Television Review: “Shtisel” — A Charming Look at Jerusalem’s Ultra-Orthodox
By Harvey Blume
Shtisel offers a humane glimpse into the lives of people who would normally be shrouded from me by all sorts of religious and political barriers.
A scene from “Shtisel.”
As a secular Jew, I’m not usually drawn to pro-Haredi material — Haredi being, as I conceive it, catch-all for Hasidim and other flavors of Jewish ultra-Orthodoxy — but I can’t deny that I’m finding Shtisel, an Israeli show now streaming on Neflix, pretty charming. It’s shot in Mea Shearim, Jerusalem’s most ultra-orthodox neighborhood, and the crew had to dress up as Haredi so as not to be driven out, as they had been initially.
In addition, some cast members, already familiar with Hebrew, had to learn Yiddish, since the show glides easily between the two, depending on context. The nonagenarian mother of a main character, for example, the aging but still aspiring Rabbi Shtisel, talks Yiddish to him, and he to her. Yiddish being almost second language for me growing up, I can be seduced by this sort of thing, as also by hearing Yiddish expressions I thought extinct, slipping into today’s Haredi parlance.
Does this show touch on the distinction between secular Israelis and Haredim? It does, though lightly, and in passing: on Independence Day, for instance, when Israeli jets do an air show over Jerusalem, children at the yeshiva don’t get to go outside to watch, though they find a way to view the spectacle anyway, through the windows, as do their teachers. Though the teachers, rabbis all, oppose Zionism — Jews should have waited for the Moschiach to deliver them to Israel — who, in the interim, can resist a good air show?
Shtisel likewise alludes to but lands lightly on intramural strife among Haredi. The Lubavitchers (aka Chabad) are portrayed in a rude way as the equivalent, in the Haredi context, of Jesus Freaks, because they too claim they’ve got the Messiah, who will dole out the rewards of heaven and the pains of hell to believers, as he sees fit.
Haredi of other flavors disagree.
But the charm of this show has little to do with such schisms and theologies: it has to do with how characters are portrayed as they relate to each other, which is gently and plausibly in scenes full of cigarettes, tea, and food.
Shtisel is by no means an exposé. The series mostly steers clear of the many controversies surrounding the role of Haredim in Israel — their participation, or lack thereof, in the army, for instance, and what many Israelis see as the stifling role Haredi religious leaders have on Israeli politics. It is on account of that hammerlock that I have often described Israel as a theocracy soft. I do not retract that characterization. There are movies to be made about such subjects. Shtisel doesn’t happen to be one of them. Nor is it, I think, an exercise in sentimentality, though it doesn’t lack for such, especially where marriage is concerned as well as parenting.
Perhaps I fall for Shtisel because it brings Yiddish into contemporary contexts. I find myself listening hard when against the, to me, incomprehensible background of Hebrew, Yiddish slips in. But there’s something else here: namely a humane glimpse into the lives of people who would normally be shrouded from me by all sorts of religious and political barriers.
Harvey Blume is an author—Ota Benga: The Pygmy At The Zoo—who has published essays, reviews, and interviews widely, in The New York Times, Boston Globe, Agni, The American Prospect, and The Forward, among other venues. His blog in progress, which will archive that material and be a platform for new, is here. He contributes regularly to The Arts Fuse, and wants to help it continue to grow into a critical voice to be reckoned with.
My wife and I enjoyed it . We would like to watch season 3 . When can we watch it on Netflix?
Does not seem like there will be a season 3. I hope that I am wrong though!
I hope there will be too. I so enjoyed the 1st and 2nd series
Me too I enjoy learning about other Cultures and Religion it is a wonderful Story and hopefully will be. 3 and 4!season
I loved watching Shtisel and really miss it. I hope there will be another season.
There MUST be a season 3. Who do we write to?
Please keep making schnitzel it’s one of the best shows I’ve ever watched and it helps me learn it’s the closest thing to traveling I’ve ever going to get I’m American I love that show
According to the production website, season 3 is scheduled for release in Spring 2019, but it’s unclear if it will be aired only on Israeli TV, or also available on Netflix .
So glad to hear there will be more, I’m hooked !
