(Episodes 1-3)
PILOT. The episode opens at an elite Manhattan performing arts high school. The respected musical theater teacher, JOSEPH SHAPIRO, enters the class clearly distraught. He stuns his Broadway-bound students (ages 16-18) with a strange request: he had a vision of his late mother, who begged him to "save her Yiddish songs." Shapiro is in despair ("I don't even speak Yiddish"), and the students, while sympathetic to his grief, quietly snicker at the absurd assignment.
In the hallway, however, a rebellious idea is born: use these "dusty" songs for their boring annual concert. They'll translate them into English and wrap them in modern hip-hop and EDM beats. A few students return to tell Shapiro. He sits with his back to them, but as he listens, he slowly turns... to the window. His body begins to shake with silent sobs. He is so moved that these cynical kids found a solution for him and his mother, he can't speak. He just nods and waves them away—"go."
With a "yes," the students form "The Sharpies" and test their first satirical hit, "Jewish or Not," at the local "Jewish Snack" cafe, leading to a hilarious clash with the "Kosher Corner" regulars.
After the local success of "Jewish or Not," a more trusting Shapiro shares a song his mother adored: "Avremil" by Mordechai Gebirtig. He tells the song's tragic story, but also a deeply personal one: his mother's favorite cousin was a real-life "Avremil"—a street kid, a thief, who was jailed and died young of tuberculosis.
The story of an orphan "lost on the block" hits its mark. TYRELL, the group's rapper from Harlem, sees a direct parallel to modern street life.
Tyrell and Eli (the beatmaker) craft a powerful adaptation, fusing the Yiddish ballad with EDM and hip-hop. Tyrell's performance is a revelation, connecting the suffering of the 1940s Krakow ghetto to the reality of today's streets. This raw, authentic version of "Avremil" becomes the group's first *true* viral sensation. Shaken by this connection, OKSANA (the refugee) decides to contribute her own story for the first time, bringing the song "Hanukkah" to the group.
After the success of "Avremil," the students feel a deep bond with Shapiro. Wanting to do something personal for him, OKSANA brings in a melody from her father's old record from Odessa (the "Murka" motif). The group decides to write not an adaptation, but a brand new song dedicated to Shapiro and his mother.
They stage a "fantasia" for him: an Oscar acceptance speech. As a student actress "takes the stage" to accept her award, she delivers a thank-you speech that transforms into the tender ballad, "Mommy."
Shapiro, seeing his private grief turned into a universal work of art, breaks down again. He turns to the window, awkwardly hiding his tears, and just nods. This moment changes everything. The students realize they have more than just a song list; they have a *show*. They decide it must be a musical. The episode ends with Shapiro getting the principal's approval, and the students, laughing, coining the perfect name for their audacious project: "JEWISH".