Why do Israelis go bike riding on Yom Kippur? How did Jerusalem's stray cat problem spur religious debate? And why are Israelis so blunt, even when the truth hurts? From shomer Shabbos car insurance policies and ancient marriage laws to Arab Israeli stand-up comedy and LGBTQ activism in the IDF, Israel 201 goes beyond an introductory
"101" course to show you the magic, mystery, and, yes, chaos, of one of the most fascinating and least understood countries on earth.

A kaleidoscopic portrait of one family’s displacement across four countries, Kantika―“song” in Ladino―follows the joys and losses of Rebecca Cohen, feisty daughter of the Sephardic elite of early 20th-century Istanbul.