iKonnect favorite Israeli TV shows for Yom Ha'atzmaut!
Israel has created and produced some of the greatest films of all time! With touches of culture, depth, and Israeli values all wrapped in the package of great entertainment, the Israeli film/TV industry is a true nationwide success.
It was hard to choose what to recommend to see on Independence Day, but here are our choices!
Enjoy!
Shtisel is one of the most all time successful and popular shows in Israel. It is quite amazing, because the show is about the Haredi community, a usually closed community that doesn't really allow strangers in.
Perhaps that is why it gained such a large following, that and the great production of course.
The show revolves around the Shtisel family, a Haredi family that lives in a Haredi neighborhood in Jerusalem. The show follows all of the family problems and stories, in a unique way.
The show had 2 seasons that aired in 2013 and 2015, on the Israeli Yes OH channel.
In July 2020, filming of the anticipated 3rd season went underway.
Interesting fact: The show got its name from an old East-European Jewish food restaurant, with branches in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak. The show’s creators sat down in the Jerusalem Geula branch for lunch, where they came up with the idea for the show. The restaurant's name, Shtisel, was then chosen.
Al HaSpectrum: Rarely do we find quality TV that successfully combines the trials and tribulations of real life, with the perfect amount of comic relief.
Al HaSpectrum, an award winning Israeli TV show originally aired in 2018 does just this, through raising the public’s awareness in learning about the autism spectrum- all in an entertaining and relatable way!
The TV series follows 3 roommates on the autism spectrum living together under the guidance of a rehab center in Ramat Gan, Israel, as we watch them navigate life through the eyes of their reality. The show opens our eyes to the struggles, the beautiful moments, the joys and the pains of living with autism in a very real way. Not only do we grow to love the characters, their quirks and their stories, but we learn to understand them more as well.
Al HaSpectrum received the Israeli Emmy equivalent for the Best Drama Series of 2018, and holds international acclaim as well, receiving Best International Series even before it aired! This is the first time ever that Israeli TV received international recognition before it even aired in Israel!
The show received so much positive feedback, that an American version is set to be filmed soon, and aired on Amazon Prime!
If you’re looking for a day in, with heartfelt laughter and a look into an unexplored world, pop some popcorn and settle in. Al HaSpectrum has one season, and is just about to begin filming season 2!
PS: Watch with Hebrew subtitles and work on your Hebrew skills while you’re at it!
HaAhayot HaMutzlahot Sheli: The 2016 hit Israeli comedy HaAhayot HaMutzlahot Sheli (my successful sisters) tells the story of 3 sisters, whose parents left the country and they are all left to deal with their own problems.
The show was directed by the famous Israeli stand-up comedian Guri Alfi, and the 3 seasons aired on the YES channel, between 2016-2019.
The show’s premise is quite amusing. Orit, the oldest sister, is a high school teacher, and she keeps the fact that she is in a lesbian relationship away from her parents. Natali, the next in line, can’t seem to find a job and doesn't really know what she wants to do with her life. And then there is MOr, the youngest, a soldier in the IDF that has a huge crush on the hottest soldier in the unit.
All in all, the show depicts a story and relationships that anyone can feel connected to, which is probably why it became so popular and gained such a following.
If you’re looking for some good ol’ Israeli comedy at its finest, we recommend you watch the series.
There is nothing more Israeli than lighting up a mangal on Yom Ha'atzmaut, and then sitting down to watch some good ol' classic Israeli Burekas films. What is a Burekas film you ask? Check it out
