5 YouTube Channels From Israel Iโm Watching At The Moment
As a recent entrant to the YouTube fold, Iโve been doing a bit of digging around this summer to find channels to draw โฆ ahem โฆ creative inspiration from.
There are channels whose videos I have been devouring for years already โ Corey Gill Shusterโs The Ask Project __ falls very much into this category โ as well as those Iโve discovered much more recently.
Like most things in Israel, there seem to be parallel and sometimes overlapping worlds coexisting in Hebrew, English, and probably other languages too.
While Iโve been on a Hebrew-learning kick for a lot of this summer, when it comes to finding video sources to polish up my language skills, Iโve been mostly watching professional content syndicated by Kan (Israelโs national broadcaster) โ which does an outstanding job at producing many excellent series and documentaries and even adds English subtitles to select shows.
Kan โ Israelโs public broadcaster โ produces a variety of YouTube channels. Screenshot: YouTube.
In the process, Iโve developed an unexpected fondness for Kupa Rashit, a somewhat ridiculous Israeli skit based on a typically dysfunctional and chaotically managed supermarket.
For a representative taster, see the first episode of season three. Like the actual process of shopping in an Israeli supermarket, itโs something of an acquired taste that mellows with age and gets easier the more you do it. Like most Israeli comedy, I find it slightly too slapstick for my liking (growing up in Ireland, I prefer the more sardonic British variety of humor). But it has its moments.
What I have discovered from exploring the Hebrew YouTube โecosystemโ is that thereโs plenty of vacuous clickbait content being delivered by YouTube โinfluencersโ in Hebrew. As well as plenty of much more substantive material thatโs actually engaging and entertaining. As I wrote here earlier today, thatโs just kinda how Israel rolls. Itโs totally unique. And also oddly like every other country. All at the same time. Itโs the baffling paradox of this land and its people.
Here are some of the Israel-based YouTubers that Iโve subbed recently and long ago.
The Ask Project By Corey Gil Shuster
A frame from Corey Gil Shusterโs The Ask Project. Photo: YouTube / The Ask Project
Iโve probably watched more hours of this channel than just about any other YouTube channel I consume โ and that includes the inimitable Vah Chef whose unique brand of presenting Indian cooking videos has won him fans, and plaudits, from all over the world. (I knew that if I wrote enough articles on Medium Iโd finally get round to comparing Corey and Vah Chef).
Caution: The Ask Project isnโt easy watching. Corey asks random Israelis, and Palestinians, their thoughts on often divisive political issues including the status of the peace process; whether they want peace at all; and what they want for their future: to live side by side or together.
The answers are quite eye-opening.
Travelling Israel โ With Oren Cahanovitc
travelingisrael.com
Welcome to my Traveling Israel Chanel! It is all about helping travelers to travel in Israel. You can find here infoโฆ www.youtube.com
If youโre thinking about planning a trip to Israel, then you could do much much worse than by checking out the YouTube channel of Oren Cahanovitc.
Israeli tour guide Oren Cahanovitc gives a primer on how to use Jerusalemโs light rail system including the Rav Kav electronic ticket. Screenshot: YouTube.
Orenโs channel is likely to be a lot more useful for visitors and prospective visitors than for those actually living here. Nevertheless, I find his presentation style refreshing: down to earth, unassuming, and full of interesting information about sights around Israel and the practical details of living here.
If youโre thinking about visiting Israel โ at least when you can do so again โ then youโre likely to find an explainer on some facet of life here on the channel.
TravellingIsrael.com on YouTube
India International โ With India Persaud
India Persaud works with Tel Aviv based international news station i24 news and has put her training in journalism to good use by founding a YouTube channel thatโs quickly climbing in popularity.
As her fans repeatedly ask her โ yes, her name is really India. Indiaโs journey to Israel is intriguing. And while her brand โ and channel โ started out when she was elsewhere in the world (Brazil to be specific), Israel appears to be where she has wound up, at least for the moment.
