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- Brooklyn According to Kalish
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In 1983 New York-based radio reporter Jon Kalish started covering the Orthodox and Chasidic Jews of Brooklyn for NPR. In 1999 he produced "Brooklyn According to Kalish" for WNYC. The hour-long documentary utilizes recordings Kalish made for pieces he produced for "All Things Considered," "Morning Edition," "Weekend Edition," as well as WNYC and other outlets. Rich in sound and featuring the extraordinary access Kalish gained in the close-knit Orthodox world, this program explores all aspects of the lives of religious Jews as seen through the eyes of Kalish, who is Jewish but grew up outside the realm of Torah-observant Jews. From the yeshivas of Flatbush to the bungalows of the Catskills where Brooklyn chasidim summer, "Brooklyn According to Kalish" explains the mysterious world of the black hats to secular Jews and Gentiles alike. Broadcast on WNYC, WBUR, WBEZ and KCRW. Ideal for Chanukah and Passover programming. Some animals were harmed in the preparation of this program.
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Piece Description
In 1983 New York-based radio reporter Jon Kalish started covering the Orthodox and Chasidic Jews of Brooklyn for NPR. In 1999 he produced "Brooklyn According to Kalish" for WNYC. The hour-long documentary utilizes recordings Kalish made for pieces he produced for "All Things Considered," "Morning Edition," "Weekend Edition," as well as WNYC and other outlets. Rich in sound and featuring the extraordinary access Kalish gained in the close-knit Orthodox world, this program explores all aspects of the lives of religious Jews as seen through the eyes of Kalish, who is Jewish but grew up outside the realm of Torah-observant Jews. From the yeshivas of Flatbush to the bungalows of the Catskills where Brooklyn chasidim summer, "Brooklyn According to Kalish" explains the mysterious world of the black hats to secular Jews and Gentiles alike. Broadcast on WNYC, WBUR, WBEZ and KCRW. Ideal for Chanukah and Passover programming. Some animals were harmed in the preparation of this program.
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Eric Nuzum
Posted on January 07, 2004 at 08:11 AM | Permalink
Review of Brooklyn According to Kalish
The only thing not to like about the program is its title and first minute. Most listeners would immediately ask themselves "Who's Kalish?" and what this program is about? Brooklyn? A guy named Kalish? In truth, the title doesn't serve the program or its subject well at all. The program starts off with the producer describing the program and how it came together. It includes a lot of "I" and "me" references that give the impression that the host is the central presence in this documentary (which isn't the case). However, once the billboard is over and the program's content gets moving along, everything falls into place beautifully and stays that way throughout. The host does offer some occasional personal observations and thoughts, but is very generous and agile with how he weaves in and out of the program.
This would make a great special around the high holy days, Chanukah, or almost anytime. It would be nice if the producer could include a promo or additional support material to help stations promote the program on-air and online.