Everybody wants this? Dope-smoking 'hot rabbi' welcomed by British Jews

It was the summer of 2022 when Benjamin Stanley was left pleased and slightly embarrassed to hear he was being referred to as the "hot rabbi" at the wedding where he was officiating.

- Neha Gohil

Stanley, 41, worried he might no longer fit into the category after a string of sleepless nights with a newborn child. The moniker, however, is gaining attention as a result of the Netflix show about a weed-smoking rabbi, leading some to declare this season "hot rabbi autumn".

Netflix's new hit series Nobody Wants This depicts an outspoken sex podcaster, Joanne, played by Kristen Bell, falling in love with a weed-smoking rabbi, Noah (Adam Brody). The show's depiction of modern Judaism and, in particular, the rabbi's character have captured the imaginations of many, earning a whopping 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes since its release in late September.

"Fleabag gave us the hot priest and now you are the hot rabbi," remarked Jimmy Kimmel in an interview with Brody on his show, to which the actor jokingly responded: "I don't want some of the other facets of his personality to not be discovered: he's also a hot son, he's a hot brother, he's so many other hot things."

For rabbis across Britain, Brody's portrayal of life as a rabbi is refreshing and relatable. Stanley, who was ordained more than a decade ago and serves congregants at the Westminster synagogue, said it was "pleasing to see a fairly convincing world of Jews and a rabbi who are really applying their Judaism to everyday life in the real world.

"I felt more seen by the Adam Brody character because obviously rabbis in popular culture, generally, we do often get these blokes with beards and [Brody's character] was much more relatable."