At a time when our screens are filling up with young hopefuls as part of the "A Star Is Born" talent competition, when our current cultural heroes and heroines are the heroes and heroines of the Soap Operas, and at a time when the main news headlines are written to satisfy our politicians, we felt it would be correct to embark upon a journey across Israel in 2006 in order to get to know the different faces of young Israeli society, and to give personal and alternative meanings to the phenomena which engage our young people, other than pubs, clubs, restaurants, terror attacks, or the crucial debate as to which political parties will make up the next coalition government. It is no coincidence that we chose these two young scientists, Oren and Yanay. Their personal biographies connect them both to the Israeli experience and to the history of cultural Zionism (one is the grandson of Prof. Yeshayahu Leibowitz, and the other the grandson of former Hebrew University President Avraham Harman). They are young, curious, intellectual, caring, interested in debate, and both connect in a deeply personal manner to the subject matters we have chosen. The main issue highlighted in each episode of the series is what has happened to the former boundaries of identity that once divided Israeli society, and as such defined power relations within it, over previous decades. We try to identify part of these processes and chart religious, national, personal and cultural identities within Israel in 2006. In the first episode, "Transparent kippa ", Oren and Yanay discuss what has happened to the religious identities as defined by their parents' generation: Whether these identities have been updated, redesigned, whether we are witness to a renewed definition of these identities or if they are collapsing upon each other. They choose to meet with secular and religious people searching for a more open religious identity, in which it is permitted to both remain oneself and to choose patterns of behavior which suit them. In the episode "And If I Forget Thee…" Oren and Yanay, Jerusalemites who have recently left the city for Tel Aviv, ask themselves- is Jerusalem dying? They meet with various young people in Jerusalem who themselves are feeling the painful situation of the city. They are seeking out those who believe in the renewed revival of the city, those who thereby cause them some guilt for abandoning their city, they meet with young people who have also left, and basically attempt to ask themselves if they are still Jerusalemites, and if they are able to restore the city's lost dignity, her crowing glory from days of old. In the episode "Oh, My Country" Oren and Yanay meet young Arabs of their age group living in Bet Safafa, in Nazareth, in Acco, Haifa and the Galil. They try to understand how these people deal with the generation gap, with their internal social conflicts, and their relationship to defining their identities in our problematic society wherein they are a minority.
At a time when our screens are filling up with young hopefuls as part of the "A Star Is Born" talent competition, when our current cultural heroes and heroines are the heroes and heroines of the Soap Operas, and at a time when the main news headlines are written to satisfy our politicians, we felt it would be correct to embark upon a journey across Israel in 2006 in order to get to know the different faces of young Israeli society, and to give personal and alternative meanings to the phenomena which engage our young people, other than pubs, clubs, restaurants, terror attacks, or the crucial debate as to which political parties will make up...
Asaf Schneider- Maariv
"It is worth watching “ Did Herzl Really Say That" . The captivating personalities of Harman and Ofran- wise and knowledgeable, yet still down to earth and straight shooting is one side of the story. The other is the age of the duo, which turns "Did Herzl Really Say That?" into a series for the 30-something generation. This is seen in both their interview technique and also in the visuals, in the shared experiences which hint of this the most. And this is how the journey of Harman and Ofran differentiates from the norm: It isn't yet another fruitless search for "roots"- rather an honest self-evaluation full of good intentions to make peace with the here and now somehow, for the generation who will soon be drawn into involvement with the majority of facets of life in the State of Israel."
Ehud Asheri- Haaretz
"This was one of the most outstanding and entertaining journeys to reach my screen of late.
Their way of debating is via dialogue which freely skips between the personal, cultural and theological, and through encounters with equally smart people.
Through their lighthearted and friendly approach, the pair succeed in avoiding the trap of didactic pseudo-intellectualism, and yet still challenge the viewer on a level that would condemn them had this been shown on Channel 2- but on Channel 8, two stars were born last night."
Oren Persico- Globes
"These two talents, who joined our screens yesterday having won no reality competitions, nevertheless manages to provide verbal expression for their spirituality and that of their conversation partners, or at least for the doubts"
"That everyone has about their spirituality, and all this without going off base even once. In their warmth, their erudition, and their deep understanding, Ofran and Harman embarked upon a journey on the blurred border between secularism and faith in Israel, and returned with 50 minutes of pure championship, showing great promise with regard to coming episodes, and proving that television, as well as the corridors of power, requires decent academics prepared to give their time and talents for the good of us all."
Second Authority "Daily Display" Ran Bin-Nun
"Harman and Ofran have brought things up we hadn't yet heard, and even if we had heard them before, never in such a manner. Without a doubt, Herzl would be stroking his beard and maybe even unfolding his map of Uganda once again."
Raanan Shaked- Yediot Aharonot
"Did Herzl Really Say That?" is an excellent example of why, even though it may be far from home, you must all pack a toothbrush and get yourselves over to Channel 8 pronto."
"The blurring of boundaries in Israeli society captivates "Did Herzl Really Say That?" which itself stands upon a blurred boundary, without defining itself as to what it is really getting at, yet spreading magic and originality from almost every issue it touches upon. This is just the sort of original documentary that Channel 2 needs to bring out in order to stop embarrassing itself and we the viewers.
Lilach Wallach- Nana
"Do the names not mean anything to you? Great- that's in fact just what we needed. Not another churned-out celebrity with questionable personality who will charm us into helping them get to the top… we are talking about two young educated men, with impressive lineage… Ofran and Harman have more charisma than all those wimps, signed by the Children's Channel prior to becoming sex symbols, put together. And they have a mission, a difficult but ambitious one- to crack the code of "Israeliness"
"From the lukewarm swamp of today's Israeli television, which bows down to the red carpet of puppet celebrity, it is so very calming to know that somewhere, on Channel 8, a new type of celebrity is emerging, one that is even based upon intelligence and education.”