THE SLOW-MOVING BEAUTY OF NETFLIX’S ‘SHTISEL’

From new TV shows and cast reunions to virtual musical and arts events, here’s a weekly look at a standout streaming option.

My pick: “Shtisel,” an Israeli drama that recently released its third season on Netflix

What it is: The show follows the Shtisel family from an ultra-orthodox Jewish community in Israel. It focuses mostly on Shulem (Doval’e Glickman), the sage, chain-smoking patriarch, and his youngest son, Akiva (Michael Aloni). Akiva is a sensitive painter who struggles to find love and meaning in his life, and those stories are what drive the series. But there are many other characters, all with complicated lives and dreams, and over time, “Shtisel” beautifully unravels like an intricate Russian novel.

What it isn’t: Often, when ultra-orthodox communities are portrayed on mainstream TV shows and movies, it’s about someone trying to escape the confines of the religion. Netflix viewers were likely introduced to “Shtisel” after watching the Emmynominated series “Unorthodox,” about a young woman fleeing from a similar community in New York. But “Shtisel” is just a regular family drama that happens to take place in the Haredi Jewish community. The characters live within the confines of their religion, and no one is actively trying to leave. When Akiva’s pious older brother Zvi Arye (Sarel Piterman) starts singing in a band, he struggles to navigate between the secular and religious worlds.

Isn’t that Shira Haas? Before she was the Emmynominated and esteemed actress from “Unorthodox,” Shira Haas started out on “Shtisel,” which was originally released in Israel in 2013. She plays Ruchami, one of Shulem’s granddaughters. Ruchami is a teen who is tasked with taking care of her young siblings. When her father (temporarily) leaves the family, Ruchami observes and processes how it affects her mother, and later herself. It’s clear that even at a young age, Haas is extraordinarily gifted at portraying complex emotions. The new season: “Shtisel” came to Netflix in 2018 and became an immediate hit among secular Jews. Then it found an even wider audience after Netflix’s algorithm suggested it to viewers who watched “Unorthodox.” Thanks to this new, enthusiastic audience, a third season was ordered (though it’s only nine episodes instead of 12). Season 3 picks up four years after Season 2, and though plots move much faster than before, the stories are still a mix of heartbreaking and heartwarming.

Find it: Season 3 of “Shtisel” is streaming on Netflix in Hebrew and Yiddish with English subtitles.

YES STUDIOS Michael Aloni as Akiva in “Shtisel,” which is available on Netflix.