Connect with us

RSS

Nobody Wants This, Except the Audience — A Jewish Perspective on Netflix’s Latest Hit

Small toy figures are seen in front of displayed Netflix logo in this illustration taken March 19, 2020. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration.

Netflix’s new series, Nobody Wants This, has captured global attention with its unique premise: a romance between Rabbi Noah Rocklov (Adam Brody) and Joanne (Kristen Bell), an agnostic sex podcast host. Created by Erin Foster, herself a Jewish convert, the show follows their unlikely connection despite their vastly different backgrounds.

The show’s popularity transcends cultural boundaries, ranking first on Netflix in many Muslim countries including Lebanon (currently at war with Israel), Turkey, and the UAE. It holds strong positions in Bahrain (2nd), Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, as well as Qatar (3rd), Morocco (4th), and Saudi Arabia and Oman (5th). It also tops charts in Israel, the United States, Canada, Iceland, Nigeria, Ukraine, Germany, and numerous other countries.

While some critics have suggested that the show contains antisemitic elements, particularly in its portrayal of Jewish women, this criticism doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. Rabbi Lexi Erdheim, a Reform Rabbi at Temple Beth El in Charlotte, NC, acknowledges some “tired tropes,” but maintains that “the depictions are not egregious enough that it would make me turn off the show. There is enough humanization of Jewish characters, and the show grapples with questions and shares a lot of richness about Judaism that I can see past the tropes.”

Screen Rant writer Dani Kessle Odom points out that even Esther (Jackie Thon), who the show’s writers demonize as the main antagonist to Joanne, is shown as a supportive wife, caring mother, and loyal friend, demonstrating the show’s nuanced character portrayal of even the most antagonistic of the Jewish women.

The show’s relationship with Judaism is notably well-informed, with former Wilshire Boulevard Temple Senior Rabbi Steve Leder serving as rabbinical consultant. The series deliberately maintains ambiguity about Noah’s specific Jewish denomination, featuring Conservative prayer books in the Temple, while showing practices more aligned with Reform Judaism.

The show portrays several concepts that are central to Judaism and Jewish practice, and it does so in a touching and positive manner, making it more an expression of philosemitism than antisemitism.

Noah is described as being a truly good person. We see time and again, that Noah is kind, considerate, and endearing, often caring about others far more than himself, which makes him the positive foil to the self-centered tropes of the majority of the other characters (both Jewish and non-Jewish alike). To him, the position of a community Rabbi, regardless of which denomination of Judaism he comes from, means serving the community and working to help others achieve their own spiritual goals and guide them to a more fulfilled life.

As the show progresses and Noah gets caught up in his own ambition and dream to become the head rabbi of his congregation, It is surprisingly Joanne, his non-Jewish love interest, who teaches him about being honest with one’s self as well as others. This becomes a turning point, where Noah recognizes that she can help him become a better rabbi, a better person, and help people, something which he views as one of the highest ideals and which ultimately brings him closer to her.

The interfaith issue:

Interfaith marriage in Judaism carries varying degrees of taboo, with Orthodox communities potentially shunning or excommunicating those who intermarry, sometimes extending consequences to their families. While Conservative Judaism is less strict, most of its rabbis won’t perform interfaith ceremonies. Reform and Reconstructionist movements are more lenient, though traditionally their rabbis have avoided officiating interfaith marriages. A significant shift occurred when the Reform rabbinical school Hebrew Union College announced in June 2024 that rabbinical students in interfaith relationships could study for ordination, provided they commit to maintaining Jewish households.

As Rabbi Erdheim noted, “If one spouse is a rabbi then you would expect the household to be Jewish. If you’ve chosen to dedicate your personal and professional life to leading the Jewish people, then you would have a Jewish home.” However, clergy are still held to stricter standards than congregants, and in many communities, it is still taboo for a rabbi to be in an interfaith relationship — a central tension that drives the show’s plot.

The pork issue:

Orthodox Jews strictly avoid pork as non-kosher. For further elucidation on this please see this article: Reform Jews generally disregard kosher laws — except for the clergy. Rabbi Erdheim added, “It’s a complex question and the Reform community runs the gamut of kashrut observance from observing the laws, to not observing them.”

The wine issue:

In the first episode, Noah insists on opening Joanne’s wine bottle despite her offers to help — a scene that appears to showcase his chivalry but inadvertently touches on a deeper Jewish law. Orthodox Jews won’t drink uncooked wine touched or poured by non-Jews. This is a 1,800-year-old rule stemming from concerns about wine used in idol worship called [Stam Yainam]. Though Joanne is merely agnostic, Noah deftly navigates the potentially awkward moment with self-deprecating charm. As Rabbi Erdheim notes, while Reform rabbis are aware of this law, most don’t observe it: “I would be shocked to encounter a Reform rabbi who has a problem if a non-Jew poured them wine nowadays.”

