Sparking controversy in the US: Ruhi Çenet reveals the behind-the-scenes of his viral Hasidic Jewish documentary!

Turkish YouTuber Ruhi Çenet's latest documentary, which examines the lives of Hasidic Jewish communities in New York, has reached a wide audience on YouTube in a short time. The approximately 40-minute video titled "America’s Most Secretive Jewish Community: Hasidic Jews (48 Hours Inside)," released on August 26, has neared 50 million views in one week.

While the documentary covers the religious rules, family structure, educational approach, and relationship with technology of Hasidic communities, it has also become the focus of a debate in the US, particularly regarding public support and social welfare programs.

The fact that US President Donald Trump hosted Hasidic leaders at the White House during the period the documentary was released also brought the political position of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in the country back to the agenda.

The controversy became even more visible after American streamer Asmongold evaluated the documentary during a live broadcast. In the stream, the American tax system and the distribution of public resources were criticized based on the fact that some large families benefit from social welfare programs.

ÇENET REVEALS THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES

Following the documentary, which became a hot topic in Turkey and internationally, Ruhi Çenet made a statement on his X account regarding the content of the work. At the end of his statement, Çenet reiterated his call for support for Palestinian children.

Stating that the Hasidic Jews covered in the documentary belong to the Chabad-Lubavitch community, Çenet used the following expressions:

"The Hasidic Jews we filmed for the documentary are the Chabad-Lubavitch community, and they are highly Zionist. These pro-Israel Hasidic Jews initially thought we would only film a cultural and superficial video.

They were expecting lighter content in the style of Drew Binsky, describing daily life, traditions, and cultural differences. The popularity of our channel also caused them to approach our filming request moderately. Moreover, we were not the first to film this topic. Content creators like Tyler Oliveira and Tommy G had also prepared similar videos before.

However, as the filming progressed, we realized that the subject was not just about culture. We discovered the various supports they receive, the historical and ideological ties they have established with Israel, and their political-religious approaches to Jerusalem, and we tried to convey these to you in our documentary. Don't forget to support Palestinian children!"

The Hasidic Jews we filmed for the documentary are the Chabad-Lubavitch community, and they are highly Zionist.

These pro-Israel Hasidic Jews initially thought we would only film a cultural and superficial video. They were expecting lighter content in the style of Drew Binsky; describing daily life, traditions, and...

— Ruhi Çenet (@RuhiCenet) September 4, 2026

News Source: 12punto