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NBC Needs To Apologize For Their Libelous Portrayal of Hasidic Jews In “Nurses”

UPDATE: We’re thrilled to announce that NBC has pulled this episode after we broke this story and it went viral! 

If you’re up in arms about the SNL joke that aired this past weekend, claiming that Israel only vaccinates Jews against Covid, be prepared for more outrage. NBC has another apology (and hopefully further education of its writers) to make.

In its new show “Nurses,” (episode 8, which aired a couple weeks ago) we are visited by the token Hasidic Jews who must appear once in every TV drama (can someone teach Hollywood how to curl peyos?!)

We meet Israel, a teenage boy who has been in an accident, and his father who he calls “Abba,” (but would actually be “Tatty,” if anyone in Hollywood cared about accuracy). “Abba” is the one-note Hasid who must always be serious. He invokes the “Creator” as the savior of the day which allows the nurse to pushback and offer “medicine” as the true helper. This interaction begins a major theme of the show – that our choices are binary: believing in God or medicine – never both together.

Then we find out that naughty Israel has skipped shul to play basketball –  a sin which will “pull him away from yeshiva,” according to his father. Now there are certainly extremist families where basketball is forbidden at a certain age, but as is the practice in traditional media – the behaviors of the worst, most extremist elements of Orthodox society are publicized, while all the reasonable and balanced Orthodox Jews are never featured. This one-sided depiction reinforces to the audience that within Orthodoxy, there is only one choice – fanaticism.

But if you weren’t offended yet, buckle up, because then the show really gets nasty. Israel is told by the doctor that he’ll need a bone graft to fully heal. Israel doesn’t understand what this means, so the doctor explains that he’ll have to have part of a dead person’s bone surgically inserted into his leg.

Cue the horror! Israel and his father are distraught at the notion that he’ll have a dead person’s body part in his body and that it will be a “goyim”[Sic] part to boot! But even worse than that – it could be an “Arab” body part or an “lady” body part. Or as the nurse reminds them, “an Arab lady” body part. (See this disturbing clip in my video explanation below.)

Despite my invitation to Hollywood producers to consult us when they do their “token Hasidic Jew” episode, Hollywood insists on remaining ignorant and promoting lies about the Orthodox community. Let’s unpack how badly they did with this aforementioned scene:

  1. There is no prohibition on getting a dead body part surgically inserted into one’s body. In fact, Jewish law says we should use the best medicine of our times to recover from our illnesses.
  2. There is no prohibition to get a non-Jewish body part inserted, nor is there a prohibition if the part belongs to a woman or an Arab.

Now, are there Orthodox Jews who look down on non-Jews and Arabs? You betcha. And are there Orthodox Jews who are misogynists? Unfortunately, yes for that one too. But the idea that such a surgery would be problematic in general or problematic because of where the bone came from not only is categorically false according to Jewish law, it is a vicious lie that endangers men who walk around with curled side locks and black hats.

But wait – there’s more. We learn that Israel’s father would prefer for Israel to not get the surgery and not be able to walk properly again, so he won’t commit the “sin” of ever playing basketball. Israel resigns himself to refusing medical help. Why? “Because it’s God who heals what He creates.” No – that is how Christian Science works! Religious Jews believe that God heals with the help of the best medicine of our times.

The nurse continues to attempt to persuade Israel to save himself, but he responds, “How can I live with myself knowing that I went against God?”

Then we find out that the atheist nurse is in fact a Biblical scholar! Super convenient! She quotes some verses from the Book of Samuel about how sometimes human needs need to come before devotion. She’d be making a great point if she only educated herself on the part of Jewish law that tells us that following the best medicine of our times IS part of our devotion.

The nurse’s Biblical knowledge piques the father’s attention, but of course, in order to highlight the most extremist Hasidic behavior that could possibly exist, the father is not able to speak to the nurse directly (even though the teenage son can – we are not given a reason for this). Getting to see the father only speak about, but not to the nurse, is just one more reminder how much Hasidic men hate women and their bones!

