“Sorry for the Question”: a window into today’s Israel
- myoldnewland
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
At first glance, Sorry for the Question looks like a simple reality show. But beneath its casual format lies one of the most honest, disarming portraits of Israeli society ever aired on public television.
Based on the Australian show You Can’t Ask That, the Israeli adaptation (סליחה על השאלה) ran on Kan 11 from July 2018 to October 2024. Each episode across the three seasons brings together members of a specific community and invites them to answer questions submitted anonymously by the public - the kinds of questions people think about, whisper about, or hesitate to ask out loud because of embarrassment, political tension, or sheer social discomfort.
Each episode is around 20 minutes long, with Hebrew that’s accessible even to beginners. YouTube also provides translated subtitles.
Why this show matters
Israeli society is famously complex - a mosaic of identities, histories, languages, and experiences that rarely fit neatly into headlines or clichés. Most people see only the surface: the visible tips of much larger, deeper realities. Sorry for the Question opens a door to those deeper layers.
With empathy, humor, and sometimes painful honesty, participants from all corners of Israeli life respond to bold, sometimes uncomfortable questions. And in doing so, they offer viewers something precious: nuance.
The show is not about provocation; it is about listening.
Who appears on the show?
Each episode focuses on one group, giving space to voices that are often spoken about, but not spoken with. Over the years, the program featured:
Ultra-Orthodox men and women
Bedouins
Arabs. Muslim, Christian, and Druze
Widows and widowers
Survivors and descendants of Holocaust survivors
Israelis who are homeless
People on the autism spectrum
Individuals recovering from addiction (alcohol, gaming, etc.)
Formerly religious Israelis
Olim from the former USSR
Deaf and hard-of-hearing Israelis
And many more…
Some questions are light. Others are raw, intimate, or uncomfortable. But every answer adds another thread to the tapestry of contemporary Israel.
Below is an example featuring Jews who made Aliyah from the USSR.
A tool for anyone wanting to understand Israel better
If you have a basic knowledge of Hebrew and want to deepen your understanding of today’s Israel - beyond the headlines, beyond Ben-Gurion Airport, beyond stereotypes - this show is a remarkable entry point.
The official YouTube channel offers full episodes with clear, accessible language, ideal for learners and curious viewers alike. It allows you to sit in the room with communities you may have never met and hear their stories, struggles, humor, and everyday realities - in their own words.
Why It Fits My Old New Land
At My Old New Land, we help you move from the surface of Israeli culture to its deeper landscapes. Sorry for the Question does exactly that: it takes familiar categories - religious, Bedouin, immigrant, survivor - and reveals the human, fragile, complex stories beneath them.
It is an invitation to look again, listen differently, and expand your understanding of what Israel truly is.
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