page_title: Sabra (person)
section_title: In culture
hierarchical_section_title: Sabra (person) / In culture
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Srulik-Figur im Skulpturengarten des Israeli Museum of Caricature and Comics English: "Srulik" in the museum of cartoons and comics in Holon
context_page_description: A Sabra is any Jew born in Israel. The term came into widespread use in the 1930s to refer to a Jew who had been born in the land of Israel, though it may have appeared earlier. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Israelis have used the word to refer to a Jewish person born anywhere in the country.
  The term alludes to a tenacious, thorny desert plant, known in English as prickly pear, with a thick skin that conceals a sweet, softer interior. The cactus is compared to Israeli Jews, who are supposedly tough on the outside, but delicate and sweet on the inside.
  In 2010, over 4,000,000 Israeli Jews were sabras, with an even greater percentage of Israeli Jewish youths falling into this category. In 2015, about 75% of Israel's Jewish population was native-born. In 2020, this had further increased to 78%.
context_section_description: The Sabra received an artistic and symbolic representation in the form of the illustrated character "Srulik" (which wears shorts, sandals and a Tembel hat), created by cartoonist Dosh. Another such character is the Israeli children's television character Kishkashta, a talking anthropomorphic cactus; the plant is another symbol of the Sabra.
  The English form of the word, Sabra, served Israeli manufacturers who wanted to brand their products as recognisably Israeli products, which are sold in the foreign markets. As a result, "Sabra liqueur" and "Sabra sport" (the sports model of the "Sussita") were created. The world's largest hummus manufacturer (as of 2009) is a U.S. company called the Sabra Dipping Company.
  In popular culture, an episode of the American Saturday Night Live series contained a skit entitled "Sabra Price Is Right" featuring Tom Hanks as the guest host. The skit was written by Robert Smigel and is a parody of Israel-born Jews making bargains with people who believe this show is The Price Is Right. In the skit, Hanks' character "Uri Shurinson" and the other Sabra are swindling the contestants, conning them into purchasing shoddy products (a Summit clock-radio, a "Pinnacle satellite dish" that's a v-aerial, a cordless phone that's a defective rotary phone, a microwave that's a toaster oven, a CD-player that's a child's bank, and a defective buzzer from the game show itself) for which they guess the price rather than winning them. The skit concludes with an Arab portrayed by Dana Carvey who bargains in the same manner as the Sabra and in the middle of their argument, they all "disco" as the skit concludes. A skit featured in an earlier SNL episode was entitled "Sabra Shopping Network" and also featured Uri (Tom Hanks) and his crew, this time bargaining with callers phoning into a television shopping show.
  The American comedy film You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008) plays heavily on sabra stereotypes.
caption: Srulik in the Israeli museum of cartoons and comics in Holon.
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