Soon By You is a comedy web series that follows six Modern Orthodox Jewish singles in New York City—think of it as Friends meets Srugim.

The pilot—originally screened at film festivals as The Setup—opens with rabbinical student David (Danny Hoffman) arriving late to a shidduch date, where he meets aspiring artist Sarah Feldman (Sara Scur). They click immediately, but a mix-up soon surfaces: David was meant to meet Sarah Jacobs (Leah Gottfried), while Feldman’s intended match was legal intern Ben (Nathan Shapiro). Both setups flop, and in the shuffle, David loses Feldman’s phone number. Determined to find her, he enlists the help of his eccentric roommate Z (Noam Harary), plus Jacobs and her roommate Noa (Jessica Schechter), launching a search for the woman he wasn’t supposed to meet.

The thing about making a web series is that you’re not beholden to network rules or the whims of a streaming service. Unfortunately, it also means the filmmakers don’t have the budget of a broadcast, cable, or streaming show. This probably explains why Soon By You’s first season stretched from summer 2016 into December 2017, while the second season saw just one episode apiece premiere in 2019, 2020, and 2021. With four years since the last episode, I’d assume it’s as good as done—though I can’t say for sure.

I’d been meaning to check out Soon By You ever since I first heard about it in summer 2017. As a Modern Orthodox Jew who watches a lot of movies and TV, an Orthodox Jewish comedy was bound to pique my interest. Even though I don’t live in New York, the issues facing Orthodox Jewish singles there are no different from those in other cities. It’s no surprise I laughed so much—much of what happens is incredibly relatable. With any luck, the show might even change how people think about Modern Orthodox Jews.

Soon By You will be more relatable for Modern Orthodox audiences, but you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy it. Still, it’s probably a bit of an uphill climb for non-Jewish viewers. The series doesn’t explain Orthodox life for outsiders—for example, that keeping kosher means not mixing meat and dairy, or that many wait 3–6 hours between them. But not understanding every detail doesn’t make the show any less entertaining.

If you walk into any Orthodox shul—and maybe any shul in general—you’re bound to find multiple people with the same first name. So it’s no surprise this particular friend group in Soon By You has two women named Sarah. On a Friday night date turned Shabbos dinner, they decide to call Sarah Jacobs simply “Jacobs.”

The first season mostly focuses on letting audiences get to know the characters. A second season typically expands the story, maybe even changes the formula. But with only three episodes so far, it’s hard to tell. If it really is over, ending a two-season series on a cliffhanger is right up there with The Sopranos fading to black. Still, the few second-season episodes do broaden the story, introducing both LGBTQ characters and Jews of Color.

As an Orthodox transgender Jew, I appreciated the LGBTQ storyline and its mentions of JQY and Eshel. Having shuls that welcome LGBTQ Jews is vital for me. Others—you know who—pretend we don’t exist and push dehumanizing laws. A welcoming shul and community mean everything for my mental health right now.

Soon By You doesn’t dwell as much on workplace issues as it does on single life. Noa volunteers with Jewish organizations like JScreen and HODS. Meanwhile, Ben’s legal internship offers plenty of humor—like colleagues not realizing Shomer Shabbos Jews need to leave early on Fridays. You’d think a New York law firm would know that. The series pokes fun at the trope without overdoing it.

In the end, Soon By You blends sharp humor with an authentic slice of Modern Orthodox life rarely seen on screen outside of niche indies. Whether or not the series continues, it stands as a warm, relatable, and often hilarious reminder that the search for connection is universal—even if the details are steeped in a very particular world.

CREATOR/DIRECTOR: Leah Gottfried
WRITERS: Leah Gottfried, Danny Hoffman, Uri Westrich
CAST: Danny Hoffman, Sara Scur, Nathan Shapiro, Leah Gottfried, Noam Harary, Jessica Schechter

Soon By You is available to stream on YouTube and ChaiFlicks. Season 1 Grade: 4/5. Season 2 Grade: 4/5

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