Turn on HBO or HBO Max, and you’re bound to find shows that are edgy, cinematic and deeply compelling. You’ll also find many shows, HBO/Max Original or otherwise, that are plenty Jewish. There are adaptions of Phillip Roth novels, riveting medical dramas, incisive political satire and Y2K teen romance dramedies. These series either depict or riff on Jewish life, are full of Jewish characters and themes and/or bear the influence of Jewish icons.
Read on for the most Jewish shows you can stream on HBO Max. In no particular order:
“The Pitt”
This Noah Wyle-led medical thriller is the undisputed hottest drama of the last two years. It’s also, arguably, the most Jewish show currently airing on HBO Max. Wyle plays the gruff Head of the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center Emergency Department, Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch. Though Robby is not particularly observant, his Jewish identity is a central part of his character. It informs how he responds in crises (for example, reciting the Shema) and how he connects with patients like a survivor of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in season two. Each season constitutes the tragedies and triumphs of one day-shift at the Pitt.
“Reformed”
In real life, Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur is one of France’s most celebrated rabbis and one of its few women rabbis. “Reformed,” or “Les Sens Des Choses” in French, is partly inspired by her. The show follows 28-year-old rabbi Lea supporting her parishioners through weddings, brises, b-mitzvahs and shivas as she navigates her own personal life.
“The Plot Against America”
What would life have looked like had FDR lost the 1940 presidential election to the populist and antisemitic Charles Lindbergh? This is the question at the center of Phillip Roth’s speculative novel “The Plot Against America” and its 2020 miniseries adaption. With President Charles Lindbergh at the helm of the country, it descends into fascism, collaboration with Germany’s Nazi government and systemic discrimination against Jews. The series shows this horror through the eyes of the Levins, a working class Jewish family in Newark, New Jersey. Jewish actors Morgan Spector and Winona Ryder have starring roles.
“One Day in October”
Starring Israeli actors Swell Ariel Or, Michael Aloni and Lior Ashkenazi, this harrowing seven-episode miniseries recounts Oct. 7 as it occurred. Each episode follows a different person who was affected, telling their stories as they lived them.
“Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Larry David stands alone in the canon of American comedy, as do all 12 seasons of his improvised sitcom “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Each episode follows a semi-fictionalized version of Larry as he gets into hijinks and conundrums that only he could find himself in. His Jewishness is integral to the plot, tone and success of “Curb,” with storylines centering around Larry getting kicked out of a minyan, inviting a sex offender to his Passover seder, eating at a Palestinian chicken restaurant and so on.
“Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness”
In Larry David’s ode to America’s 250th birthday, the “Curb” star plays characters who crash the country’s most historic and patriotic moments with his signature, outlandish kvetching. The show also features Rob Reiner in his last TV role, eerily playing George Washington giving his farewell address.
“I Am Jazz”
Jazz Jennings rocketed to fame as a young trans activist thanks to her 2015-2023 TLC show “I Am Jazz.” The reality show follows Jazz and her family as they navigate the joy and trickiness of being a young transgender woman/having a trans child or sibling. Though the Jennings’ family’s Jewishness doesn’t often come up in the show, Kate Bigam Kaput wrote on ReformJudaism.org that “it seems clear that Jewish values played an important role in the acceptance and warm welcome Jazz has received from her local community.” She goes on: “Her friends’ parents, mostly Jewish, are progressive and LGBTQ-friendly, teaching their children to be accepting of differences in others.”
“Valley of Tears”
This 10-episode miniseries depicts the 1973 Yom Kippur War through the perspectives of four soldiers caught in the crossfire. It is perhaps Israel’s most expensive TV show, with millions of dollars going towards producing the battles of this existential war for Israel.
“High Maintenance”
“High Maintenance” connects the lives of various New Yorkers through the one man they have in common: their weed guy. This dealer, known as “The Guy,” also happens to be Jewish, which comes up in a season two episode following ex-Hasidic New Yorkers and a Hanukkah special in season four.
“Girls”
This comedy from Jewish writer Lena Dunham, a voice of her generation, satirizes 2010s millennial New Yorkers to a tee. The youngest of the eponymous girls is Shoshanna Shapiro (played by Zosia Mamet), who might initially come across as a stereotypical neurotic Jewish woman, but matures and settles into herself as the show goes on.
“Be My Guest with Ina Garten”
The Jewish hostess with the mostess (and the biggest cosmos I’ve ever seen) invites a new celebrity guest to her home every episode. Ina leads her guests in exciting, fun conversations as they cook, nosh and visit Ina’s favorite spots.
“Schitt’s Creek”
When the once-wealthy Rose family loses all their money, their only choice is to go live in Schitt’s Creek. Literally, that’s the name of the remote town that is their only remaining asset. Co-created by Eugene Levy and Dan Levy, the Rose family is inspired by their own family’s interfaith Jewishness.
