The "Fruit of the Beautiful Tree" Edition

Tehila Wenger, Rotem Or-Soko and Noah Efron talk about (1) The so-called "Statement of Principles" signed this week by the leaders of the so-called "Parties of Repair & Hope", and why it left us so-called "unimpressed", and (2) How schools ought to mark the third anniversary of October 7. For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Third anniversary of October 7, and things make only less sense now than they did before. Plus: Remembering a poet who really listened to kids, looking into the eyes of a Palestinian activist across the table and seeing something familiar, and the first cleansing rain of the new year.

In a very special episode in celebration of the holiday of Sukkot, Noah goes on about the etrog, its complicated past, and the hope it holds for the futures of all of us. (With two versions of Naomi Shemer's canonical Sukkot song, "Shlomit Bonah Sukkat Shalom", the one by Mashina, and the other by Ash&Buzi.)

Tehila Wenger, deputy director of the Israeli branch of the Geneva Initiative, and Noah talk about why so many Jewish-Israeli politicians and parties rule out joining a coalition with Palestinian-Israeli politicians and parties. Then Hannah Brown, film critic for the Jerusalem Post, joins to talk about the eventful week in Israeli cinema, starting with the Ophir Award Best-Picture winner Tell Me Everything, and continuing with the controversial new documentary about the IDF's policy on civilian casualties, NAZA, which won a Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival and got the longest standing ovation in the history of film. For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: What we wouldn't give for some superego: Have AI videos made elections all id? Plus: Back when blowing shofar at the Wall was illegal, gearing up with friends for the elections in 40 days, life with a kid on the spectrum and awesome new music with a Days-of-Awe vibe.

Linda, Judah and Noah talk about (1) the weird party mergers and odd-couples running together for Knesset in the upcoming elections, and what these strange bedfellows say about the state of Israeli politics, and (2) the "Nili force" which, we recently learned, was started just after October 7, dedicated to capturing or killing every last one of the 5,000-odd Gazans who poured over the border on that day, to pillage, plunder, rape and murder. Is this sort of vengeance-to-the-last-man,-no-matter-how-long-it-takes what we want from our army and security forces? For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: What do we expect from 5787? Plus: Yossi Sarid as we never knew him when he was alive, Selichot in Zikhron Yaakov, and big slabs of meat in Jerusalem. Plus, new music with a New Year's vibe.

Two years ago, this week, Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin and Libi & Orly Goldberg-Polin buried their son and brother Hersh. The rest of us did, too. In this episode, we hear Rachel Goldberg-Polin during those 328 days when Hersh was in those tunnels alive, until he wasn't.

Linda Gradstein and Noah Efron talk about (1) a new "working man's ultra-Orthodox party" that wants science in the classroom and Haredim in the boardroom and the barracks, and (2) a new poll showing that most Israelis feel like they need to hide who we are when we travel abroad. For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: The Prime Minister's son, Yair Netanyahu, was spirited out of Miami, where he lives, after the Mossad learned that Iranian agents had planned to assassinate him. Well, what can you say to that?!? Plus: the rediscovery of the Altalena after 78 years in the briney deep, and the memories likely to get dredged up with the ship, and wine and gifts, and branch new breezy summer music for the late-summer heat.

The Jerusalem Post's Hannah Brown and Noah Efron talk about (1) the criminal harassment of Abu Rida and the Hassan families in Qusra, (2) the surprising results of the Likud primaries and what they augur, and (3) Avi Nesher's profound and affecting new movie, "Our Loves," about October 7th, and the day that came before and the day that came after. For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: We've always suspected that "movie reviewer" is the best job ever. Hannah Brown, who reviewed for the New York Post and the Jerusalem Post, explains why we were right about that all along! Plus: Down in the dumps with Gershom Scholem, neanderthal hip-joints, sheltering on the spectrum and tomorrow's scholars, today! All that and the brilliant recording debut of Allison's girl, Naomi Sommer!!!!

Linda, Judah, and Noah talk about (1) The new parties springing up in the "middle" of Israel's electoral map, between the Netanyahu bloc and the anti-Netanyahu bloc: What do they augur?, and (2) The likely addition as number two on the "United Arab List" party of Yoav Segelovitz, a Jew who made his name in the army and police: What's it mean and what's it, too, augur? (So much auguring!) For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: A right wing newspaper editor writes that maybe we shouldn't let people who don't live in the country fly in to vote, and gets shouted down. But maybe he has a point? Plus: What happens after you win twelve and a half million in the lotto, a day in Sderot, and what to do with the kids in the dog-days of August. Plus one of the all-time great punk albums about being pregnant in wartime!

In this very special episode, Noah shares love letters he heard walking the streets of Tel Aviv with Lucy the Dog, on a new "Love Letters" app made by genius Russian-Israeli director Semyon Alexandrovsky.

Linda and Noah talk about (1) What has become of the "Religious Zionism Party," after its sort-of primaries made it a settler-only affair?, and (2) What are the ties that bind the different sorts of people who hope to give Benjamin Netanyahu four more years in office? For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Challenger for the premiership Gadi Eisenkot buys campaign billboards in Cyprus, and lots of people cry foul. Can the election be won by persuading ex-pats to fly to what was once their home to cast a vote? Also, why is the adjective "Cypriot" so very appealing? Plus: Expecting a baby grandchild that they never expected when they were hostages in Gaza, a millennia-old edition of the Book of Isaiah, and young girls praying under trees in a park in Tel Aviv. Plus, an astonishing new record of heartbreak and loss by Netta Barzilai.