Review of Shtisel and Srugim - Two Israeli Television Soap Operas

I was hooked on the Israeli television Shtisel for the early part of 2019.  I was so hooked on the series that I couldn't wait to get into my Netflix account on my Kindle Fire and find out what was going to happen next.  I was totally addicted and became a Shtisel binge watcher!

When I realized that the show ended abruptly at the end of Season 2, I almost didn't know what to do with myself!  I learned so much about the Hasidic Ultra-Orthodox Jewish world from watching that show.  I could not wait to ask my study partners from Partners in Torah and Torah Mates about what I saw. 

Fortunately, I then discovered Srugim on Amazon Prime, which is kind of Israel's equivalent to one of my favorite old television shows from the late 1980s called Thirtysomething.  Srugim is about modern religious Orthodox (not Hasidic) singles and young married couples who are in their late 20s and early 30s.  They are close friends living in Jerusalem who get together almost every Friday night for Shabbat dinner.  The show shows their lives during the week and also on Shabbat.

Both shows must be watched with English subtitles, but I think I may have picked up a bit of Hebrew and even some Yiddish just from watching.  I have to really concentrate when I watch these shows and try not to miss anything that the subtitles say.

Srugim, like Shtisel, has taught me a lot about Judaism.  It's been wonderful to "experience Shabbat" when I watch the show.  Jerusalem looks almost "heavenly" on Shabbat mornings.  There are a lot of "Shabbat Shalom" greetings and there is also a peace in the city.  People are not rushing to do things.

I also relate to one character in particular in Srugim named Hodaya.  That character plays a rabbi's daughter who decides after the first season to "no longer be religious."  She dramatically changes and becomes very secular in Season Two.  Her friends and family believe that her decision to no longer be religious is temporary, but she has no intention of ever returning.  I too, have no intention of going back to the world of xtianity, even though, like many young Jews, I once explored that route and was once part of that community.

Shtisel 

Shtisel takes the viewer into the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish world and into the Ultra-Orthodox world in Jerusalem. It is interesting to to see Jerusalem and see the Hasidim live separately, but also be among the secular and non-hasidic Jews in Israel.

When I went to Israel in April of 2019, I was fascinated to see that what I saw in Shtisel was accurate.  I had to be careful to not stare at all the Haredi families I saw since I felt that Shtisel had given me a glimpse into their world.

Srugim's Main Characters - Reut, Nati, Hifat, Amir, and Hodaya

In Srugim, some of the scenes take place in coffee houses and in Tel Aviv, so now that I have been there, I like it so much when I see the places I visited.  I recognized Tel Aviv's beaches in the show since I went there so many times with my daughter. Seeing the show helps me to feel that I'm still in Israel and I wish I could spend more time there, especially in Jerusalem.

Shtisel's main character, Shulem Shtisel, is a recent widower who is the head of a very large extended family and his life, along with the lives of his children and grandchildren are shown.  Shulem makes certain mistakes that drastically affect the lives of his family.  Some reviewers say that he is not a good person, but I disagree.  He's an Ultra-Orthodox man who knows only one way of life. His way of life and his only way of thinking and living affects everyone he comes in contact with.

Shulem's. youngest son, Akiva (called Kive by his close family members) is a talented artist.  Being an artist does not really mix with being Hasidic, and that causes some conflict and also caused Kive to not be able to successfully get engaged or stay engaged.

I thought the episode where Shulem reconciles with a daughter who lives in Nahariya interesting because it showed how angry Shulem was with her decision to become Chabad.  I didn't know how angry the Haredi sects are with the Lubavitch due to their belief that their dead Rebbe is the Messiah.  It was fun for me to visit Nahariya during my trip to Israel and ride on the same train that perhaps Shulem and Kive took there.

Both Shtisel and Srugim show how important family and marriage and children are in the Orthodox Jewish culture.  Also, in Shtisel, the men smoke constantly and there sure is a lot of eating and drinking!

I have enjoyed seeing a Bris, seeing wedding celebrations, engagement gatherings, sitting Shiva, morning prayers, and holiday celebrations.

I wonder what I will watch when I complete the third season of Srugim?  I have heard that Shtisel will continue for a third season though...yippee!

Also, Facebook has groups that discuss both Shtisel and Srugim, so I now can discuss what may be my two favorite Israeli television shows with others who like the shows as much as I do!