Rough Diamonds - Shtisel Meets The Godfather

Amarante

Sun, Apr 23 2023, 9:56 am

Is anyone watching this? It is an Israeli Belgian co-production thriller set in Antwerp involving (among other things) the international diamond trade.

In the US it is dubbed in English rather than subtitled so any nuances of Yiddish and Flemish are not heard although those would obviously go over my head since I don't speak Flemish nor do I know enough Yiddish to actually hear accents or even have an understanding in terms of long conversations. Very Happy

This is obviously a "thriller" but so far (I only was able to watch 2 episodes so far) the plot is interesting.

Here is an article from the Times of Israel discussing it at greater length in terms of the production.

‘Godfather’ meets ‘Shtisel’: New Netflix thriller delves into Haredi diamond dealers
‘Rough Diamonds,’ an Israeli-Belgian co-production, tells a tale of an Antwerp Hasidic family struggling to keep its business alive as it is drawn deeper into the underworld

By Amy Spiro 21 April 2023, 5:14 am

A new TV series showcasing the Yiddish language hits Netflix this week – and it’s not set in Brooklyn or Jerusalem.

“Rough Diamonds” is an eight-part crime thriller co-produced by Keshet International and Belgium’s De Mensen. Based around the Hasidic Jewish community in Antwerp’s diamond district, the show builds a storyline with a vibe somewhere between “The Godfather” and “Shtisel.”

Co-created by Israelis Rotem Shamir and Yuval Yefet, the series centers on the Wolfson family – Belgian Hasidic Jews who have worked in the diamond business for generations. When the youngest Wolfson sibling takes his own life, his estranged brother, Noah, returns to Antwerp 15 years after he left the ultra-Orthodox lifestyle behind to discover the family business under threat from all sides.

“It’s a very interesting setting for drama and for a television show… it’s like a falling empire situation,” series director Shamir said in a recent Zoom interview with The Times of Israel. Whereas the Orthodox Jewish community in Antwerp once dominated the industry, all sorts of changes over the past 25 years “took the ground out from under the feet of this community, and left them in turmoil.”

The series is shot largely in a mix of Flemish and Yiddish, with smatterings of French and English. Neither Shamir nor Yefet – who previously worked together on “Fauda” as well as the police drama “Line in the Sand” – speak either language, but both were eager to immerse themselves in a new world.

“We’re not from an ultra-Orthodox background, and we’re not from Belgian backgrounds, so it’s one of those projects where you know it’s going to be a long way to develop and write it,” said Yefet, who served as lead writer on the show. “Because you have to kind of submerge yourself in this world to learn about it – and to have a lot of advisers and translators.”

Shamir said he has plenty of experience directing shows where he doesn’t speak the language, from the Arabic scenes in “Fauda” to the multitude of languages – including French, Kurdish and Arabic – in Hulu’s “No Man’s Land.”

“It has become almost like a thing that I do in a sense – directing in a language that I don’t speak,” said Shamir. “But I don’t feel at all that it’s a barrier for me. It’s a very interesting experiment in learning everything aside from language as a tool to work with actors. I’m working a lot with subtext and motivation, facial expressions, body language, which I think is what eventually makes good acting or good directing, more than text.”

Most of the actors had to learn to speak Yiddish for the part: the three Wolfson siblings, Noah, Eli and Adina — are played by non-Jewish Belgian actors.

“There was a lot of debate about this, but pretty soon we realized that because some characters need to speak Flemish, we will need them to be Flemish-speaking actors,” said Yefet.

Noah (Kevin Janssens) and Adina (Ini Massez) in a scene from ‘Rough Diamonds.’ (Netflix)
Shamir pointed out that within the Antwerp ultra-Orthodox world, “there is a pretty amazing thing that happens where everybody speaks between five and six languages, and they converse between themselves and they jump between the languages all the time which is amazing to see and hear.”

