Being a Mossad operative in Iran isn't a job for the faint of heart. Viewers get a sense of such intensity watching Tehran on Apple TV+, a show that will keep them on the edge of their seats.

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In season 1, Israeli actress Niv Sultan proved as Tamar Rabinyan – a young Jewish woman born in Iran but raised in Israel that she was able to hack almost any computer system, shoot anyone and happily risk her life for Israel.

In the first episode of season 2, she has to save the life of an Israeli pilot, Barak, who is to be taken from Evin Prison in the Tehran neighborhood of the same name to a hospital where they can hopefully get him out of the country.

Tamara gets into hot water. She's hoping to go to Canada with Milad (Shervin Alanabi), a man she might actually care for. But there's work to be done. She has to make sure drug dealers don't get him in trouble; to do that, she uses her seductive charms to impress a man who can lead her to a general and powerful figure Israel wants to be assassinated. She is given a weapon to use that will be untraceable, but as usual, there are complications.

The New York Times correctly points out the show has elements of the Fox hit 24 with Sultan being like a female Israeli Jack Bauer and the FX spy show The Americans, which features Russian spied posing as Americans.

Tamar sees people who helped her and who she cared about executed by hanging and knows if she takes one wrong step, she will share that fate.

Tamar's nemesis, Faraz Kamali (Shaun Toub), head of investigations of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is out for revenge after she shot him last season when a double agent ruined Israel's plan to attack an Iranian nuclear reactor. The Israeli pilots were saved, even though the operation was a failure. Faraz has a wife who needs looking after, and though initially suspicious, he allows Marjan Montazeri – a top therapist, played surprisingly well by Glenn Close – to help his wife, Naahid. Since he isn't depicted as merely a cardboard villain, Toub can show texture, as well as difficulty juggling his ego and his loyalties.

Close's acting is fantastic, and her character knows how to put the screws on people with delightfully devilish threats. And so she can be forgiven for not being able to pronounce the Hebrew "Ch" sound as she refers to the pilot's last name as "Haim" instead of "Chaim," as the dialogue runs between Hebrew, Persian, and English.

Sultan, once again is magnetic whenever on-screen – someone who has no problems dispensing of unsuspecting foes. Faraz has a protégé, Ali (played by the strong Arash Marandi), who proves to be extremely skilled. Faraz makes a stunning confession to Ali and a strange request. Sila Ommi is impressive as Naahid, a wife who understands that she's usually second fiddle to her husband's obligation to his work for the government, but she would still like to make some sweet music with him.

The episodes are tension-filled and unpredictable though at times the audience will feel that Tamar (like Jack Bauer) is too arrogant and defies rules from superiors, seemingly getting out of any situation, no matter how precarious. Darius Homayoun in pitch-perfect as Peyman, the good-looking son of an important leader who plays tennis and thinks he may have met a woman who is worthy of dating him. There's a scary moment where it looks like Tamar has stolen his phone, and his charming smile of desire turns to a look of suspicion. Sia Alipour shows some fine acting chops as Vahid, a man who thinks his looks, fancy cars and an offer of a free gym membership should get him any woman. He has no qualms about planting drugs on an innocent person.

The sixth episode has an epic stare-down between Tamar and Faraz, when Faraz gets an offer he's not sure he can refuse.

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Sultan's strength, Close's cunning and Toub's tenacity pump the show full of adrenaline and makes viewers question whether or not their own loyalty would rest with their lives, the lives of their family members or the protection of their country. One can't help but think of the real-life danger that exists for Israel in a region where so many actors want its demise – namely, Iran. Still, hope lies on the horizon for a more peaceful future.

At the International Emmy Awards ceremony in November, Tehran received Best Drama Series, becoming the first-ever Israeli show to win the award.

Tehran offers one of the best non-superhero female action leading characters in quite some time. The writing is rich, and if some moments are slightly reminiscent of Fauda, that could be because head writer Moshe Zonder penned for that hit series as well. And since there are no real bullets here, Tehran is a terrific ride – one worthy of hopping on.

Season 3 has yet to be announced, so take the time this summer to binge and catch up.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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When Michael Aloni's agent told him about The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem, he was a bit confused. "Since when is there a beauty pageant in Jerusalem?" Aloni recalled asking at the time, at an event last week at Temple Emanu-El's Streicker Center in New York City.

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He'd just finished filming the third season of "Shtisel" and had shaved off his beard. He said he read the best-selling novel by Sarit Yishai Levi, on which the show is based, in less than two days and cried while reading it.

"There was such an intense shift of everything Shtisel stands for and what Akiva is – and then shifting into something that is so out there," he said.

