- The new HBOMax comedy, An American Pickle, follows a religious early
1900’s eastern european Jew, Herschel Greenbaum, played by Seth Rogen,
who falls into a vat of pickle brine while working in a Brooklyn factory.
The pickling preservatives perfectly protect him until
the present, when Hershal wakes up in modern day Brooklyn.
- You don't honestly expect us to buy that, do you?
- What's the science behind it?
- It’s then that he’s introduced to his great grandson, web designer
and unaffiliated Jew, Ben Greenbaum, also played by Seth Rogen.
The fish out of water tale explores Jewish notions of family, history,
social controversy, and even prayer.
But how much of it did the screenwriters get right and
how much of it was dramatized for the small screen?
Here are the 7 things you probably oughta know before
watching An American Pickle.
The movie starts out in the eastern european village of Schlupsk.
Though a fictional town, it could be any Shtetl from the area known as
The Pale of Settlement, an area in Russia where Jews were forced to live
starting in 1791 as part of a wave of antisemitic sentiment in Russia.
Shtetls were Jewish villages in pre-World War II eastern Europe, which
you may be familiar with from such movies as Yentle, The Frisco Kid,
and of course, Fiddler on the Roof.
Usually Yiddish speaking, these small towns were self-sufficient
with at least one synagogue, a kosher butcher, schools, marketplaces, and
any other old timey settings you may be familiar with from Jewish folklore.
The movie emphasises the poverty, difficult living conditions,
and oppression felt by the residents of the stereotypical
shtetl for comedic effect.
But the reality was that shtetl life was no walk in the park
given the frigid weather, mostly unworkable land, economic
restrictions, crippling poverty, and frequent antisemitic attacks.
In the new world Hershel arrives at the iconic Ellis Island to
less than hospitable reception.
For over 150 years, Jewish immigrants entered the US via ports along
the East Coast, but in 1892, Ellis Island became a primary
point of entry for immigrants traveling from the Old World.
The first year alone saw 450,000 newcomers to its shores.
The immigrant experience has never been easy: they dealt with
abuse, inflated rail tickets, exorbitant exchange rates,
and were forced to pay bribes.
Jews were of course no exception.
From Ellis Island, Herschel continues on into Brooklyn...
There was Jewish presence in Brooklyn as early as the 1660s,
part of the Sephardic first wave of Jewish immigrants to New York.
While New York’s first synagogue was founded in 1654, the first Jewish
congregation in Brooklyn was only established in 1848 during the second
wave, this time of mostly German Jews.
Then between 1870 and 1914 there was a flood of Jewish immigration
from eastern Europe that populated New York, particularly Brooklyn and
the Lower East side of Manhattan.
Between these immigration waves, neighborhoods such as Bensonhurst,
Brighton Beach, Borough Park, Flatbush, Crown Heights, and of
course, Williamsburg, all developed substantial Jewish communities.
Hershel comes from the third, eastern European wave.
In the present day, Brooklyn is no stranger to the beard, whether
from the observant Jewish community or the thriving hipster culture.
In addition to appreciating full facial hair, these two communities
share an affinity for vintage dress and a peace-loving attitude.
Pop culture is well aware of the Hipster/Hasid similarities.
- Between the Hipster community and the Hassidic community here in
Brooklyn, Brooklyn is by far the most bearded spot in New York.
- And has made it a topic of comedy bits and human interest stories.
But the two lifestyles have also had their share of conflicts in
terms of liberal versus conservative values.
An American Pickle doesn’t shy away from the culture
clash in the slightest.
Early on, Hershel benefits from the similarities, as
Brooklynites resonate with his style and all natural pickles.
But, he has his run-ins with the Brooklyn Hipsters as well.
When Ben shows Hershel a dazzling futuristic New York with taxis,
scooters, and sprawling skyscrapers, one of the things that blows Hershel’s
mind is some amazing Brooklyn cuisine, first pizza and then hotdogs.
And the best part is it’s all kosher, at least in the fiction of the film.
- Good, huh? Kosher too.
- Many people think Kosher means “blessed by a Rabbi.” But it actually
refers to a set of dietary laws passed down for thousands of years
through the Jewish community and is still observed by many today.
For meat, only certain mammals and birds are allowed to be eaten
and those animals must be killed according to strict procedures and
standards, while fish is only kosher if it has both fins and scales.
But Ben isn't lying when he says there can be good kosher food.
Brooklyn has some amazing kosher pizza and there's no shortage of kosher
hot dog vendors all over the borough.
Hershel often cries out to God with a specific and unique declaration:
- Sweet Hashem!
Hashem isn’t a relic of the old world, nor is it a secret
holier Jewish name for God.
Literally translated as "The Name", Hashem is often used as
a placeholder for referring to God in everyday circumstances.
The holier names are not uttered unless in prayer, blessing, or
for the sake of instruction.
But Hashem is a safe and respectful way of calling out to the
Lord, which Hershel frequently does throughout the film.
Hershel tries to persuade his great grandson to join him in
honoring his departed parents with the time honored tradition of
saying Kaddish for the deceased.
A profound ritual for family members that have passed away, the Kaddish
is technically not a prayer, nor does it actually say anything about
the departed; it is a simple praise of God in the Aramaic language
to give honor to lost loved ones.
It is considered extraordinarily powerful and can only be said
when 10 Jews are present.
While comedies about observant Jews don't tend to put effort into
accuracy, often portraying them as nothing more than just a punchline,
- There's my frugal aunt Ruth, my thrifty uncle Isaac,
my bargain hunting aunt Flo, and my great aunt Vera,
who didn't like to spend a lot on anything!
- It's nice to see some media that put some effort into getting
the details right, even if only the most observant would notice.
Ben might not be very interested in his Jewish history and culture
but if you are - you should check out our series The Jewish Story
Explained by clicking over here.