Valley of Tears depicts the battles of the Yom Kippur War, with the first season focusing on the northern front of the war, and a second season focusing on the southern front of the fighting is also planned. The series has been described as one of the most expensive television series in Israel, with advanced technologies used to recreate the battles, including the Battle of the Valley of Tears.
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One season (2020)
10 one-hour episodes
Available on HBO
(Official HBO Trailer)
Created by: Ron Leshem
Grade Level: High School and up
On the first day of Yom Kippur, a surprise attack thrusts young combatants into battle. Inspired by the true events of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, this harrowing drama series focuses on the universality of heroism and sacrifice through four intertwined stories: a journalist searching for his estranged, newly-enlisted son; a commander and an intelligence analyst forced to flee their base near the Syrian border; three friends on a tank crew facing political and personal conflicts; and a female officer who remains on the frontlines, despite orders to evacuate. Through its magnified, unflinching lens, Valley of Tears reveals the tension, anxiety, and trauma of a fateful war.
Synopsis of Episode 4, "Strength of My Foes":
Beyond hope of rescue and with no way of returning to safety, Marco leads the 87th in a rebellion to subdue Caspi. At the foot of the mountain, Yoav, Avinoam, and the Hermon soldiers find themselves in a brutal ambush and, later, Avinoam makes an unlikely connection with a Syrian soldier. As communications begin to collapse, Dafna tries to restore order back at her tumultuous command post.
On Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, Israel was taken by surprise in 1973 when Egyptian and Syrian armies attacked the country’s thinly-manned borders. Despite Israel’s ultimate success as the fighting continued, the war was considered a devastating military failure. In total 2,688 Israeli soldiers were killed and more than 9,000 were wounded. It remains a source of national trauma to this day.
Often when we disagree with others, we may assume that we do not have shared values. This is a theme throughout Valley of Tears. You can use this activity to illustrate that we often do have shared values—and our differences lie in the way we approach and prioritize them. Recognizing the possibility of shared values, and the complexity of both sides, may allow us to better understand those whose opinions we do not share.
Get to know those behind Valley of Tears with these interviews:
According to the Israel Center for the Treatment of Psychotrauma: "Over ten percent of Israel's population suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a statistic that is three times greater than in the United States." Besides soldiers who witnessed battles and death, sufferers include children and adults living in conflict areas such as kibbutzim and villages around the Gaza Strip and survivors of terror attacks.
Many of the characters in the series suffer from some form of PTSD and trauma, and for each it is manifested in a different way. The devastation of mind and spirit affects their lives and the lives of those who love them for years to come.