When Rough Diamonds hit Netflix, it brought up some mixed feelings. While wonderful to see Orthodox Jewish representation on screen done with nuance and three dimensionality, some of the plot lines dabbled in tropes of Jewish deception and greed. Negative minority representation increases hatred of those minorities, according to research. With attacks on all Jews, […]
At first glance, reality TV and Orthodox Judaism seem like an odd pair. Yet, in Netflix’s new show, Jewish Matchmaking, sparks are flying. A refreshing breath of fresh air in a marred television climate that almost solely shows negative depictions of Orthodox Jews, Jewish Matchmaking is an honest and real portrayal of the beautiful Jewish […]
It’s been just a week and a half since Jonah Hill’s You People film was released on Netflix and has many members of the Jewish community up in arms. Pushing Jews into negative stereotypes and harmful tropes, this movie was only positive in that it’s uniting Jews in how damaging and antisemitic the film actually […]
Note: This article does include some minor spoilers about the show. It’s not super often that I come across a show and think, “Wow, this show has a lot of Judaism.” Granted, most of my watching comes in the form of Gilmore Girls for the 100th time and The Great British Bake Off. Manifest, on […]
You probably never thought you’d see the day when “J-pop” would become internationally known, but that’s what happened when an Orthodox Jewish choral-pop band became an overnight internet sensation. Miami Boys Choir’s arrangement of Yerushalayim (from Miami Moshiach, 2007) took TikTok by a storm these past few weeks. The one-minute video clip of a live […]
Dear Jew in the City, Why do Orthodox Jews do circle dancing? Sincerely, Kayla Dear Kayla, Thanks for your very interesting question. It might surprise you to learn that circle dancing is not exclusively Jewish, let alone Orthodox. Circle dances can be found the world over, from Armenia to Sweden, from Greece to Germany, […]
