JEWISH LIFE MEETS "THE REAL WORLD"
What happens when Jews stop being polite, and start being real.
An article in the Forward reports that two Canadians have decided to create a (13-part) reality show that features the life of a Jewish family going through the various milestones on the Jewish calendar. Titled "The Mazal Tov Chronicles," the show will be a depiction of traditional Jewish life. But what those traditions will be and how they will be displayed is going to be the tricky part:
"The challenge is to find a family that would agree to break the rules that they are trying to observe in order to educate the public," Leipnik [the producer] explained.
Oooh. That is a challenge. You have to find people who are knowledgeable about Judaism, traditional in their observance, with personality and humor, conflict and sensitivity, and who are willing to be a little less observant so that the cameras can be present to record observance in the name of education.
If this family also has a single son in his thirties, my dating search is over.
posted by Esther Kustanowitz @ 1:07 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Other than issues of tznius (modesty), why does allowing yourself to be filmed in your natural state require breaking the rules? So someone is operating a camera on Shabbat. As long as the family members themselves are not using the cameras, I'm not sure that's a broken rule, especially if it is serving an educational purpose and can be considered a Kiddush Hashem (sanctification of G-d's name).
I seem to remember an old episode of 20/20 (or some other such tv news magazine), that showed Judge Wapner (of The People's Court fame) and his family lighting candles and making Kiddush on Shabbat as part of an interview with him to show what he was like when he wasn't sitting behind the bench.
While I love the idea (and I probably would have loved to have my family star in it when I was in my teens so many very long years ago), I'm curious how much appeal it will hold to non-Jewish viewers. Of course, if we had starred in such a show, it probably would not have been such a Kiddush Hashem if they showed me beating up my sister.
Judah
There's also a documentary series coming up on Britain's Channel 4, btw, about the haredi community of Manchester. App they got to film lots of interesting things eg. a woman receiving a get. I was quite surprised they got access.
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We have an Orthodox rabi in Lisbon and he allowed a seder to be filmed. Of course Pessach is not Shabbat but I think he allowed it precisely because of its educational value. And Judah, you sound sephardic to me! LOL!
Lioness,
Thanks, I think. It really is worth a LOL though, because I'm actually about as Ashki as they come.
I wonder what a show like that might do to influence people's opinions of the tribe?
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