Photo Credit: Matthew Mishory
Producer/financier Bradford L. Schlei and director Matthew Mishory have announced Stone Canyon Entertainment’s acquisition of author Daniel Gordis’s prize-winning nonfiction epic, ISRAEL: A CONCISE HISTORY OF A NATION REBORN for adaptation for television. Mishory (ARTHUR SCHNABEL: NO PLACE OF EXILE) will serve as creator and direct all six episodes of the original documentary series based on the book.
Stone Canyon’s Schlei (SWINGERS, SLING BLADE, SPUN) and Rob Levine (Columbo, Law & Order) will executive produce. Gordis will be creatively involved in the development of the series.
Schlei says, “We’re honored to have the opportunity to adapt Daniel’s essential and critically-acclaimed work for the screen. And I am thrilled to be partnering again with Matthew to tell another story of Israel’s complex, fascinating, and ultimately uplifting history.”
Mishory adds, “While rife with conflict and setbacks, Israel’s transformation from the poor, food-rationing young country of my father and grandparents to the high-tech, biomedical, and ecological powerhouse of today is a story that will transfix and inspire the world.”
Winner of the 2016 National Jewish Book Award, A Concise History of a Nation Reborn is the first comprehensive yet accessible history of the state of Israel from its inception to present day, from Daniel Gordis, “one of the most respected Israel analysts” (The Forward) living and writing in Jerusalem. A former Conservative rabbi, Gordis has written a total of twelve books dealing with Israel, from We Stand Divided to Becoming A Jewish Parent.
Ambassador Dennis Ross, President Clinton’s Middle East Envoy, commented, “Gordis captures the essence of who Israel is, where it has come from, and why the Jewish state will—and must—continue to exist. When I am asked, ’Is there one book to read about Israel?’ I now have an answer.”
Israel is a tiny state, and yet it has captured the world’s attention, aroused its imagination, and lately, been the object of its opprobrium. Why does such a small country speak to so many global concerns? More pressingly: Why does Israel make the decisions it does? And what lies in its future? Guiding us through the milestones of Israeli history, Gordis relays the drama of the Jewish people’s story and the creation of the state.
Clear-eyed and erudite, he illustrates how Israel became a cultural, economic, and military powerhouse—but also explains where Israel made grave mistakes. “The author loves his adopted homeland without ignoring its blemishes…he treats the most contested episodes in Israeli history, such as the plight of both Arab and Jewish refugees during the 1948 War of Independence, honestly and fairly” (Wall Street Journal).
The producers will film additional material for the series’ final episode to cover the period since the book’s publication, including: the Abraham Accords; shifting alliances in the Middle East; Israel’s new and highly symbolic diverse governing coalition; and the ascendence of the Israeli green economy.
Mishory and Stone Canyon recently completed principal photography (in Israel and the United States) on the documentary feature, WHO ARE THE MARCUSES?, about a mysterious couple whose half-billion-dollar gift imagines regional conflict resolution in Israel and peace through water.
The film features Warren Buffett, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Gordis, best-selling philosopher Micah Goodman, Randol Schoenberg, and many others. It is Mishory’s fifth imaginative exploration of notable lives of the 20th century, and follows films about artist Derek Jarman, actor James Dean, musician Artur Schnabel, and purged Russian composer Alexander Mosolov.
Stone Canyon Entertainment is a development, production, and financing company based in Santa Monica, CA, whose most recent features are WHO ARE THE MARCUSES? and THE TRUST starring Elijah Wood. Its principals are Schlei and long-time Hollywood executive Rob Levine.
Dr. Daniel Gordis is Senior Vice President and Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College. The author of twelve books, Gordis is a regular columnist for Bloomberg Opinion and host of the “Israel from the Inside” podcast and Substack.
Representing Stone Canyon and Mishory in the deal was Matt Ochacher of New Wave Entertainment. Gordis was represented by Richard Pine of InkWell Management, New York. Production is expected to begin in 2022. Schlei concludes, “Interest in Israel, as well as its start-up culture, is at an all-time high. But Israel’s story has never been fully and properly told for a general audience — until now.”