Um Hārūn (, ) is a Kuwaiti television series that started airing during Ramadan in 2020, a time when TV viewership in Arabic-speaking countries is very high. Most of the actors and actresses are from Arab states of the Persian Gulf, with the most notable being from Kuwait.
The series portrays the relations between the Muslim/Christian and Jewish communities within an unnamed Persian Gulf country, which according to the historical events of the show checks out to be Kuwait around 1948. It portrays the disruptions in social life suffered by the Jewish community during the peak of the Zionist movement and the 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight, followed by the systematic racism and discrimination they faced in Israel after they voluntary and involuntary emigrated from their home country. Their immigration, as well as many of the acts that were perceived as anti-Semitic, were allegedly facilitated by members of the Zionist movement in their hometown in order to create disruptions and convince the unbudging anti-Zionist Jewish community to emigrate, which mirror some of the actual recorded cases of anti-Jewish acts that took place in the Arab world, which were perpetrated by members of the Zionist movement for similar reasons.
Before it started airing, the show brought mixed reactions, with many claiming that show is an attempt to temper the desire to normalise relations between Arab-states, most of whom don't have relations with Israel, at least in an official capacity, and Israel. Many of the actors and actresses including the lead actress, as well as the series' writer and the broadcasting network deny the charges.
Premise
The series begins with the Kuwaiti actress speaking Hebrew in a modern Mizrahi accent, telling the story of Um Harūn, an elderly Jewish obstetrician, that she wrote in a notebook titled אמו של אהרון (Mother of Aaron). It shows a multi-religious community living in harmony, with shops, houses, and places of worship next to each other. It shows Muslims congratulating their Jewish neighbors on weddings by saying mazal tov, as well as Muslims and Christians cooking Sabbath dinner together.
The lead actress and the writer said the series was influenced by the real story of the Bahraini Jewish lady Um Jān, from which the appearance and occupation were taken.
Characters
Um Hārūn
Um Hārūn (, ; real name Samḥa Šāʾūl), is an elderly Jewish nurse who works at the city's hospital. She is played by the Kuwaiti actress Hayat Al-Fahad.
Rabbi David
Rabbi David () or Rabbi Dawūd is the city's Rabbi. He is very religious, and he also takes care of the city's synagogue in which he teaches Jewish children and leads the Sabbath. Rabbi David also takes care of the other needs of the local Jewish community, such as their financial needs. He is married to Masʿūda, and has two daughters: Rāḥīl (Rachel), and Rifqa (Rebecca), who is married to ʿIzra (Ezra), and all of them live under his roof. The Rabbi is a friendly person, often seen with his house- or shop- neighbours Mulla ʿAbdissalām and Bu Sʿīd, or chatting with Um Hārūn who had more than once reproached him for being too extreme about his religion, such as when he refused to marry his daughter Raḥīl who is deeply in love with her neighbour Mḥammad to him. Rabbi David is anti-Zionist, and had for many times warned his son-in-law of the dangers of such movement on the country and the Jewish people who live in it to no avail.
Rabbi David is played by , a Saudi actor from Al-Ahsa. He besieged the help of a Bahraini Jewish MP in order to perfect his role, and he also as practice Hebrew using recordings to improve his language.
Mulla ʿAbdissalām
Mulla ʿAbdissalām ( ) is the local mosque's imam. He is the father of Mḥammad. Despite holding some extreme views, he is often seen with Rabbi David, who is also his neighbour and whose shop in the sūg (market) is next to his, fighting over petty stuff, having a friendly conversation, or teaming up for a common task, such as advising Miriam in one episode, or scolding Father Samuel for distributing the Bible on Muslim and Jewish kids in another. He is also a close friend of Bu Sʿīd. Mulla ʿAbdissalām is played by the Kuwaiti actor Mḥammad Jābir.
Father Samuel
Father Samuel () is the city's pastor.
Bu Sʿīd
Bu Sʿīd (, ; real name unknown), is a big merchant and a close friend of Mulla ʿAbdissalām, whom he always advises against holding extreme religious and nationalistic views. He is married to Hind, and later on marries Miriam as well. He is the father of ʿAlya and the father-in-law of her husband Jabir, the four of whom live in his house. Bu Sʿīd is played by the Emirati actor Aḥmad il-Jasmi.