That natural flow between Yiddish, Flemish, English and French is something “we were keen to try and recreate in the show,” said Shamir – even though many international viewers will miss the subtle swap between languages, especially the majority unlikely to differentiate between the German-influenced Yiddish and Flemish. “It’s a shame, but that’s just the way it is… a lot of viewers will completely miss the big effort that we made.”

But the family elders are played by Israeli actors with strong Yiddish backgrounds: matriarch Sarah is portrayed by Yona Elian, while patriarch Ezra is played by the legendary Dudu Fisher.

“I couldn’t have been more blown away by the charisma that this guy has upon the camera,” said Shamir of working with Fisher, best known for his turn on Broadway as Jean Valjean in “Les Misérables” in the 1990s. “You don’t have a lot of these actors, definitely not ones that can speak English, Yiddish, Hebrew so well.” Fisher, who has had a long cantorial career, also brought his “amazing religious background” to the show, in particular in a traditional Shabbat dinner scene.

The cast and crew worked with Yiddish coach Arthur Langerman and cultural advisers Esther-Miriam Brandes and David Damen to understand the details and nuances of the Belgian Hasidic Jewish community.

“But we had many more advisers that helped us, with the translating and the teaching – and teaching us how it works there,” said Yefet, noting that a number of them asked to go uncredited for their work. “It influenced the way the plot was built, just learning from them about things, how things work in their community shaped the script.”

There is notable attention to many such details in the show, from witnessing a couple wake up in separate beds (to maintain ritual separation during menstruation), to a character who snitches to the head of the yeshiva that an enrolled child has access to unfiltered internet at home (something many ultra-Orthodox institutions ban), or even a Hasidic man showing up to a date with his belongings in a plastic bag (as many Haredi men do not carry briefcases or backpacks).

“It’s very important for us that people will know that we took this task extremely seriously, from the very first moment – going into very deep research, making sure that what we say is true to real life, and also developing this close and warm, ongoing relationship with the community,” said Shamir.

The co-creators said they worked diligently to build ties and trust with the local Hasidic community in Antwerp both before and during filming.

“We had a lot of communication with them,” said Yefet. “It was a process. At first there’s always a lot of suspicion toward you,” including efforts by some members of the community to halt filming or prevent others from cooperating with the crew.

But Yefet said that “by the time we got to actually shooting… parts of the community were really involved in the show,” including some who appeared as extras and in small roles on screen.

“We really needed to have trust,” Yefet added. “And we got it because I think they realized that we were coming in good faith and that we are not there to try to exploit them or steal something… We want to give the full picture.”

The show paints a far from rosy picture of the community, as troubles with the family business drag some of its members into violence, mafia ties and various unsavory behaviors. There is casual antisemitism expressed by several non-Jewish characters – including that Jews “aren’t happy paying taxes” – and questionable comments from the Jewish characters: “The non jews [non-Jews] taught me one thing – when someone ***** you over, you take a stick and you handle it.”

Yefet and Shamir said they were always conscious of the potential for antisemitic reactions to the show – in particular when it shows Orthodox Jews with ties to organized crime – but also strove to present a nuanced, humanizing portrayal of a community that is often largely closed off from the general public.

“When you see their life… that is just like yours in many ways, I think it’ll be exactly the opposite of supporting antisemitism,” said Yefet. “And as much as there’s a lot of business in the show, there’s never greed as part of it.”

The overall themes and values in the series are universal, even if they deal with a very small community, the creators suggested.

“This show is about family, it’s about obligation, it’s about loyalty,” said Shamir. “It’s not at all a show about people that have lost their morals or have lost their ways, in that sense. There’s a very strong sense for all the characters… about what their ideals are, and how much they respect history, their parents, their legacy.”

https://www.timesofisrael.com/.....lers/

GramaNewYork

Tue, May 09 2023, 2:39 am

I just saw this post now and I started watching the show last night based on a recommendation and an assurance from someone I trust that other than a "bad apple or two" it doesn't strive to make religious Jews look bad.

