Shalom in the Home

Last updated

Shalom in the Home
Genre Reality
Written byBernadette McDaid
Directed byMarcus Boyle
Beth Paholak
Presented by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach
ComposersMatt Anthony
Stephen O'Reilly
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes20
Production
Executive producersRoy Ackerman
Andrew Harrison
Ronnie Krensel
Deborah Adler Myers
Jamie Schutz
ProducerConsuelo Villanueva
CinematographyDominic Azoto
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time45–48 minutes
Production companyDiverse USA
Original release
Network TLC
ReleaseApril 10, 2006 (2006-04-10) –
May 7, 2007 (2007-05-07)

Shalom in the Home was an American family-centered weekly hour-long prime time reality television series on TLC. It was hosted by Orthodox Rabbi Shmuley Boteach on Mondays at 9p.m. In the show, Boteach counselled dysfunctional families. The show ran for two seasons from April 2006 to March 2007. It was one of the cable network's highest-rated shows and was the first reality TV show to have a rabbi as its star. National Fatherhood Initiative gave Boteach its most prestigious award for the series.

Contents

Show format

The show debuted on April 10, 2006. [1] [2] A second and final season of Shalom in the Home began on March 4, 2007. [3]

The weekly one-hour prime-time program sought to help families overcome difficult problems. [1] [4] [5] Boteach provided advice to dysfunctional families about relationships, marriage and parenting and tried to bring them peace ( shalom , in Hebrew). [6] [1] In each episode he worked with one family for ten days, playing the role of family therapist to help them come to terms with their problems and find the skills they need to improve. [2]

After Boteach drove up to and parked in front of each troubled family's home in an Airstream trailer equipped with television monitors (the "Shalom Mobile Home"), cameras were installed in the family's home—capturing footage of the family's dynamics. [7] [1] [2] Boteach later brought the parents into the trailer, which is "neutral territory", showed them the footage, and gently confronted them about the family's dysfunction in the hope of shocking them into change. Other techniques he used included, having family members wear earpieces so that Boteach could encourage positive, healthy interactions and discourage negative, dysfunctional behaviors and taking the family on an outdoors outing or activity. [1]

Among the families that he counseled was one with parents who divorced because of the father's infidelity, families who have children who are fighting, a lesbian couple, a widow, two previously divorced parents jointly raising children from their first marriages, and a Muslim family in which the parents’ busy lives drained romance from their relationship. [2] [8] While Boteach used wisdom he learned from Judaism, he does not refer to Judaism and the show is not about religion. [9] [10]

Boteach appeared with families from Shalom in the Home on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss common family problems and how to solve them. [5] He also followed the series with a book in 2007 by the same name. [11] After the series ended, Boteach remained in contact with the families, counselling them and having them over to his home. [12]

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 10April 10, 2006 (2006-04-10)June 12, 2006 (2006-06-12)
2 10March 4, 2007 (2007-03-04)May 7, 2007 (2007-05-07)

Reception

Shalom in the Home attracted almost 700,000 viewers per episode, and was one of the cable network's highest-rated shows. [9] It was the first reality TV show to have a rabbi as its star. [2] Common Sense Media gave it a rating of four stars out of five. [1] In 2007, Boteach received the most prestigious award of the National Fatherhood Initiative for the show. [13] [14]

Rabbi Irwin Kula of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, a Jewish think tank said: "He’s trying to take an ancient tradition that has been familial, tribal, and inwardly focused, and translate it into an American idiom so it can benefit the larger society. He’s essentially bringing the Torah to the marketplace of ideas, and there are very few people doing this." [2] The publication J. The Jewish News of Northern California wrote that unlike hosts in similar shows, Boteach: "really seems to care more about helping people than demeaning them." [7]

