Rabbi Steve Leder has publicly torn into Adam Brody over the actor’s stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict, calling him an “ignorant Jew” in a blistering social media video.
Leder, who served as the technical consultant for Season 1 of Netflix’s “Nobody Wants This,” directed his remarks at Brody, 45, after the actor told GQ he views Israel’s military actions in Gaza as genocide and supports a free Palestine. The rabbi opened his video with a pointed reminder of their professional connection.
“Hi Adam, you might not remember me. My name is Rabbi Steve Leder, and I was the technical advisor for Season 1 of ‘Nobody Wants This,'” he said. “My job was to make sure that your character was authentic and that everything in Season 1 about Judaism was authentic.”
Leder then pivoted to what he called Brody’s “truly shocking” comments, taking particular issue with the actor’s use of the word “genocide.”
“Your pronouncement the other day about a genocide in Gaza was truly shocking, not only because of your misuse and mischaracterization of the word ‘genocide.’ There is no genocide in Gaza. There are genocides in other countries happening, but you failed to mention any of them,” he continued.
The rabbi did not hold back in his assessment of Brody’s knowledge base, directly attacking the actor’s self-described limited engagement with Judaism.
“You, by your own admission, are a relatively ignorant Jew, and your ignorance really showed the other day,” Leder said.
He pressed further on what he saw as Brody’s casual deployment of charged language, comparing it to a trivial Hollywood social ritual.
“If you’re gonna use a word like ‘genocide,’ you oughta know what it means,” he said, calling the way Brody referred to the term “so flippant” and “disgusting,” while likening it to “asking for a table for two at Craig’s.”
Leder closed his technical advice with a blunt directive: “If you know nothing about something, you should say nothing about it.”
Brody’s remarks to GQ that triggered the response were unequivocal. When asked about his position on the Israel-Gaza conflict, he told the magazine, “Put me down as thinking it’s a genocide. Put me down as wanting a free Palestine,” He added that he’s “hopeful that another administration can really do some good and correct some of these policies that are helping that situation be as awful as it is.”
The exchange has put an uncomfortable spotlight on the Netflix hit, where Brody plays Rabbi Noah Roklov, a role that required the kind of Jewish authenticity Leder was hired to safeguard. In the series, Brody’s character enters an unlikely romance with Joanne Williams, played by Kristen Bell, a non-Jewish podcaster who ultimately decides to convert to Judaism as the relationship deepens.
Brody is not the only entertainer to face professional fallout over Palestine advocacy. Earlier this month, Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s “Loop Tour” after delivering a mid-show “Free Palestine” speech, which Sheeran’s team described as a “painful disagreement.” The “Thrift Shop” rapper’s departure prompted other opening acts and Sheeran’s own backing band to quit the tour in solidarity. Macklemore has since pledged his earnings to Palestinian aid organizations and announced his own “Free Palestine Tour,” set to launch in October.
A representative for Brody did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday evening.