Israeli ‘Survivor’: Next Stop, Masada?
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Nearly two millennia after becoming the site of a mass Jewish suicide, the ancient fortress Masada might finally yield a “Survivor.”
The once-isolated desert outpost is among the locations being considered for the season finale of Israel’s version of the TV show, which is currently advancing through its second season. Producers for the show’s broadcaster, Channel 10, are looking for an open-air venue to host the episode, which will crown a single winner following several months of physical challenges and the eliminations of earlier contestants. Masada, where more than 900 besieged Jews died in 73 C.E. rather than surrender to Roman forces, is just one of several possible locations for the finale, which might be shot at Ramat Gan Stadium, north of Tel Aviv, or at the Sultan’s Pool, an ancient water source and now the site of outdoor concerts and festivals in Jerusalem.
The search for an outdoor venue was interpreted by the Israeli news Web site Ynet, the first to report the story, as part of an effort to boost ratings for “Survivor,” which earned a record audience during its first season last year but has declined in popularity during its current run. The show’s first season finale took place at Tel Aviv’s Nokia Arena, home to the city’s professional basketball team.
“Masada is only a possibility,” wrote Inbal Hadida, a Channel 10 publicist, in an e-mail to The Shmooze. “This season we are looking for a different location — a more spectacular, breathtaking and ‘challenging’ one.”
Seven contestants of the original 20 remain on the current season of “Survivor,” which is taking place mostly on the Pearl Islands, off the coast of Panama. A decision about the location of the finale will be made at the end of May.
It’s our birthday and we’re still celebrating!
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news.
This week we celebrate 129 years of the Forward. We’re proud of our origins as a Yiddish print publication serving Jewish immigrants. And we’re just as proud of what we’ve become today: A trusted source of Jewish news and opinion, available digitally to anyone in the world without paywalls or subscriptions.
We’ve helped five generations of American Jews make sense of the news and the world around them — and we aren’t slowing down any time soon.
As a nonprofit newsroom, reader donations make it possible for us to do this work. Support independent, agenda-free Jewish journalism and our board will match your gift in honor of our birthday!
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
