As we head into the new year,  Joel shares what’s been on his mind — personal, national, and geopolitical.

He starts with money: living in Israel while getting paid in US dollars means the weakening dollar suddenly feels very real. From there, the focus shifts to the army. With a child heading into the Israel Defense Forces — and still not knowing which unit — Joel reflects on how unsettling that uncertainty is, and how normal it is in Israeli life.

The episode also looks ahead to national elections in October 2026, and to a question many Israelis are asking more openly than ever: will this be the year the country rethinks funding and exempting the Haredi community, while the rest of society works and serves?

Finally, Joel turns to Iran — war, internal change, and one clear prediction: by January 2027, the situation will look dramatically different than it does today, possibly in a good way.

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Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books

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