Wonder Woman Walks into a Chabad
Wonder Woman Walks into a Chabad
An Israeli TV show, Kathmandu, delivers the tales of a Chabad couple in Nepal who rush to put together a seder for all of the Israeli tourists, including Gal Gadot
After watching Wonder Woman and other Gal Gadot films, you probably wouldn’t guess that one of Gal’s early roles was on a show called Kathmandu, a series about a Chabad chassidic couple who open a Chabad House in Katmandu, Nepal for the many Israeli travelers that journey there after the army. It is based on the lives of the then directors of Chabad in Nepal, Rabbi Chezki Lifshitz and Rebetzin Chani Lifshitz and it aired in 20121.
The show works on multiple levels. It provides a window into the lives of Chabad chassidim, delves into the relationships they forge with secular Israelis, and manages to dig into questions of Israeli identity, belonging, and even peoplehood.
Without giving away too much as I would encourage you to watch it for yourself (on Netflix), I will dive into some of the themes and connect them to Israeli TV and Israeli culture more generally.
This series tells the story of a Chabad couple who are sent to Nepal after expecting to be placed in a less remote location. They arrive very close to the Passover seder (48 hours) and they must make order of multiple messes in order to be ready to host many guests. It is quite the balagan and some trying challenges call for some creative solutions. Not only are Shmulik and Mushki living in a new country with a new language and new way of life, but they must ignite their entrepreneurial talents in order to put together a large-scale seder. Even though it’s not a simple task to prepare for a seder (or two) for a large family, putting together a seder in a new country with only 48 hours and more than a few obstacles takes the rush to a whole new level. I’ll save some of the details for your own discovery, but suffice it to say that things don’t go according to plan. One hiccup after another threatens the grand goal - to host seder for a huge group of Israelis.
Passover Seders in Asia
A unique element of this Chabad House in Katmandu, which really does exist, is that there is less outreach that needs to take place. In locations where many secular and religious Israelis travel, Chabad Houses have been set up for Shabbat and holiday meals and celebrations. There is less of a need to bring those from outside in and more of welcoming individuals who want to be there for a taste of home that they are missing. Chabad couples and families will put up fliers and get out the word about events, but there is less time to get to know visitors and to build relationships. Many visitors for meals and celebrations are passing through whereas a freshman at a large university can get involved with Chabad for four years.
The Passover seder is widely celebrated in Israel with over 80% of Jewish Israelis participating in one2. In 1989, the seder held in Katmandu was attended by 500 people(!)3.
Where’s Wonder Woman?
You might be wondering, ‘Where does Gal Gadot fit into this?’, and that is a fair question indeed. Gal plays someone who is searching for her sister who has gone missing in the area. She may or may not become a romantic interest for another one of the characters, but she offers a taste of life in Israel and a heartwarming sense of love and loyalty to her sister. It’s easy to observe the familiarity that Israelis in a different country share with each other. Israeli travelers from all around the country exhibit a certain sense of camaraderie with each other.
Some movie stars of today might have gotten their start on a soap opera or embarrassing series, but Gal Gadot can be proud of her work.
Peoplehood and Pop Culture
“Actors Michael Moshonov (Shmulik) and Nitzan Levartovsky (Mushkie) avoid the trap of allowing their characters to become flat caricatures by making them raw and flawed. In real life, Chabadniks are often stereotyped as plastic and perky, but each lead shows that beneath the cheerful facades, shluchim wrestle with the same questions of doubt that plague all of us. More importantly, the leads succeed in creating genuine chemistry with each other.”4
Even if one presses play on this series because of Gal Gadot, they will soon realize that Kathmandu has a lot more to offer. More than 10 years before Shtisel stole our hearts and offered a window into hareidi life, Kathmandu gave us a glimpse into Chabad chassidim in a very different way. While many people in the hareidi community live in secluded neighborhoods and make efforts to remove themselves from secular society, many Chabad couples come into contact with those outside of the religious world. From Chabad couples around the world to those on secluded college campuses in the US, the relationships that are formed go beyond what might have been expected. Chabad aims to be a source of light and a force in encouraging people to do good deeds and this requires engagement with the outside world.
This series shares with us family relationships, couple dynamics, and compassion in a way that other shows that are depicting the religious world don’t. It serves as an example of the ideal of people of different backgrounds getting along and accepting others even if they don’t agree with them.
Backpacker Culture
Backpacking is a significant part of Israeli culture. Many Israelis travel abroad after the army or national service. This isn’t usually luxurious travel to fancy resorts, but rather backpacking and staying in hostels. It has become an inside joke that you will find Israeli backpackers in India where waiters have learned Hebrew or at the large range of Chabad Houses in the far corners of the world.
It’s not rare to talk to an Israeli who spent a couple of months in South America or Asia. These are serious trips - not that they don’t include so much fun, but they are impressive in distance and unique locations.
Some may take a Eurotrip after college for several weeks, but this is on a different level. These trips tend to involve real engagement with the local cultures - food, music, humor, etc. - and feature some incredible stories upon returning to the Holy Land.
It wouldn’t hurt to add the term, הטיול הגדול (ha-tee-yule ha-guh-dole), to your vocabulary. It means the Big Trip and refers to the adventure after the army or national service.
Song of the Week
ויקיפדיה
Vee-kee-peh-dee-uh
Wikipedia
Hanan Ben Ari sings about all of the generalizations and stereotypes that exist in Israel. The main message is not to assume things about people based on their group affiliation. Kathmandu challenges some preconceived notions about Chabad chassidim and about secular Israelis.
Slang of the Week
בטן גב
Beh-ten gahv
Stomach back
In slang, this means to do nothing. It refers to tanning your front and then flipping over to tan your back on the beach.
Thank you kindly for reading this week’s post. I enjoy writing them a lot and I don’t always know how I feel or think about something until I write a post about it. I hope that you will continue to read and enjoy. I’d be grateful if you could tell one friend or family member to give it a try. It might be a small Whatsapp message, but it goes a long way as we learn and grow.
Wishing you a Shabbat shalom and a great weekend!
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“Kathmandu (TV series). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathmandu_(TV_series)
“Poll: 82% of seculars conduct Seder”. ynet News. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4057570,00.html
Nosanwisch, Phreddy. “30 Years in Kathmandu: How World’s Largest Seder Transformed Jewish Life in Asia”. https://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/3980839/jewish/30-Years-in-Kathmandu-How-Worlds-Largest-Seder-Transformed-Jewish-Life-in-Asia.htm
Weinstein, Gabe. “Zany, Heartfelt ‘Kathmandu’ Evokes the Soul of Jewish Culture in Nepal”. New Voices. https://newvoices.org/2012/12/05/zany-heartfelt-kathmandu-evokes-the-soul-of-jewish-culture-in-nepal/