BONUS: The Reel Schmooze chews over the 1990 Thanksgiving classic ‘Avalon’
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 27 November 2025
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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, the pair speaks about two films, a feminist independent Iranian documentary called "Cutting Through Rocks," which won an international documentary award at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and the 1990 Thanksgiving classic, "Avalon."
But first, in the entertainment news section we call the "Jangle," Borschel-Dan tells Hoffman about the rise and fall of the Israeli rock opera, "Shaul," by Israeli musician Shlomo Artzi.
We also hear a listener's feedback on a point of Jewish law raised in last week's discussion over "Bad Shabbos."
Hear who gave both films a seal of approval and which was a split decision on this week's The Reel Schmooze.
The Reel Schmooze is produced by the PodWaves and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Times of Israel's The Real Shmooze. |
| 0:06.9 | I'm your host, Amanda Borscheldan, here with our movie Maven, Jordan Hoffman. |
| 0:11.9 | Jordan, thank you so much for joining me today. |
| 0:13.5 | Hello, thank you for having me. |
| 0:16.0 | The real schmooze is happening. |
| 0:17.6 | Can I take a moment and convert the real schmooze into the real kvetch for a moment? Can I quetch for a second? So soon at the, I haven't, I haven't right to catch, right? I got the, uh, I'm feeling horrible today because I did the double whammy. I got the flu shot and the COVID booster, which they, they, the doctor and everybody else says, oh yeah, you can do them both at once, no problem. I feel like I got hit by a truck today. It's just, it's awful. Now, you got to do it, right? I mean, you got to get the COVID shot and you got to get the flu shot and, you know, you want to be a righteous person and not spread these |
| 0:54.4 | illnesses to people who would really not do well if they were to catch them but I just want |
| 0:58.9 | I just want the universe to know that I'm feeling lousy today for the benefit of others so that's |
| 1:03.7 | you know important to get out there so so I'm sending you some virtual chicken soup that I |
| 1:10.3 | usually make homemade for all my kids whenever they're sick. |
| 1:14.0 | They take two bites and then eventually the dog eats it. |
| 1:17.3 | But it's actually some good stuff. |
| 1:19.2 | I'm actually, it's funny. |
| 1:20.1 | I have planned. |
| 1:21.0 | I'm not getting Jewish chicken soup today. |
| 1:23.6 | I had some last week. |
| 1:24.8 | My wife made some amazing matzabal soup. My Irish Catholic wife makes the best |
| 1:30.2 | matzable soup anywhere. A.B.'s Irish Rose. She's incredible. But I am going today to get some |
| 1:36.3 | Vietnamese fuh, P-H-O-pronounced fuh. And I've got it all planned out. I know the minute they |
| 1:43.2 | open, I'm going to be there the first one there. I know which one I'm going to order. It's like number three on the menu. |
| 1:47.8 | Very excited about this. This will help me. Well, Jordan, good for you. |
| 1:55.1 | Okay. So let's launch in, I think, with our, what's the jangle? Because I think we don't really have one this week. |
... |
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