Again the nurse tries to help Israel, by saying that she is a messenger of God here to heal the boy. That’s exactly what Orthodox Jews believe! But not these Orthodox Jews. They believe in refusing medical help and that “loyalty to our community is loyalty to God.” The father tries to explain his decision – he wants what’s best for his son – which means protecting his son’s “eternal soul.” How neat would it be if Jewish law allowed the father to protect his son’s body AND soul by using modern medicine – oh wait – it does!

And because this show really, really wants to beat the viewer over the head with those diametrically opposed choices: medicine or prayer, this dichotomy is mentioned one last time and prayer is chosen. Israel gets wheeled out of the hospital, flanked by men in black, the viewer knowing this “poor” Hasid will never properly heal because his crazy religion prevented him from being treated by doctors. The nurse then narrates Israel off to his pathetic future, as her head voice wonders, “What do we do when we can’t save someone? Faced with a battle that can’t be won?”

I was asking myself this same question about the writers and producers of Hollywood. Can we save you from your smug ignorance? Can you learn from your mistakes or will you insist on doing this again and again?

As an aside, another theme of the episode, involving other characters, was kidney donations. If the writers ever bothered to learn about Orthodox Jews, they might discover that they, and specifically Hasidic Jews, are OFF the charts when it comes to donating kidneys to strangers– 15% of all altruistic donors in the U.S. are Orthodox Jews, even though we are only 0.3% of the population. This includes to people outside of the community. Can you imagine if NBC did an episode about that? Why Hasidic Jews might even be likable or seen as human!!

Hasidic Jews are being attacked in the streets with greater frequency every single day. Do better, Hollywood, at not constructing pernicious lies that endanger our community.

If you found this content meaningful and want to help further our mission through our Keter, Makom, and Tikun branches, please consider becoming a Change Maker today.

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  • Avatar photo Rena Turoff says on February 23, 2021

    what is the name and email address of the producer of this show

    Reply
    • Avatar photo Allison Josephs says on February 23, 2021

      “Nurses” is executive produced by Ilana Frank, Linda Pope, Vanessa Piazza, Adam Pettle, Jocelyn Hamilton and Tassie Cameron, with Julie Puckrin as co-executive producer. Working on contacting people at NBC.

      Reply
      • Avatar photo Rachel Paul says on February 23, 2021

        So you know, they have blocked you on this story…and is it normal for almost all of your videos to now have no comment section? I’ve been following for awhile (and enjoying) and it seems to me you may be targeted for “ghosting” by FB?and YouTube? Be careful and aware. Time for Aliyah.

        Reply
        • Avatar photo Allison Josephs says on February 23, 2021

          Can you explain what you’re seeing? thanks!

          Reply
      • Avatar photo Alissa says on February 23, 2021

        Let us know who and how to contact please

        Reply
        • Avatar photo Allison Josephs says on February 23, 2021

          “Nurses” is executive produced by Ilana Frank, Linda Pope, Vanessa Piazza, Adam Pettle, Jocelyn Hamilton and Tassie Cameron, with Julie Puckrin as co-executive producer. Working on contacting people at NBC.

          Reply
    • Avatar photo Elyasaf says on February 23, 2021

      You would have to wonder the outrage if the roles were reversed

      Reply
    • Avatar photo ryan says on February 23, 2021

      unfortunately this isn’t an nbc show it’s a canadian show that nbc acquired.

      Reply
      • Avatar photo Allison Josephs says on February 23, 2021

        They could have noticed that this episode was wildly offensive.

        Reply
    • Avatar photo Laura says on February 24, 2021

      This sucks so much!😭😭😭 Thank you for letting as know.. Those are really ignorant. I think there should be a protest against this episode in Hollywood office and any other stupidity that will come.

      Reply
      • Avatar photo Shari klein says on February 25, 2021

        The curls on this guy are just ridiculous!!!
        Mazel 👏🏼
        Now maybe you can go after SNL , another disgrace

        Reply
        • Avatar photo Michael Wilcox says on February 25, 2021

          If I may comment on SNL and Michael Che.
          I think the matter is one of Outside misperception and not one of ridicule. When the Jewish Homeland is spoken of, whom might it be expected to reside there? Outside of December, there is little mention of other faiths. I would imagine that many people are surprised to find not only Christians, but so many different kinds of Christians. Palestine is discussed as if it were on another Continent. Israel is Israel. In It’s borders, we have neighbors. We have difficulties that are difficult to explain to others. I believe that a good measure might be: if you can repeat the same joke using the Irish or the Norwegians, it would provide a better context for something that was cranked out in a few days so that it might be Topical Humor. I think they Meant No Evil Eye.

