Hannah Sto Helit
@hannahstohelit.bsky.social
"You know, between the dames and the horses, sometimes I don't know why I even put my hat on."
-Arthur Shappey
-Arthur Shappey
Maybe it's just that I'm not enough into art cinema to really discuss this well!
November 20, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Maybe it's just that I'm not enough into art cinema to really discuss this well!
I also think that a lot of the movies that people suggest as potential "engaging seriously with Judaism" movies are functionally about cultural Jewishness, but at least a richer and deeper cultural Jewishness than the Christmas-movie equivalent.
November 20, 2025 at 10:29 PM
I also think that a lot of the movies that people suggest as potential "engaging seriously with Judaism" movies are functionally about cultural Jewishness, but at least a richer and deeper cultural Jewishness than the Christmas-movie equivalent.
I mean, I guess my hot take is that to me, movies about the cultural experience of Jewishness are often as Jewish as the average Hallmark Christmas movie is Christian. It's in many ways a completely non-substantial, and even fundamentally universalized, genre.
November 20, 2025 at 10:27 PM
I mean, I guess my hot take is that to me, movies about the cultural experience of Jewishness are often as Jewish as the average Hallmark Christmas movie is Christian. It's in many ways a completely non-substantial, and even fundamentally universalized, genre.
But that can just as well come down to there being way way way fewer Jewish movies, surely
Of course it would be great if there were more but it makes sense
Of course it would be great if there were more but it makes sense
November 20, 2025 at 10:08 PM
But that can just as well come down to there being way way way fewer Jewish movies, surely
Of course it would be great if there were more but it makes sense
Of course it would be great if there were more but it makes sense
Right but MOST of the overwhelming majority of movies are movies with Christians (many of which are not explicitly religious but implicitly contain Christian characters) don't engage with Christianity conceptually at all
November 20, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Right but MOST of the overwhelming majority of movies are movies with Christians (many of which are not explicitly religious but implicitly contain Christian characters) don't engage with Christianity conceptually at all
Fair enough, and property taxes definitely go up once you go from, say, Queens to Nassau County. We do have sales tax though!
November 19, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Fair enough, and property taxes definitely go up once you go from, say, Queens to Nassau County. We do have sales tax though!
I mean the second is true annoyingly enough but people do indeed tend to have at least a few dollars left at the end...
November 19, 2025 at 8:03 PM
I mean the second is true annoyingly enough but people do indeed tend to have at least a few dollars left at the end...
Actually I believe it was Wimsey himself who said it in Strong Poison (at the Christmas party)! It’s possible Harriet said something similar but I pull out Wimsey’s quote all the time to make the exact point above so it’s top of mind
November 19, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Actually I believe it was Wimsey himself who said it in Strong Poison (at the Christmas party)! It’s possible Harriet said something similar but I pull out Wimsey’s quote all the time to make the exact point above so it’s top of mind
I actually like shul singing in moderation but still don't think it would be the worst thing in the world to bring this one back
November 18, 2025 at 4:31 AM
I actually like shul singing in moderation but still don't think it would be the worst thing in the world to bring this one back
So fun!! Thanks for sending it over, will have to check it out!
November 17, 2025 at 1:09 PM
So fun!! Thanks for sending it over, will have to check it out!
Will go into my typical grinch mode and say that this is why over half a decade of "Jewish space laser" jokes probably weren't helpful
November 16, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Will go into my typical grinch mode and say that this is why over half a decade of "Jewish space laser" jokes probably weren't helpful
Dorothy L Sayers was/is an obsession for the last several years (she's how I got tuned into HC Bailey) - she's just a brilliant writer who is also extremely complicated to grapple with
Anthony Berkeley is a great writer who can be annoying but is also very very good at this
Anthony Berkeley is a great writer who can be annoying but is also very very good at this
November 16, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Dorothy L Sayers was/is an obsession for the last several years (she's how I got tuned into HC Bailey) - she's just a brilliant writer who is also extremely complicated to grapple with
Anthony Berkeley is a great writer who can be annoying but is also very very good at this
Anthony Berkeley is a great writer who can be annoying but is also very very good at this
Yes I have a bit of a weakness for Susan Dare!
To continue in the American theme (though they're overall not my faves) Craig Rice is a lot of fun espthe very unique Home Sweet Homicide
Erle Stanley Gardner is great, particularly Cool and Lam
Rex Stout is fun too
To continue in the American theme (though they're overall not my faves) Craig Rice is a lot of fun espthe very unique Home Sweet Homicide
Erle Stanley Gardner is great, particularly Cool and Lam
Rex Stout is fun too
November 16, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Yes I have a bit of a weakness for Susan Dare!