A bit late for spring/19. I expect Netflix is a primary force for doing a 3rd season. You might be interested in my book, Reading Shtisel. It’s an episode-by-episode analysis of the drama’s themes and structure, available at amazon and lulu.com. It’s along the lines of my The Sopranos on the Couch, that Continuum published about 20 years ago.
Beautiful, life-affirming film full of diligent, serious people passing through life. Immensely enjoyable, especially appreciated the righteous respect of Shabbos.
I agree – it was so beautiful – visually luminous, universal, funny, poignant and down to earth. As so many people have said, the story deals with crises and experiences that affect us all, but from the prism of a very different culture. I am not even jewish! You start thinking as they might – shock that a Haredi girl is reading Tolstoy on the quiet – with sympathy for the girl’s intellectual hunger. There is a scene in 1:4 which is charged with erotic power without any physical contact between the two characters. Visually, it was fluid, lovely, full of light, it reminded me of Vermeer. One of my favourite scenes has Rabbi Shtisel dreaming that he holds a baby in his lap, moving to Akiva floating on the lake. Scenes that conjure innocence and joy,
I also saw another completely different Israeli series: When Heroes Fly, which is schlock really, but enjoyable schlock with well-developed characters and insight into the impact of war. The actor who is our beautiful Akiva in Shtisel has a leading role in that too, and he is wholly unrecognisable as the same person. What an achievement.
I have always had a problem with religious fundamentalism and am not fan of ultra-orthodoxy as a faith or way of life, but this show makes its protagonists come alive and I can’t help but love them and their stories. This is really television at its finest. The scene where one woman in the nursing home describes her 8oth birthday party to the envious grandmother is understated, touching, and sad, truly awesome!
I love this series!
Watching the first episode on a whim, my husband & I were quickly fascinated & watched both seasons in less than a week. It is highly informative & interesting about a lifestyle largely unknown to us while touchingly portraying universal complexities of families & human nature. It realistically depicts the worldwide dilemna of a highly insular, regimented culture encountering inevitable impacts of modern technology & ideas – the tension between our needs for tradition/ belonging/security on one hand & our impulses to fulfill individual destinies on the other.
Please make a 3rd season! My aunt and I loved the series!
I am sorry but I dare to disagree. The ending of the series is most appropriate and it masterly wraps up all the stories within the main plot. A sequel could spoil the overall message of the work and turn the story into a soap opera. I very much prefer to keep the characters of “Shtisel”in my heart and pray for them, just like Grandmother Shtisel did for the actors in the TV shows she watched.
Loved Shtisel. It ended well, so there may be no need for a Season 3.
I had also hoped for a third season but after reading Narda’s post I fing myself agreeing with Nara that the loose ends have been tied up. What a great show!
I agree with Narda Alcantara. I regret that there will be a Season Three and wonder whether I’ll have the moral fibre not to watch it. “Shtisel” One and Two are united by a powerful theme. Season Two ends with an apparent lack of resolution. This is neither titillation nor the sign of a tired imagination but an opportunity to answer for oneself the question posed by the underlying theme.
I fear that Season Three will be repetitive and lose itself in travesty.
I agree. Please do season 3. We are all waiting. Ruchami’s wedding, Akiva’s wedding. Let’s see this through to the end.
I agree! We need a bit more loose ends wrapped up, the two weddings, a resolution of the brother buying the grave plot from Akiva’s father, and by the way, what happened to the little dog? How did he disappear from the Rabbi’s apartment? That broke my heart.
I know! Where is the dog?
Loved the show. Didn’t want it to end. Bye the way what happened to the little dog?
In my reading, the drama’s driving theme is the need for compassion to override authority and rules, whether religious, political or domestic. Asserting his power without compassion is Shulem’s fatal flaw, to his children’s and ultimately his own ruin. Ruchima means ‘compassion,” the quality the givers her key scenes with her squealing baby brother, her other brothers, and ultimately Hanina. The purpose of the dog is to evoke an act of generous humanity in Yos’ale before he gets sucked into the rules of the yeshiva. When he’s expelled for being compassionate he proves a better mensch/Jew than the yeshiva dean. The dog also breaks down Shulem’s inculcated rejection of the other. Saving the dog is the right thing to do whatever the consequences. Hence we should not be told what happened to the dog because it doesn’t matter. What counts is the mentschlich deed in itself, regardless of what followed. I analyze the show episode by episode in Reading Shtisel, available lulu.com, amazon and barnes & noble, in the manner of my similar study of The Sopranos about 20 yrs ago, The Sopranos on the Couch.
