To mark the Days of Awe, we ponder the state of religion & irreligion, spirituality & superstition, creed & cult in the Jewish State.

To hell with what folks think about Israel!; the beginning of the end of the Rabbinate; why leftists spent this year mad, muttering, and morbidly depressed.

We discuss the viral video of an Israeli soldier grappling with a 12-year-old boy; the Left’s “first-rate leadership failure”; and getting kids to take high level math.

We discuss a new poll on peace and the occupation; whether Gabi Ashkenazi is our “Great White Hope”; and a new bill on land ownership for kibbutzim and moshavim.

Does it make sense to use the “A word” to describe Israel? Is a little politicization good for judicial appointments? Plus “The Way Home” – a road trip with a difference.

What can we learn from Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza? Is Israel trying to “Jew up” the diaspora? Is Israel shifting from a “Hebrew” to a “Jewish” state?

We discuss the Jewish diaspora’s ambivalence toward Israel; whether the Israeli sense of community is eroding; and whether “smart” cities are a dumb idea.

We discuss J Street’s upbeat campaign in support of the Iran deal; the potential new face of Israel’s opposition; and the grim calculus of hostage negotiations.

We discuss this week’s historic Iran nuclear deal; the resurgence of the Knesset’s rabbis; and poet Roy Hasan’s ode to Ashkenazi hypocrisy.