“Hacks”
“Hacks” follows the unlikely partnership formed by the somewhat washed up stand-up Deborah Vance and her writer, the aggressively Gen Z Ava Daniels. Though the show is not explicitly Jewish, Joan Rivers is a clear source of inspiration for Deborah and actors Hannah Einbinder (who plays Ava) and Robby Hoffman (who plays Randi) bring their own Jewish identities to their roles.
“The Big Bang Theory”
When the beautiful and vivacious Penny moves next door to geeky scientists Leonard and Sheldon, chaos ensues. A major part of the show is Leonard and Sheldon’s friendship with Howard Wolowitz, a Jewish aerospace engineer (played by Simon Helberg) who has an extremely stereotypical relationship with his mother. Mayim Bialik joins the cast as neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler, Sheldon’s love interest.
“Friends”
Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Phoebe and Joey experience the joys and challenges of living in New York City in your 20s — all with their friends by their sides. Ross and Monica are canonically Jewish.
“Nathan For You”
Canadian Jewish comedian and generally awkward guy Nathan Fielder attempts to support struggling businesses and the people who run them. One of the most famous stunts Nathan pulls during the course of his show is creating his own winter clothes brand after discovering his preferred outdoor apparel company Taiga worked with Holocaust denier Doug Collins. All of the company’s profits go towards Holocaust education in Vancouver.
“The Rehearsal”
Nathan Fielder’s follow-up to “Nathan For You” is “The Rehearsal,” a semi-real, semi-fictional docuseries in which Nathan purportedly helps others through an elaborate planning and testing process called “rehearsals.” Inevitably, however, Nathan always inserts himself into these rehearsals. In season one, this meant building an interfaith Jewish home with a woman named Angela who wanted to practice being a mother. Then, in season two, Nathan calls out Paramount+ for removing his “Nathan For You” episode about Summit Ice from their platform.
“Sex And The City”
Four 30-something women live it up and search for love (and good sex) in New York City. In later seasons, Charlotte begins dating Harry and converts to Judaism before they marry.
“And Just Like That…”
Twenty years after “Sex and the City,” Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte are still in the Big Apple. Only now, they’re dealing with teens, aging and menopause, new friends, new diagnoses and loss. The Goldenblatt-York family is heavily featured, including an unconventional b-mitzvah in season one.
“Veep”
In this biting political satire, Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays American Vice President Selina Meyer, an ambitious woman who often gets caught up in political gamesmanship that is beneath her. Despite Meyer not being Jewish, the show is filled with well-crafted Jewish jokes. This includes a plotline in which Jonah Ryan (Timothy Simons pre-“Nobody Wants This”) converts to Judaism.
“The Larry Sanders Show”
This ’90s sitcom tears into late night TV and celebrity culture with Jewish comedian Gary Shandling playing an exaggerated version of himself in fictional late night host Larry Sanders. The show also stars Jeffrey Tambor as Hank Kingsley, the Ed McMahon to Larry’s Johnny Carson. In later seasons, Hank “comes out” as a Jew, parodying Ellen DeGeneres’ momentous coming out as a lesbian on her sitcom “Ellen.”
“The OC”
Before there was Rabbi Noah Roklov in “Nobody Wants This,” there was Seth Cohen in “The OC.” This early 2000s teen dramedy centers on the interfaith Jewish Cohen family and how taking in the troubled Ryan Atwood affects their place in the upper echelons of Orange County society. And yes, it stars a young Adam Brody.
“The Comeback”
In this show-within-a-show, struggling sitcom actress Valerie Cherish documents her attempted return to Hollywood. Though Valerie isn’t Jewish, Lisa Kudrow is — and this show would not exist without her. The show also features Jewish actors Dan Bucatinsky, Laura Silverman and Ella Stiller.
“Angels in America”
This miniseries from 2003 is based upon the two-part magnum opus of a play by Jewish playwright Tony Kushner. It weaves together three storylines set in 1985 and 1986. One deals with a gay man named Prior Walter’s AIDS diagnosis and his partner Louis’ inability to cope. Another centers on closeted gay lawyer Roy Cohn’s AIDS diagnosis and his refusal to admit his sexuality. Rounding out the main characters is Joe Pitt, a closeted gay Mormon lawyer, who struggles with his own sexuality and his wife Harper’s mental illness. All of their stories play out as Prior begins to receive messages from an Angel telling him he’s a prophet.
“Kall Me Kat”
In this sitcom, Mayim Bialik plays a middle-aged Jewish woman defying societal expectations (being happily single) and marching to the beat of her own drum (leaving her job as a professor to open a cat café).
Want to keep binging? Click here for all the Jewish shows to stream on Netflix.
New Year, More Kveller. A few dollars keeps Kveller joyfully, honestly free.
