Mishpacha Feud: Behind the scenes of this Thornhill family’s game show victory

Gerry Dee hosts the Kestelman family (from left: Rabbi Stephen Wise, Cheryl Wise, and her sisters Renee Cohen and Alana Kestelman and their father Amnon Kestelman) on an episode of Family Feud Canada that aired Mar. 2, 2022. (Photo courtesy of CBC TV)

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In 2021, a producer for the game show Family Feud Canada reached out to Rabbi Stephen Wise, hoping to boost the diversity pool of their show’s contestants. When asked if he knew anyone from the community who might want to participate, Rabbi Wise didn’t need to look very far: his wife, Cheryl, and her whole family are game show fanatics.

That’s how he joined his in-laws, the Kestelmans, on live TV in March 2022, winning three matches against three other families and walking away with about $2,500. Plus, they managed to teach host Gerry Dee a bit about Jewish life—an easy ask for a rabbi, the principal of TanenbaumCHAT and the director of a synagogue’s afternoon school.

Renee Cohen, the school principal, gives a behind-the-scenes scoop on what it was like being on the show and how they felt representing Jewish Canadians on national TV.

What we talked about:

  • Watch the Kestelmans’ episode of Family Feud Canada on CBC Gem
  • Hear The CJN Daily episode “TikTok star Josh Zilberberg dishes on his Canadian Jewish roots” on thecjn.ca
  • Read “From hamantashen to art shows, Canadians find creative ways to help Ukraine” at thecjn.ca

Credits

The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.