Shtisel - series created in Shtibel •Screen review

I sit at the Jerusalem Cinematheque, and on the screen Dovaleh Glickman explains to his son, the fresh melamed, the magic capabilities inherent in the 'Bananit' (banana flavored candy), and in my mind I feel the Rebbe, that same Rebbe in the famous Jerusalem cheder 'Hamesorah' – who used to split the precious 'bananit' and give a bite of honor for the outstanding ingelach.

Besides me, sitting in those years in the classroom in Hamesorah, was the wone who would later write the masterpiece series 'Stisel', whose premiere I watched last night, which is Yonathan Indorsky (also known for the wonderful movie he produced recently - Ponevez Time).

One scene follows the next, matchmaking and intimate conversations take shape, and before my eyes a fascinating series is portrayed, often concerning hidden veins, but most importantly - fun, full of Yiddishe humor and brilliantly witty, which were as if taken from the yeshiva benches and corridors of the Shtibel.

In recent years the haredi public has become the beloved of the screen. Series (and movies) tried to penetrate the walls of the ghetto, to display a plot based on haredi Jews, either, but none of them managed to penetrate the heart of the mainstream, to display the authentic kugel of Anshin from Mea Shearim, the bookseller - occasional mythological matchmaker and the class of children who toys with scattered confetti using the ventilator ...

'Shtisel' does all these and much more. The excellent casting achieved maximal connection of characters to their roles. Michael Aloni looks like someone who grew up in the alleys of Geula, the image of Neta Riskin with a tichel is missing only the Tzena U'reina in hand, and the fluent Yiddish leaves no room for doubt: 'Shtisel' is no less than the previous series which presented the haredi public - 'the courtyard' - and even exceeds it by scores.

The series consists of 12 episodes, and it presents the story of Sholem Shtisel (Glickman), a widower melamed living with his last son who remained single - Akiva (Aloni), and looking for his match in the form of Elisheva (Ayelet Zurer). At the same time the family goes through various vicissitudes, including the mysterious disappearance of the brother-in-law Lipa (Zohar Strauss) to his wife Gitty (Riskin) and the intriguing life of a Bobbe Malka (Chana Riber) in the old age home.

'Shtisel' will be broadcasted already this Saturday night on Yes, and it will show in the coming months for the secular an in-depth knowledge and more human with the old Haredi, his feelings, his mind and heart, his concerns for the education of children and the complex and qualitative ladder of values he has.

Part One

Part Two

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!