          Reply
        • Avatar photo Richard Levine says on February 26, 2021

          Shari, are you Jewish?? Three major sects of Hasidim, in the city. All follow the Torah, piously & wear “Payis”
          Leviticus 19:27 27″‘Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.
          Some curl it around their ears. Others just let it dangle. Shalom

          Reply
  • Avatar photo Amy says on February 23, 2021

    This episode sounds really outrageous and irresponsible.

    Reply
  • Avatar photo Renee Leavy says on February 23, 2021

    They could research the procedure also

    “The downside of allograft tissue is that there are numerous studies that have demonstrated that this tissue is not quite as strong as tissue that has not been sterilized and processed. Most surgeons performing ACL reconstruction recommend that high-level athletes (such as collegiate or professional athletes) avoid donor tissue because of higher rates of reinjury to the graft.

    In addition, rehabilitation timelines are generally longer when donor tissue is used; this can be an issue for a high school or collegiate athlete on a tight recovery timeline. Lastly, concerns about disease transmission are significant for many people. While the risk of getting an infection from a donor graft is exceedingly small, there have been case reports of this happening. Many people choose to avoid this potential risk altogether by using their own tissue.”

    https://www.verywellhealth.com/allograft-vs-autograft-in-orthopedic-surgery-4584591

    Synthetic or autograft (from the patient) would typically be used.

    I realize this is not the issue but the portrayal of Orthodox Jews isn’t the only thing that they failed to research.

    Thank you for bringing this to our attention

    Reply
    • Avatar photo Laura says on February 24, 2021

      And this tells it all… they did this just for the views… and mb to increase some hate and grow up some misconceptions…

      Reply
      • Avatar photo Demana says on February 25, 2021

        As a Arab Israeli Palestinian, this is such a disgusting representation and stereotype against jews and their views on non jews and primarily on arabs. Just fuels more hate and violence for jews and arabs to fight rather than fight prejudice, stereotypes and biases and come together. Very typical and not surprising of Hollywood portraying their thoughts on other ethnicities, religions and people of color. I have met many jews in my life that i truly could connect on a cultural and religious level. Super inaccurate representation of Judaism filled with antisemitism, let alone targeting as arabs ‘dirty blood’ or ‘disgusting’. As an Arab muslim i would also love to work with finding out the actors that stayed silent when reading the scripts before producing the episode. Any idea of who these actors are to educate them on speaking out against stereotypes and biases against jews, arabs, women etc? Many actors in hollywood stay silent and we the people should come together and confront the actors that allowed this to be produced as well.

        Reply
    • Avatar photo Jeaniene Kalman says on February 25, 2021

      As an OJ APRN I appreciate this comment most of all.

      Reply
  • Avatar photo Jimmy says on February 23, 2021

    In Israeli Chareidi society playing basketball is frowned upon. Here he in the US every kid plays basketball. That together with ‘Abba’ should tell you that they were getting input only from Israeli Jews and not from any American Jews.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo SM says on May 23, 2021

      That may be so, but having grown up Israeli Chareidi I can tell you that they must have gotten input from very mixed-up Israeli Chareidim, because these views (as described by Allison) are far from the accepted views of the community. It doesn’t matter where they got it from; it’s wrong.

      Reply
  • Avatar photo Eytan A Mirsky says on February 23, 2021

    As soon as they used “goyim” as an adjective you knew they had no understanding of Jews.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo Leah says on February 24, 2021

      I normally love your content. And I strongly agree with your premise here. I take issue with the following statement

      “Now there are certainly extremist families where basketball is forbidden at a certain age, but as is the practice in traditional media – the behaviors of the worst, most extremist elements of Orthodox society are publicized, while all the reasonable and balanced Orthodox Jews are never featured.”

      The tone of it implies that someone who would be disappointed that his son took off from yeshiva to play basketball is part of “worst, most extremist elements” of orthodox society. It kind of further implies, that this is as opposed to someone like you who is part of “reasonable and balanced” society.

