The God Squad (Telecare)

The God Squad was an American television program which featured Rabbi Marc Gellman and Monsignor Tom Hartman discussing issues related to religion. The program went off the air on 2007 though the duo continued to appear under the name on other programs including Good Morning America.[1]

The program was produced at Telecare, the cable channel of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre on New York's Long Island.[1] As "The God Squad", the two clergymen also made recurring appearances on Good Morning America starting in 1995, addressing issues of religion and spirituality.[2][3] They also appeared on Imus in the Morning.[1] The pair was featured as animated characters in an HBO special based on their children's book, How Do You Spell God?: Answers to the Big Questions From Around the World.[4] The book was recognized with the Christopher Award in 1991.[3] The "God Squad" was also the subject on "CBS News Sunday Morning" April 23, 2000.

Monsignor Hartman celebrated Mass at St. Vincent de Paul in Elmont, New York. Rabbi Gellman is rabbi at Temple Beth Torah in Dix Hills, New York.[1]

In 2000 Turner Classic Movies ran a special series, Hollywood: Religion in the Movies. Hartman and Gellman recorded segments for the network, discussing how religious themes were treated in the respective films.[5] After the series ran, Turner Classic Movies continued to run segments of Gellman and Hartman discussing religion in the movies.

Hartman and Gellman also wrote a syndicated column called The God Squad, distributed through Tribune Media Services. In 2003, Hartman announced to readers that he had suffered from Parkinson's disease for four years but tried to keep it secret as long as he could.[6] Gellman continued to write the column himself.[7]

Monsignor Hartman died on February 16, 2016 after fighting Parkinson's disease for sixteen years.

References
  1. Priest and Rabbi: The Media's God Squad, Americancatholic.org, accessed April 24, 2007.
  2. Ryan, Dick. "'God Squad' audience to grow: friendship is 'another calling from God.' - Rabbi Marc Gellman and Msgr. Tom Hartman to appear on ABC's Good Morning, America regularly", National Catholic Reporter, September 1, 1995, accessed April 24, 2007.
  3. Rabbi Marc Gellman and Msgr. Thomas Hartman: The God Squad on Good Morning America, WCHS-TV, accessed April 24, 2007.
  4. "Heads up!: TV tips", NEA Today, November 1996, accessed April 24, 2007.
  5. Cohen, Benyamin (31 March 2000). "The God Squad in Hollywood: Turner Classic Movies Gets Some Divine Intervention In A Month-Long Airing Of Religious Themed Movies". The Detroit Jewish News. Detroit: Detroit Jewish News. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  6. "A letter to all our readers from Monsignor Tom Hartman". Chicago Tribune. November 27, 2003. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  7. "The God Squad". Tribune Media Services. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
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