Israeli reality to reach US screens

December 7, 2009 - 8:15 PM by

Phil Rosenthal and Monica Horan on their maiden visit to Israel, at Shaare Zedek Hospital.

Phil Rosenthal and Monica Horan on their maiden visit to Israel, at Shaare Zedek Hospital.

Most of the American Jews who I know have never visited Israel – including most of my extended family. There’s probably a plethora of reasons, from financial to lack of interest to fear. So it’s always interesting to meet up with those on their first trip here and hear their impressions.

Last week, Phil Rosenthal and his wife Monica Horan were in town for a few days. In some ways, they’re your typical American Jewish couple – he was raised Reform and she converted to Judaism when the two married in 1990. But in other ways, they’re unique – Phil was the co-creator and producer of the hit comedy series Everbody Loves Raymond and Horan was one of the stars of the show, playing Robert Barone’s wife Amy for many seasons of the show’s nine-year run.

Rosenthal explained why it took him 49 years to make his first visit to his homeland. “If all you see is cable news, than you think it’s explosions all the time. To be honest, it took me my whole life to get here because of the fear that’s been perpetrated, so I full admit to being nervous about coming, but not anymore,” he told me, after only a few hours in the country.

“It’s not the full picture, but you can’t deny that piece of the picture,” added Horan. “When Dr. Appelbaum [Dr. David Appelbaum, an emergency medicine specialist at Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem who was killed in September, 2003 along with his daughter Nava and five other people in a suicide bombing at Café Hillel in Jerusalem] came to visit us, he said to Phillip, ‘you just have to know where to go, it’s not the whole picture of what Israel is.’ Then a few months later that happened, it had a huge impact as well.”

“That kept us away a little longer,” added Rosenthal.

But they did finally arrive, putting their fears and misconceptions about Israel to the side and embracing the ISRAEL21c point of view as expressed by Moran that the conflict is part of our narrative, but it doesn’t represent the whole picture.

Putting their money where their mouths are, Rosenthal and Moran were here to scope out Sha’are Zedek, which they have long been involved with philanthropically, as the site for reality show they’re developing with Steven Spielberg that is slated to be broadcast on the Sundance Channel in the US in 2011.

“The idea is to take a small group of American doctors and bring them to this hot spot in the world. Sha’are Zedek is one of the busiest hospital in Jerusalem, and it’s a kind fascinating situation where you have Arab doctors working next to Jewish doctors, patients of all kinds as well, and you have to check your religion at the door. The ideology is that we’re only here to help people. It’s a microcosm for how it can be, how it should be,” said Rosenthal.

I was in touch with an American-Israeli friend living in the US who said that this is the last thing Israel needs – to be bandied about on a reality show. But I think the more Americans see Israel as a place made up of real people and not stereotypes, the more likely they’re going to perceive the country as being different than the perception Phil Rosenthal had of it until he landed here last week.

Tags: , , , , • Category: A New Reality, coexistence, General, health, Life, Movies, Pop Culture 

Comments

5 Comments on Israeli reality to reach US screens

  1. Hilal on Tue, Dec 8th 2009 12:41 PM

    2. thankx

    I always search for isaerali people and I found you

    good luck

    realy i am happy

  2. Melissa on Tue, Dec 8th 2009 8:41 PM

    3. I just found your blog.

    So glad that I did. Your blog looks like it is very thought provoking and interesting.

    Melissa

  3. David on Wed, Dec 16th 2009 9:21 PM

    4. I too felt quite relieved after arriving in Israel for my first visit just two years ago. The media creates a great deal of angst about visiting, but when you get here, you quickly realize it is way overblown and dramatized, so I agree that a show which portrays “real life” in Israel should be good for tourism.
    Steve

  4. hannah on Mon, Dec 21st 2009 9:37 PM

    5. I think this would be good exposure for Israel. But I hope they point out that is isn’t just Shaare Tzedek that has Arab and Jewish staff and patients. Probably all Israeli hospitals do, but I know Hadassah Hospitals do (they were nominated for a Nobel peace prize because of this). I visited another hospital in Askelon when a terrorist was brought in for treatment. Israel is a unique place in this regard and hopefully it will be pointed out many times in the programming.

  5. Haveil Havalim #247: Chanukah 2009/5770 Edition — The Israel Situation on Thu, Apr 28th 2011 12:12 AM

    6. [...] In what sometimes feels like fiction, Israelity noticed that Israelis are not taking to the iPhone, signaling the possible end of the world.  Those snazzy folks at Israel21C also snapped a photo of someone drinking and driving and doughnut eating (no wonder Israel’s traffic is so horrible) and wrote about an Israeli movie hitting big screens in the US. [...]

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