HBO Max series “Reformed”: French Woman Rabbi Inspired by Delphine Horvilleur

featured in a photo spread in the French version of Elle magazine before the Charlie Hebdo attack — inspired her portrayal in a variety of French cultural works.
“We are not used to seeing women in this role,” she said of her character in “Reformed.” “The anguish and the hell that she goes through — it’s also me.”
In an interview promoting the show, Horvilleur posited that part of the role of a rabbi in the modern era is to navigate ongoing tumult in Jewish life. She compared the experience to that of Israel on Yom Kippur in 1973, when the Arab allies of Syria and Egypt nearly overpowered the country at a time when Jews are supposed to be praying, but instead are battling outside forces.
“Not everybody is trained to deal with that,” she said. “It shows where the responsibility is. It’s in good hands but also in untrained hands. And so there’s a discourse that repeats itself all the time.”
“Reformed” is currently streaming only on Max; no announcement has yet been made about an international release.