I’ve made it through season 2 episode 9 so far, and I agree with you totally. The commenters who idealize this show completely miss how the rigid authoritarian religion, robs the parents of empathy and common decency, and robs the children of their individuality and often meaning in their life.
For me, a secular Jew, unfamiliar with the Haredi, it was wonderful to watch this series and gain sociological and religious insight. Nobody, after watching this series, will ever think of the Haredi as different. They have similar or the same problems. Just the customs and problem solving methods are different. There are also some hysterically funny scenes. I will never forget the expressions on the faces of the two sons when they find their father alone in his apartment with an unknown woman. Horror, shock, disbelief, moral outrage, disappointment and more, on both faces, because they did not know the father’s circumstances. The father had fallen, hurt his foot, had his pant leg rolled up to the knee and she was helping him soak his foot. The way the father resolved his embarrassing situation was equally funny! Terrific acting and characters who are totally believable.
I have been spellbound by this beautiful show. It’s absolutely fascinating. The acting/ writing and whole setting is incredibly enjoyable. For me it has been educational – I have found myself frantically googling for more info on Jewish customs and clothing etc. to understand better. I too watched series 1 & 2 in three days. I so hope there is a third series.
Your post echoes my thoughts on Shtisel. I amazed my friends and family by simply saying that it is the best thing I have ever seen in the dramatic arts. The acting is so completely perfect that I feel as if I am intruding on private lives. I have watched the 24 episodes twice and I know I will continue to do so! Spiritually speaking, the rituals, so beautifully depicted, show how God is foremost in their lives The mezzuzah, the blessing before food or drink, the Sabbath, all bind the people together and bind them beautifully to God.
Correction to your review: Mainstream Haredim (the majority but this is changing) reject Zionism not because they are waiting for the Messiah to deliver them (Rav Kook of blessed memory explains that the Messiah is actually a historical process of redemption that we are currently witnessing and participating in) but rather because the Zionist government is based on secular Western values and not Hebrew values.
The character Akiva reflects The Messiah (The Spirit which is Goodness, Righteousness…) where ultimate Power resides. To pursue This Spirit brings Blessings untold to which both most of Judaism and Christianity turn deaf ears especially those living in western civilization??
Absolutely! Zionism like Most of Christianity does not see Truth.
I am intrigued by the content of Shtisel. The lack of competitivness on the part of Akiva, his patience, kindness; most refreshing. It reminds me that “education” in a direction other than The Spiritual is a waste for those seeking True happiness. As a Christian, I am very much in sympathy with Jewish Orthodox in that it recognizes the ultra Power embedded in The Spirit of the Old Testament; That Spirit demonstrated by Christ Jesus
Perfectly stated Carolyn. It was such a pleasure to watch.
There are some explicit references to Christianity in the drama. In the episode where Shulem visits Racheli, Akiva’s scene of serenity at the beach suggests a kind of baptism, picked up in the last shot of the resurrected Shulem dangling a little baby on his lap on the train, a clear improvement on his earlier treatment of the woman drawn to his “baby torah.” Going from the latter to the former is a form of word into flesh. In Shulem’s very last (II,12) scene, when he’s trying to restore the honour of his wife by covering the hair on the woman definitely not his wife, by trying to make the painting more Haredi hr actually makes it less so, specifically more Christian, because he paints the hair over with the bright blue associated with the Virgin Mary. His entire “honouring’ of Dvora here dishonours her every value. My episode by episode analysis is available in Reading Shtisel, on lulu.com, amazon and Barnes’n’Noble. It’s along the lobes of my Sopranos study about 20 yrs ago, The Sopranos on the Couch (Continuum).
Does it not occur to you that there are Jewish meanings to these things and that the fact that you’re reading Christian meanings into it only shows your own bias and lack of understanding about the culture the show portrays? Look up “mikvah” and look up the symbolism of the color blue for Jewish culture.
Followers of Jesus Christ do not sympathize with Jews and Judaism, orthodox or not.
