Chopped Liver on the Beach
What's happening in Israel, from the perspective of two American olim with very high below-average intelligence.
Episodes
26 episodes
Cloudy with a Chance of Missiles
Avi and Benji take a break from running to their respective bomb shelters to give you their take on the war and on General Tso's sushi.
Nick 'n Tuck
In this episode, a "brassy" lady gives American Jews some dire warnings, Avi insists that Neturei Karta members are actually Zionist, and Blondie the dog gets a major shout out. Listen at your own risk.
What Rhymes with Tucker?
After a not-too-brief hiatus, Benji and Avi return to discuss the afterlife and the existence of demons... who happen to have podcasts.
Good night...see you soon!
In this episode, Benji and Avi take advantage of the Trump Ceasefire to look back on twelve (eleven?) days of war. There's no denying it — it's been a scary couple of weeks. Benji succeeded in protecting his children — and his dogs. Avi has tru...
Down a Rabbinate Hole
In this episode Benji and Avi sit down (and then stand up when he walks in, and then sit down again after he sits down) with Rabbi Seth Farber! We find out how he is the descendent of smugglers and grand rabbis, why his face is on the dar...
Pinch Your Scapulas!
Benji and Avi spent Passover in the north of Israel, and in this episode they discuss the repairs and improvements Israel has made there, as well as the repairs and improvements they need to make to their post-Passover physiques. On the way, th...
March Madness
Join Benji and Avi for a tour of what's maddening this March. High-altitude inequality, an incomplete Egyptian pantheon, Trump, Bibi - there's a lot to cover!
Avi's Take & Benji's Ache
In this episode, Avi tells us what he really thinks about the Palestinians while Benji suffers in more ways than one.
Hate Rides Again: A Conversation with Michal Cotler-Wunsh
In this episode, Benji and Avi sit down with Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Israel's special envoy for combating antisemitism. We discuss Michal's childhood playing hide-and-seek with senior politicians in the Knesset, her immigration experiences, life a...
Days of Wine and Rockets
In this episode, Benji and Avi sat down with Alex Haruni, owner of the fabulous Dalton Winery in the north of Israel and all around great guy. We talked with Alex about wine in general, what's special about making wine in Israel, and the partic...
Flying Metal Makes Strange Bedfellows
In this episode, Benji and Avi cover a lot of ground - missiles flying over Raanana (and sometimes landing there), the US elections, the replacement of Israel's defense minister, bigamy, Molotov cocktails and much more. It's another normal week...
Holiday Bonus Episode: Q&A
In the days leading up to Yom Kippur, Benji and Avi were looking for ways to avoid asking themselves the tough questions that a serious introspection would demand - and they found it! In this, our pilot Q&A episode, we answered questions se...
Two Jews, One Druze: a Schmooze
In this episode, Benji and Avi sit down with Rabia Melchem. Rabia is an IDF reserve soldier, a successful AI and data science product engineer, a husband, a father and a Druze Israeli. The Druze have always been a dynamic and important part of ...
The Curious Case of the Left-Wing Optimist
In this episode Benji and Avi sit down with Daniel Sevitt, bibliophile and, well, left-wing optimist. We talk books, politics, and the private lives of dragons. The conversation is mostly civil, as you would expect from a conversation with a ge...
Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?
In this episode Benji and Avi sit down with Ohad Merlin, Middle East correspondent for the Jerusalem Post, and expert on the media landscape in the Arab world. We do a deep dive into the Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar, and the myth that Israeli tour...
The Educator Strikes Back
In this episode, Benji and Avi get the lowdown about the educational system from the best high school teacher in Raanana, the one and only Rebecca Perlin Sadinoff! Like most high-school teachers in Israel, Rebecca is on strike (so she couldn’t ...
Life and Loss: A Sister's Journey
In this episode, Benji and Avi had the privilege of sitting down with Raanana’s own Eli Ziering. Eli's brother, Aryeh Ziering of blessed memory, was killed in action on October 7th near Kibbutz Zikim in Israel's South. Aryeh was a major in the ...
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The Old Bag Tells a Tale of Love
In this episode, Benji takes us on a journey to Italy – where he is a mini-celebrity! – to uncover some family secrets from World War II. He is helped by a motley crew of wonderful Italians who are as dedicated to uncovering the truth as ...
Cut from the Same Stone
This week, Benji and Avi enter the mysterious and fascinating world of international diamond dealing. They sit down with Elliot and Dov Tannenbaum, the father and son team that runs Leo Schachter Diamonds...
Cousin Moishy's Revenge
A few episodes ago (episode 3), Benji and Avi discussed the thorny topic Haredim not serving in the IDF. During their discussion, Benji told a few not-too-flattering stories about Moishy, one of his Haredi cousins.Now we get to hear fro...
The Kids Are Low-key Alright
Turns out Benji and Avi don't speak English. Or at least not modern-day SoFlo dialect. In this episode, Benji and Avi sit down with their youngest guests yet, Eliana and Aly, who took an hour out of their Israel summer program to try to explain...
Doctor Moonlight
There are only a handful of pediatric oncology bone marrow transplant specialists in Israel, and our guest, Dr. Aviva Krauss, is one of them. She's skilled, brilliant, caring, and passionate about saving children's lives. She's also at the brea...
Walking on Water
What’s it like establishing a first-of-its-kind water park in the Holy Land? What’s it like dreaming a big dream and making it happen – on the mean shores of Tiberias? Which city has the rudest Israelis? Which tourists are the most polite...