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

Looking for the extra-special, special extra segment?

Sa’ar in a Storm

What does once-and-future Likud leader, Gideon Sa’ar, PM Netanyahu’s nemesis on the premises, promise for Israeli politics?

Pains in the Glass

An ultra-Orthodox boycott threatens to close down a glass factory that keeps its furnaces glowing on Shabbat. Politics in the marketplace ain’t a bad thing in general, but what about when lots of jobs are on the line?

A (2nd Century) Star is Born!

Bar Kokhba led a tragic and disastrous revolution against the Romans in the 2nd century. Why is he a Zionist hero today?

Trumpville? Trumptown? Trump City?

For our most extremely generous Patreon supporters, we discuss in our extra-special, special extra segment the Golan settlement slated to be named after Donald Trump – Trumpville? Trumptown? Trump City? Trump Valley? Trump Heights? Trumpboro? Trumpopolis? – and what we make of having a town renamed after the American president.

Music

Jonamoon, after their triumphant appearance at the Jacob’s Ladder Folk Festival:

• Valentines
• Friends
• Magic Eyes
• Symphony