      I am chassidish and my son plays a mean game of basketball, however I am related to plenty of people whose children don’t. They still are wonderful people who are normal and balanced. They just have a different value system than you and I.

      I’m pretty sure this was not your intention, but ironically, by saying this the way you did, you too perpetuated the idea that people who are different than you are extremist and unbalanced and only people like you are normal.

      Reply
      • Avatar photo Allison Josephs says on February 24, 2021

        Thanks for your comment, Leah. We are dealing with many of the disenfranchised members of the Hasidic world at our initiative Project Makom. Not having any physical activity or outlet outside of learning is not healthy. I’m not saying this to be mean or judgmental. I’m sure the parent who practice this believe it is what Hashem wants. But it is not physically or emotionally healthy to only sit and never have recreation, especially for teens. We have members of Project Makom who were raised like this and it did not go over well. So I am happy to say “this one wears this hat, this one doesn’t. This one eats this hechsher, this one doesn’t.” I love the diversity of klal Yisrael. But when it comes to moving your body and having a kosher outlet to blow off some steam, prohibiting this for a child is a form of extremism. If the teen doesn’t want to do a sport, he shouldn’t be forced. But to not have the ability to exercise and have some recreation in a kosher way does not make for a healthy human being. And when we look at patterns of people who leave and then tell the media their stories, these are some of the things they say. If we don’t call it out, believe me, the people who were raised like this will. So I get it. It’s uncomfortable to acknowledge , but I can’t agree that it’s OK.

        Reply
        • Avatar photo Leah says on February 24, 2021

          I absolutely agree regarding the physical activity part! However, the sentences (both yours and mine) refer specifically to basketball. There are people who refrain from basketball or professionally organized sports of any kind, who are still very aware that growing children need physical activity and work hard to provide that for their children in a way that for whatever reason they deem culturally acceptable for them.

          I too work with struggling teens and it is so easy for our first reaction to be to “separate ourselves ” from “those extreme people ” in an attempt to make sure that people understand that we really are the “normal ” ones. It is a very fine balance because extremism is very dangerous and detrimental.

          I appreciate the work you do and often forward your articles to people that I work with. I just wanted to point out this little innuendo and how ironically it does the opposite of what you accomplish so well!

          Reply
          • Avatar photo Allison Josephs says on February 24, 2021

            I don’t think that playing an organized sport is necessary for someone to be healthy. Just having exercise, something fun to do, and an outlet. Playing ball is something that many children naturally gravitate to and basketball requires the least amount of land to have a game to play. Extremist behavior is damaging to both to the people who are forced to endure it and to the larger Orthodox Jewish community as we value being healthy and balanced as a value. It’s just hard to call out this moment in the show without being honest and acknowledging that there could be a parent out there who’d forbid his son to play ball and that has no basis in Judaism. I hear you and am trying to be fair about this.

          • Avatar photo Shalom says on February 24, 2021

            I remember my father telling me that at Telz back in the 50s the Rosh Yeshiva would stand and watch the bochurim playing on the ball field (not sure which sport) and periodically remind them ״שפיל באלל לשם שמים!״ (Play ball for Heaven’s sake.” He knew that if the kids had an outlet to let off steam, they’d be able to shteig better in shiur.

          • Avatar photo Eytan says on May 14, 2021

            Mrs. Josephs. I think you don’t understand that this is a widely followed directive of the Satmar Rebbe zt’l not “extremist behavior” that is “damaging”. The directive was given for at least two very logical reasons. #1 the Rebbe didn’t want his chassidim to engage in a sport that was so interconnected with secular culture i.e the NBA. That makes some sense no? #2 The rebbe did not want the young cheder yingerlach to become to entrenched in a sport that would make it difficult to focus on their studies when they became bochurim. That is why in satmar, and mant other chassidic communities the custom is not to play basketball. This in no way means that the children don’t have other fun ways to get exercise. handball is widely played because it is the type of sport that kids can grow out of when they reach a certain age of maturity.

          • Avatar photo Allison Josephs says on May 19, 2021

            Thanks for your comment, Eytan. I’m not talking about organized leagues, I’m talking about an unofficial game here and there. Numerous chasidim have told me their kids play ball like this all the time.