Wrestling with God:

Again in the first episode, Noah tells Joanne that “baked into the Jewish experience is the concept of wrestling with what God is or isn’t and not knowing.” This is a long-standing concept in Judaism dating back to the term Israel itself, which comes from Genesis 32:28, where an Angel gives Jacob the name Yisrael because he struggled [sarita] with God [‘elohim] and with humans and has prevailed.” Since then, Jews have always struggled with the concept of what God is or isn’t and how best to worship God leading to a multiplicity of views, understandings, arguments, and acceptance of living in a state of uncertainty.

Shabbat Candles:

The concept of lighting candles at the beginning of Shabbat can be dated back to the end of the Second Temple. In Episode 5, Noah explains to Joanne that there are different interpretations of the two-candle custom. While commonly representing either the dual commandments “keep” (Shamor) and “remember” (Zachor) the Shabbat, or representing both spouses, Noah shares a lesser-known meaning: the candles symbolize the two destroyed Temples, suggesting Shabbat’s eternal nature transcends physical structures. This interpretation, cited by Rabbi Efraim Palvanov, traces back to the 13th-century Baal Haturim (Rabbi Jacob Ben Asher), who connects the Shabbat candles to the Temples’ eternal light (Ner Hatamid) and that continuing to light Shabbat candles carries on the concept of the eternal light from the Temples. Interestingly enough, this is something that I, a practicing Jew my entire life, was unaware of and only learned after investigating the statement that Noah made in the show.

Judaism is a unified nuanced religion

Judaism is a nuanced religion, with a lot of people who are uninformed about those nuances, how many streams of Judaism there are, and how each one tries to keep the beauty of the religion in the modern world. Even in Orthodoxy, there are hundreds of different styles and permutations of customs, communities, and identifying factors. What unifies us, is that we all strive to find the value of our voice and purpose within the religion, to continue to pass on the gifts and wisdom that we were given in our heritage, and use them to build a better world for our children and be a light unto the nations. There are also some external aspects that unify us, among them in a negative context is antisemitism, which affects all Jews regardless of their belief or with which segment of Judaism they identify.

It is certainly a struggle, and often the message of Jewish wisdom gets diluted, confused, or scorned by those we wish would receive it. Yet the struggle continues. In the words of one of my former mentors Rabbi Nathan Lopez Cardozo, the concept of Jewish faith is to struggle with Judaism and with God, and learn to live with that continuous struggle while constantly striving to improve upon the world.

I believe that this is a concept that the show embodies as well, in its context, while sharing some of the beauty of Jewish culture, heritage, wisdom, and messages to the world, so that we can continue to engage with each other, be kind and honest people, and continue to grow while helping others around us grow and be better as well. This is indeed a far cry from being antisemitic, which some have erroneously claimed the show to be.

Raphael Poch is a religious Orthodox Jewish husband and father. He works as the Senior Manager of PR for Aish and moonlights as a journalist, improviser, and theater aficionado. He currently lives with his family in Efrat, Israel.

The post Nobody Wants This, Except the Audience — A Jewish Perspective on Netflix’s Latest Hit first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Continue Reading

RSS

Tourists Stranded in Israel as Sirens Sound, Missiles Fly, Planes Grounded

FILE PHOTO: A worker at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel sits at the arrivals terminal as all flights from and to the airport are indicated cancel, following an Israeli attack on Iran. June 13, 2025 Photo: REUTERS/Tomer Appelbaum

Woken by air raid sirens, hurrying to bomb shelters, scouring travel sites for escape routes — thousands of tourists in Israel have found their holiday plans upended by the country’s conflict with Iran.

Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran in the early hours of Friday, shutting down the national airspace and telling people to remain where they were as the arch Middle East foes traded deadly blows.

The violence has left around 40,000 tourists blocked in Israel, according to the Ministry of Tourism. Airlines are cancelling flights until further notice, leaving travelers to decide whether to wait it out or seek costly detours through neighboring countries.

Justin Joyner, from California, is on holiday in Jerusalem with his father John, who lives in Nevada, and his son. They had expected some possible disruption, with Israel locked in a months-long conflict against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

But, like most locals, they did not foresee a whole new war.

“We didn’t expect Israel to attack Iran. That is a completely different level of escalation,” Joyner said from his hotel in East Jerusalem, which, for the past two nights, has seen Iranian ballistic missiles flash overhead like a rain of meteorites.

“It’s unsettling to feel the shockwaves of intercepted missiles above you, and to take your family down to a bomb shelter. That’s just something we don’t think about in America,” he said.

Dr. Greer Glazer, who lives in Cleveland and was in Jerusalem for a nursing training program, faces a race down 10 flights of stairs in her hotel to reach the shelter when sirens sound — as they have done regularly since Friday night.

“I feel safe,” she said, “but waking from a dead sleep and running to the safe room, that’s been the hardest. My family is scared to death … They think it’s 24/7 destruction, but it’s not like that.”

THE JORDAN ROUTE

Glazer had been due to return home on June 29, but is looking to bring forward her departure. The easiest exit route is via land crossings into neighboring Jordan and then a flight out of Amman airport which has been operating in daylight hours.

