Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

This week, before diving into our two films for this week, we revisit the 1960 film "Exodus" with a few reflections based on listeners' responses -- and Hoffman's musing while sweeping.

We then hear about the movie maven's night out enjoying the Boss, Bruce Springsteen, and the E-Street Band's longtime Jewish musicians.

The first film we chew over in this week's episode is a short, 13-minute indie production called "How to Make Challah" by Sarah Rosen. The intergenerational look at New York Jewry is framed within footage filmed by Rosen's aunt of her grandmother making challah in 1975.

Now #1 on Netflix in Israel, Sadie Sandler's new "Roommates" left the team almost speechless, but they valiantly rallied at the sight of Jewish acting greats Natasha Lyonne, Nick Kroll and Carol Kane.  Chloe East stars as Celeste, joined by Sadie Sandler as Devon. Does her apple fall far from the Adam Sandler tree?

Stick around to see if "How to Make Challah" and "Roommates" got an "oy," "meh" or "not bad" in this week's The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/jordan-hoffman/">Jordan Hoffman</a> and host <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/amanda-borschel-dan/">Amanda Borschel-Dan</a>, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.
This week, before diving into our two films for this week, we revisit the 1960 film "Exodus" with a few reflections based on listeners' responses -- and Hoffman's musing while sweeping.
We then hear about the movie maven's night out enjoying the Boss, Bruce Springsteen, and the E-Street Band's longtime Jewish musicians.
The first film we chew over in this week's episode is a short, 13-minute indie production called "How to Make Challah" by Sarah Rosen. The intergenerational look at New York Jewry is framed within footage filmed by Rosen's aunt of her grandmother making challah in 1975.
Now #1 on Netflix in Israel, Sadie Sandler's new "Roommates" left the team almost speechless, but they valiantly rallied at the sight of Jewish acting greats Natasha Lyonne, Nick Kroll and Carol Kane. &nbsp;Chloe East stars as Celeste, joined by Sadie Sandler as Devon. Does her apple fall far from the Adam Sandler tree?
Stick around to see if "How to Make Challah" and "Roommates" got an "oy," "meh" or "not bad" in this week's The Reel Schmooze.
The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing: Your update on what’s important in Israel, the Middle East and The Jewish World.

Welcome to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing: Your update on what&rsquo;s important in Israel, the Middle East and The Jewish World.

The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

The Daily Briefing

The Reel Schmooze on 'Roommates' and 'How to Make Challah': Different slices of Jewish American pie

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Jewish world and real estate correspondent Zev Stub joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

WATCH the full episode here:

 

With London Jews feeling scared and angry about last week's stabbing attack of two men in Golders Green, Stub discusses the community sentiment that the government isn't doing enough to fight antisemitism, and similarities to events in Canada and Australia.

Stub reports on his trip to the northern city of Kiryat Shmona, noting that the local economy, weakened by more than two years of war, has only 60% of residents who have returned after being evacuated.

There is a need for more ultra-Orthodox housing, Stub discusses, reviewing possible government plans to create three Haredi hubs in the south and raising questions about economic viability and the various social service issues inherent in an ultra-Orthodox city.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.For further reading:

Starmer booed at site of Golders Green terror; promises to tackle antisemitism, extremism

‘The city is dead’: Israel’s north struggles to recover as war leaves uneven economic scars

Housing snapshot April 2026: Home prices continue slide, bringing yearly drop to 1.7%

Separate cities or shared space? Ministries at odds over huge Negev housing plan for Haredim

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: Jewish world and real estate correspondent Zev Stub joins host Jessica Steinberg on today's Daily Briefing. (ToI)

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/zev-stub/">Jewish world and real estate correspondent Zev Stub</a> joins&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/jessica-steinberg/">host Jessica Steinberg</a>&nbsp;for today's episode.
WATCH the full episode here:
&nbsp;
With London Jews feeling scared and angry about last week's stabbing attack of two men in Golders Green, Stub discusses the community sentiment that the government isn't doing enough to fight antisemitism, and similarities to events in Canada and Australia.
Stub reports on his trip to the northern city of Kiryat Shmona, noting that the local economy, weakened by more than two years of war, has only 60% of residents who have returned after being evacuated.
There is a need for more ultra-Orthodox housing, Stub discusses, reviewing possible government plans to create three Haredi hubs in the south and raising questions about economic viability and the various social service issues inherent in an ultra-Orthodox city.
<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-may-3-2026/">Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.</a>For further reading:
<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/starmer-booed-at-site-of-golders-green-terror-promises-to-tackle-antisemitism-extremism/">Starmer booed at site of Golders Green terror; promises to tackle antisemitism, extremism</a>
<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-city-is-dead-israels-north-struggles-to-recover-as-war-leaves-uneven-economic-scars/">&lsquo;The city is dead&rsquo;: Israel&rsquo;s north struggles to recover as war leaves uneven economic scars</a>
<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/housing-snapshot-april-2026-home-prices-continue-slide-bringing-yearly-drop-to-1-7/">Housing snapshot April 2026: Home prices continue slide, bringing yearly drop to 1.7%</a>
<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/separate-cities-or-shared-space-ministries-divided-over-negev-housing-plan-for-haredim/">Separate cities or shared space? Ministries at odds over huge Negev housing plan for Haredim</a>
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-times-of-israel-daily-briefing/id1547404042"> Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1vhvFPvN0fFn5YRHCEcxrn">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnR6FOcOvFdMbb0w1n0Ev0orcVkufgZ89">YouTube,</a> or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.
IMAGE: Jewish world and real estate correspondent Zev Stub joins host Jessica Steinberg on today's Daily Briefing. (ToI)

Scared and angry London Jews feel UK isn't fighting antisemitism

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with The Times of Israel's senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur.