In the novel and the show, the Armoza men are sort of cursed to marry women they don't love. The family deals with numerous issues over a span of decades as Palestine is controlled by the Turks in the early 1900s, then by the British as part of its mandate until it eventually becomes the modern-day State of Israel. The show jumps around a lot through different periods; at first, it's a bit confusing, though the viewer gets used to it.

Originally slated to be filmed in Ukraine, due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was mostly filmed in Safed, Israel, and aired in the country. It won "Best Drama" and garnered three other awards in what is Israel's version of the Emmy Awards. It's also one of the most expensive Israeli productions, according to Aloni.

The 10-episode series comes to Netflix on May 20 and is one of the most anticipated Israeli shows of the year.

It certainly lives up to the hype. There's a hanging, a shooting, a stabbing, a bomb exploding and a prison break. There's a steamy make-out scene, a non-steamy love scene, an opium-induced hallucination and even the dressing up of an ill male baby in female clothes in an attempt to confuse the evil eye and save its life.

The show is a staggering achievement based on the fine acting of Aloni, who plays Gabriel Armoza; Hila Saada, who plays his wife, Rosa; and Swell Ariel Or, who makes her starring debut as their daughter, Luna. With her piercing green eyes and an acting range to go from tormented, bright-eyed and even comical in the seventh episode, predictions that Or is Israel's next big star are right on the mark. If she doesn't knock your socks off, then you're not wearing socks.

Her character yearns for justice, independence and love. She goes through heartbreak, a mother who is cruel to her and finds herself in trouble keeping a secret from British forces.

Or said she read the book in two hours, and ironically, was first rejected after her audition for the series. Months later, she was called back and got the part.

"My parents and my grandparents and their parents – they all wanted to be an artist. They didn't do it," she said. "For me, this is the curse, and I'm breaking it."

Saada, who many will recognize from "The Baker and The Beauty," where she played a jilted lover who poured soup on the man she thought wanted to marry her, is made to look unattractive in this show. Her character is a poor cleaner who hits the jackpot, marrying into the rich Armoza family, which boasts a shop selling the finest chocolates, pistachios and other foods. She also gets a mother-in-law, Mercada, played by an exceptional Irit Kaplan, who is harsh and only values her as a vehicle to produce a grandson.

Saada is fantastic in the role of a woman who lashes out as a result of her trauma. The actress said that she had a trick up her sleeve in terms of acting like a wife who isn't loved.

"Michael is a great partner," she said. "Every time between the cut, I told Michael, 'Do you love me?' He said, 'Yes.' I said, 'OK, we can keep going … ' "

The cast includes the stellar Yuval Scharf as Rochel, who is forbidden fruit. Fans will recognize her from "Srugim." There's also the iconic-voiced Itzik Cohen from "Fauda" as someone who helps send messages and rocks a cool mustache. Tom Hagi shows talent as Ephraim Siton, Rosa's brother who can be menacing but views himself through the prism of a hero, and, in fact, saves his sister from a gruesome situation not seen until the 10th episode. Shely Ben-Joseph is sparkling as Matilda Franco, Luna's friend, who advises her but winds up needing some help of her own.

Shtisel fans will notice a small role here for Sarel Piterman, who plays Tzvi Aryeh in that series. Eli Steen is impressive as Luna's sister, Rachel, who wants to show she's worthy of being kissed and willing to risk her life for a cause she believes in. Israel Ogalbo is convincing as a frat-boy type who thinks that he'll get what he wants because of his good looks but might be pushing his luck.

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Aloni is in his wheelhouse as a handsome, soulful man who is haunted by not finding love, and grapples with guilt and a desire to be honorable. His character tries to be good but does some bad things. Aloni shows why he's a mega-star.

The show gets out of the gate quickly with several tragedies, slows the pace to allow for character development in the middle, and then revs up again in the later episodes with more pronounced violence between Jews and Arabs. It's an emotional roller-coaster.

The show is written by Shlomo Mashiach, who created it with Ester Namdar Tamam and Oded Davidoff, who also directs. Produced by Yes Studios and Artza Productions, you'll likely binge the first 10 episodes and eagerly await the next 10 slated to be released on July 29.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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With larger numbers of family and friends expected at Passover seders this year as COVID numbers have gone down, hosts seem to be going all out this year with the homemade cooking, especially since the first night of the eight-day holiday falls over Shabbat.

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Hosts likely won't be making homemade matzah. But America's gefilte fish experts are offering a workshop they say doesn't require so much work. On April 10, the Gefilteria's Jeffrey Yoskowitz and Liz Alpern hosted a virtual workshop on how to make the traditional Ashkenazi dish.

