Observance follows a hard-partying secular Jewish woman as she finds healing, identity, and joy through Judaism, embracing life as a Ba’alat Teshuvah.

I’m all about covering and amplifying Jewish joy right now. When I found out that this Jewish-centered pilot was premiering at Dances With Films: LA, I knew I had to cover it remotely. Plus, it features Jonah Feingold in the cast — so how could they go wrong? Observance shows a lot of promise in its 22 minutes, and I definitely found myself wanting to watch more.

Gabby Goldblum (Elyssa Nicole Trust) is attending the shiva for her late sister Allie (Jenna Harwood) when she learns she’s been expelled from her master’s program. A year later, she moves to New York to enroll in a new one — thanks to Aunt Janet (Liz Samuel), who pulls some strings. There’s just one catch: Gabby must join the Maimonides group and dress modestly. If you’ve seen Gabby in the opening minutes — let alone the flashbacks — you know this is going to be easier said than done.

Gabby’s life is a work in progress — but hey, so is life, and Observance captures the highs and lows. Well, as much as it can within a pilot. There are moments of halachic tension between her and roommate Shoshana (Lauren Schaffel), which spark some light comedy. But at the end of the day, observant Jews aren’t the punchline. Much to her parents’ and boyfriend Noah’s (David Garelik) dismay, Gabby gradually becomes a Ba’alat Teshuvah, transitioning from secular to fully observant.

Gabby’s life is a work in progress — but hey, so is life, and Observance captures the highs and lows. Well, as much as it can within a pilot. There are moments of halachic tension between her and roommate Shoshana (Lauren Schaffel), which spark some light comedy. But the humor here is grounded, not broad — more about uncomfortable silences and sincere missteps than punchlines at the expense of observant Jews. Gabby’s increasing observance puts strain on her relationships with boyfriend Noah (David Garelik) and parents Jim (Geoffrey Greene) and Tracey (Carol Brooks), with their performances anchoring the emotional core of the show.

Becoming observant means that Gabby’s parents can call and text as much as they want — but they won’t get a response until after Shabbos. There are other moments that highlight the differences between secular and observant Jews: Gabby talks after washing for challah, instinctively turns off her phone when it rings during Shabbos dinner, and accidentally flips the light off and back on. When she first meets Shoshanna, she even uses the wrong fork — though in fairness, the kitchen could’ve used the color-coded meat/parve/dairy stickers instead of whatever system Shoshana had going.

At a time when observant Jewish characters feel few and far between, Observance is a show that treats its religious Jews with respect. None of them come off as a joke — and that’s a credit to creator/writer Elyssa Nicole Trust. The multi-hyphenate originally premiered Observance on stage, where it ran for five months, with its final FringeNYC performance taking place just one week before the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. Antisemitism has only surged since then, reaching levels unseen in the days, weeks, and months following October 7. We need Jewish joy more than ever right now — and Observance delivers exactly that.

One thing I appreciate about the pilot is how many Jews are involved both in front of and behind the camera. When you have Jews playing Jewish roles, it brings a level of authenticity. Orthodox Jews don’t necessarily need to play Orthodox Jews, but the bare minimum is to have a Jewish actor in Jewish roles. We’re living at a time when Hollywood is pushing for authentic representation — but sadly, that push often seems to exclude Jews. Projects like Observance are a reminder of how authenticity in casting can elevate a series.

Director Emily Lerer brings a naturalistic visual tone that mirrors Gabby’s internal transformation — quiet, grounded, and refreshingly free of caricature. The ensemble cast adds emotional weight without veering into melodrama, capturing the discomfort, doubt, and sincerity that define Gabby’s spiritual journey.

Unfortunately, the world premiere falls on Shabbos, which is a shame, since I’m sure many interested Jews would have otherwise loved to catch a screening. As more film festivals start programming TV pilots, maybe Jewish film fests will follow suit. I hope a streamer picks Observance up and orders it to series — it stands out as a much-needed contrast to Netflix’s Nobody Wants This.

At a time when antisemitism is surging, Observance humanizes its Jewish characters and shines a positive light on them through empathy, while thoughtfully tackling its many themes. It’s the type of positive Jewish representation that we need right now.

CREATOR/WRITER: Elyssa Nicole Trust
DIRECTOR: Emily Lerer
CAST: Elyssa Nicole Trust, David Garelik, Liz Samuel, Tyler Herman, Jonah Feingold, Lauren Schaffel, Elana Gantman, Mark Karafin, Jenna Harwood, Carol Brooks, Geoffrey Greene

Observance holds its world premiere during 2025 Dances with Films: LA in the Pilots section. Grade: 5/5

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