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When ‘America’s Next Top Model’ Was Hit by a Shabbat Scandal

JL;DR SUMMARY Reality Check: America's Next Top Model, a new Netflix documentary series, sheds light on the controversial aspects of the reality TV show, including a significant Shabbat-related controversy involving Modern Orthodox contestant Esther Petrack in Season 15. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish TraditionsReligious ObservanceOrthodox JudaismShabbatJewish PrideReality CheckAmerica's Next Top ModelEsther PetrackTyra BanksEditing Controversy

Places mentioned

Brookline, Massachusetts, United States
"Esther Petrack from Brookline, Massachusetts, was just 18 when she was cast in ANTM in 2010."
Jerusalem, Israel
"telling them she was born in Jerusalem, Israel, which makes Banks gasp with excitement."
Los Angeles, California, United States
"Its so frustrating, Petrack later shared in a phone interview with LA Times."
Israel
"Petrack not only observed Shabbat while on ANTM, but she also shared a lot of Jewish pride and traditions with viewers worldwide."
Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv District, Israel
"After working as a social worker for the city of Tel Aviv, she moved back to the States, became a mother, and now appears to work as a care coordinator for a company that helps coordinate autism services,"

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Cairo Item ID 75820
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Retrieved 2026-02-20 05:31:03 UTC
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