NBC pulls final TV series episode over anti-Semitic content

Network slammed over the final episode of the drama series ‘Nurses’ that contained anti-Semitic tropes. Canadian NGO calls on Global TV to follow suit.

By Paul Shindman, World Israel News

The NBC television network pulled the final episode of a TV series after viewers were enraged by a scene that showed Orthodox Jews scripted with “offensive and ugly” anti-Semitic dialog, Entertainment Weekly reported Wednesday.

In the episode of the medical drama Nurses, an ultra-Orthodox man requires a bone graft from a donor, but his father, dressed in typical ultra-Orthodox black garb, objects to the getting the graft and uses racist terms.

“A dead goyim leg?” the man says in the scene, using the term for non-Jews. “From anyone? An Arab, a woman?”

“Or, God forbid, an Arab woman,” a nurse says sarcastically in response to the father’s concern.

The show was produced in Canada and B’nai Brith Canada demanded an apology

“The show follows the show’s nurses, working in a hospital & treating an Ultra-Orthodox teenager,” the organization tweeted. “What follows from there is a veritable trainwreck of fake beards &
Both B’nai Brith Canada & the ADL are calling for the networks to take action.”

“The disturbing stereotypes present in this episode of Nurses are deeply damaging to Jews, especially Orthodox practitioners,” B’nai Brith Canada said, calling on the “producers of the show to apologize and take action for the inaccurate and offensive stereotypes against Hasidic Jews.”

After the announcement that the episode was being recalled, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) commended the network for taking the step.

“A welcome move from NBC,” tweeted Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the Anti-Defamation League. “The representation in this episode was offensive and ugly, reinforcing anti-Semitic stereotypes. We appreciate this quick action after ADL and others called for accountability.”

B’nai Brith Canada tweeted, “NBC is pulling the season finale of Nurses off its digital platforms amid backlash regarding a scene accused of being antisemitic. In Canada, we call on @GlobalTV to follow suit- to act responsibly & take accountability for this outrage.”

The revelation of the offensive scene in the show came as NBC was already facing criticism over an anti-Semitic ‘joke’ told by actor Michael Che on the show Saturday Night Live.

In the regular news parody segment “Weekend Update,” broadcast on Feb. 20, cast member Michael Che said, “Israel is reporting that they vaccinated half their population, and I’m gonna guess it’s the Jewish half.”

That attempt at humor was roundly criticized for being factually wrong.

“Israel has offered vaccinations to all of its citizens – Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike,” tweeted the organization Combat Anti-Semitism. “The libelous trope perpetuated by comedian Michael Che on @nbcsnl poses a real danger to Jews.”