When I saw him speaking last year, actor Josh Radnor shared how much he loved the “Talmudic experience” of immersing himself in Jewish literature while working on his play “The Ally.”
And so it’s especially exciting for him — and us — that Radnor, who also starred in the excellent Holocaust action series “Hunters,” will be unpacking Jewish art and writing in a new show and podcast coming to JLTV called “The People of the Book.”
In the series, premiering in late 2025, Radnor will interview Jewish authors and celebrities about their books and lives, discussing everything from food to spirituality.
Radnor, who is best known for the iconic role of Ted Mosby in “How I Met Your Mother,” was raised Jewish in Bexley, Ohio, where he attended Jewish day school and belonged to a Conservative Jewish synagogue. In 1997, he traveled to Israel as part of an Israel Experience trip and visited the Western Wall. “I had this very emotional response,” he told Playbill. “Being there [in Israel] for six weeks really shifted something for me in terms of my identity, my feeling of connection with the religion, the history, and the culture.” The actor, musician and director of the films “Happythankyoumoreplease” and “Liberal Arts” got married to his bashert, Dr. Jordana Jacobs, under a chuppah in early 2024. He pens a newsletter on Substack called Museletters.
“His intellectual curiosity, deep appreciation for literature, and passion for the Jewish experience makes him an ideal host for this unique series, an intimate, in-studio deep dive with Jewish authors, exploring what makes them tick,” Rabbi Mark Blazer, the Executive Director of the Jewish Life Foundation who is producing the show, shared in a press release.
“In a time of rising anti-Semitism and boycotting of Jewish authors and artists, The People of the Book offers an uplifting celebration of Jewish culture and storytelling,” the show’s producer (and Kveller contributor) Amy Klein added.
I can’t wait to hear Radnor’s deep dives into Jewish literature and Jewish life in this new show.