I suspect that they purposely keep which group is portrayed very vague. Does anyone know which group this might be (if any real group is even intended)? I have no idea but I was immediately struck by two things: First, the widow's long (and messy) sheitel, and second that the women in the family and their own group did not wear a hat on top of their sheitel. Do you know of a group (not including Lubavitch obviously) whose women don't wear something on top of their sheitel?

I love that they are speaking both Yiddish and Flemish. It's always fun to hear languages and dialects as I love language.

amother

Lemon

Tue, May 09 2023, 3:36 am

I watched and enjoyed Smile

WhatFor

Tue, May 09 2023, 4:47 am

I'm watching it, but we actually started watching another show in the middle, I guess that's how interesting it was lol. But I'm sure I'll go back to it and finish it.

In my opinion, this is nowhere close to the caliber of show that Shtisel was. The only "Shtisel" thing about it is that involves frum Jews who sometimes speak Yiddish, so I'm a bit annoyed by that article title. They're not yerushalmi or even Israeli. Yay, a show about religious Jews. It's just like Shtisel!

Aside from that, the script is way more cheesy and most of the actors are just not on the same level, just in my opinion. Not that I think they're bad, they're fine. I just thought that the Shtisel actors are next level, so if you want to compare one show to another, you need to bring the goods. (And I'm not saying that there are no exceptional actors on rough diamonds either, I just think if you compare the mains from one to the other, Shtisel is at least a tier above.)

Anyway, now that I'm over that comparison, the show itself is fine. I'd describe it more as an action movie, and like most action movies, it's less about the depth of the script and more about keeping people on their toes. I'd recommend if you like action.

amother

Whitewash

Tue, May 09 2023, 6:46 am

What what for said 1000%

No comparison to shtisel.
& I also started, mid way through started to watch something else.

It’s just ok IMO

GramaNewYork

Tue, May 09 2023, 7:40 am

I just read this quote on the internet today: "Comparing any show to “Shtisel” is unfair; it's a mountain that won't be topped."

That being said, I'm trying to watch it on its own "merits" whatever they may be. Just because Shtisel was a masterpiece (and that acting!) doesn't mean I want to compare everything I ever watch about Jews in the future to Shtisel.

Nobody has yet addressed my question about the sheitels not being worn with a hat on top and whether that's typical in any particular sect. Just curious.

amother

Bluebell

Tue, May 09 2023, 7:51 am

GramaNewYork wrote:

I didn’t watch the show yet, I don’t know if I will
But I’m regard to not wearing a hat on top, a lot of chassidim do. Ger and bobov for sure, and I personally know some vizhnitz and satmar that also wear uncovered shaitels but I obviously know that it depends on who they are and where they live

amother

Burlywood

Tue, May 09 2023, 7:58 am

No hat
Bobov
Ger
Stolin
Boyan

GramaNewYork

Tue, May 09 2023, 8:57 am

Very interesting that at least these four groups don't wear a hat on top of the sheitel. I know a Vishnitz woman who doesn't because her husband asked her not to, but she is in the minority where Vishnitz is concerned.

Any chance that any of the four groups mentioned above have communities in Antwerp? I always think of Belz when I think of Belgium, but I really wouldn't know.

WhatFor

Tue, May 09 2023, 9:24 am

GramaNewYork wrote:

I don't disagree. I think it was a disservice to the show for the article to make that comparison because now instead of discussing the merits, we get sidetracked with the comparison. I would absolutely love to see another Shtisel-level show though.

My only thought on the hats thing was of course that litvish people don't Wink

. But I knew you meant chassidish even though you didn't specify because obviously they're speaking chassidish Yiddish. I wouldn't put too much stock into it ultimately because maybe they just got it wrong, although I wonder if they were told to do that.

But there were other things that I was a bit skeptical about. Minor spoiler warning!!! Stop now if you haven't watched!