Israeli media reported that the transgender US influencer Caitlyn Jenner, who only flew into Israel on Thursday for Tel Aviv’s since-canceled Gay Pride Parade, had left through Jordan.

Hours earlier, she had been photographed drinking a glass of red wine in a bomb shelter. “What an incredible way it has been to celebrate Shabbat,” she wrote on X.

Not everyone is rushing to leave.

Karen Tuhrim is visiting from London to see her daughter, who lives in Tel Aviv. “Within two days of being here, Israel attacked Iran. So now I’m stuck,” she said.

Unlike Jerusalem, Tel Aviv has taken direct hits from the Iranian missiles and Tuhrim has had to dip in and out of her hotel’s shelter. But she said she felt safe and was happy to be near her daughter.

“For me, personally, at the moment, I feel better being here than in London, watching it all on the news, knowing my daughter is here. So, for now, we’re good.”

Israel’s Ministry of Tourism has set up a round-the-clock virtual help desk in English and Hebrew for stranded travelers.

But for anyone stuck here, all the museums are closed until further notice, entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem is barred to non-residents and many shops remain shuttered.

“The streets and shops are empty,” said Jerusalem resident Anwar Abu Lafi, who saw no quick end to the gloom.

“People are yearning for a break, to find something good in this existing darkness. We are deluding ourselves into thinking that the future will be better,” he said.

The post Tourists Stranded in Israel as Sirens Sound, Missiles Fly, Planes Grounded first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Continue Reading

RSS

4 Killed by Missile in Arab Town of Tamra, Including a Mother and Her Two Daughters

Illustrative: A Magen David Adom ambulance. Photo: David King via Wikimedia Commons.

i24 NewsIn the early hours of Sunday morning, the Arab town of Tamra in northern Israel was struck by an Iranian missile, tragically claiming the lives of four women from the same family, including a mother and her two daughters, aged 13 and 20.

The missile caused severe damage, nearly collapsing the three- to four-story building where they lived.

Emergency services responded quickly, evacuating 14 injured individuals and providing care for eight others suffering from shock at Rambam Hospital in Haifa.

Despite the devastation, the community and first responders showed remarkable resilience and solidarity, working tirelessly to assist those affected.

Eli Bin, director general of Magen David Adom, described the scene as one of severe destruction but praised the swift and professional response of rescue teams. Paramedic Adnan Abu Rumi, one of the first on site, emphasized the dedication of emergency personnel in managing the crisis.

Residents like Hamudi, who was injured but survived, shared heartfelt accounts of the sudden impact, underscoring the strength of families and neighbors coming together in difficult times.

The post 4 Killed by Missile in Arab Town of Tamra, Including a Mother and Her Two Daughters first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Continue Reading

RSS

Trump Sees Peace Between Iran and Israel Soon, Eyes Putin Role

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Photo: Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

Despite evidence that the conflict between Israel and Iran is escalating, US President Donald Trump expressed optimism on Sunday that peace would come soon and cited the possibility that Russia’s Vladimir Putin could help.

In a social media post, Trump said there were many unspecified meetings about the issue happening and encouraged the two countries to make a deal. And in an interview with ABC News, he said he was open to Putin, whose forces invaded Ukraine and who has resisted Trump’s attempts to broker a ceasefire with Kyiv, serving as a mediator.

Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks on each other overnight into Sunday, killing scores.

“Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site. “We will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings now taking place.”

Trump did not offer any details about the meetings or evidence of progress toward peace. His assertion contradicted comments by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said on Saturday that Israel’s campaign against Iran would intensify.

A White House spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how Trump and the White House were working to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East.

Trump told ABC News that Iran wanted to make a deal and indicated something like the Israel strikes would accelerate that. “Something like this had to happen because I think even from both sides, but something like this had to happen. They want to talk, and they will be talking,” Trump said, according to ABC reporter Rachel Scott. “May have forced a deal to go quicker, actually.”

The United States has engaged in talks with Iran about its nuclear program and Trump has told reporters previously that the talks were going well. But another round of discussions scheduled for Sunday in Oman was canceled after the Israeli and Iranian strikes.

Trump said he and Putin had discussed the situation in the Middle East on Saturday in a call that focused more on that conflict than the Russian war in Ukraine.

“He is ready. He called me about it,” Trump said about Putin serving as a mediator, according to Scott. “We had a long talk about it. We talked about this more than his situation. This is something I believe is going to get resolved.”

Trump, who portrays himself as a peacemaker and has drawn criticism from his political base for not being able to prevent the Israel-Iran conflict, cited other disputes that he took responsibility for solving, including between India and Pakistan, and lamented not receiving more praise for doing so.

“I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that’s OK, the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!” he wrote on Truth Social.

The post Trump Sees Peace Between Iran and Israel Soon, Eyes Putin Role first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Continue Reading

Copyright © 2017 - 2023 Jewish Post & News