          • Avatar photo Eytan says on May 14, 2021

            In case I wasn’t clear. The bochurim also get exercise. Usually not through ball playing though.

      • Avatar photo Stefanie says on February 24, 2021

        I am not a Hasidic Jew, but still a Jew. I had a bone graft from myself. One, I was told it was best from myself than another person. This was to repair a femur that broke clean through in three places and was not healing. I got a graft from my other leg. Did they explain why the graft couldn’t come from himself? Two, I have always been raised that medicine is inspired by G-d and therefore is our obligation to do all things possible to protect and heal our bodies through G-d and medicine. Where did they come up with this idea that medicine is taboo? I’m very disappointed!

        Reply
    • Avatar photo Stuart Friedman says on February 25, 2021

      I was raised in a Conservative home and I heard goyim used as an adjective. It may be gramatically incorrect, but that is irrelevant.

      Reply
      • Avatar photo Allison Josephs says on February 25, 2021

        But it was supposed to depict native Yiddish speakers who should have known better.

        Reply
  • Avatar photo moshe shoshan says on February 24, 2021

    thanks for calling attention to this. unfortunately not surprising.

    Reply
  • Avatar photo Robert Weiss says on February 24, 2021

    The Left wing Mainstream media has chosen sides in the Israeli-Arab conflict and they clearly have chosen the Arabs or so called Palestinians (Palestine really = Israel in actual history). NBC is vicious and nasty in this pursuit.

    The answer to NBC, ABC, CBS and PBS’s bias against Jews and Israel is really the political route through the FCC. All of these “public” broadcasting stations have to answer to the FCC through the local affiliates. If complaints pour into the FCC, the FCC will need to address it. If they say the law does not address political or religious bias, then we need to flood our law makers to make the law address it.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo arthurb3@hotmail.com says on February 25, 2021

      Not true. The so-called left wing mainstream media is a myth. Just because the media shows both side doesn’t mean it left wing. There is no way in an one hour show they can represent all of the degrees of observance in orthodox culture…

      Reply
      • Avatar photo Allison Josephs says on February 25, 2021

        Thanks for your comment. They only show secular or Hasidic. There is never something in between. Furthermore, the Hasidic characters are caricatures, simply cut and paste into a story for the Hasidic angle, not to view them as humans.

        Reply
  • Avatar photo Jarrett says on February 24, 2021

    Yeah Christian don’t believe that either. You’re not helping your case by throwing Christians under under the bus. Born and raised in the Bible belt and never met a single Christian, and I’ve met thousands, that would ever refuse the latest medical service. Most believe medicine IS God’s way of healing. Dont fight your slander by needlessly slandering others ignorantly. L

    Reply
    • Avatar photo Allison Josephs says on February 24, 2021

      Thanks for your comment, Jarrett. Not Christians – Christian Scientists. I went to school with one. He did not take medicine. They do not believe in medical intervention.

      From Wikipedia:

      Christian Scientists avoid almost all medical treatment, relying instead on Christian Science prayer.[328] This consists of silently arguing with oneself; there are no appeals to a personal god, and no set words.[329] Caroline Fraser wrote in 1999 that the practitioner might repeat: “the allness of God using Eddy’s seven synonyms—Life, Truth, Love, Spirit, Soul, Principle and Mind,” then that “Spirit, Substance, is the only Mind, and man is its image and likeness; that Mind is intelligence; that Spirit is substance; that Love is wholeness; that Life, Truth, and Love are the only reality.” She might deny other religions, the existence of evil, mesmerism, astrology, numerology, and the symptoms of whatever the illness is. She concludes, Fraser writes, by asserting that disease is a lie, that this is the word of God, and that it has the power to heal.[330]

      Reply
      • Avatar photo Jenna says on February 24, 2021

        Unfortunately that was my interpretation as well – that trusting in God and not using medicine to heal is a Christian thing. Might be worth rewording

        Reply
        • Avatar photo Allison Josephs says on February 24, 2021

          How do I re-word it? Christian Science is a specific group.

