ABC hits family and faith

YOU are about to swap places with someone from a completely different religious background. What will you learn about faith, and more importantly about yourself?

The experimental three-part ABC series Holy Switch, set to screen later this year, will offer this very opportunity to six young people aged between 18 and 23 and their families in March.

The call-out is to followers of all religions – from Christianity to neo-paganism, Judaism to Zoroastrianism – to temporarily abandon their families and join a host family from another faith.

Holy Switch researcher of Jewish background Tammy Burnstock said the show is ultimately aimed at creating an “experience, not a convergence”.

“Faith is one of those things we don’t talk about openly in daily life, and for many people it is a private thing. We live in a society that doesn’t often explore the way people’s family, culture and faith play a part in their lives. The program not only allows some people to experience it, but encompasses a wider audience to see what faith means for people who live it.”

Research for the show included consulting a variety of rabbis affiliated with interfaith movements, all of whom, Burnstock said, displayed a keen interest.

“We are looking to see participants explain what their tradition means to them, the guidelines they follow and what that means in the context of faith. And of course, the exploration of both sides.”

Holy Switch director Varcha Sidwell, who previously worked on ABC TV’s Compass, believes the new program presents a unique opportunity. “It’s not often that young Australians are given such a chance to explore the deeper issues in their lives, beyond the next celebrity scandal or latest fad, to be deeply challenged to discover new insights, not only about themselves but Australia as well.”

Burnstock said there would be obvious limitations for the highly observant, in particular those keeping in strict accordance with kashrut and Shabbat laws, adding that manipulating participants to sacrifice their practices is not what the program intends.

For applications and more information on Holy Switch, log on to www.holyswitch.com.au or the Holy Switch Facebook page.

TIMNA JACKS