And if you ever wonder about those glass jars with gray fish swimming in a slimy substance with a few token carrot pieces thrown in, Yoskowitz tells JNS that while people think the jelly stuff is collagen, it's actually due to additives. Store-bought fish also often contains cottonseed oil, which is cheap and unhealthy.

The co-founders of the Gefilteria, which reimagines Jewish classics through workshops and pop-ups, are the co-authors of The Gefilte Manifesto.

Yoskowitz, 37, of Brooklyn, said making the fish is a dying art, and he is hoping to jump-start a revival.

"Because you get it from a jar or by it at a store, there's a lot of mystery around it," he told JNS. "People stopped making it at home and have been told that it's labor-intensive. But it's really easy to make. There are different ways to make it. But from start to finish, using fresh fish, you can make it in an hour-and-a-half. And it's so much better when you make it from scratch."

(He said he tried making gefilte fish in a jar, but "I don't think it's possible to make it really good" that way.)

'The butt of so many jokes'

Yoskowitz said many don't even know they can make the fish at home.

"One of my goals is to empower people to take agency over their culture and their food," he said. "Also, you can see exactly what goes in it."

Interestingly, he does not use carp. He says to buy fresh filets – possibly whitefish, tilapia or other options – and grind the fish yourself. He noted that American carp is from the Great Lakes and is a bottom-feeding fish.

Now, I prefer the salty kind that my grandmother used to make, but most stores sell the sweet kind. I can't even eat that because matzah meal is added in, and I am gluten-intolerant. The version that Yoskowitz produces commercially is gluten-free.

He explained that matzah meal was used as filler, as well as for people who were less affluent and needed to stretch the dish to feed the family.

"My family's Polish," said Yoskowitz, "so I like a little bit of sweetness, but not too much."

He said due to jarred fish, which contain carp and mullet, gefilte fish got a bad rap. He noted that what's eaten now is the stuffing; in the old times, it was pushed into fish skin.

"Gefilte fish is the butt of so many jokes," he said. "It's been laughed at for a long time."

He said his grandmother made it when he was younger but after she passed away, the ball was in his court.

"I felt helpless," he said. "We weren't going to eat it from the jar. So I said, what if I make it?"

It led to him getting involved in Jewish food as a whole, and now, he and Alpert have pop-up events as part of the Gefilteria, recently doing one in Philadelphia. The Gefilteria's food has been enjoyed by celebrities such as "Top Chef" Padma Lakshmi.

Popular comedian Sebastian Maniscalco had a bit where he talks about going to a Passover seder, as his wife is Jewish, and he went to her mother's house.

"Jews have no idea what the hell they are doing in the kitchen," he says in his routine. "These people have no cuisine: celery, crackers, jam. I'm like, we're losing people … "

"After breakfast , they fall apart, the Jews," he says. "After a bagel, cream cheese, lox … where they going? They got nothing. They have nothing. Has anybody ever said to you: 'We went to this Jewish restaurant last night. The gefilte! Amazing!'"

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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If Danielle Finn had to choose between her faith and her dreams, it would have been a bummer. In her initial tryout on Zoom, the 17-year-old senior at Shalhevet High School in Los Angeles told producers of American Idol that she observes the Sabbath. As she progressed during in-person auditions on a Friday when she was one of 59 contestants to be judged, she and her family knew that there was a problem.

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"We were a little bit freaking out, that I wouldn't be able to compete," Finn said, noting her observance comes first.

The solution? The producers allowed her to be among the first to audition at 3:30 p.m.

"They got me out with plenty of time before Shabbat, and they had a security guard walk me and my family from the Orpheum Theatre to the hotel that we were staying in," said Finn, adding that the show even paid for the extra night they needed at a hotel from Friday night to after sundown on Saturday night.

Her father, Yosi, said his heart was warmed not only by the fact that his daughter was in the top 24 out of about 130,000 who auditioned but by the tremendous measures of the staff of American Idol now in its 20th season.

"They went above and beyond," he said. "That they would be so respectful to our Shabbat observance; it is really amazing."

Fans may vote for their favorites on Sunday night, April 10, as ABC showcases those who have made it this far.

'I'm Jewish because it's part of my story'

The first time that Finn sang for celebrity judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan, she sported her grandmother's chai necklace and launched into "Mirror" by Madison Ryann Ward. She was told to try it again in a higher key, which could have flustered some performers. But Finn remained calm, sang with soul and punched her ticket to Hollywood.

