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, we abandon all pretense of intellectuality and hunker down to watch the new Gal Gadot vehicle, "The Runner," now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

The film is a fast-paced sprint through London, during which Gadot must arrive at a certain location to save her son, who is in an induced diabetic coma.

The plot seems simple, but the end carries a twist that got Borschel-Dan's husband thinking the whole week.

Let’s hear who gave this film an “oy,” “meh” or the prized “not bad” this week on 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, we abandon all pretense of intellectuality and hunker down to watch the new Gal Gadot vehicle, "The Runner," now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
The film is a fast-paced sprint through London, during which Gadot must arrive at a certain location to save her son, who is in an induced diabetic coma.
The plot seems simple, but the end carries a twist that got Borschel-Dan's husband thinking the whole week.
Let&rsquo;s hear who gave this film an &ldquo;oy,&rdquo; &ldquo;meh&rdquo; or the prized &ldquo;not bad&rdquo; this week on 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 'The Runner': Starring lovely London -- and a sprinting Gal Gadot

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.

News editor Ben Sales joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

With the final barrage of election polls before the October 27 election, Sales notes that the canvassing can't accurately predict who will win, and explains why, including the issue of the smaller parties on both sides of the political spectrum that are hovering around the 3.25% electoral threshold.

Sales also discusses rising tensions among members of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's political base and New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, as they call for her to be fired after police officers clashed with protesters following the shooting of a man in the Bronx by ICE agents. 

The shooting, and the NYPD’s response to it, had no direct connection to Israel or antisemitism in the city. But the protest against pro-Israel Tisch relates to her role as a pro-Israel presence in City Hall and the implications if she were no longer in that job.

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

For further reading:

3 experts on how you’re reading election polls wrong — and why they can’t predict the result

Threats to NYPD’s pro-Israel commissioner are an inflection point for New York Jews

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: News editor Ben Sales appears on the Daily Briefing with host Jessica Steinberg (Flash 90)

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/ben-sales/">News editor Ben Sales</a> joins&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/jessica-steinberg/">host Jessica Steinberg</a>&nbsp;for today's episode.
With the final barrage of election polls before the October 27 election, Sales notes that the canvassing can't accurately predict who will win, and explains why, including the issue of the smaller parties on both sides of the political spectrum that are hovering around the 3.25% electoral threshold.
Sales also discusses rising tensions among members of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's political base and New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, as they call for her to be fired after police officers clashed with protesters following the shooting of a man in the Bronx by ICE agents.&nbsp;
The shooting, and the NYPD&rsquo;s response to it, had no direct connection to Israel or antisemitism in the city. But the protest against pro-Israel Tisch relates to her role as a pro-Israel presence in City Hall and the implications if she were no longer in that job.
<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-october-18-2026/">Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.</a>
For further reading:
<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/3-experts-on-how-youre-reading-election-polls-wrong-and-why-they-cant-predict-the-result/">3 experts on how you&rsquo;re reading election polls wrong &mdash; and why they can&rsquo;t predict the result</a>
<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/threats-to-nypds-pro-israel-commissioner-are-an-inflection-point-for-new-york-jews/">Threats to NYPD&rsquo;s pro-Israel commissioner are an inflection point for New York Jews</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: News editor Ben Sales appears on the Daily Briefing with host Jessica Steinberg (Flash 90)

With election days away, polls still can't predict a winner

Welcome to "A Mandatory Listen," a new weekly podcast in which The Times of Israel deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan asks the big questions facing Israel and the Jewish people.

For this fourth episode in the new series, we speak with Prof. Nechumi Yaffe, an ultra-Orthodox woman running for Knesset for the Charedi Public Party (HaTzibur HaCharedi).

A faculty member at Tel Aviv University since 2019, Yaffe is currently a tenured senior lecturer at the School of Public Policy and co-director of the Haredi Research Group at UCLA.

Among other fields of interest, Yaffe delves into the issues of poverty and identity in Haredi society.