          Reply
          • Avatar photo Robert says on February 25, 2021

            Perhaps indicating ‘Adherents of the Church of Christ, Scientist’ or ‘followers of M. B . Eddy’ in parentheses? Otherwise, indeed, it could refer to scientists who are Christian . Capitalization of ‘Scientist’ indicates the specific sect rather than scientific researchers .. but some people are not familiar with that sect , it’s nowhere near as big as it used to be and I think concentrated in the northeast of USA. They used to be in the news , I think back in the 1980’s , for blood transfusion and organ refusals , but not everyone remembers the 1980’s! From this remove, I think some people just heard somewhere that ‘someone religious’ refused treatment and associate that with all religion.

          • Avatar photo Allison Josephs says on February 25, 2021

            We will add that in so there is no confusion. Thanks!

    • Avatar photo Micah says on February 24, 2021

      Relax. The author specifically says Christian Scientists. Though I’m sure there are other fundamentalist Christian sects who believe modern medicine isn’t from G-d as well.

      Reply
  • Avatar photo Kyle says on February 24, 2021

    I was in full support of your post, and understanding of the offensiveness of this, and then I got to the glaringly hypocritical part:

    “Why? ‘Because it’s God who heals what He creates.’ No – that is how Christian Science works! Religious Jews believe that God heals with the help of the best medicine of our times.”

    Wow… Just wow.

    It seems NBC isn’t the only one who needs to apologize for their religious ignorance and bigoted stereotyping.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo Allison Josephs says on February 24, 2021

      Thanks for your comment Kyle. I went to school with a Christian Scientist. He did not take medicine. He explained that his religion does not believe in medical intervention. Wikipedia states the same below. What am I missing?

      From Wikipedia:

      Christian Scientists avoid almost all medical treatment, relying instead on Christian Science prayer.[328] This consists of silently arguing with oneself; there are no appeals to a personal god, and no set words.[329] Caroline Fraser wrote in 1999 that the practitioner might repeat: “the allness of God using Eddy’s seven synonyms—Life, Truth, Love, Spirit, Soul, Principle and Mind,” then that “Spirit, Substance, is the only Mind, and man is its image and likeness; that Mind is intelligence; that Spirit is substance; that Love is wholeness; that Life, Truth, and Love are the only reality.” She might deny other religions, the existence of evil, mesmerism, astrology, numerology, and the symptoms of whatever the illness is. She concludes, Fraser writes, by asserting that disease is a lie, that this is the word of God, and that it has the power to heal.[330]

      Reply
  • Avatar photo S says on February 24, 2021

    Yasher koach for helping this episode get pulled!!!

    Reply
  • Avatar photo TheMadJewess says on February 25, 2021

    Thank you for this.
    I love you.

    Reply
  • Avatar photo Fareed says on February 25, 2021

    Hello Allison!

    Hope all’s well & that you’re healthy & safe, as it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

    First, in the hopes that this isn’t held against me, I’m Lebanese-Canadian & I work in the BC & Alberta Film & TV Industries up in Canada.

    Second, I’m not here to debate Arab-Jewish relations nor cause any conflict amongst our two sides. We’re all human being here living on the same green & blue Earth that I sincerely wish we could just all get along well before the alien invasion occurs.

    When I first heard about this episode being pulled, I thought, “Here we go. Another society crying over some ultra political correctness issue.”

    However, after googling “Orthodox Jewish Bone Graft,” I found your post amongst the various news articles & read it. THANK YOU KINDLY for clarifying & for giving me a better understanding of Hasidic Jewish culture & realize the uproar that was caused to justify the episode being pulled.

    Many people on here may or will disagree with me, including yourself, but I can very much relate when many a times I’ve come across Hollywood depicting Arabs as nothing but terrorist & my ethnic country of Lebanon as nothing but a cesspool of terrorism. I don’t deny that Lebanon has its issues, but unfortunately, unlike Israel, Lebanon is heavily influenced by outside sources that makes it incredibly challenging to become a “normal” country & get away from the stigma of being depicted as nothing but a cesspool of terrorism.