"Internally, I was a little bit nervous, but I keep trying to remember in this show, you only have one shot," she said. "Confidence is really important when you're on stage. Everyone in the audience can see through that – if you have fear on your face and you're performing, even if you sound great, they can see it. So that's what I was just channeling. I was like, 'This is my only shot,' and I kind of just have to go for it."

She said that while she knows there have been other Jewish contestants before (Adam Lambert was a runner-up in Season 8), she didn't see any that were openly Jewish. "I want people to know that I'm Jewish because it's part of my story," she said. "I've never not thought about my Judaism through everything I've done."

She gives credit to Shalhevet choir director Joelle Keene for teaching her harmonies and giving her vocal coaching. She said teachers and friends "are really stoked" for her, and she was especially proud of an email the head of school of her school sent to faculty, students and families.

Rabbi David Block wrote that what Finn is doing is a Kiddush Hashem or a "sanctification of God's name."

"On the world's stage, Danielle is talking openly about what it's like to be observant, to keep Shabbat, to keep kashrut throughout the competition," he wrote. "Unapologetically. In a space where no one else is, where it would be far 'easier' not to. And we're incredibly proud of her."

In an email to JNS, Block wrote that "education is not about putting information in students' minds, but about helping them become their best selves … ," as well as helping each student reach their individual potential.

'The craziest and most relieving moment of the competition'

Finn got a standing ovation from the judges after singing Adele's "Easy on Me" featuring great breath control and impressive trills.

"I don't know where this kid gets it," said her father, before postulating that it may come from his own father, who was a chazzan, or cantor.

Her maternal grandfather inspired her to audition because since she was little; she said that he used to watch the show with her and told her that she had a great voice. A touching clip from an episode shows her singing "You Are My Sunshine" with him. Unfortunately, he now suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

We hear her say that when she told "Poppy" she'd be on the show, his eyes brightened and even though "he doesn't really know exactly what's going on," he was a great spark, and she appreciates his belief in her.

Finn said she is also thankful to her mother, Wendy, for staying with her during the competition (as required since she is a minor) and being supportive while giving her space to hang out with fellow contestants.

The last step to get to the final 24 was a duet with Sage McNeely, and Finn was told her solo performances were stronger. As she was about to be told her fate, the member of Young Israel of Century City, who once sang the Hanukkah song "Maoz Tzur," said she wasn't sure if her opportunity would last for more nights.

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Finn, who recently dropped her single "Brace Yourself," braced herself for the judgment. Perry informed the pair that generally one singer moves on, and the other goes home. But the twist was that both contestants advanced to another round and hugged each other as host Ryan Seacrest clapped.

Finn, who named Jennifer Hudson one of her favorite "Idol" contestants, acknowledged that it was high drama.

"It was the craziest and most relieving moment of the competition," she said.

Perry, a staunch advocate for her, previously commented that Finn "had like crazy notes and crazy tone that people dream of."

The student said she focuses on her tone, rather than constantly belting out big notes. Finn, whose take on Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" went viral on TikTok, said her message to fans is that people should stay true to their identity and maintain confidence.

"Always be yourself and know that everyone around you may be different than you, and you may feel out of place," she advised, "but it's really important to know your worth."

Fans will get to vote for the first time this season when American Idol airs on Sunday night, April 10, on ABC.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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A Jewish student at the University of Connecticut says she feels betrayed after being thrown out of her a cappella group, saying she was called a "white supremacist," "f***ing Zionist" and a f***ing b*tch, and has received threats after a Feb. 28 incident was mischaracterized online.

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Natalie Shclover, a senior in the Business School at the University of Connecticut and a member of the Honors College, told JNS that she and her Muslim boyfriend, Zacharia El-Tayyeb, were bothered by fliers put up by the Muslim Student Association that stated as fact that Israel was an apartheid state and included an image a map of Israel with interim university president, Dr. Radenka Maric, on one side and a baby being strangled. This, she said was due to Maric's announcement on Instagram that she would visit Israel on a trip with Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Conn.). Shclover said she discarded a few fliers that were covering ones posted by the campus Chabad or Hillel or were in excess, which violates school rules because only one flier is supposed to be affixed to each bulletin board, or were piled on or had fallen to the floor.

When she and her boyfriend went to the third floor and he removed excess fliers, she was badgered and called names. A video with a caption claims that she harassed Muslim students, but the video only shows students hurling slurs at her.
The senior, who was president and music director of the UConn Chordials, said in a Zoom meeting that she was told she was being kicked out of the group and given no chance to explain her side of the story. She had worked on an agreement to secure $10,000 to make an album and had done arrangements for the group, she said, and suddenly, she was out.