To continue in the American theme (though they're overall not my faves) Craig Rice is a lot of fun espthe very unique Home Sweet Homicide
Erle Stanley Gardner is great, particularly Cool and Lam
Rex Stout is fun too
To continue in the American theme (though they're overall not my faves) Craig Rice is a lot of fun espthe very unique Home Sweet Homicide
Erle Stanley Gardner is great, particularly Cool and Lam
Rex Stout is fun too
Yes, it's a quite recent local Monsey bus service specifically oriented around the main-Monsey chassidish neighborhoods (Kaser is basically a carve-out chassidish village, more or less)
I don't know that much about the bus system but did online research and it's VERY intriguing
I don't know that much about the bus system but did online research and it's VERY intriguing
November 16, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Yes, it's a quite recent local Monsey bus service specifically oriented around the main-Monsey chassidish neighborhoods (Kaser is basically a carve-out chassidish village, more or less)
I don't know that much about the bus system but did online research and it's VERY intriguing
I don't know that much about the bus system but did online research and it's VERY intriguing
Honestly I'd love someone to do a write up for a frum publication about the Kaser (Monsey) bus system, which from what I can tell not just is very effective but actually makes money
November 16, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Honestly I'd love someone to do a write up for a frum publication about the Kaser (Monsey) bus system, which from what I can tell not just is very effective but actually makes money
But also in general, so much of it is uncontrolled sprawl (like Monsey)
November 16, 2025 at 2:25 PM
But also in general, so much of it is uncontrolled sprawl (like Monsey)
If there is anything Lakewood isn't it's planned lmao
As in, to the extent that R Aharon Kotler planned anything it was basically the opposite of Lakewood today
As in, to the extent that R Aharon Kotler planned anything it was basically the opposite of Lakewood today
November 16, 2025 at 2:09 PM
If there is anything Lakewood isn't it's planned lmao
As in, to the extent that R Aharon Kotler planned anything it was basically the opposite of Lakewood today
As in, to the extent that R Aharon Kotler planned anything it was basically the opposite of Lakewood today
Yes definitely, been exploring lots of oldies through interlibrary loan for the last couple of years! Green Capsule might be my favorite JDC- be excited.
November 16, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Yes definitely, been exploring lots of oldies through interlibrary loan for the last couple of years! Green Capsule might be my favorite JDC- be excited.
Oh man, thanks! And if it’s the one that has The Bishop’s Crime and a bunch of short stories I literally just read parts of it today and it’s great! Read the short stories first.
November 15, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Oh man, thanks! And if it’s the one that has The Bishop’s Crime and a bunch of short stories I literally just read parts of it today and it’s great! Read the short stories first.
Mr Fortune's Trials and Mr Fortune Please are both out of copyright in the US and easy to find online- and they both have good stuff in them
My favorite collection is probably Mr Fortune Objects but it's not that easy to find
My favorite collection is probably Mr Fortune Objects but it's not that easy to find
November 14, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Mr Fortune's Trials and Mr Fortune Please are both out of copyright in the US and easy to find online- and they both have good stuff in them
My favorite collection is probably Mr Fortune Objects but it's not that easy to find
My favorite collection is probably Mr Fortune Objects but it's not that easy to find
Yayyy! He's VERY fun- though stick with the short stories as the novels are a mixed bag
No need to go in order by collection, the first collection has his "origin story" so to speak but it's not really necessary and later collections are better and not in chronological order at all
No need to go in order by collection, the first collection has his "origin story" so to speak but it's not really necessary and later collections are better and not in chronological order at all
November 14, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Yayyy! He's VERY fun- though stick with the short stories as the novels are a mixed bag
No need to go in order by collection, the first collection has his "origin story" so to speak but it's not really necessary and later collections are better and not in chronological order at all
No need to go in order by collection, the first collection has his "origin story" so to speak but it's not really necessary and later collections are better and not in chronological order at all
He’s not that popular these days (frustratingly bc I love him) but if you like doing miniatures of food then Reggie Fortune is great lol
November 14, 2025 at 1:25 PM
He’s not that popular these days (frustratingly bc I love him) but if you like doing miniatures of food then Reggie Fortune is great lol
Is that just Boruch with an o?
November 13, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Is that just Boruch with an o?
Yayy! He's one of my absolute faves, I recommend nearly everything he's ever done (to start with def check out his other self-illustrated sketches from his radio show on Youtube- Special Offer, Horsebox, Making Money, Interesting Theories 1&2, and Book Report are particular faves of mine).
November 12, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Yayy! He's one of my absolute faves, I recommend nearly everything he's ever done (to start with def check out his other self-illustrated sketches from his radio show on Youtube- Special Offer, Horsebox, Making Money, Interesting Theories 1&2, and Book Report are particular faves of mine).