Related Research Articles

Christianity began as a movement within Second Temple Judaism, but the two religions gradually diverged over the first few centuries of the Christian era. Today, differences of opinion vary between denominations in both religions, but the most important distinction is Christian acceptance and Jewish non-acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah prophesied in the Hebrew Bible and Jewish tradition. Early Christianity distinguished itself by determining that observance of halakha was not necessary for non-Jewish converts to Christianity. Another major difference is the two religions' conceptions of God. Depending on the denomination followed, the Christian God is either believed to consist of three persons of one essence, with the doctrine of the incarnation of the Son in Jesus being of special importance, or like Judaism, believes in and emphasizes the Oneness of God. Judaism, however, rejects the Christian concept of God in human form. While Christianity recognizes the Hebrew Bible as part of its scriptural canon, Judaism does not recognize the Christian New Testament.

The subject of homosexuality and Judaism dates back to the Torah. The book of Vayikra (Leviticus) is traditionally regarded as classifying sexual intercourse between males as a to'eivah that can be subject to capital punishment by the current Sanhedrin under halakha.

<i>Bar</i> and <i>bat mitzvah</i> Jewish coming of age rituals

A bar mitzvah (masc.), or bat mitzvah (fem.) is a coming-of-age ritual in Judaism. According to Jewish law, before children reach a certain age, the parents are responsible for their child's actions. Once Jewish children reach that age, they are said to "become" b'nai mitzvah, at which point they begin to be held accountable for their own actions. Traditionally, the father of a bar or bat mitzvah offers thanks to God that he is no longer punished for his child's sins.

Adherents of Judaism do not believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah nor do they believe he was the Son of God. In the Jewish perspective, it is believed that the way Christians see Jesus goes against monotheism, a belief in the absolute unity and singularity of God, which is central to Judaism; Judaism sees the worship of a person as a form of idolatry, which is forbidden. Therefore, considering Jesus divine, as “God the Son”, is forbidden. Judaism's rejection of Jesus as the Messiah is based on Jewish eschatology, which holds that the coming of the true Messiah will be associated with events that have not yet occurred, such as building the Third Temple, a Messianic Age of peace, and the ingathering of Jews to their homeland.

Lindsey Eve (Vuolo) Handrinos is an American glamor model and actress best known for her appearance in Playboy as the November 2001 Playmate of the Month. She has appeared in a number of Playboy Special Editions, and in Playboy videos. She also appeared on TV shows such as The Girls Next Door and The Celebrity Apprentice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shmuley Boteach</span> American Orthodox rabbi and writer (born 1966)

Jacob Shmuel Boteach, known as Shmuley Boteach, is an American rabbi, author, and media host.

Oprah Radio was a talk radio channel programmed by Harpo Productions' radio division, and was signed exclusively for Sirius XM Satellite Radio. The channel left satellite radio on December 31, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewish Broadcasting Service</span> American English-language Jewish-oriented television network

Jewish Broadcasting Service (JBS) is an American Jewish television network. JBS programming includes daily news reports from Israel, live event coverage and analysis, and cultural programming of interest to the North American Jewish community. The network is a full-time HD and SD channel. It is an English-language network produced by the non-profit organization Jewish Education in Media (JEM). The goal of this organization is to reach out to less-affiliated Jews and bring them closer to a Jewish religion and Identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Fatherhood Initiative</span> Non-profit organization

The National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian organization that aims to improve the well-being of children through the promotion of responsible fatherhood. Headquartered in Germantown, Maryland, United States, its mission is to improve the well-being of children by increasing the proportion of children with involved, responsible, and committed fathers. NFI was founded on March 7, 1994, by Don Eberly, a civil society scholar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob Immanuel Schochet</span> Swiss-born Canadian rabbi and writer

Jacob Immanuel Schochet was a Swiss-born Canadian rabbi who wrote on Hasidic Judaism. He was a member of the Chabad movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irwin Kula</span> American rabbi and author (born 1957)

Irwin Kula is an American rabbi and author, currently serving as the president of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership (CLAL). In 2008, he was listed as 7th in Newsweek’s “50 most influential rabbis” list, and the following year he was listed as #10.

