Israeli Netflix Hit ‘Shtisel’ Has Been Renewed For A Third Season

Gone are the decrepit Mea Shearim streets of ‘Shtisel’. Image by Shtisel

By Jenny Singer May 8, 2019

Rejoice, people of Israel and voyeurs of ultra-Orthodox Judaism! “Shtisel,” the Israeli TV drama that exploded in the states when it was picked up by Netflix, has been renewed for a third season.

Co-creator of the show Yehonatan Indursky confirmed at a talk in London on Tuesday night that writers are already hard at work crafting the upcoming season, Times of Israel reports.

The gem-like show follows a family of Israeli Haredi Jews — the recognizable swath of Orthodox Jews who follow strict interpretations of Jewish law while to some degree rejecting modernity. The Shtisel family is mesmerizing — the show succeeds in rendering human people who are often treated as objects of curiosity, providing both a tantalizing window into a private community and a relatable portrait of a family dealing with relationships, money, and living in close quarters.

The show has won popularity in Israel and abroad with every type of Jew. Even those who come to the show with sour opinions on the Haredi communities of Israel, Israeli journalist Renee Ghert-Zand wrote for the Forward in 2016, become “glued to the screen.”

“In general, I don’t look favorably on the insular ultra-Orthodox, who for the most part avoid the Israel Defense Forces’ draft (and denigrate those who do serve), don’t contribute their full share to the economy, and discriminate against women,” she wrote. “Yet, ‘Shtisel’ totally won me over.”

You heard it here — “Shtisel” seasons one and two are on Netflix. We think they’ll win you over.

Jenny Singer is the deputy life/features editor for the Forward. You can reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @jeanvaljenny

Jenny Singer is a freelance writer with pieces in Vox, the Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, Teen Vogue, and more. She was previously a staff writer at Glamour and the Forward, and she’s currently getting an MFA in nonfiction writing at the University of Iowa.

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