These are the people and the religion, Judaism, who grossly slandered Jesus Christ and wrote filthy vile pedophile stories about his mother Mary.
You are not a Christian.
I don’t know what you think you’re getting out of it. Where’s your “Jesus came to visit me” story?
You get none of Jesus blessings. Nothing.
Life is short…for you.
I wouldn’t waste too much time on internet.
I myself not worried about it because I’m immortal. I’ve got all the time in the world. You..not so much.
I watched both seasons in one week. I was addicted to watching and wanting to know what will happen to the characters and where the story was going with the family. Akiva and his father, as well as the rest of the crew were excellent and so believable as Orthodox Jews. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Shtisel and hope that there will be a third season. Please don’t disappoint!!
I am a Christian and live close to a Hasidic community. I find this show fascinating and said to my sister ”This shows we are all alike and have the same problems in life”. I so hope there will be a third season. What incredible acting!
Discovered this show on Netflix. Can’t stop watching! Please tell me there is a season three!
Absolutely loved this amazing series. I’ve always been very interested in the lives of the Hasidim. This series provides an entertaining and sentimental aspect of it. I miss watching the story and seeing the characters very much and only for that reason would I love a 3rd season. Mostly I highly appreciate the amazing acting abilities of all the actors!
Wonderful show, humor along with daily life dramas.
I didn´t get why Akiva´s friend doesn´t know his mother, please somebody explain this to me
I wish I knew that as well. That was confusing to me.
It looks as if they got divorced. Because she is less religious then the community she came from it would be considered dangerous for him to see her. His community would consider her “OTD” or “Off The Derech” (path). Note that you can see a bit of her hair out the front of her head scarf – so not totally covered. Also her scarf is of a light colour and not navy/black, she likely doesn’t wear a wig. Also note that her current husband is dressed much more casually then Akiva’s group. And they only have one child. While she might look quite observant to outsiders, Akiva’s friends father would consider her not to be observant at all and would have forbidden the friend and any of the siblings from visiting her as she has left the community and to them she has abandoned her faith. She would be considered to be a danger to his belief.
Sad. For me, this is an example of yet another religion that constructs walls rather than bridges. After being raised Catholic and seeing similar divisive attitudes, I have simplified my belief system and prefer to practice The Golden Rule and nothing else.
This is a beautiful series and I long for more. In MY vision of what would be a more satisfying story line, I would see Akiva finding happiness with the woman who had the studio space next to him…I saw her an more of a kindred spirit….and a person who would support his artistic talents. She too, was a kinder more giving person than Akiva’s cousin. And then there is the idea that perhaps marrying and having children with one’s first cousin might not be the most sound idea.
Thank you so much for your clarification, Glenda West. I just watched that episode this evening, and was likewise confused.
Which season/episode?
This story line seemed to come out of nowhere and go nowhere. Seems like she got pregnant and then gave him away, but that is pure conjecture on my part. I’m in season 2, episode 4, and am hoping this story develops. I would love to see a season 3. I love this story and all the characters/family members.
I have just finished watching the second series I absolutely loved this programme the acting and the characters were amazing and it gave an insight into this community.I really hope they make a 3 rd series soon please.
I grew up speaking Yiddish for a few years of my life. Shtisel brought me back to those times, yet more. The characters, the humor, the acting, the cinematography, the older generation as opposed to the younger one, all the treasures of this great series. My favorite scene was one of the last ones. Giti tells her husband that she forgives him. She figured out that otherwise she would be denying her daughter experiencing true love. That is, because she assumed that every man would hurt her, even though not true. Great ending. I too would love to see another season. In the mean time I can see it again.
– Elena
I just finished watching the two seasons of Shtisel and loved it. I did not particularly love the ending as, given when the series was filmed, there will not be a Season 3. I would have loved to have seen Kiva be acknowledged in his community for his success. After all the heartache caused by his bullying father, I wanted a happy ending for him and not one that we, the viewer, is left to assume but I guess that would be too traditional.
Don’t forget, however, that Kiva’s father does not burn the portrait! Simply, he finishes to paint his wife’s headset. That reallly moved me. I think it means an ackwoledgment of his son, and his work. And Libbi too acknoledges him.
I loved this show. Couldn’t wait to watch every episode. Didn’t care for the ending. I am really hoping for #3.