On Sunday, former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid announced a joint run for this year's Israeli elections. 

Immediately, polling showed that the combined electoral slate, dubbed “Together,” would win a total of 26 seats if elections were held Monday, placing them ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud as the Knesset’s largest party, according to Channel 12.

Later in the week, Opposition Leader Lapid told Bennett that he was willing to take third place, rather than second, on their joint electoral slate if it would help secure a broader merger with Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot.

On this week's episode, in the spirit of the newly completed NFL draft, we play fantasy football and weigh the merits of the current parties and politicians vyying for the Knesset in this year's election.

And so this week, we ask Haviv Rettig Gur what matters now.

What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: Haviv Rettig Gur (courtesy) / Green Bay Packers quarterback Taylor Elgersma (19) throws during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, August 16, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/amanda-borschel-dan/">Amanda Borschel-Dan</a> speaking with The Times of Israel's senior analyst <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/haviv-gur/">Haviv Rettig Gur</a>.
On Sunday, former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid announced a joint run for this year's Israeli elections.&nbsp;
Immediately, polling showed that the combined electoral slate, dubbed &ldquo;Together,&rdquo; would win a total of 26 seats if elections were held Monday, placing them ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&rsquo;s ruling Likud as the Knesset&rsquo;s largest party, according to Channel 12.
Later in the week, Opposition Leader Lapid told Bennett that he was willing to take third place, rather than second, on their joint electoral slate if it would help secure a broader merger with Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot.
On this week's episode, in the spirit of the newly completed NFL draft, we play fantasy football and weigh the merits of the current parties and politicians vyying for the Knesset in this year's election.
And so this week, we ask Haviv Rettig Gur what matters now.
What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/times-will-tell/id1067953235?mt=2">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/5Hqgs4Cy5VkdXB51eW2jjd">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnR6FOcOvFdMHmmVLVJUNrE198zXKQWna">YouTube</a> or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.
IMAGE: Haviv Rettig Gur (courtesy) / Green Bay Packers quarterback Taylor Elgersma (19) throws during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, August 16, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Haviv Rettig Gur: Political footballs and politicians' fumbles

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Environmental reporter Sue Surkes joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today's episode.

We open the episode with a recent annual national monitoring report, carried out on behalf of the Energy and Environmental Protection ministries, on the state of the Mediterranean Sea. Surkes describes how the sea is growing saltier, warmer and more polluted, and why it has become a home to invasive tropical fish. We discuss what that means for beachgoers and fish eaters as we head into the summer season.

We then move on to the latest updates in an unusual court case: The Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday ordered the Interior Ministry to grant temporary Israeli status to a Syrian-born woman, the wife of a disabled IDF veteran, who converted to Judaism. The Syrian Alawite woman and her husband have faced a series of legal hurdles as they seek to build a life together in Israel. We hear about their saga.

In the second half of the program, Surkes walks through her recent op-ed on Israeli energy policy, which she describes as a growing security risk.

We end off the program with an account of her recent visit to the orangutans at the Jerusalem Zoo, who, 10 days ago, welcomed a new baby to their troop. This is not the first orangutan to be born in Israel, but it’s the first at the biblical zoo, and an important addition to the world’s shrinking orangutan population.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

The Mediterranean: Warmer, saltier, more acidic, and rising fast — report

After years in limbo, court lets Syrian convert live in Israel with husband, a disabled vet

True independence must include the air we breathe

Great excitement as first orangutan is born at Jerusalem Biblical Zoo

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/sue-surkes/">E</a><a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/sue-surkes/">nvironmental reporter Sue Surkes</a> joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today's episode.
We open the episode with a recent annual national monitoring report, carried out on behalf of the Energy and Environmental Protection ministries, on the state of the Mediterranean Sea. Surkes describes how the sea is growing saltier, warmer and more polluted, and why it has become a home to invasive tropical fish. We discuss what that means for beachgoers and fish eaters as we head into the summer season.
We then move on to the latest updates in an unusual court case: The Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday ordered the Interior Ministry to grant temporary Israeli status to a Syrian-born woman, the wife of a disabled IDF veteran, who converted to Judaism. The Syrian Alawite woman and her husband have faced a series of legal hurdles as they seek to build a life together in Israel. We hear about their saga.
In the second half of the program, Surkes walks through her recent op-ed on Israeli energy policy, which she describes as a growing security risk.
We end off the program with an account of her recent visit to the orangutans at the Jerusalem Zoo, who, 10 days ago, welcomed a new baby to their troop. This is not the first orangutan to be born in Israel, but it&rsquo;s the first at the biblical zoo, and an important addition to the world&rsquo;s shrinking orangutan population.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-mediterranean-warmer-saltier-more-acidic-and-rising-fast-report/">The Mediterranean: Warmer, saltier, more acidic, and rising fast &mdash; report</a>
<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-years-in-limbo-court-lets-syrian-convert-live-in-israel-with-husband-a-disabled-vet/">After years in limbo, court lets Syrian convert live in Israel with husband, a disabled vet</a>
<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/great-excitement-as-first-orangutan-is-born-at-jerusalem-biblical-zoo/">True independence must include the air we breathe</a>
<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/great-excitement-as-first-orangutan-is-born-at-jerusalem-biblical-zoo/">Great excitement as first orangutan is born at Jerusalem Biblical Zoo</a>
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-times-of-israel-daily-briefing/id1547404042"> Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1vhvFPvN0fFn5YRHCEcxrn">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnR6FOcOvFdMbb0w1n0Ev0orcVkufgZ89">YouTube,</a> or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

The Reel Schmooze on 'Roommates' and 'How to Make Challah': Different slices of Jewish American pie

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