The Naked and Afraid Archeologist

Hello goys and girls!

We are back in the studio this week, doing our very best to offend all of our listeners and their loved ones.

We start this one off by discussing whether Zelensky has jumped the shark, and move on to talk about the case of WNBA player Brittney Griner, which we know nothing about yet still feel the need to weigh in.

Chaya Leah just got back from a trip to Israel, and she shares some of her most memorable moments, which include third world-esque air travel, kosher museum dining (which she found way more interesting than two lame Picassos), and a visit to the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, where stupidity and bureaucracy accidentally sparked a war.

Chaya Leah at the Kotel praying for me to find a Jewish husband

Speaking of war, we talk about what defines our Judaism (we both have very different answers if you can believe it), and accidentally get serious about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Tl;Dr is that we are two traumatized people fighting for our lives on a piece of land the size of New Jersey, so what could possible go wrong? Empathy seems like an overused word, but it’s something sorely lacking in the Middle East. So is the ability to look into the future and away from the past. Both Israelis and Palestinians like to keep score, and can recite who did what to whom when, and how they got away with it, like siblings appealing to a parent. What we need is a parent who can say, shut up, I don’t care. What are we doing now?

Don’t worry, the episode is still funny though.

I recommend a wonderful book called “Spies of No Country” by Matti Friedman about Arab-Jewish spies and the birth of the Mossad. Here is a shockingly positive review from the NY Times:

“Wondrous . . . compelling . . . In unadorned yet piercing prose, Friedman captures what it was like to be part of the Arab Section . . . Friedman succeeds in portraying the ‘stories beneath the stories’ that acted as a bedrock to the rise of the Mossad and serve still as a window into Israel’s troubled soul.”
—New York Times Book Review

I also gush about the musical “MJ” about the life of Michael Jackson, which seems like it would be Meh but it’s actually amazing. It tells the story of MJ’s 1993 world tour, which happened to be my very first concert in Tel Aviv. When I went to get tickets at the box office¹ I noticed they had a ticket stub from that very concert on the wall, so I handed my phone to the (confused) ticket booth guy and asked him to take a picture.

We’re recording again today, so if you have any questions or things you want us to talk about - speak up! We have some very cool guests lined up the next few weeks, so enjoy the soothing sounds of your favorite screeching duo talking over each other while you can.

MOST IMPORTANTLY - Don’t forget to follow, rate and review us on apple podcasts, tell your friends to sign up to the Substack (it’s free!!) and share the love with whoever you see fit. Our self-esteem depends on it.

1. A true NYer buys theatre tickets at the box office whenever possible. No fees, better prices, and quirky employees.