Whoever the director was did a fantastic job, the characters were sunperb. I just love this so much.
Loved this show. The acting is subpurb!! Binged the two seasons and really hoping for a third. The characters are amazingly fleshed out but still want more of them and their stories!
My wife and I couldn’t wait to watch this gem of a series. I can appreciate the ending if there will be a third season. How can they not have a third series?? The acting and directing was wonderful! This series was an art form.
Simply marvelous. Incredible actors. So refreshing from the violence we see in American series too often.
Interesting to learn about the customs and way of life of ultra Orthodox Jews. I can only hope indeed that a 3rd season comes soon.
I loved this drama. Without the usual swearing and crude sexual displays so common in today’s television there was emotion, tension and resoultion. There were cliffhangers and deep psychologucal insights. The characters were flawed and relatable. I, too, would love a Season 3 and yet Season 2 tied up the ends in a realistic way without the (inevitable) weddings being the focus of the finale. Bravo to all involved in this quality production.
Binge watched during my kids vacation and have been intrigued from the start at the very humane, flawed nature of the relationships between all the characters but especially between Akiva and his father. Fell in love with those peyos and my mother in law and I both cracked up at all the scenes of Shulem eating, about to eat and thinking about his next meal!So refreshing to be able to sit down and watch without being bombarded by filth of any kind. Waiting with baited breath PLEASE PLEASE for Season 3!!!!
As a non-Jew who’s grown up with a large number of close Jewish friends and coworkers, all of them secular, I had always been somewhat put off by ultra-orthodox Jews, simply because they seemed so very distant from my world and that was familiar to me. I am one episode away from the end of Shtisel and I dread saying goodbye to this extended family, because they have come to be very special to me. This mini-series has somehow made the Haredi so much more relatable and left me with the feeling that, in the end, we are all so much more alike than different.
I binge watched Season 1&2 in 3 days, and when I posted on Facebook, a number of my friends watched it as well. We range from secular to frum and all enjoyed it very much. We too want to see the weddings, and what happens to Shulem etc. Please have a Season 3!
Binge watched Shtisel. Found many layers and messages.Malka dies alone on a bench in Tel Aviv. Shoshana dies on her terms with only Malka by her side.They both end their days in tiny rooms. Where are the large loving families??? Any comments?
What happened to the dog?
I’d love to know as well. I did not know Orthodox Jews do not like dogs. I thought it was a Muslim thing. I like Shtisel very much, but I must confess I was disappointed with what they did to that lovely dog. Heartless!
I believe that there is a project to “remake” or make a series based on this, set in NYC. There is little hope of a third series to be made in Israel, unfortunately. A masterpiece.
Ugh a season 3 would be great!
I absolutely loved Shtisel! Binge watched it and hated to see it end! Looking forward to more episodes and series and hope I wont be disappointed. The characters were all developed and will be remembered. Interesting to see about the ultra orthodox community practices.
I really hope they put this show back on. I watched every episode and enjoyed every one of them. Every actor on that show was excellent.
I ENJOYED THE SERIES SHTISEL BECAUSE OF ITS VERY ENGAGING HUMAN STORIES AND THEIR CHARACTERS WHO LOVE EACH OTHERS AND RESPECTED THEIR FAMILY VALUES. I LIKE THE SCENERY, LANDSCAPE, AND I LIKE THEIR CULTURE BECAUSE IT SHOWS THEIR RELIGION RITUALS. AND THE GENUINE LOVE THEY HAVE FOR GOD.
An absolute addiction! Each character so well drawn and distinctive. Each of their stories heartfelt and unpredictable. Akiva’s father is the fiddler on the roof, loving, manipulative, outrageous, charmingly funny, a scoundrel who manoevers himself into the hearts of widows for the sole purpose of a free meal. Akiva’s soulful eyes, so tender with emotions render words trite, unnecessary. You would expect the portrayal of the ever suffering woman, stoic, strong, steady, loving, to offend these days, but they are so endearing that you almost understand and forgive their allegiance to this ancient culture. The scene where Akiva’s insecure brother pitifully solicits the guests at his father’s engagement party for a donated kidney which he in fact does not need had me laughing so hard my neighbors knocked on my door to see what was wrong! I vote for 10 more seasons and then putting it to vote again!
