Sukkot is arguably the most under-appreciated Jewish holiday in terms of TV airtime. While Hanukkah and Passover get the most beloved Jewish holiday specials — “Rugrats”! “The Nanny”! — even the somber Yom Kippur memorably shows up in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” But a little primetime love for the Festival of Booths? Not so much.
Thankfully, what Sukkot episodes of TV lack in quantity, they make up for in quality. Because back in 2022 “Kid Sister” made a perfect episode of television featuring the Jewish harvest festival.
But first, let’s back up for a second. “Kid Sister” is a Kiwi Jewish comedy from created, written and starring Simone Nathan which first aired in 2022. (The second season came back in 2023.) Simone plays Lulu Emanuel, a drifting 29-year-old in Auckland’s traditional Jewish community who finds out she’s pregnant by her boyfriend Ollie (Nathan’s real-life husband Paul Williams). Among the many problems this poses for our struggling heroine, one stands out from the rest. Lulu’s family is practically foaming at the mouth for her to marry a Jewish guy, and Ollie is decidedly goyische.
By the time Sukkot has rolled around in episode two, “Emotional Rant,” Lulu still hasn’t told her family she’s seeing Ollie, let alone pregnant. But Ollie starts formulating his own plan to make their relationship work. “I could learn. I could get Jewish,” he suggests, before asking: “What’s happening at the moment? There’s always a big festival on.”
“It’s Sukkot,” Lulu explains. “It’s when you get in cages and shake fruit.” Ollie cracks a smile. Lulu is clearly messing with him. “No you don’t,” he laughs. “No, yeah, no, that would be crazy,” Lulu laughs along, defeated. Cut to Ollie the next day googling “Sook hot” and, mouth agape, realizing that that is in fact what you do on Sukkot.
Later, the Emanuels gather to build their sukkah and an unwanted ushpiza arrives with a platter of grocery store fruit. It’s Ollie. As desperate as he is to show Lulu’s family he’s a good match, the Emanuels are desperate for him to not be there. But nevertheless, he persists. They welcome him inside the sukkah in the spirit of the holiday. I won’t spoil the end of the episode for you, but let’s just say things go fantastically awry when Lulu’s grandfather Hershey (Peter Hayden) attempts to teach Ollie how to shake the lulav and etrog while the rest of the table talks about adult circumcision.
Pairing Ollie’s conversion journey, which progresses throughout the rest of the season and parallels Paul Williams’ own conversion, with one of Judaism’s more esoteric festivals is a bit of genius from Simone Nathan. The comedic point of view spares no one. Yes, it’s riotous to see Ollie, charming as Paul Williams may be, trying so hard to get Judaism right for Lulu and messing up so spectacularly. But it is also (lovingly) points the finger back at us Jews. Just because we’re used to it doesn’t mean it’s not objectively a little crazy to live in an impermanent hut and shake obscure plants for a week. And for the Emanuels, it’s even crazier work for a family with so few boundaries to exist in a tiny sukkah together.
For Simone Nathan, Lulu’s answer to the adage “when life gives you lemons” is to bite gums-deep into an etrog. (We even see Lulu and her brother Leo, played by Simone’s real-life brother Joseph Nathan, do this earlier in the episode.) The result is messy, juicy, sour, sweet, funny and very entertaining watch.
Starting Oct. 11, 2026 you can stream “Kid Sister” on ChaiFlicks.
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