Television Reviews : KCET Will Show Israeli Version of ‘Sesame Street’

Sunny day, everything’s A-O.K. Friendly neighbors there, that’s where we’ll meet. Can you tell me how to get, how to get to ... Rechov Sumsum?

Rechov Sumsum? That’s Hebrew for “Sesame Street,” and Sunday at 8 a.m. “Shalom Sesame,” a five-part series, begins on KCET Channel 28, bringing American audiences an English adaptation of the five-year-old Israeli version of the show, along with a child’s-eye glimpse of Israeli culture.

Itzhak Perlman is the host, with guest appearances by Bonnie Franklin and Mary Tyler Moore.

Meet Bentz and Arik (Bert and Ernie) and Oscar the Grouch’s counterpart, Moshe Dofnick, along with a few unfamiliar muppet friends, including a giant porcupine. Learn to count to 10, recite the alphabet and sing Arik’s “Rubber Duckie” song--all in Hebrew.

See host Itzhak Perlman play his violin in the 2000-year-old amphitheater in the ancient city of Caesarea and watch Bonnie Franklin tour Jerusalem and Mary Tyler Moore attempt the multi-syllabic Hebrew word for “lunch,” to the intense enjoyment of her preschooler tutor.

It’s a quick half-hour, fascinating in its glimpse of the richly varied, and even tranquil, everyday life of a people whose country makes headlines daily.