Modern Orthodox dating gets a close-up in new web series
The couple, who married four days earlier, sit side-by-side at the kitchen table in their new Harlem apartment. Rain slides down the window overlooking a courtyard of snaking vines that makes the place feel far from the hustle and bustle of New York City. Navigating this paradigm while chasing a film career supplied a gold mine of artistic fodder for a web series shedding light on a group that rarely gets screen time.
Stubborn and unyielding, on this issue perhaps more than any other, even the most modern of Jews can sometimes bring to mind images of Tevye in “Fiddler on.
A pilot episode, originally devised as a short film, has garnered over 30, views on YouTube in its first two weeks online. The trio is squeezed together on a crowded couch in the lobby of the Ace Hotel in Manhattan, a dimly lit spot that could be summarized through the smartly dressed hipster couple making out a couple of couches away. In a rush, David mistakenly sits with another Sarah, who is expecting a blind date of her own — and, well, comedic consequences ensue.
The three now develop and write all the episodes together. With an initial five-episode run, the team hopes to gain a significant online following — but the aim is to get a deal with a network or streaming service like Netflix or Hulu. Gottfried, Hoffman and Schechter have finished filming a second episode and are in the process of editing it, but their fundraising efforts and busy schedules will largely dictate when subsequent episodes are produced. Instead, focus on creating nuanced characters.
There will be plenty more funny dates, but the team wants to use that premise to showcase other aspects of authentically modern Orthodox characters, such as their professional and spiritual aspirations. Anthony Weiner lets it all hang out in new documentary. By submitting the above I agree to the privacy policy and terms of use of JTA. Search ToggleSearch toggle Search for:. By Gabe Friedman May 20, pm.