Reviewing the Israeli series Shtisel, which explores the everyday trials and tribulations of a ḥaredi family in Jerusalem, Shai Secunda praises its success in making artistic use of the minutiae of their society’s life:
To its credit, Shtisel does not exoticize the profound differences between secularism and the rigidity of the ultra-Orthodox world. Instead, it [creates] a rich modern portrait of a community at turns at war with or oblivious of what most of its audience considers essential aspects of modern living. . . .
Like a great novel, Shtisel manages to imbue small moments with human substance and dramatic heft. On the day marking the conclusion of the year-long mourning period for the family matriarch, the extended Shtisel clan recites the traditional Psalms at her grave and then returns home to a meal of heymishe food and a first taste of the music that had been forbidden to them as mourners. As the chatter dies down, Shulem, [the paterfamilias], announces that “the moment has arrived” and ceremoniously presses play on an old cassette player. The saccharine strains of the [ultra-Orthodox] Jerusalem Boys Choir fill the room. The scene could easily have been played for comedy (the incongruity of the technology, the kitschiness of the music), and it is funny, but what we feel most acutely is the poignancy of this particular moment for this particular family.
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