Like even someone otd would usually slap on a yarmulke before walking in to the levaya of a frum relative they loved and respected. I had to create a backstory in my head for that to make sense, like maybe they drove there directly from the airport and their luggage is somehow out of sight and there was no opportunity to find a yarmulke in between.

And also the whole thing of presenting the yarmulke to the grandson, I just don't see it. There's no mitzvah for him to wear one. It's sweet that they were so accepting, and I can totally buy a chassidish family being accepting and loving towards a non Jewish grandchild (not saying it would be typical, no one needs to come at me for that, but I'm saying that I can buy that happening because every family is different, and it could happen.) The incongruity for me was the whole thing about presenting the yarmulke with great ceremony at the shabbos table. Jews don't try to convert other people, and there's no mitzvah for him to wear a yarmulke. I think even the type of family that accepted him, would accept him as he is, as someone not Jewish with all the halachos that entails. He doesn't need to make brachot, he doesn't need to wear a yarmulke and I've never heard of a frum person trying to get a non-Jew to do any of it.

Although I noticed that the time the kids told him how to make make a bracha, they didn't say shem hashem. And that part actually made sense to me in the plot because obviously that's what one would do if a non-Jew asked you how to make a bracha. But I don't think that was deliberate and what they were trying to convey, because no one not frum would get that nuance. More likely that the kids were actually frum or the person advising them didn't want them to use shem hashem for a show.

GramaNewYork

Tue, May 09 2023, 9:30 am

"Like even someone otd would usually slap on a yarmulke before walking in to the levaya of a frum relative they loved and respected."

I was thinking the same thing. And even if he didn't bring one with him, he came back to the cemetery another time and is even joining in saying kaddish and they make it clear he has no yamaka. I think that's weird. I mean supposedly they have all those consultants What

giftedmom

Tue, May 09 2023, 9:32 am

GramaNewYork wrote:

Firstly it’s likely not on purpose they just don’t know the distinctions. Second, the groups mingle a lot more in Antwerp, third all groups have women who wear uncovered shaitels.

WhatFor

Tue, May 09 2023, 9:40 am

GramaNewYork wrote:

***potential spoiler warning ****

I agree. I mean it's not totally impossible, like someone can have major major emotional issues related to putting on a yarmulke so that they can't bring themselves to do it, hypothetically. But if that's the case with him, they haven't fleshed out that part of the story. And even people who cannot stand frumkeit would still usually do it out of respect for the relative they came to honor who was frum and would have been grateful for them wearing a yarmulke. It's so odd. I've been in many circles and I can't imagine someone not slapping on at least one of those prolific oversized shiny whitish yarmulkes for the ceremony.

But, anyway. If someone is looking for an action show, this one is fine, with the added intrigue of it revolving around a frum community.

giftedmom

Tue, May 09 2023, 9:42 am

I thought that it was like shtisel in the sense that it features a Frum family but with a whole other plot and not the typical stereotype of a stunning and brave person “leaving the cult”. They made everyone human, Frum or not. Unfortunately that sort of balance is rare, and somehow only seen by Israeli producers.

amother

Blushpink

Tue, May 09 2023, 10:10 am

Jew in the City posted about reaching out to the producer who told her that the story is based on true events. Does anyone know more about this?

giftedmom

Tue, May 09 2023, 10:17 am

amother Blushpink wrote:

Jew in the City posted about reaching out to the producer who told her that the story is based on true events. Does anyone know more about this?

Very loosely lol if anything. The entire premise is highly improbable and has many holes.

cookier

Tue, May 09 2023, 11:02 am

I really liked it! I liked the layers of the story and that Noah was caught in between Kerra and his family.

