The “Godlessness, in Theory & Practice” Edition

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and Wunderkind critic Ohad Zeltzer-Zubida discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. --Godlessness: The Theory-- The doyen of Israeli sociology and a major public intellectual J’Accuses the left of swapping out good, Enlightenment values for mamby-pamby postmodern relativism, thereby allowing the rabbis to take over the country. Does she have a point? --Godlessness: The Practice-- Avigdor Lieberman and his right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party say that only they will keep Israel “liberal” by beating back the rabbis. Were we wrong to think that the right, by nature, admires religion? --Meanwhile, at the Movies…-- Should settler filmmakers get tax shekels to make settler films about settler experiences on settlements? --Is Birthright to Thank for the Increase in Jewish American Babies?-- For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra segment discuss an essay by Brandeis Professor Leonard Saxe, suggesting that the birthright program has “helped bring about a 25% rise in the US Jewish population.” What is it – if anything -- about two weeks in Israel that could possibly account for the increased commitment to American Judaism? All this and the soul of Ayala Ingedashet! --Music-- Ayala Ingedashet Ayo Basar Va-Dam La-nua Sa