Nobody Wants This adviser Rabbi Steve Leder criticises Adam Brody over Gaza comments
The rabbi who advised Netflix's Nobody Wants This on its first season has publicly criticised star Adam Brody over his comments on the Gaza war.
Rabbi Steve Leder posted an Instagram video message calling Brody's remarks ignorant, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The report was published on Sept. 30. It lands just weeks before the series is set to return with its third season on Oct. 22.
Brody, who stars as rabbi Noah in the series, said in a GQ interview on the Gaza war, "put me down as thinking it's a genocide. Put me down as wanting a free Palestine." In the same discussion, Brody said it was awful that it had taken so much death and misery, according to Forward.
Leder has deep ties to the show. He served as a technical adviser during season one, meaning he checked story details for accuracy. That work included vetting Jewish content, including the pronunciation of Hebrew words, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
He is the former senior rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles. He stepped down in 2024 after 37 years in the role. Creator Erin Foster converted to Judaism at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, and the production shot scenes on site there.
Brody is a Jewish actor. He has previously said he barely got bar mitzvahed, the coming-of-age ritual for Jewish boys, and retained nothing from it. He is best known for playing Seth Cohen in The O.C. and Seth Morris in Fleishman Is in Trouble.
What makes this stand out is the working history. Leder helped shape the show's depiction of a rabbi. Brody now plays that rabbi. Their disagreement has now become public ahead of a new season.