Most of the inconsistencies (the long sheitel, the very modern looking dealer trying to send his son to an internet-banning chassidishe yeshiva, the yarmulke on Shabbos, the artscroll siddur 😂) I could overlook because obviously they don’t have unlimited cultural resources to pull from. The only one that really truly bothered me was Noah’s relationship. I just don’t think it’s at all likely that someone who has gone OTD would ever entertain the possibility of pulling a frum woman (with teenagers!) away from her community unless she already was on the way out, and the show didn’t reflect any of that. No agonizing over the impact of it on her kids or how hard it would be for her, Just “come back to London with me!” And the next day her hair is uncovered. Can't Believe It

cookier

Tue, May 09 2023, 11:09 am

WhatFor wrote:

Like even someone otd would usually slap on a yarmulke before walking in to the levaya of a frum relative they loved and respected. I had to create a backstory in my head for that to make sense, like maybe they drove there directly from the airport and their luggage is somehow out of sight and there was no opportunity to find a yarmulke in between.

And also the whole thing of presenting the yarmulke to the grandson, I just don't see it. There's no mitzvah for him to wear one. It's sweet that they were so accepting, and I can totally buy a chassidish family being accepting and loving towards a non Jewish grandchild (not saying it would be typical, no one needs to come at me for that, but I'm saying that I can buy that happening because every family is different, and it could happen.) The incongruity for me was the whole thing about presenting the yarmulke with great ceremony at the shabbos table. Jews don't try to convert other people, and there's no mitzvah for him to wear a yarmulke. I think even the type of family that accepted him, would accept him as he is, as someone not Jewish with all the halachos that entails. He doesn't need to make brachot, he doesn't need to wear a yarmulke and I've never heard of a frum person trying to get a non-Jew to do any of it.

My take on Noah’s yarmulke was that it was willful disobedience. He’s pretty dismissive of everything up until he starts saying Kaddish, so I think it was intentional that he wasn’t going to put one on.

And I think the fact that Tommy wanted one so bad was meant to be a juxtaposition between the two. That Noah as a Jew hates it but Tommy isn’t even Jewish and sees something in it.

I thought the yarmulke was unrealistic because we don’t give gifts on Shabbos, but not that they would give him one at all. It’s a very cute way of including him without it being something that a non-Jew shouldn’t have/do. And in my community it’s fairly common for people to ask non-Jewish relatives/friends to wear yarmulkes. We also help our non-Jewish family and friends make brachos if they want to, so they don’t feel left out.

WhatFor

Tue, May 09 2023, 11:40 am

cookier wrote:

Oh right. I forgot about the bolded.

You give Noah's character a lot of credit. I don't think he's that level of considerate, look at the way he routinely stands up his son and even asks some random woman from work to pick him up from school. (Oh right- yet another question mark. I don't know about Belgium but in most places I'm familiar with, you can't just send a stranger to retrieve your child from school. As in, the school will not allow this. You need to have a list of approved people from way before. Speaking of which, did I space out at the part where Noah was enrolled in school? Because this started off as a few day visit and they seem to constantly have one foot back in London. But okay. I guess he's in school there now.)

Also, if Noah is truly anti religion, he wouldn't necessarily think he's harming her by taking her otd. But the real reason to me is point 1- he's not the most considerate person.

cookier

Tue, May 09 2023, 4:16 pm

WhatFor wrote:

I didn’t think he was inconsiderate, just trying to figure out being a parent. The school and movies I definitely felt bad for Tommy about, but when two international mafias need you to run a drug shipment in a casket, what are you gonna do?? 😂

I took the school pickup as meeting the bus I guess? Because he drops him off at the bus once, so presumably he’s taking the bus home as well. I also got the sense that they were there for a few months. We see the brother’s shloshim in the first or second episode don’t we?

I don't think it’s true that even someone who is anti-religion wouldn’t recognize the ramifications of someone going OTD. Like, there wasn’t even a conversation of “how would we make this work?” Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be a big part of the story (and because people going OTD is ALWAYS the story, I do appreciate that) but I think there needed to be a little more treatment of it to make work in the story. If think if they didn’t want to give that the space it would take, they should have just had Noah pine for her and mourn her choosing to stay, instead of the back and forth of “come with me! No I can’t…ok maybe…Nevermind.”