Going to miss this lovely family, I binged as well. ? I love the blessings and acknowledgement of my Creator. I now understand how now to stay in prayer, Always in All ways acknowledge him that spoke this world into Being.
Loving everything about the show, can’t add much to the comments, but one teeny note: the article says that Haredim are anti-Zionist. This is inaccurate. Only a tiny minority of Haredim are opposed to Zionism and the existence of the State of Israel. — the Naturei Karta and the Satmars.
I also thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this series. I also loved the music in the opening title. Does anyone know where I can find the English translation for the lyrics ? Google is not much help 🙁
My husband and I are not Jewish. We loved the series and are so disappointed to hear there is no season three. All the characters were richly portrayed.
I couldn’t get enough of the characters and the story lines so perfectly intertwined. I binged watched myself into a deep depression when I realized there was no more. I too would love to hear of future seasons I became so involved in each family segment . I feel the writers are superbly talented and can give more and keep the well rounded tone flowing .
Simply loved the show! I do hope there will be a 3rd season.
Found the behaviour of Ruchami’s parents confusing and contradictory, particularly in relation to her marriage. Would anyone like to share their thoughts on this subject
After watching “Shtisel”, and “Foxtrot”, and “Wedding plan” – just love Israeli cinema. You are the best!
Can’t wait for for “Shtisel” season 3.
Charming? Many of the characters are selfish, cruel and mean-spirited. Shulem fires his long-time secretary, who has always been extremely loyal to and tolerant of him, on the say-so of a woman he plans to and doesn’t marry because she, too, is a controlling beast and Shulem’s motives run largely through his stomach.
Have you watched all of this? If not, then you can’t really make this comment and if you have, then how can you make this comment?
No violence, No nudity, No profanity. Just great storyline. Wonderful characters.
Can we have more please ! Really helped my Hebrew comprehension too.
It appears I am very late in finding out about this series. First of all, and just for the record, I am in my seventies. I am not Jewish nor am I particularly religious. I am interested in human nature. (Just a little bit of background info and not very important really!)
Bluntly, I came across Shtisel because of Covid 19. Like thousands and thousands of others all over the world, I find myself (reluctantly) at home watching television for some of the time: interesting programs I never would have seen otherwise. Life is too short to watch television usually. I’d rather be doing other things, being with family or enjoying being outside. Who wouldn’t.
That said, I have watched both series, avidly, devotedly and obsessively. Not a fan of superlatives usually, and I have to agree completely with Madelene’s understated comments — ‘no violence, no nudity, no profanity’. Well said.
First class actors — all of them, without exception. Each episode is riveting and moving. I find myself laughing, weeping, empathising, smiling. All of human nature is there. I don’t believe one has to be religious to see it or feel it.
Fabulous photography, fabulous characters, fabulous acting. Just about the best I have ever seen on film. A wonderful achievement.
Why are more people not talking about Shtisel? Watch it to the end. I guarantee you will never regret it.
What a fabulous series. I’m watching it in chunks and am so sorry that I only have 3 episodes left. I’m a secular Jew who’s Ashkenazi parents were refugees from Europe; I grew up with a mixture of German and Yiddish and now I’m discovering how many Yiddish words I actually know. Can’t stop smiling. I have a Greek young man I know who is so like Shtisel I have told him he should watch it, and he is and loving it. And a Finnish friend watched it and loved it. Look how gentle TV appeals across the board.
There will be a season 3. It was just announced on May 6. I love this show. I am not Jewish but have lived in a Los Angeles orthodox Jewish community for 25 years. I feel like I am peaking at my neighbors into their living room. Very tender show.
I hope there is a season 3,What happens to him in NY? does he stay there after he sees what his father did to his painting. He is always looking in mirrors and touching his will he finally cut them off? Will he really marry his cousin and not the lady from Haddash who he does have a bond w? Im a secular person and i did fast forword parts,needed the soap opera parts?
Should have been titled “Deceit.”
Okay, you’ve got the Habad/Lubavich part all wrong, while a FRACTION do believe the lubavitcher Rebbe is the messia NO ONE in Habad believes that he is god or that if you don’t belive he is the messia you are going to burn in purgatory for it.