We hear how the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught on southern Israel made Yaffe rethink the ideas of civil obligations and rights. While she believes that youths who are not fit for yeshiva can -- and should -- be conscripted into the IDF, she is deeply concerned with allowing the ultra-Orthodox community to remain strictly observant.

How can a delicate balance between religious observance and national burden be forged? Only through education, says Yaffe.

Over time, she relates, her friends and neighbors in the ultra-Orthodox world stopped accusing her of airing their dirty laundry in the secular public and began understanding the dire situation their community is in.

But will this increased awareness lead to a gain in the polls? Perhaps through the Haredi world's overlooked weapon -- women.

A Mandatory Listen podcast episodes are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

Welcome to "A Mandatory Listen," a new weekly podcast in which The Times of Israel deputy editor <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/amanda-borschel-dan/">Amanda Borschel-Dan</a> asks the big questions facing Israel and the Jewish people.
For this fourth episode in the new series, we speak with Prof. Nechumi Yaffe, an ultra-Orthodox woman running for Knesset for the Charedi Public Party (<a href="https://hatzibur-haharedi.org/en/team/nechumi-yaffe">HaTzibur HaCharedi</a>).
A faculty member at Tel Aviv University since 2019, Yaffe is currently a tenured senior lecturer at the School of Public Policy and co-director of the Haredi Research Group at UCLA.
Among other fields of interest, Yaffe delves into the issues of poverty and identity in Haredi society.
We hear how the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught on southern Israel made Yaffe rethink the ideas of civil obligations and rights. While she believes that youths who are not fit for yeshiva can -- and should -- be conscripted into the IDF, she is deeply concerned with allowing the ultra-Orthodox community to remain strictly observant.
How can a delicate balance between religious observance and national burden be forged? Only through education, says Yaffe.
Over time, she relates, her friends and neighbors in the ultra-Orthodox world stopped accusing her of airing their dirty laundry in the secular public and began understanding the dire situation their community is in.
But will this increased awareness lead to a gain in the polls? Perhaps through the Haredi world's overlooked weapon -- women.
A Mandatory Listen podcast episodes 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 Yitzchak Ledee.

A Mandatory Listen - Nechumi Yaffe: An insider's dire prognosis for the Haredi world - and its cure

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's featured Schmooze film is "The Apartment," a 1960 iconic work of dark comedy by famed filmmaker Billy Wilder.

Starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine and Fred MacMurray, the film takes us to the massive offices of an insurance conglomerate where Lemmon is attempting to climb the corporate ladder. A bit of a "shnook," he finds himself lending out his Upper West Side apartment to a group of four adulterous bosses for their flings.

At the same time, a quiet, amiable connection is made between Lemmon and MacLaine, an elevator girl, who, it turns out, is also one of the bosses' girls.

The movie was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won five Oscars. Its resonance lingers and comedian Chris Rock recently gave it a nod in a lengthy The New York Times interview.

Let’s hear who gave this film an “oy,” “meh” or the prized “not bad” this week on 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's featured Schmooze film is "The Apartment," a 1960 iconic work of dark comedy by famed filmmaker Billy Wilder.
Starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine and Fred MacMurray, the film takes us to the massive offices of an insurance conglomerate where Lemmon is attempting to climb the corporate ladder. A bit of a "shnook," he finds himself lending out his Upper West Side apartment to a group of four adulterous bosses for their flings.
At the same time, a quiet, amiable connection is made between Lemmon and MacLaine, an elevator girl, who, it turns out, is also one of the bosses' girls.
The movie was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won five Oscars. Its resonance lingers and comedian Chris Rock recently gave it a nod in a lengthy The New York Times interview.
Let&rsquo;s hear who gave this film an &ldquo;oy,&rdquo; &ldquo;meh&rdquo; or the prized &ldquo;not bad&rdquo; this week on The Reel Schmooze.
The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

The Reel Schmooze on 'The Runner': Starring lovely London -- and a sprinting Gal Gadot

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