By Evelyn Frick (Kveller) –
When the cast of “Dancing with the Stars” samba, tango, cha-cha, waltz and freestyle onto the dance floor for season 35 on Sept. 15, it’ll be an extremely Jewish affair.
Last week, Ukrainian-Israeli dancer Adele Zaikman won “DWTS: The Next Pro,” securing her spot as a professional dancer on the cast of season 35. “It’s been surreal, honestly,” Adele told the Hollywood Reporter. “A dream come true, because I would never expect my life to change so quickly. It’s a lot to take in. It’s amazing, though. I’m so, so grateful.”
The 24-year-old was crowned the winner after dancing a samba and freestyling with partner Nev Shulman, who wore a Star of David as part of his costume. With her addition, there are now four Jewish professional dancers on “Dancing with the Stars”: Adele, Alan Bersten, Daniella Karagach and Val Chermkovskiy.
Then, two days after Adele’s crowning, ABC announced the season 35 celebrity cast. This includes Paralympic gold medalist Ezra Frech, son of Persian Jewish actress Bahar Soomekh. He will partner with Daniella. “It’s something that’s been on the vision board, but it felt so far away, until it didn’t. And then all of a sudden it was a real opportunity,” Ezra told Entertainment Tonight about doing the show. “[Joining] was a no-brainer.”
21-year-old Frech competed at the 2020 and 2024 Paralympic Games in track and field. He won two gold medals in Paris for the High Jump T63 and the 100m T63, setting a world record and national record for High Jump T63 at that time.
With all these Jewish dancers taking the stage, the only question remains: Will there be a Hanukkah dance for “Dancing With the Stars” 2026 holiday celebration, like Alan Bersten’s dance last year to “Miracle” by Matisyahu?
Now that would really be a miracle.
