When you learn a language, it is very important to experience it in a variety of ways. TV shows and online media are an essential part of modern society, and a lot of times the main topic for “small talk” at events, family gatherings, etc.
Being in the loop can help you understand the culture, and of course, improve your knowledge and vocabulary in Hebrew.
So, let’s go to the main reason you read this article – a list of TV shows and videos in Hebrew that you can easily find online, including links:
Youtube:
Kan 11 channel:
Kan 11 is a state-owned Israeli television channel that creates a lot of very good content. And all of it is on Youtube, which means that everyone can watch it. And because it is on youtube, you can actually watch it slower so it is easier to follow the worst and subtitles.
I attached the relevant links to each heading so you can click and watch immediately.
Some of my favorites on Kan 11 are:
- Checkout – קופה ראשית: a comedy series follows the hilarious antics of a diverse cast of customers and staff of a struggling Israeli supermarket.
- Sorry for Asking – סליחה על השאלה: The show that asks everything you always wanted to know but afraid or couldn’t ask. A sincere and intimate peek into lives of communities which are dealing with social stigmas through questions asked by the viewers.
- Madrase: a comedy-drama television series, originally created for youth, that is set at a bilingual Jewish-Arab high school in Jerusalem. Watching it shows an optimistic and rare view of a possibility for peace between Jews and Arabs.
- Pgisha with Roni Kuban – פגישה עם רוני קובן – A host show with different Israeli celebrities: politicians, actors, musicians, chefs and more. In each episode Roni Kuban is interviewing a different person, and asks deep questions about his like and career.
- Hatzvi – הצבי – An exciting period drama inspired by true stories that appeared in Ben-Yehuda’s newspaperthe ‘Hatzvi’, happening in Jerusalem at 1885. The best part of this show is that it happens when Hebrew was only first spoken, and shows the real struggles of learning a new language. Fits mostly to people that speak Russian as mother tongue as it is half in Russian.
- The Jews Are Coming – היהודים באים – A satirical sketch comedy show that revisits key moments in Jewish and Israeli history with humor and irony. It’s known for its bold and sometimes controversial sketches.
More on YouTube:
- Nir and Gali – ניר וגלי – – Nir and Gali, a dynamic duo of animators, bring laughter and creativity through their series of short, animated clips. Each episode features hilarious sketches and clever animations that provide a fresh and comedic perspective on everyday situations and cultural quirks.
- Standup – Shahar Hason – שחר חסון – The most active and fresh comedian in Israel, Shahar Hason, uploads each week a new video from his latest shows, are re-invents some of the Israeli modern slang, with unique way of looking at the Israeli society.
- Chosen videos from “Eretz Nehederet” – ארץ נהדרת – You cannot find the full content of Eretz Nehederet – the biggest sataire show in Israel – on Youtube, but you can find some of it there. The full episodes are here.
Keshet 12
In Israel we have 3 (or, maybe 4, depends or your political views) main channel – 11 / 12 / 13. 11 is Kan, which is both on tv and on Youtube, and is considered the “national television” of Israel.
Keshet 12 is a commercial channel, which is why a ;lot of reality shows in Israel are produced by it, as it has more rating. Personally, I think reality TV is a very good way to learn the language, as it tends to be simpler than movies or shows and show the way the ‘real Israelis’ speak in the day to day life.
You can watch it online for free with commercials, or have a monthly subscription to get rid of it.
Here’s a list of shows that I watched and recommend watching (including reality tv)
- Master Chef – my favorite Israeli reality show. A cooking contest with ‘real people’ (which means, home cooks) that can be very good for foodies that would like to improve their food vacbualry, and get a deeper look into the Israeli culture, food, and get to know some of the biggest Israeli chefs, which are also the judges on this show.
- Eretz Nehederet – an Israeli prime-time television satirical sketch comedy show, that premiered in 2003. It features satirical references to current affairs of the past week through parodies of the people involved, as well as the thoughts of recurring characters. The program’s concept is inspired by Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show and others. The program is one of the most watched and influential shows on Israeli TV.
