Work has started on a third season of the Israeli TV hit show Shtisel, its co- creator confirmed this week - news that its star Michael Aloni hinted at in an exclusive interview with the JC last month.
Official confirmation came from Yehonathan Indursky who revealed it to an audience of 350 people at Hampstead Garden Suburb Synagogue on Tuesday night.
He said he was “amazed” at the British love for the show which is set in the Charedi world of Jerusalem.
He talked about his Orthodox upbringing, and yeshivah studies, and his love for the Yiddish language.
“It is the only language that you can curse someone in so many ways and be happy to do so,” he said.
He described a meeting with one of his former yeshivah teachers, who was full of praise for the series for showing Charedi life in a realistic way.
He revealed that some of the actors - in particular Doval'e Glickman who plays Shulem – spent hours in Charedi cafes, observing small details, such as how people hold their cigarettes.
The show was conceived in a famous Charedi café in Jerusalem called Shtisel, where Mr Indursky first discussed with co-writer Ori Elon the idea of a Charedi drama.
He revealed that he and Mr Elon were unhappy that most drama about Charedim showed their lives in a negative way, and focused on people who rejected an Orthodox life. No one from the Shtisel family will ever leave the Charedi way of life, he promised.
Asked why Shabbat and festivals are never shown, he replied that they didn't have the budget to provide the quantaties of food needed for all the cast.
The event was organised by Martin Kaye, chari of adult education for the shul. He contacted Mr Indursky's agent when he heard that he was in London for the SERET film festival.
"It wasn't a fundraiser, it was put on the the members of the shul who love Shtisel. We wanted to make them happy and he did," said Mr Kaye. "It was wonderful for him to see how much love there is for the show in London."
