One day, a mysterious, violent break-in unsettles a closed, tight-knit Orthodox Jewish neighborhood governed by strict religious codes and silence. The Rabbi rules: “No police.” He calls in Kimerling (37) and gives him the case. Everyone assumes it was a burglary gone wrong, but Kimerling senses something far bigger is at work. A beloved rabbi dies from a mysterious snakebite, a key witness vanishes, the victim remembers nothing, and the community closes ranks — until a little girl breaks the code of silence with a sketch of the suspect. As Kimerling and his assistant, Meshulam (a journalist), dig deeper, they uncover a ruthless, tightly organized gang that exploits the internal rules of the Orthodox Jewish community, ruling it through fear, obedience, and violence. At the same time, an unexpected love story with Frumi (31), a mikvah attendant, cracks Kimerling’s emotional armor, exposing his vulnerability within a world that leaves little room for intimacy.

WRITER'S STATEMENT

From the very first moment I read the book, I felt a deep connection—this was a story I had to turn into a television series and share with a wide audience, both in Israel and around the world. The character of Kimerling - an Orthodox Jewish detective in the closed world of Mea Shearim, an insular ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem - immediately captivated me. He’s a stranger in the neighborhood, but also a stranger to himself. His journey to solve mysteries is, at its core, a journey of self-discovery.
The series blends suspense, sharp Jewish humor, emotional longing, and a combination of a detective story and a love story.
But Kimerling is not just about the character—it's also about the world he inhabits.
Jerusalem, as portrayed in this series, will be captured in a noir-inspired visual style we've never seen before: its winter light, narrow alleys, reflections in puddles, warm hidden synagogues, and the colorful figures that fill the screen. Every detail turns the city into a living character, the very soul of the series. Ziv Berkovich, my incredible DOP (who shot for Natalie Portman, Netflix, and more) will join me in bringing this vision to life.
While the story is indeed a detective mystery, it is equally an intimate journey in search of truth, justice, meaning, and love. Kimerling (Jewish-American) is profoundly local and strikingly universal, touching on the questions we all ask ourselves: Where do I belong? And how far will I go for the truth?
We officially acquired the rights to adapt the novel for television. I want to turn Kimerling into a successful series, because I believe deeply in its cinematic and emotional power, and because I truly feel it can—and should—resonate with audiences both in Israel and around the world, especially in these complex times.

ABOUT THE WRITER