals who’s a deadbeat who doesn’t pay back loans 3) the hoopla over the return of the TV series Shtisel