The Hebrew Hammer (2003) on Netflix
Mordechai Jefferson Carver is the Hebrew Hammer, a defender of Jews. When Santa's cruel son Damian sets out to destroy Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, Mordechai takes on the job of stopping him.
- Netflix3.1/5
- IMDb6.1/105,300 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes46%
Trailer
Plot summary
As a boy, Mordechai Jefferson Carver is tormented at his public school for celebrating Hanukkah while his classmates celebrate Christmas, and a passing Santa crushes his dreidel on the sidewalk. Years later he is the Hebrew Hammer, a Jewish crime fighter and local hero known in his community for his sharp dress and tough manner. A tenuous peace has held among Jews, African Americans and white Christians for a few decades, resting on Santa's policy of inclusion and tolerance. Damian, Santa's cruel son, wants December reserved for Christmas alone, and Mordechai is recruited to stop him. He finds allies in Esther Bloomenbergensteinenthal, daughter of the Jewish Justice League's chief, and Mohammed Ali Paula Abdul Rahim, who leads the Kwanzaa Liberation Front.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Hebrew Hammer (2003)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Filmmakers were initially concerned that members of the Hasidic community might protest the movie and shut down filming, as they did with the 1998 film A Price Above Rubies, but the reaction of the Hasidim in Borough Park was mixed, no organized protest was pursued, and some residents agreed to appear as extras.
- After viewing the film, Warren Katz of the ADL brought legal action against the producers, but lost in a summary ruling handed down by the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York.
- The film parodies blaxploitation films, and features the film-maker Melvin Van Peebles in a cameo appearance as a character called Sweetback.
