Word Prompt – NUDNIK – Allison Josephs

On television, Jews are often portrayed in stereotypical ways – nudniks, nebbish sons, overbearing mothers, JAPY daughters, or going unorthodox.

Up until a couple years ago, there was no concrete research to show just how pervasive this problem was. Then my organization – JITC (Jewish Institute for Television & Cinema) Hollywood Bureau – collaborated with the Norman Lear Center at USC and conducted the most extensive study on Jewish TV representation in 25 years. You can read it online at JewsOnScreen.html.

The research said that these tropes remain prevalent; Jewish identity is usually hidden and when it's shown, it's rarely with pride. And Orthodox Jews are regularly othered and dehumanized. Now that we have evidence of the problem, we are advocating to studios for improvements with the same mechanisms other minority groups have used for decades. And it's working. We build fact sheets, do trainings for executives and creatives, put culturally competent consultants on projects, host writers labs, where we teach Torah to working screenwriters so they can imbue their Jewish characters with Jewish values.

We also host Media Awards to celebrate the progress being made. And the studios, agents, executives and stars show up. Our 3^rd Jewish Media Awards will be at Lincoln Center on November 5. Save the date and don't be a nudnik!