Sarah Haskell, THAT RELATABLE JEW, a woman demonstrating the joys and customs of her religion through her phone. Courtesy of Hey Alma.New Media Spotlight continues to be my favorite “theme” of the PJFM blog. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE reviewing and revisiting Jewish movies, but discovering the hundreds and hundreds of Jewish digital content creators across the globe doing good on this planet is so exciting. It’s like investigative work for me getting to research these individuals. Their personalities and content may range in style, but their objective is universally clear: to celebrate Judaism. It doesn’t matter how old they are or what “type” of Jewish they identify as. (i.e., Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, etc.) It doesn’t matter if they’re funny or more solemn in their content. Together, they use these platforms to educate the public and shoot down the antisemitic myths that Jews are unbelievably tired of enduring. TikTok star Sarah Haskell, a young, intelligent woman, does just that. Even more so than other new media creators, however, Sarah juxtaposes both the “fun” of being Jewish and the challenges of being frum (religious) in the world. Her gleeful videos, snapshot memories portraying the perpetual beauty of this religion, are also bold in their honest depiction of what it’s like to be devoutly religious in America.
Sarah’s TikTok, titled THAT RELATABLE JEW and currently followed by 146.8K users (including 47.2K followers on Instagram), is like a live video journal; a “traveling” video journal, let’s say, since it contains so many clips from her trips Israel. She narrates every video about her days as a Jewish woman, educating viewers about Jewish customs and holidays, but she also gets candid in some of her opinions without getting too heavy. Sarah loves her Judaism, but she’s honest to admit that things can get difficult sometimes, the same way any religion can be challenging when it’s observed so strictly.
“I’ve had a lot of struggles with Judaism and religious trauma my whole life,” Sarah confesses in one TikTok while visiting Israel. “But I also have so much deep love and appreciation for it.”
Even the most religious people will admit that life can get complicated sometimes. For Sarah, it’s never a bad thing, and she makes it clear that it’s OK to discuss these sensitive topics. I think that’s what I love most about THAT RELATABLE JEW: it’s “relatable.” People who observe the Sabbath or maintain a kosher diet may run into frustrating issues. And you know what? It’s understandable. None of this paints Judaism in a bad light. In one of my favorite TikToks by Sarah, for example, she confesses that she wasn’t taught about Shabbat in the best way as a child.
“Just know that if you’re not learning things in the way that you need to, it’s OK to find your own path, find your own mentors, and really just try to find one thing that you feel connected to and explore your Judaism more from there,” Sarah confidently states in her video, further demonstrating her “relatable” ups and downs as a religious person.
With her long, blonde hair and affectionate smile, THAT RELATABLE JEW’s creator confronts issues with delightful positivity. In one video, she makes a statement about the unfortunate stigma people face when they choose to leave their religion.
“You should have unconditional love for your children,” she says. “It makes me so angry when families cut off teens that are rebellious and trying to figure themselves out. If anything, they need more love and support during that time, not less.”
Yeah, Sarah! She couldn’t be more accurate. Religion can be so special for people, but if they don’t feel it the way others do, they can leave. It’s their choice, after all; their journey. It may be disappointing for their family, but that never means that a family should “rescind” them from their existence. For Sarah, a woman who grew up in an Orthodox Jewish community in Long Island, New York, to say this is just incredible. Everyone should think this way.
Of course, Sarah’s content doesn’t only explore sensitive topics. This girl loves to have a good time! She loves to laugh. She loves to smile. When she dresses up as Barbie for Purim this year, you can’t help but smile. It’s such a pleasure to go on TikTok and see someone this joyful and responsible and making a positive impact for the Jewish community. THAT RELATABLE JEW’s impact has been so significant that Sarah herself was invited to a Women’s History Month event that TikTok hosted.
“With all the antisemitism and hate out there,” Sarah says prior to attending the event in one video. “It’s just really refreshing to be able to be a positive representation for Jewish people at an event like this and really just help represent Jewish women in a positive way.”
Showcasing Jewish women is certainly prevalent in her videos. In a couple videos, Sarah visits the Holy Land and features a variety of female Jews, from content creators like herself to kosher chefs and international Jewish athletes. Some say that ALL frum Jewish women are in chains and in their own prison, but Sarah proves that very wrong. Jewish women, no matter where they live or how they identify as, are pioneers in endless ways.
On an end not, it’s unfair to not applaud Sarah’s incredible work as an artist. Her art is so good, in fact, that it has been displayed at The Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology, the same place where she graduated from in 2022). As a freelance artist for clients, Sarah’s art is a combination of portraits and murals, religious and secular. Some of her artwork is incredibly Jewish, from a rabbi blowing into a shofar in Jerusalem to Moses himself parting the sea with his arms wide. However, there’s more than that. Her animal drawings are equally impressive. (My personal favorite: a huge group of sharks swimming around some scuba divers.)
If THAT RELATABLE JEW’s objective sounds similar to other content creators we’ve explored on this blog, don’t feel compelled to not explore it. As viewers, this content is imperative. Antisemitism, hatred, and far-right beliefs about Jews are worsening. With Sarah’s support, we debunk these incessant myths about Judaism. Sarah is Jewish and is also human. Anyone who feels uncomfortable around Judaism or religion in general should take a moment and explore videos like those of THAT RELATABLE JEW. There is nothing wrong with Judaism, and there never will be! Religious people are PEOPLE. Plain and simple. Together, let’s all remember that.
@thatrelatablejew Shabbat is not always so easy especially if you grew up with Shabbat not being taught to you the right way. I try to find the joy in Shabbat again by focusing on one or two things at a time that I feel connected to. That way I can slowly rebuild the love and appreciation for it at a healthy pace. Shabbat shalom! . #jewish #jewishlife #thatrelatablejew #jewishschool #orthodoxjew #orthodoxjewishlife #jewishgirl #shabbat #shabbos #goodshabbos #shabbatshalom
To purchase That Relatable Jew swag, click HERE.
To view Sarah’s artwork, visit SarahHaskellArt.com.
Follow THAT RELATABLE JEW on TikTok.