Shalom is the Hebrew word for hello, goodbye, and peace, and is a Hebrew given name.

Synagogues: Transformation and Renewal (STAR) is a Jewish advocacy organization to support synagogues in the United States.

<i>Kosher Jesus</i> 2012 book by Shmuley Boteach

Kosher Jesus (2012) is a book by the Orthodox Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, focusing on the relationship between Christianity and Judaism. The book examines the rabbinic origins of the teachings of Jesus within the context of Second Temple Judaism in the 1st century and the New Testament, and compares scholarly views on the historical figure of Jesus with the theological ideals expressed by the Jewish writers of early rabbinic literature.

Yosef Mizrachi is a Haredi rabbi and public speaker. Considered by many to be a leading Orthodox Jewish outreach rabbi, Mizrachi's outspokenness on certain issues has led to his widespread denunciation and characterization as misguided by leading Orthodox Jewish authorities.

<i>Dream School</i> American reality television series

Dream School is an American reality television series on SundanceTV that premiered on October 7, 2013.

Moshe D. Gutnick is an Australian Orthodox rabbi, and a member of the ultra Orthodox Chabad Hasidic movement. Rabbi Gutnick is a senior member of the Beth Din in Sydney, Australia. Gutnick is currently President of the Rabbinical Council of Australia and New Zealand. Gutnick is the head of the NSW Kashrut Authority. He formerly served as the rabbi of the Bondi Mizrachi Synagogue in Sydney.

Mark S. Golub was an American rabbi, media entrepreneur, television personality and educator. He created the television channel Jewish Broadcasting Service and the first Russian-language television channel produced in America, RTN. Golub was the rabbi of Chavurah Aytz Chayim, and the host of L'Chayim, a talk show he created in 1979 in which he interviewed prominent Jewish figures.

The Oxford University L'Chaim Society was a student society at the University of Oxford from 1989 to 2001. At its peak, it was the second-largest society within the University of Oxford.

My Unorthodox Life is an American reality television series by Netflix that premiered on July 14, 2021. The series centers on Julia Haart, the former CEO of a modeling agency and fashion company and a former ultra-Orthodox Jew, as Haart and her family acculturate to their new non-religious lifestyle in Manhattan. The second season premiered on December 2, 2022.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sierra Falucci (August 9, 2006). "Shalom in the Home - TV Review; Dr. Phil in a yarmulke meets Supernanny. Teens OK". Common Sense Media.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 John Chadwick (May 17, 2006). "TV Rabbi Brings Shalom to the Home". The Ledger.
  3. ↑ "If your home is a war zone, maybe the rabbi can help.", Sun-Sentinel , March 5, 2007. "The show launched its second season Sunday (TLC, 7 p.m.)."
  4. ↑ Michel Martin (May 7, 2007). "Behind Closed Doors: Bringing Peace into the Home". NPR.
  5. 1 2 "Troubled Families". Oprah.com. June 26, 2006.
  6. ↑ Pat Burson (March 4, 2007). "Is Your Home a War Zone?". Newsday.
  7. 1 2 Eskenazi, Joe (April 7, 2006). "Rabbi Shmuley Boteach does home improvement". J.
  8. ↑ Kendall Bryant (June 2007). "End of the Affair". Best Life. Rodale, Inc. p. 42.
  9. 1 2 Sherri Day (February 13, 2007). "Reality TV gets religion". Tampa Bay Times.
  10. ↑ McNamara, Chris (March 25, 2007). "The State of the American Male: An expert sees big fractures on the home front". Chicago Tribune.
  11. ↑ Shmuley Boteach (2007). Shalom in the Home, Meredith Books.
  12. ↑ "Celebrity Rabbi, Heal Thyself: The Trials of Shmuley Boteach". Tablet Magazine. July 23, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  13. ↑ Goldberg, Michelle (March 23, 2012). "Why Is Shmuley Boteach Running for Congress as a Republican?". The Daily Beast.
  14. ↑ Conor Freehan (May 29, 2007). "Parents are only human". Independent.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.