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Despite the controversy, Gevura Davis is excited that Netflix viewers are
taking an interest in traditional Judaism. 
Courtesy of Gevura Davis
as caricatures. But she said the
public attraction to the recent
slate of shows focusing on the
Orthodox world reveals the
same conclusion as the Pew
report: There’s a growing
interest in traditional Judaism.

Davis views the audience’s
curiosity as genuine.

“We have to be open and
inviting if people are curious
about our lifestyle,” she said.

Davis chose to be Orthodox
in college about 20 years ago.

She married Rabbi Binyomin
Davis, and they have five
children and run Aish Chaim,
a Jewish outreach organization
that offers classes, programs,
events and trips for Jews to
pursue “Jewish living and
learning in meaningful ways,”
according to its website.

Like Haart, Davis has
self-actualized. Unlike Haart,
she has done so by choosing to
become part of the Orthodox
world, not by escaping from it.

“We’re all trying to live our
best lives,” Davis said.

There is, at the very least,
one Netflix portrayal that offers
a more nuanced window into
the Orthodox world, according
to Jacob Oslick, a congregant
at the Center City synagogue,
Mikveh Israel: It’s “Shtisel,”
a dramatic series, also on
Netflix and now three seasons
in, about a Jerusalem family
and its traditional community.

Haas plays a prominent role in
that show, as well.

“It’s more difficult to
narrate than to lecture. That’s
the difference with ‘Shtisel,’”
Oslick said. “They were trying
to narrate the lives of the
characters, rather than lecture
that religion is bad.”
Oslick would still like to
see more nuanced depictions
of Orthodox communities on
television and other streaming
platforms, but said too many
portrayals — of religion as
burdensome and oppressive —
are like those of “My Unorthodox
Life” and “Unorthodox.”
“They’re catering to an
audience that agrees with
them,” Oslick added.

Rather than watch, for those
who are genuinely interested,
Oslick recommends visiting
Orthodox communities. And not
as tourists or anthropologists.

“But as people seeking to
learn.” l
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