Presents:
THE NEW JEW
SYNOPSIS
THE NEW JEW is a four-episode TV documentary series showcasing the cultural and political influence of the Jewish community in the United States, the variety of alternative models it offers for living a rich Jewish life and the rifts in relations between them and the State of Israel – presented by Guri Alfi, one of Israel’s most popular comedians.
The series was produced for the Public Broadcasting Corporation and aired on the Kan 11 network in Israel.
REVIEWS
In a genre that tends to be disgustingly didactic, "The New Jew" adheres to standards: it's curious, inquisitive, well-edited, and enjoys the comic resourcefulness of Alfi
Einav Schiff, Yediot Aharonot
In his light-hearted way, Alfi examines the possibility that American Jewry, in all its forms, is a new breed, whose rejection by the Israeli Orthodox establishment
Leads to separation
****
Alfi manages to distill his comic persona and charisma, and thanks to this combination, the product manages to be both exciting and comical, and unfold the diversity that exists in American Jewry.
This series about “new” Jews will likely enlighten, entertain, annoy and offend viewers in different ways, but it does present a varied and interesting portrait of American-Jewish life
Guri Alfi sets out to understand American Jews with lots of good intentions. He is funny, honest, and his chemistry with the people around him is magical - which in itself makes the "new Jew" fun to watch
"The New Jew" touches upon a complex and charged issue - Israeli and American Jewry relations- and manages to do so in an original, sensitive and, above all, funny way. If this is the new Jew, you can be calm.
ABOUT US
Guri Alfi - Host and Creator of the Series
Guri is one of the most well-known television personalities in Israel. He is an Israeli actor, director and comedian who has starred in numerous comedy and dramatic series, films (nominated for the Ophir Award for his role in "Human Resources Manager") and acting (winner of the Israeli Theatre Award for "Play It Again, Sam"). Guri is known for his role in the political-satirical show "State of the Nation", and host of the late-night shows "Tonight with Guri Alfi" and "Tonight with Guri and Lucy", both winners of the Israeli Academy Awards for television for best entertainment program. In the past year Guri has starred in two acclaimed dramas- "The Cook" and "Blackspace," and in the poignant satirical series "Transparent."
Asaf Nawi - Producer and Creator
Founder of NawiPro Ltd., with many years of experience in the television and film industry. Before founding his own company, Assaf led productions as a line producer in series such as "Kidnapped" and "My Successful Sisters", as well as large American productions filmed in Israel such as HOMELAND and DIG. Among his television productions: "Tonight with Guri Alfi" (3 Seasons), "Night Club" (Season 6), and Conan O'Brien's Journey to Israel in 2017. For cinema, he produced the documentary "Between the Walls" and his film "One More Story" is expected to be released in 2021.
Moshe Samuels - Creator, Chief of Research, Deputy Editor and Writer
Moshe is a "Professional Jew" with extensive experience as an emissary and educator in Israel and the United States. In recent years, he has served as CEO of Shazur / Interwoven, an organization founded to introduce Israelis to contemporary Jewish life and help bridge the growing gap between the two epicenters of the Jewish world. The idea for this series was inspired by the meaningful encounters he experienced during his travels, which influenced his own Jewish and Israeli identity.
Director: Daniel Adar
Chief Editor and Creator: David Cohen