A Doc Project Festivus: my Jewish friend and the Christmas village dictator

My Jewish friend

Producer Molly Segal has a long-time friend who recently converted to Judaism, and Molly ... doesn't really get it. It's complicated because Molly's dad is Jewish. She grew up with the faith but never officially opted-in to the religion.

So, watching her non-Jewish friend choose the path Molly didn't? It's been a little strange.

It's been about six months since the conversion, and Molly has some unasked, awkward questions.

Heading home to Toronto for the holidays was the perfect time to meet up and ask them — just weeks before her friend's very first Hanukkah.

Music by Chris Zabriskie. 

About the producer

Molly Segal is a professional question-asker. Molly has worked for CBC in Halifax and Calgary producing news and current affairs stories, mostly for radio but also for television on online.

You've maybe heard Molly's radio stories and documentaries on various CBC programs such as The Current, The Sunday Edition, Tapestry, DNTO, Spark, World Report and The World This Weekend, among others. At the moment, Molly is lucky enough to work from her home office nestled in the mountain town of Banff, Alberta, overlooking rocky peaks while editing audio.

One man's obsession with his miniature Christmas village

Around Christmas, Richard Kelly Kemick undergoes a transformation. He becomes his most creative, powerful, masterful self — in his eyes at least. 

Kemick's essay is an excerpt from Playing God which originally ran in The Walrus.

And here is another window into Kemick's world in this video by the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. 

About the producer

Richard Kelly Kemick is an award-winning Canadian writer. His debut collection of poetry, Caribou Run, follows the porcupine caribou herd through their annual migration, the largest overland migration in the world. 

Richard's poetry, prose, and criticism have been published in literary magazines and journals across Canada and the United States, most recently in The Walrus, Maisonneuve, The Fiddlehead, and Tin House. His work has won national awards, including a National Magazine gold medal, and has been accepted into Canadian and British anthologies. Richard currently lives in Calgary.