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Opinion

Relax, 'Jewish Mum of the Year' is just entertainment

October 19, 2012 08:54
2 min read

Even before the first episode of Jewish Mum of the Year was broadcast, my Twitter and Facebook pages were awash with angry Jews, criticising Channel 4 for reinforcing stereotypes, while frantically reassuring non-Jews that "we're not all like this".

I watched with an open mind. Having taken part in BBC3's Strictly Soulmates last summer, a documentary on Jewish dating, I know more than most how sensitive our community can be, and how reluctant communal figures are to facilitate media intrusion into our lifestyles.

It's not hard to understand the caution. Jewish history is traumatic, and scapegoating has played a major part in this. In the UK, we make up such a tiny part of the population and many in this country have never met a Jew before. When I agreed to go on television this weighed heavily on my mind; I was aware of how detrimental a negative portrayal could be. That said, there is a pattern of hysteria in reaction to any attempt to televise modern Jewish life that I find very uncomfortable. From last year's Wonderland: A Hasidic Guide to Love, Marriage and Finding a Bride, to Strictly Kosher and now Jewish Mum, we seem to be perpetually unable to concentrate on the positives of these shows.

Wonderland focused on the Strictly Orthodox. It certainly wasn't representative of my lifestyle or approach to Judaism but that doesn't mean it was an inaccurate portrayal, or that it was damaging to the community.