And the winners are…

Jewish representation in the zeitgeist matters. And with antisemitism on the rise, positive Jewish cultural role models and nuanced depictions of Jews in the media are more critical than ever.

In this issue, we take a deep (and fun) dive into pop culture through a Jewish lens. With that, I give you my favorite Jewish media, moments, and MOTs in pop culture in the past 12 months–each one helping to shape Jewish perceptions for good.

Matchmaker, matchmaker…

The ancient Jewish practice of matchmaking hit the big time this summer with Jewish Matchmaking , a reality dating show on Netflix. The series follows Orthodox Jewish matchmaker Aleeza Ben Shalom–a wife, and mama of five, living in Israel, who boasts 200 successful matches under her belt. Viewers get to be a fly on the wall during the (sometimes cringe-y) dates of her clients, a diverse pool of Jewish singles. Ben Shalom is kind and accessible, and seems to genuinely want all Jews to find their beshert.

Fleishman: Jewish to its core

The FX limited series Fleishman is in Trouble chronicles the newly divorced middle aged doctor Toby Fleishman (Jesse Eisenberg). His ex-wife (Claire Danes) vanishes, leaving him solo, with their two kids, and no clue where she is or when she’ll return. The show–created by Taffy Brodesser-Akner and adapted from her novel of the same name-is a Jewish story to its core. The series is chock full of Jewish references, including Toby and his old Jewish friends (played by Jewish actors Lizzy Caplan and Adam Brody) waxing nostalgic about their year abroad together in Israel.

A not-so-‘Cruel Summer’

We all remember the frenzy over Taylor Swift die-hards clamoring for tickets to her Eras Tour, but Shabbat-keeping Swifties faced added anxiety when they learned that all but one of her concert dates would fall during Shabbat. When Swift got wind of the Shabbat conflict, she added eight more shows on non-Shabbat days to her schedule.

“UM,” Swift tweeted about the additional dates. “Looks like I’ll get to see more of your beautiful faces than previously expected…”

Introducing BLP Kosher

As a 40-something mama of two tots, I had zero knowledge of Jewish rapper BLP Kosher until a colleague told me how her 16-year-old son idolizes him. He is unapologetically Jewish from his moniker to the Star of David that hangs around his neck to his signature hairstyle, which combines Orthodox Jewish and Haitian styles.

Blume in bloom

Jewish young-adult fiction trailblazer Judy Blume has had a recent cultural resurgence, with the release of a documentary about her life and a new film adaptation of her iconic 1970 novel Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret. This coming-of-age film follows 11-year-old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson), who has frequent chats with God about puberty, spirituality, and her family’s move to a new town. I particularly loved the evolution of each of the three generations of women in the movie-and Bubbe Sylvia (Kathy Bates) is kvell-icious.

You go, (Barbie) girl!

Barbie , based on the doll created by the late Jewish businesswoman Ruth Handler, whose family fled persecution in Poland, has been a ginormous hit, grossing a record $1.4 billion. The story serves up a feel-good journey of self-discovery, and feels true to Handler–who would say that Barbie represents “possibilities” for girls everywhere. Extra points for the movie’s Jewish-adjacent creator Greta Gerwig lauding the ritual of Shabbat dinner.

Not so rotten tomatoes

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah , Adam Sandler’s latest project-a coming-of-age film comedy starring his real-life wife and two daughters-is now the SNL alum’s best-rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie, directed by Birthright alum Sammi Cohen, centers on 7th grade besties whose plans for epic bat mitzvahs get derailed when middle school politics–and a popular boy-come between them. The film conveys messages of friendship and forgiveness-and reminded me that I SO would never want to go back to the 7th grade.