Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Marvel's Spider-Man Secret Lair promotional image

    Get a Look At the Secret Lair x Marvel’s Spider-Man Superdrop

    09/08/2025
    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions gameplay still

    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions Is All About Adventure (with Friends)

    09/08/2025
    Chord in Persona 5 The Phantom X

    Now Is The Perfect Time To Jump Back In ‘Persona 5: The Phantom X’

    09/05/2025
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Interviews » INTERVIEW: Discussing ‘Tahara’ and Queer Jewish Upbringings with Writer and Producer Jess Zeidman

INTERVIEW: Discussing ‘Tahara’ and Queer Jewish Upbringings with Writer and Producer Jess Zeidman

Jason FlattBy Jason Flatt06/23/20222 Mins ReadUpdated:12/17/2022
Jess Zeidman Tahara - But Why Tho
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Jess Zeidman Tahara - But Why Tho

Tahara is a queer, Jewish coming-of-age film from director Olivia Peace and writer Jess Zeidman. I saw myself profoundly in this movie, and after spilling hundreds of words and much of my heart into my review, I had the chance to speak with Zeidman about how the movie came to be, the people that went into making it, and how life as a queer, movie-loving Jew shaped the movie in the end.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Zeidman begins by sharing her feelings about Tahara finally being out in the world, before sharing a history of how she began working on the movie during college and all of the steps it took to reach big screens. She also lauds the many friends and creative partners who were part of making her screenplay into the final, excellent product we can see today.

The bulk of our discussion revolves around how Zeidman’s Jewish, queer, teenage years informed the characters and the setting especially. She shares how foremost, she sees Tahara’s depiction of communal Jewish life as aspirational, especially as its synagogue is shown to be racially diverse and genuinely inclusive. She’s hopeful that any teens, Jewish or otherwise, can pick up this movie and see themselves in its awkward encounters and its community alike. She also hopes it can be a window into a specific aspect of American Jewish teenagedom that most non-Jewish teens simply are not exposed to and do not understand, no matter how many Jewish friends they have.

Of course, this movie is for Jewish teens in particular as well.  Zeidman and I discussed the ways that underneath its top-most layer, Tahara is a movie that embodies the reality of so many of the Jewish teen spaces (and teen spaces perhaps generally: that they are over-sexualized and compulsorily heternormative, reinforced by peer pressure and unhealthy adult relationships alike. It’s not explicit, but Zeidman explains how this part of her Jewish teenage years was hugely formative, even if she was often on the sidelines of some of it.

Hear about all of this, how Jess Zeidman and I would fix Jewish communal life for teens given the power, and more in our full interview on the But Why Tho? Podcast feed.

Tahara is playing now in select theaters with more theaters coming soon.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘Jerry and Marge Go Large’ Is A Safe Bet For Paramount+
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Exceeds in its Small Moments
Jason Flatt
  • X (Twitter)

Jason is the Sr. Editor at But Why Tho? and producer of the But Why Tho? Podcast. He's usually writing about foreign films, Jewish media, and summer camp.

Related Posts

Yeon Sang-ho behind the scenes of The Ugly

TIFF 2025: Yeon Sang-ho Asks Audiences To Question Beauty In ‘The Ugly’

09/11/2025
Final Fantasy Tactics interview promo image

Final Fantasy Tactics Devs Talk About The Relevance Of The Game’s Politics Today

09/10/2025
Naoki Yoshida's Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail

Final Fantasy’s Naoki Yoshida Looks Back To Look Forward

09/03/2025
The Comic Shop

Cheyenne Ewulu’s ‘The Comic Shop’ Is The Sitcom Fandom Deserves

08/30/2025
Star Wars Visions Volume 3 BLACK Directed by Shinya Ohira

Shinya Ohira Explores Pain, Sacrifice, And Storytelling In ‘Black’ For ‘Visions Volume 3’

08/29/2025
Star Wars Visions Volume 3 James Waugh But Why Tho

James Waugh Believes Unique Expression Is The Heart Of ‘Star Wars: Visions Volume 3’

08/28/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

By Kate Sánchez09/11/2025Updated:09/11/2025

The Long Walk is a brutal watch. Equally heartfelt and heartbreaking, it’s one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s work.

EA Sports FC Icons Match promotional image from Nexon News

2025 Icons Match Returns With Football Legends Bridging The Pitch And Video Games

By Kate Sánchez09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

NEXON has announced the return of the ‘2025 Icons Match,’ a live event that brings a full roster of legendary players to the pitch.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11
8.5
Anime

REVIEW: ‘DanDaDan’ Season 2 Episode 11 – “Hey, It’s a Kaiju”

By Allyson Johnson09/11/2025

The ragtag group faces down the mysterious kaiju in the thrilling and beautifully animated DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here