Ana Efne
Two weeks ago, I moved to Jerusalem as part of a student exchange program to Bezalel Academy. And one of my proud discoveries here is a netflix Israel TV show, set in this very city.
Srugim (Devout Love) is an Israeli TV series (3 seasons), comparable to Friends, but much more charming and culturally rich. It is set in 21st century Jerusalem, trailing the lives of five religious individuals. Apart from entertaining my friends and me on chilly nights and giving me a glimpse of the daily life of a certain class of Israeli citizens, it made me ponder about my relationship with my religion, tradition, human rights and modernisation. This isn’t an out-of-this-world, one-of-a-kind show, but I like it for many reasons.
1. First of all, the characters are diverse.
The female leads include, a graphic designer who is a mother of sorts to the group, a Bible studies major who has a tough time being a Rabbi’s daughter and brings trouble to the love lives of the other girls, and an accountant who has a very strong and independent personality but shows glimpses of being a child.
There are two male leads, one being an intern doctor who behaves like an ignorant jerk but has fantastic EQ with his patients, and a recently divorced girl’s high school Hebrew grammar teacher.
Even the supporting characters are multi-faceted. And they are certainly not perfect, to the point of me being fed up of a character at certain points of the show.
2. It does not reek of/wallow in emotional drama. Rather, it is a fast-paced slice of life series. The show also ends every episode on a rather unusual note, neither fuzzy ending nor cliffhanger.
3. The tension between Jewish traditions and rules and modernism creates very interesting plot points. (and a very nice theme song, Ana Efne) It let’s you relate to the themes and ponder on them without being preachy (pun intended?!)
4. The dialogues are witty, at least as far as the English subtitles are concerned. (And it’s a fun way to pick usable Hebrew vocabulary.)
Fair warning: Relationships and love are a big part of the show.
Personally, it’s a thrill to suddenly see a place I know or have been to, on the show; a thrill especially because I’m new to the country. But even to those who are not in Israel, this is a fun show to follow. Season one is good, and you can watch the other two, even skipping a few episodes if you want. But be prepared for a lot of No. 3, because it’s the main theme of the show. (this includes a lot of besur/abaswaram religious chanting.)
Listen to the theme song below :)
(this is not besur or abaswaram!)