January is Jon Kalish Month

I spent Christmas Eve sipping He'Brew beer at Grumpy's bar in Minneapolis. The alternative-to-that-other-holiday event was called Jewbilee and it was sponsored by Indie Jews of the Twin Cities. That wasn't enough Old Testament for me.

So, I've decided to dedicate most of January to Jewish-themed documentaries. We begin with Jimmy Breslin: The Art of Climbing Tenement Stairs on Jan. 7, followed by Rabbi Abulafia's Boxed Set on Jan. 14 and Brooklyn According to Kalish on Jan. 21 + Jan. 28. All three documentaries were reported and produced by Jon Kalish, a New York-based producer whose work frequently airs on NPR. The tour de force in this set is the two-part series on Brooklyn's Orthodox community. Reviewer Eric Nuzum says the program "offers a deep view into Orthodox and Chasidic Jewish life that few outsiders have a chance to observe. The intimacy of the piece is almost palatable--leaving you to feel like you should whisper while listening, so not to revel yourself."

Here's hoping you listen in. And don't be afraid to sip a He'brew while doing so.

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