    Back in 2012, while I was in Lebanon, I was wondering what all the kerfuffle was about regarding the airing of an episode of Showtime/Twentieth Century Fox Television “Homeland” I believe entitled, “Back To Beirut.” Much like Hollywood does, it depicts various jurisdictions as others. Well, this “Homeland” episode was shot in Tel Aviv to double as Beirut. However, what was so aggravating about this episode is that, much in the same as what I feel in my most humble opinion “Nurses” did to disrespectfully water-down true Hasidic Jewish culture, “Homeland” did there own watering-down. The following is a link to a Google search:

    http://bit.ly/3bsYpie

    “Homeland” depicted a particular Lebanese district call Hamra as “hotbed of violence, but it is actually a lively neighbourhood packed with cafes, book shops and pubs.” I use this quote from the following new article our countries CBC News website:

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/beirut-scenes-in-tv-s-homeland-irks-in-lebanon-israel-1.1229820

    This particular article goes on about sadly both sides expressing their resent for the other. However, the Lebanese side of me respectfully felt disrespected by a comment made by “Eytan Schwartz, a spokesman for Tel Aviv’s mayor, said the Lebanese should, if anything, be pleased at the TV show’s choice for a stand-in.

    ‘If I were Lebanese, with all due respect, I’d be very flattered that a city, and a world heritage site, thanks to its incredible architecture, and residents who were named among the top 10 most beautiful people in the world (ranked by Traveler’s Digest magazine in 2012) could pass as Lebanese,’ he said.

    ‘All we can do is pray for a day when the Lebanese regime will allow our Lebanese friends to visit us and see for themselves,’ Schwartz said.”

    What I found ironic is that he never mentioned anything about allowing the Lebanese regime to allow Jewish citizen to visit Lebanon for themselves & see why Beirut has always been referred to as the “Paris of the Middle-East,” while Lebanon as the “Switzerland of the Middle-East.”

    That said, the end of this article makes a very good point in that, “… Ariel Kolitz, a Tel Aviv businessman who was a childhood friend of Gideon Raff, the Israeli co-creator of Homeland, said that it wasn’t as if the production team had the option of shooting in Beirut, where Raff and other Israelis involved are not permitted to visit and where they could be in danger.” This is the most unfortunate part because had Lebanon & Israel made peace long ago, I sincerely doubt the Hamra would’ve been depicted so wrongly.

    And yet, if I’m not mistaken, I don’t ever recall either Showtime nor Twentieth Century Fox Television nor the producers of “Homeland” ever apologizing about their incorrect depiction of the Hamra, and that episode still airs where ever it’s syndicated.

    In fact, during my 2012 trip, I visited the Hamra & saw it with my own eyes. There was no, “Militants carrying assault weapons (clearing) the area around a street, shouting in Arabic for people to get out of the way. A jeep (pulling) up: The world’s No. 1 jihadi (arriving) for a meeting with top Hezbollah commanders. On rooftops, U.S. snipers crouch unseen, the kingpin in their crosshairs at last.” I actually saw a very trendy & cultural district bustling with life that I sincerely hope one of these days that Mr. Eytan Schwartz from above will one day visit so that he can eat his words. Much in the same as how much I would like to one-day visit Israel & take in not only direct family that I have there, but also the wonders, beauty, cultures, history, and so forth.

    Please be aware that as I sincerely regret the Canadian produced “Nurses” getting WRONG in its disrespectful depiction of Hasidic Jewish culture, I don’t regret anything that I’ve said above.

    With that, many thanks kindly for & very much appreciate your time!

    Cheers!

    Reply
  • Avatar photo Sloane says on February 28, 2021

    I definitely understand why this is so offensive. If somebody has no knowledge of the Hasidic community and stumbled upon that episode…they would be misinformed and probably have a negative perception. What is it with Hollywood?! There is never any middle ground when it comes to anything or anyone that isn’t considered ‘mainstream.’ When you hear of people who don’t want excessive involvement from the government, it’s never the libertarian next door. It’s either Waco or QAnon. Do better, Hollywood!

    Reply
  • Avatar photo Elizabeth says on May 7, 2021

    Firstly, I will wish you all a Shabbath Shalom and ensuing shavua tov! I am appalled at the fact that this show was Canadian. Was it a Canadian that did the script or was it an American, after the show was bought? We have many Jews here in Canada and Leonard Cohen was none the least! 🙂

    In the scriptures (I can’t remember where and Google won’t say!) it says that sometimes God sends a man to the doctor! Like God is the one who appoints one. They serve him! They are accountable to him in respects that they do decisions of life and death for people. Their hands and tools are for healing…They help Abba! Also, I know that you’re allowed pigs heart to replace you’re own. To take advantage of any non kosher thing if it benefits you in ways you don’t eat it.It is permitted to even eat non-kosher food if it will save your life and you got no choice! Think of the horse meat prisoners of the concentration camps had to eat to protect their bodily life! And, you are allowed to defend yourself on Shabbath.

