The “Distinguished & Undistinguished Distinctions” Edition

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Don Futterman and Noah Efron discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon

 

—Body Politics—

A 21-year-old sergeant in the Border Police dies after being shot in the head through a hole in the wall that separates Israel from Gaza, and the tragedy instantly becomes a political talking point leading to demands that the Prime Minister resign. Why are IDF casualties suddenly being politicized?

—A Problematical, Dogmatical, Fanatical, Climatical Sabbatical?—

The Bible says that every seventh year, Jews are prohibited from planting in the Holy Land. Does that mean that, in 2021, Tel Aviv must stop planting shade trees, because the Bible told them so?

—The Goy and the Jewish Question—

Does Israel have a “Goy” problem?

—“I Know Israel Has Let You Down. We are Doing Teshuvah, Repentance.”—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we talk about a controversial High-Holidays-Days-of-Awe essay in the Times of Israel and on the JTA wire by Minister of Diaspora Affairs Nahman Shai headlined “I Know Israel Has Let You Down. We are Doing Teshuvah, Repentance.” But are we?

All that and new music one of Israel’s newest stars, Nofar Salman!