‘Hammer’ Time — Again?

Published on January 2, 2013

Everyone’s favorite certified circumcised private dick is poised for a big return. Nearly 10 years after “The Hebrew Hammer” hit theaters in 2003, there’s talk of a sequel featuring the titular Orthodox hero. Filmmaker Jonathan Kesselman, a native of Van Nuys, is eyeing a May shoot for “The Hebrew Hammer vs. Hitler.”

Jews in Hong Kong?

By Jonathan Kesselman
Published on January 8, 2004

My mother used to say that there were people starving in China. While her words had the effect of making me guilty enough to eat her badly burnt chicken, I never thought in my wildest dreams that I'd get the chance to see all those starving people in the undernourished flesh. On Nov. 19, I visited Hong Kong when my film, "The Hebrew Hammer," was invited to the fourth annual Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival. No, my friends, that was not a typo. There are actually real live Jews living in Hong Kong, and they have a film festival.

Baddest Heeb Nails Down Distributor

By Naomi Pfefferman
Published on October 2, 2003

After months of distribution hell, the Jewsploitation spoof "The Hebrew Hammer" will burst onto the large and small screens this Chanukah season. The saga of Mordechai Jefferson Carver (aka the "baddest Heeb this side of Tel Aviv") debuts on Comedy Central Dec. 8 before moving to theaters courtesy of Cowboy Pictures.

One Mean Heeb

By Naomi Pfefferman
Published on January 9, 2003

At one point in Jonathan Kesselman's "Jewish exploitation" comedy, "The Hebrew Hammer," Mordechai Jefferson Carver strides into a seedy skinhead bar wearing a long leather coat, a black fedora, pais, a tallit and an oversized gold chai. A chalkboard advertises beer on tap such as Old Adolf, but the titular superhero orders "Manischewitz, straight up." Then he crashes a bottle over the bartender's head, whips out two sawed-off shotguns and shouts, "Shabbat Shalom, Motherf------s!"

In this outrageous world of the Hammer (Adam Goldberg), the Orthodox Jewish hero must battle the evil son of Santa (Andy Dick) to save Chanukah.