If you are
interested in Middle East history and culture, this series is for you.
It combines
an interesting fictional story woven around a Sephardim Jewish family with an accurate
portrayal of the tumultuous events in Jerusalem during the years between the two
world wars. It spans the period from the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in 1917,
through most of the period of the British Mandate – including the Arab-Jewish
conflicts and terrorism against each other as well as against the British
occupation forces. The first season (in two parts totaling 20 episodes) ends in
1942. The series
has been renewed for a second season, which will be screened towards the end of
2022.
In addition
to an accurate portrayal of historic events, it also addresses the struggle between
Oriental and European Jews, at that time referred to as Sephardic and
Ashkenazi, respectively. Today, the Sephardim are identified as those whose
roots were in the Iberian Peninsula and parts of North Africa, and those from other
areas in the Middle East and Western Asia are referred to a Mizrahi Jews. There
are still
vestiges of perceived class distinctions between the Ashkenazim on one hand and
the Sephardim and Mizrahim on the other.
As with
many cultures in the region in this time frame, marriages were often arranged,
as in the family around which this story revolves. It also addresses other
social mores at the time, dealing with infidelity, adultery, prostitution, women’s
jobs, single motherhood, loan sharking, divorce – it runs the gamut.
I recommend
the series – it is truly entertaining – with the following caveats.
- The story
line runs on two time lines, about a decade apart. Although the year is usually
displayed when the timeline switches, it can be a bit confusing. You have to
remember at times that you already know things that have not happened yet.
- Use subtitles. The original soundtrack is in
Hebrew, which is dubbed into English. When the characters speak English, it can
be heavily accented (except for the British troops, of course). There is also
some Arabic (Lebanese and Palestinian dialect) and some Ladino, the language of
the Sephardic Jews who originate in Spain and which is based on Spanish. In my
opinion, Ladino is to Spanish as Yiddish is to German.
- You will hear references
to several Jewish organizations:
-- Haganah,
Hebrew for “defense,” was a Zionist military organization in Palestine from
1920 to 1948. Organized to combat the revolts of Palestinian Arabs against the increasing
Jewish immigration and settlement of Palestine, it is the forerunner of what is
now the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
-- ETZEL is a Hebrew acronym for Irgun Tzvai Le'umi, “National Military
Organization,” a Jewish underground group established in what is now Israel
during the period of the British Mandate, which conducted terrorist attacks against
both Arabs and British troops. In 1946, members of the group (including future
Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin) would bomb the British headquarters in
the King David Hotel, killing 91 (including 15 Jews) and injuring 45, mostly
innocent civilians outside the hotel. It will be interesting to see how that
event is portrayed in the next season.
-- Histadrut (General Organization of Workers) was
a socialist organization founded in December 1920 in Haifa to look out for the
interests of Jewish workers. It became one of the most powerful institutions in
the mandatory area and remains so today.
Watch it on
Netflix.