    I am sure that the TV. is to program you cause they passed a law to use it for propaganda and-never revoked it! I will check the SNL. sketch but I don’t really look at them anymore since they are pushing the LBGTQ2 and anti-religion and anti-christian real strong! A warning to let only good things in your ears and to hear God more than the clamor of the world! What a man thinks-so is he.

    I hope and pray that you who are Jews will have your day when Abba opens your eyes-he only blinded them temporarily! Shalom Yisrael and on your families! They’re attempts to discredit you will be futile cause God blesses anyone who blesses you and curses those who curse you! I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole show got cancelled entirely!

    Maybe this was done by someone who is tired of the hassidic community? Whenever they are in the news, it always seems as if they never follow the rules of common sense (COVID. restrictions, voyage during pandemic, assembling in homes or schooling during COVID. and Merion incident in Israel…) and like you said, the ones who are ex-hassidic live to talk about it in the news or documentaries and they paint them in a negative light!

    What do you think Madam? I will finish on a lighter note: Your Challah recipe on Youtube is superb…If only I would succeed in the baking of it! Also, a joke: A nurse dies and goes to heaven and sees what appears to be a doctor. She asks Father Abraham: “Hey! Is that a doctor I see with a lab coat and a stethoscope? ” He responds:” Oh! HIM?… That’s just GOD, thinking he’s a doctor!”

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  • Avatar photo Shraga says on June 28, 2021

    If you want an example of a show that would score high on the “Josephs Test” take a look at the Andy Milonakis Show.

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  • Avatar photo Kerry Horwitz says on July 19, 2021

    I am not Jewish, so I hope you don’t mind me commenting. I just found your site and can’t stop reading. I am a Catholic Nun and my vocation is defence of the Faith. I have to tell you that Hollywood people hate religion and regularly defame Catholics too.

    I found this site because I was looking for answers after suffering through some episodes of My Unorthodox Life and realised that much of what was being said by Julia Haart couldn’t be true. I was concerned at the lack of right-to-reply. I try to learn what I can because I find myself trying to right wrongs against religion (whilst always making clear if it is not my area of expertise). I find anti-Semitism exceptionally painful because I have Judaism in my blood. Sadly, it runs down the male line so I am not Jewish.

    I will share one situation of Hollywood lying about Catholic theology. One episode of Sex in the City had the Miranda storyline claim that Catholics believe “unbaptised babies burn in Hell”. All the way through this was repeated. I knew it was wrong, but doing my due dilligence I looked it all up. The truth is that we most certainly do not believe that. We believe in “trusting in the mercy of a loving G-d”. There is a big difference between “babies burning in Hell” and “trusting in the mercy of a loving G-d”.

    There is more to this. A while later I was telling this to a Catholic man I know is intelligent and educated. He took me to one side and asked me if I knew for a fact what I was saying was true. I assured him I did. He shared with me that he and his wife had a baby die after birth so he had not been baptised. They watched the episode and assumed it must be true or Hollywood would not have the nerve to say it was. This increased their terrible grief.

    This is my reason for sharing this. What you are doing in trying to right the wrongs done by Hollywood is of vital importance, for many reasons. Here in Europe Jewish families are actually fleeing the anti-Semitism made worse by certain unfortunate political decisions. The “icing on the cake” is the kind of disgraceful portrayal of orthodox Jewish people in popular culture.

    Keep up the good work. I hold you in my prayers.

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  • Avatar photo Arianne says on July 19, 2022

    Thank you Allison for this Great commentary. I don’t watch this show, but I’m sure it’s just as awful on every other level. What a cringe-inducing and infuriating experience is that scene! Good on you for calling it out and taking us through to the natural, ugly conclusion and the impact on today’s world. These tropes are an insult and a threat to all of us.

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