Indiaโs production quality is really slick and she was even kind enough to give me an insight, by email, into what gear sheโs using. While I wonโt spill the beans on those trade secrets, her advice is worth paraphrasing and repeating: donโt be put off by those further along in the journey than you, keep creating, and keep publishing.
India International on YouTube.
Kanโs Network Of YouTube Channels
Israelโs public broadcaster โ Kan โ has really outdone itself when it comes to syndicating content to YouTube.
Iโm guessing that this must be somebodyโs โ or many peopleโs โ full-time job. Because when I went to try subscribe to as many as I could find, I managed to count close to 20 different channels before calling it a day.
Kan has produced a number of excellent shows. It adds English subtitles to the best of those and Hebrew subtitles to a lot more.
Depending on where you are in your Hebrew-learning voyage, the Hebrew audio / Hebrew subtitles channels can still be useful learning resources. Youโll just need a good enough basis (Hebrew has an English-ism for this word: bas-ees) in order to be able to follow along.
Some of the options:
ืืื 11 - ืชืืืื ืืฉืืืืจ ืืืฉืจืืื
ืืจืืืื ืืืืื ืืขืจืืฅ ืืืืืืื ืืจืฉืื ืฉื ืืื 11. ืืืจืฉืื ืืขืจืืฅ ืฉืื ื ืืชืืืื ืืืฆืื ืืื ืืฉืืืืจื ืืืืจื (ืฉืืืืจ ืืคื ื ืืืืืืืืื!) ืืชโฆ www.youtube.com
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ืืื ืืกืืชืื - ืืคืืืงืืกืืื ืฉื ืืฉืืืืจ ืืฆืืืืจื ืืืฉืจืืื. ืืืื ืืกืืชืื ื ืืชื ืืืฆืื ืขืฉืจืืช ืืืชืจืื ืืชืืืื ืืืข ืืืืื ืื ืืืืโฆ www.youtube.com
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ืืื ืืืจืฉืช ืชืื ืช ืืจืืื ืืื ืืืจืฉืช ืคืื ื ืืงืื ืืจืื-ืืชื ืืืกืคืงืช ืืืืืช ืืืืื ืืขืื ืืื: ืืงืืืืืื ืืืืฉ ืขื ื ืืฉืื ืืช ืืืืื ื, ืืืืืงืโฆ www.youtube.com
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ืืื ืืืืื | ืืืืื ืฉืืืืจืช ืขืืื ืืืืช ืืื - ืชืืืื ืืฉืืืืจ ืืืฉืจืืื www.youtube.com
ืืื ืฉืคืืช
ืืืช ืืกืคืจ ืืฉืคืืช ืืืืช ืืื ืืื ืืืืช, ืืืืฉ ืืืืจ ืชืืื ืืืช ืืืืืชืืืช ืืืืืื ืฉืคื, ืืขืืจืืช, ืื ืืืืช, ืขืจืืืช ืืฆืจืคืชืืช. ืืื ืชืืืื ืืืฆืืโฆ www.youtube.com
Jerusalem Walker
The mysterious Jerusalem Walker โ who has to the best of my knowledge thus far remained anonymous โ has emerged as a new star in the popular virtual walk category of YouTube videos.
Jerusalem Walker
4k UHD Virtual walking tours in Israel! Israel is a beautiful country and our Jerusalem is a fantastic and special cityโฆ www.youtube.com
As the name suggests, these videos tend to involve being brought along on a virtual walk through somebody โฆ recording themselves walking through scenery.
As a recent entrant to the gimbal owners of this world (I picked up a DJI Ronin SC last month), I had to ask what the gear being used was. The answer: for at least some of the shots, a humble DJI Osmo Pocket mobile gimbal, which truly delivers outsized stabilized results in 4K.
The Jerusalem Walker has a flair for creativity. Live music performances have been captured; aerial shots taken in the shuk; fans have also begun leaving suggestions.
There are a variety of great YouTube channels bringing content from Israel-based YouTubers out to the world โ in English, Hebrew, and just about every other language commonly spoken in Israelโs melting pot. This list is totally exhaustiveness. But might provide a good start for somebody looking to explore what itโs actually like to live in Israel โ from those living here.