If you’re Jewish and a serial binge-watcher like me, I think it goes without saying that Shtisel season 3 has left us all wanting more. It doesn’t appear season 4 is on its way just yet, according to our sources. But until then, here are some Israeli shows about Orthodox communities that will get you just as hooked.
Shababnikim
The New Black (Shababnikim in the original Hebrew) is a comedy-drama series that follows four Yeshiva boys through their, often mischievous, adventures. The title is a reference to the term for a young ultra-Orthodox person who bends the boundaries of what is acceptable behavior in the Orthodox world.
Autonomies (Amazon Prime)
From the creators of Shtisel, Ori Elon and Yehonatan Indursky, Autonomies is a dystopian drama miniseries. The show is set in an alternate reality of present-day Israel. It depicts Israel as a nation divided by a wall into the secular “State of Israel”, with Tel Aviv as its capital, and the “Haredi Autonomy” in Jerusalem, run by an ultra-Orthodox religious group.
Srugim (Amazon Prime)
Srugim chronicles the lives of five Dati Leumi (religious Zionist) singles, in their 30’s, living in Jerusalem. It gives viewers an insider look into the experiences of Modern Orthodox Jews in contemporary Israel. The title is a reference to the knitted kippah’s worn by Modern Orthodox Jewish men.
Kipat Barzel (Apple TV and Prime Video)
Commandments (Kipat Barzel) is an Israeli drama series that follows the lives of three ultra-Orthodox IDF soldiers, as they serve in the army despite communal taboos.
Matir Agunot
Unchained (Matir Agunot) is a completely fictional take on a very real problem in the Jewish world.
It follows Rabbi Yosef Morad (played by well-known Israeli actor, Aviv Alush). Morad is an employee of the Rabbinical Courts whose job it is to convince get-refusers to agree to divorce their wives by giving a halakhic writ of divorce—the get.
Originally Published Apr 14, 2021 05:01AM EDT
