Last year, some of our Hollywood contacts let us know that a TV series with a regular Orthodox Jewish character was in production. Much to our delight, they were using an Orthodox Jewish consultant (as opposed to a recent network show that used a Black Israelite “rabbi” or the numerous movies that have used ex-Hasidic […]

Last Thursday, while I was en route to Israel for Sukkot, a fan alerted us to a 2016 article that was reposted that day to a Facebook page by lifestyle magazine Purple Clover. They are owned by Whalerock Industries and are a reincarnation of BermanBraun (a big Hollywood production company). They focus on digital media, partnering […]

When it comes to going viral, anything is fair game. One day it’s about a kid eating corn, the next it’s an Orthodox Jewish music group. The Miami Boys Choir shocked the Internet when young boys in yarmulkes performing their song, “Yerushalayim Harim Saviv La,” became head-bopping content for both Jews and non-Jews alike on […]

Out of all the controversies surrounding Orthodox Jews, I never thought ice cream would be one of them. Yet today, “Can Orthodox Jews eat ice cream?” was a breakout Google search — thanks to FX’s new thriller, The Patient. The show features a Jewish therapist grappling with a particularly unique and dangerous client, as well as […]

I am regularly accused of being an apologist for the Orthodox community by those who have left observance and are angry, while simultaneously accused of being too negative by community insiders who don’t want to discuss the problems. I hope my analysis will not disappoint either group. I’ve always tried to approach issues with nuance, […]

Orthodox Judaism is backwards. Antisemitism isn’t that big of a deal. Jews aren’t a minority. These are just some of the things the secular media guides me to say almost every time I’m approached for a story. Over the years, because of this, I’ve become extremely hesitant to work with them, even if they promised […]