“Nobody Wants This” is a show about a rabbi who gets bored with his long time Jewish girlfriend and begins pursuing a relationship with a “shiksa” podcaster he meets at a dinner party.
Shiksa is a Yiddish word for a non-Jewish woman. No Jewish people my age that I know use this word, but from watching the show, you’d think Jews use it every other sentence.
All the Jewish women are mean, the “rabbi” makes even reform non-practicing Jews like me look downright Hasidic, and predictably the audience is force-fed yet another show where Jews victimize each other while failing to grapple with any interesting aspects of Judaism.
It doesn’t surprise me that the show doesn’t ring true. Adam Brody, the actor who portrays the show’s main character, revealed that he, “didn’t know the first thing about Judaism” when he accepted the role. Don’t worry though, he later explained he had a bar mitzvah once and listened to some podcasts, which he considers “really putting in the work.”
The fact that I am writing about a dumb Netflix show on the first anniversary of October 7th, the anniversary of the worst terror attack against Jews since the Holocaust, feels pathetic. As I write this essay, I am wondering if I should delete it and write about something seemingly more consequential, like how Israel may counterattack Iran, or about the upcoming US election, the most important in my lifetime.
But I can write those essays later.
This topic is important because the culture war against Jewish people is as much a threat to our continued existence as Iranian bombs are. What’s more, while Israel is winning the war on the battlefield, Jews are losing the culture war, especially with young people, including Jewish young people.
While Jews are not alone in the fight to protect their faith, history, and traditions (I hear similar complaints from religious friends of many other faiths that feel their way of life is under attack) we are generally the canary in the coal mine.
And yet, many will see this show as simply another mindless romantic comedy. It isn’t. It’s an intentional attack on our people that uses naive secular Jews, who are historically illiterate, as tools to deliver the blows.
Between TikTok’s manipulated algorithms and our own biased mainstream media, our Jewish children are increasingly nudged toward abandoning their identities. They are sold a lie that if they simply deny their heritage they’ll then fit in and have an easier time. While the prospect of escaping persecution is alluring, history has shown our enemies do not care whether someone considered ethnically Jewish has abandoned their faith or not.
They are Jews whether they agree or not.
That’s the harsh reality that self hating anti-Israel “Jews” never seem willing to contend with, perhaps out of fear for their own safety, or perhaps because they yearn for the acceptance of non-Jews. Whichever the case, they do not do the Jewish community in the Diaspora, Israelis, or themselves any good.
Erin Foster, the writer of this disappointment, is another brick in the wall of likely well intentioned JINOs (Jews in Name Only) who are doing real harm to the fabric of our community.
But wait, didn’t Foster convert to Judaism?
Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein are also Jewish, but their hatred for themselves and the Jewish people is unmatched by even most extreme standards. I have absolutely nothing against people who have converted to Judaism in good faith, as Foster claims to have, but it seems like she missed a lot in her classes.
Let me explain in more detail some of my top complaints with the show directly to Erin:
Dear Erin,
(1) Most Jewish people have a strong connection to Israel. It’s called ZIONISM.
I know you wanted to make a lot of money making a show about “THE JEWS” palatable for the masses, so you watered us down so much there’s absolutely nothing left but boring stereotypes.
If you go to most Jewish synagogues, you will find strong support for the special alliance between America and Israel. Most Jewish people, even those who are not religious (like myself), understand that without the nation of Israel, another Holocaust is not only possible, but likely.
It doesn’t matter if you consider yourself Jewish or not, if your lineage is Jewish, and people come to kill Jews, they do not care what type of Jew you are.
To have a show about a rabbi and Jewish family that pretends to have “Jewish” themes to never once even utter the word “Israel”, is either evidence of your derision for actual Jews, or a lack of integrity that you’re so willing to morph us into a lie in order to enrich yourself.
(2) There’s a war going on this year, maybe you’ve heard something about it?
Your show is about potentially converting to Judaism, and yet you don’t discuss any of the considerations that actual Jewish people would talk about.
What if you have children, will they be safe?
Will your Jewish kids be bullied and attacked by their peers in school?
Will their teacher bring them to a pro-Hamas rally in Canada and ask them to wear blue because they are a colonizer? Yes, this actually happened recently because that’s how messed up the world is today.
It’s now abundantly clear that the DEI industry does not view Jews as a minority and believes them to be oppressors. Will you get kicked off the board of your company because it’s too politically “controversial” that you’re Jewish and then you won’t be able to provide for your family?
Are any of these topics addressed as conversion to Judaism is discussed?
Absolutely not.
What’s discussed?
The main character might have to take an annoying course and dunk herself in a pool called a Mikveh.
<GASP> the horror.
(3) Jews do not proselytize
This whiney rabbi basically grovels most of the show trying to get this woman to convert to Judaism. This does a disservice to Judaism, and undermines the complexity of how difficult converting to the Jewish faith actually is.
<Look below in the source material if you want to gain an in-depth understanding of the complexity of converting to Judaism.>
Our unwillingness to break traditions is the only thing that’s kept our people alive for generation after generation. It dishonors those traditions to portray them so incorrectly.
To sum up here, f*ck this show.
The reason Jews have survived for thousands of years is by clinging to our faith, our traditions, and relaying on one another. They are priceless aspects of our identity that we’ve managed to preserve, even when we were nationless in the diaspora.
This show denigrates this rich history, and yet has rave reviews.
Why?
People love watching a Jewish family, as long as they are walking cliches and the climax is them abandoning their faith.
It does matter though.
That’s why at Maccabee Nation we want to help two Jewish people start a life together. If you’re looking for a partner, fill out this survey here (must be over 18 to participate).
We will look through these surveys and try to match you with someone who might be a good fit. Maccabee Nation subscriptions will even reimburse your date up to $100 if you’re willing to tell us about it and send us a photo.
On October 7th, the best way I can think of to fight back is to make Zionist babies that will grow up to be strong and stand up for the Jewish people.
Please light a candle tonight for those we have lost and let’s ensure not one of their sacrifices is in vain.
Source:
Real life hot rabbi https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/other/real-life-hot-rabbi-slams-netflix-s-nobody-wants-this-for-negative-jewish-stereotypes-in-open-letter/ar-AA1rIB4d
https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/nobody-wants-this-backlash-jewish-women-netflix-1236161391/
Criticism of show https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/nobody-wants-this-creator-erin-foster-responds-to-criticism-of-show/
Adam Brody https://www.justjared.com/2024/09/29/adam-brody-reveals-why-he-initially-winced-at-rabbi-role-in-nobody-wants-this/
Jill Stein hates Jews https://www.timesofisrael.com/6-things-to-know-about-jill-stein-the-last-jewish-presidential-candidate-standing/
Bernie Sanders hates Jews https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/sanders-keeps-his-judaism-in-the-background-irking-u-s-jews
10 week course not adequate to understand Judaism https://www.buzzfeed.com/noradominick/nobody-wants-this-netflix-true-story-erin-foster
Canada teacher asked Jewish student to wear blue and brought them to an anti-Israel rally https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/students-attending-protest-told-to-wear-blue-to-mark-them-as-colonizers
Jewish discrimination in the boardroom https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/all-things-work/stories-antisemitism
Why conversion to Judaism is so hard https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3002/jewish/Why-Is-Conversion-to-Judaism-So-Hard.htm
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