"I believe they first met on their own, then joined me into their Zoom call and dismissed me, saying they had no other choice" but to do so, she said. "They said basically that 'after discussing the events, we have decided we need to dismiss you.' I mentioned it was a mischaracterization of my character and unjust, and that was the end of it."

'That's where I felt the safest'

The UConn Chordials released a statement that they "do not tolerate behaviors that cause pain, distress or damage to others; especially those of a different race, ethnicity, nationality or religion. …These actions do not reflect the beliefs of the UConn Chordials as a whole, or the UConn a cappella community. We sincerely apologize for the actions of our former president. We hear you, we take accountability, and we promise to show you that we are better than this moving forward."

Shclover said she auditioned three-and-a-half years ago with the song "Lullaby of Birdland" by Ella Fitzgerald and made the group.

"When I first joined a cappella, it was sort of the last straw try for me at the university because I was having a hard time adjusting and was considering transferring," she said. "But 'The Chordials' became my home. That's where I felt the safest."

She said she lives with one member of the group, as well as a Christian former member who resigned because she didn't believe it was right to throw Shclover out "without due process."

She was slated to sing a solo of "Summertime" in her final show on April 30. Now, she doesn't know if the group will even have a show or if someone else will sing the song.

Asked if she would go back to the group if they reinstated her, she replied: "No, I don't think so because I don't think that would help the damage that has been caused. I hope they will learn from their mistakes. I feel betrayed. I can't look at them with the same perspective anymore. But I would never wish anything bad upon them because they were my safe haven for [a while], and I wouldn't want that opportunity to be taken away from someone else. The UConn A Cappella Association needs to take accountability for not treating me fairly."

Shclover said she was not able to get in touch with anyone from the association despite multiple attempts. She said she had been elected president by a unanimous 14-0 margin and expected group members to know the person she was. She said after the video went viral, she was inundated with threats, including one person who messaged: "I swear to God, the next time I see you, I'll slap you."

She said other students stared her down in a threatening manner; she believed they had seen the video, and that this was the result. The campus newspaper printed a story that didn't name her but stated that Muslim students had been harassed.

'It's disheartening and shocking' 

El-Tayyeb said it was surprising to see how quickly the members of the group turned on his girlfriend without any evidence that she harassed anyone.

He also said he was attracted to her humor and her ability to relate to people. "You open a random door and people come in, and you know she'll make friends," he said.

He added that he hoped a byproduct of the relationship would be to bring Jews and Muslims closer. The pre-law student said there was likely no due process because the group "wanted to appease the crowd" and possibly feared that keeping her in the group could result in boycotts.

Currently, there is a change.org petition titled "Protect UConn Student From Antisemitic Harassment" that as of Thursday has 680 signatures.

Shclover said she hopes Jews and Muslims can come together, as she is a person who respects differences of opinion and is unhappy that the campus has done nothing about the slurs used against her. She said she called a campus representative who replied that the insults, however disgusting they may seem, are protected by free speech. She added that her parents, who fled Moscow in 1991, are supportive of her and her efforts to contact the university president. So far, she said she hasn't gotten a response.

She noted that two weeks prior to the Feb. 28 incident, two Muslim female students reported slurs against them yelled from people in a car on campus, and the university sent out an e-mail and made an issue of it. She said she was surprised that her offer to the campus newspaper to present her side of the story was rejected.

"I think the university has done a good job of looking into cases of Islamophobia in the past, and I think all students should be treated fairly," she said. "In my case, I don't feel supported by the university or students. The system has failed me. It is institutional antisemitism."

In response to questions to the president's office, a statement by the president that was sent and said to have gone out to the UConn community noted that "during the course of the argument, a student called one of the two students who had been throwing the fliers away a series of crude insults, as well as calling her a "f*****g Zionist. What we know of it is based on a short video posted on social media and subsequent statements from each of those involved. The students throwing the fliers away, one of whom is Muslim and one of whom is Jewish, noted that some of the insults directed at the Jewish student were antisemitic in nature, which is unacceptable in any context."

Shclover said the term "Zionist" as a slur has the potential to incite violence against Jews, and that she has been maligned as harassing Muslim students without evidence.

"The incident was heated enough that the police were contacted, continues the president's statement. "UConn Police investigated and issued their report this past week. It was determined that nothing criminal took place on either side. The Division of Student Affairs also investigated and concluded that nothing said or done by anyone involved violated the Student Code of Conduct, a determination that was finalized this past Friday. Both concluded that, whatever else they were, the words spoken and actions taken fell into the category of free speech. Regardless of content or message, the university cannot and does not sanction students for the things they say while exercising this right."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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