“Srugim” the show, I ask you: “איפה (Where’s) Ha-Anglo?”
'Amir' with the felafel ladies!
The ever popular TV show “Srugim” is about to start its second season January 10, 2010. But cool people like me and my co-blogger and skinny friend Rebecca have already seen the first two episodes. How did we accomplish such a feat? Well it was simple really, during Hannukah the Jerusalem Cinameteque held the preimere for the new episodes along with a panel of the show’s producers, writers and one of the actors.
I have to admit that for Jerusalem this was pretty cool. Rebecca and I had front row seats which we thought would be great to view the subtitles extra large, but unfortunately Hebrew Ulpan was hardcore that night with no subtitles and lots of Israeli slang. While the seats didn’t help our Hebrew lesson, they were great because we ended up right in front of one of the actors of the show, Amos Tamam, who plays Amir. In some ways it was weird, you know, was I supposed to laugh extra hard in the funny scenes because he was behind me? Should I have sighed when it was sad? It felt like I was on the TV show, not him!
Anyway, I won’t give away anything so no spoiler alerts, but I will say this: For a show that does a pretty good job depicting Jerusalem’s young religious and semi-religious and non-religious crowd, where’s the token Anglo!! If you remember back to the first episode there was Stacy the ‘American immigrant-reform-lesbian’ that lived next door and was handy for some morning tefilin, but since that appearance we have yet to bump into any Anglos on the street, in classes, or date anyone — which is just hard to believe.
Come on Laizy! That’s the writer and director’s name; I’m not just calling him lazy! Where’s the Anglo? Either bring Stacy back for more episodes, which I am sure Shira Katz, my improv buddy would love or get an Anglo supporting character in the cast. You must know there’s a lot of us watching and basically there’s a lot of us in Jerusalem. So as you start to write the third season please keep us in mind. And, if you can’t think of a plot or two, let me give you some starters- just know that if you use my ideas I want the credit or at least a pat on the back!
Plots:
- Stacy has a (insert Jewish holiday here) party and invites the building. Here the characters meet and become buddies. They share a Shabbat or two, hang out on Emek Refaim and drink like an Anglo whose under age!
- The Anglo turned immigrant turned student who meets Hodaya at school.
- Nati dates an Anglo girl. That’s simple fun and goes a long way.
- Nati dates Molly. Hey it could happen!
- Yifat has to design something for The Big Felafel. Molly and Rebecca make a star appearance later to have reoccurring roles on the show. Get it! We play ourselves, it’s pure genius! The blog will truly come to life.
- Nati wants some underage booty and ends up at one of those bars with the ‘Shana Alef kids’ we’ve all come to hate.
- While the gang hangs out at a café on Emek Refaim a Birthright group invades their space. But one of the members leaves a lasting impression on someone in the group. (it’s not porn, just romance)
- Amir teaches an Anglo Hebrew for extra money and ends up setting up the Anglo with either Nati or Reut (depending on if it’s a boy or girl).
- Reut meets an Anglo boy at synagogue over Kiddish- hott!
- Hodaya becomes friends with an Anglo at her bar who is also debating her level of religiosity.
Laizy, I got more if and when you want it! Just write us!
To join the Bring Back Stacy Facebook Group click here
Photo credit (thanks): Rebecca for the first photo and Dana Lavi Dekel for the bottom 2 photos
To watch the show’s first season for free online
The Big Felafel 
I can’t believe I’m such a nerd. I’m so jealous of that picture and that you were there! Looks like it was amazing!
Anyway, jerusalem.com just had an interview with Laizy Shapira and he mentions the anglo issue. And, btw, he says he’s part of that fb group for bringing Stacy back. 🙂 http://www.jerusalem.com/discover/article_1273/Weaving-together-a-new-season-of-Srugim
| Posted 13 years, 5 months agoI’m still laughing at the fact that Amir and Laizy had to move from directly behind us to 2 seats over because I was too tall!!! If only I looked better in that pic.. maybe it’s photoshop time.
| Posted 13 years, 5 months agoYou call him Amir. 🙂
| Posted 13 years, 5 months agoI met the director at a Shabbat dinner the week that the show premiered (season 1) and have been cyberstalking/offering free help to him ever since. He doesn’t take me up on it, but he should have.
I too am a member of the bring back Stacy group, not just because the actress is a friend of mine; a show about single life in Jerusalem without Anglos is like a show about New York without Jews. Even Law & Order knows this.
Which brings me back to my original episode – “Srugim Goes to the Upper West Side.” The cast could go to MJE, the Bangitout Tu B’Av Party, the Matzah Ball, take in a JCC program – all the regular stops. Of course, I’ve moved to a different west side since I had that idea, but there are lots of Israelis here too, should we decide to do “Srugim Goes to Pico-Robertson.”
| Posted 13 years, 5 months agoI rather not see anglos on Srugim. My understanding is that there are two distinct worlds in HaBitza that rarely overlap.
Though I must say a lecture by Stacy on religious pluralism by Stacey would be most welcome.
| Posted 13 years, 5 months ago1. Esther keep telling him to do it! And Pico-Robertson should have it’s own show! I love that the black hats and the blacks lived together! I miss it!
2. Harry I disagree. I think the worlds overlap and the fact that the show is about Jerusalem as well as the Bitza is the point. We are here, but you never see it on the show. Not when they are on campus, or on Emek- it’s hard to believe.
| Posted 13 years, 5 months agoMolly,
Your suggestions are great -Laizy should hire you as a script writer.
I agree that Srugim definitely needs to feature an Anglo as the single professional ‘bitza’ cannot be realistically portrayed without an Anglo.
However, the Anglo shouldn’t necessarily be an American as Jerusalem Anglos don’t just comprise Americans but also Canadians, Australians, South Africans and Brits.
| Posted 13 years, 5 months agoThanks for the report!
| Posted 13 years, 5 months agoMy Israeli wife who was in the biza scene for a short while before I rescued her *loved* Stacey. Our very marriage shows how the two worlds overlap. I’m with you, Molly, bring her back!
Keren- thanks for the shout out- and yes, I would love to write for the show!! And I agree that it should be an “Anglo” not just an American.
Mick-
| Posted 13 years, 5 months agoRight on! I can’t tell you how many couples I know that are “mixed” like you- I mean isn’t that supposed to happen? If you want to marry an American your chances are better in America- marrying out means really cute babies- Jew fro and blue eyes!!