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HaMerotz LaMillion 2
Season 2
Presented by	Ron Shahar
No. of teams	11
Winner	Bar Ben-Vakil & Inna Broder
No. of legs	13
Distance traveled	20,300 km (12,600 mi)
No. of episodes	27 (30 including recaps)
Release
Original network	Channel 2
Original release	25 October 2011 (2011-10-25) – 11 February 2012 (2012-02-11)
Additional information
Filming dates	30 March (2011-03-30) – 26 April 2011 (2011-04-26) 11 January 2012
Season chronology
← Previous Season 1 Next → Season 3

HaMerotz LaMillion 2 is the second season of HaMerotz LaMillion (Hebrew: המירוץ למיליון, lit. The Race to the Million), an Israeli reality competition show based on the American series The Amazing Race. Hosted by Ron Shahar, replacing Raz Meirman, it featured eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around Eurasia to win ₪1,000,000. This season visited two continents and ten countries and traveled over 20,300 kilometres (12,600 mi) during thirteen legs. Starting in Jerusalem, racers traveled through Israel, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Poland, the Czech Republic, China, Thailand, and Sri Lanka before finishing in Singapore. New twists introduced in this season include a mid-leg elimination, the U-Turn and Yield Vote, the Double Battle, where two teams competed against each other in a task, and the Speed Bump. The season premiered on Channel 2 on 25 October 2011 and ended on 11 February 2012.

Painter and saleswoman Bar Ben-Vakil and Inna Broder were the winners of this season, while brothers Alon and Oren Harel finished in second place, and married Orthodox Jews Akiva and Anaelle Shmueli finished in third place.

Production

Development and filming

In April 2009, during the airing of the show, Reshet had begun preparations for a second season. They considered producing a celebrity edition of the show that would have raised the price of producing the show. Reshet had consulted with CBS and agreed it would film two more seasons at the same time to save expenses, a celebrity and non-celebrity editions. Despite this, on 20 December 2009, Reshet announced that it had cancelled the show. However, in September 2010, Reshet reconsidered, and Channel 2 greenlit the second season on 20 September 2010. On 11 February 2011, Ron Shahar was announced as the show's new host, replacing Raz Meirman.

Most filming was done in a 28-day period from 30 March to 26 April 2011, with the last leg taped on 11 January 2012. The second season spanned nine countries. Eight were previously unvisited, including Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand, as well as the first visit by an Amazing Race franchise to Bosnia and Herzegovina. China was the only previously visited nation from the previous season featured on this season.

This season introduced a franchise-first twist for the Yield and U-Turn, dubbed as a "Yield/U-Turn Vote", where during a certain point on the leg, each team could cast a vote against one team on whom they wished to Yield (which was held at the Pit Stop) or U-Turn (held during the Detour) depending on the leg. Teams (and any multiple teams in the event of a tie) who received more votes would be subjected to a Yield/U-Turn. This season also featured its first double elimination in the Israeli series when in one leg, two teams were eliminated: one at the airport in Israel, and the other at the end of the leg. This season also introduced the Double Battle where teams had to compete head-to-head in a pre-determined challenge, where winning teams can move on to the next challenge, while the losing team had to wait for new challengers. The team who lost the last "Double Battle" would face a time penalty.

Croatian-born Israeli former footballer Đovani Roso appeared as a Pit Stop greeter during Leg 3 in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Casting

Casting for the season began on 21 November 2010 and lasted through early March 2011.

Blogs

The host recorded blogs during filming, which could be viewed on the show's website.

Cast

Eleven teams competed on this season. At 18 years old, Adel was the youngest contestant on The Amazing Race excluding the American version's Family Edition. The casting of Firass & Shira led to calls from far-right groups such as Lehava for a boycott of the show due to opposition against interfaith relationships.

Future appearances

Adel Bespalov later appeared on the ninth season of the Israeli edition of Big Brother along with Season 4 contestant Liron "Tiltil" Orfeli and Season 6 contestant Neta Barazani as part of a second wave of houseguests with a secret assignment in order to earn their way into the Big Brother house. Adel earned her way into the house and finished seventh. In 2020, Akiva & Anaelle appeared on the Israeli version of Wife Swap. In 2021, Bespalov competed on the third season of Power Couple VIP.

Results

The following teams, with their relationships at the time of filming, participated in this season. This table is not reflective of all content broadcast on television, due to the inclusion (or exclusion) of data. Listed by finishing order:

Key

• A red placement means the team was eliminated.
• A green ƒ indicates that the team won a Fast Forward.
• An underlined leg number indicates that there was no mandatory rest period at the Pit Stop; all teams were ordered to continue racing. An underlined team placement indicates that the team came in last, was ordered to continue racing, and didn't have to perform a Speed Bump nor were they "Marked for Elimination" in the next leg.
• A blue placement indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop in a non-elimination leg.
  • An underlined blue placement indicates that the team came in last on a non-elimination leg and had to perform a Speed Bump during the next leg.
  • An italicized blue placement indicates that the team was "Marked for Elimination"; if they did not place first in the next leg, they would receive a one-hour (end of Leg 6) or 30-minute (end of Leg 9) penalty.
• Italicized results indicate the position of the team told to them by Ron Shahar after they checked into the mat at Ben Gurion Airport during the midpoint of the leg.
• An orange + indicates that there was a Double Battle on this leg; an orange − indicates the team that lost the Double Battle and received a 15-minute penalty.
• A brown ⊂ indicates the team received a U-Turn; a brown ⊃ indicates that the team voted for the recipient. A brown ⊂⊃ around a leg number indicates a leg where a U-Turn was available but not used.
• A yellow < indicates a team who received a Yield, and a yellow > indicates that a team voted for the recipient.

Notes

1. Gadi & Alona were the last team to arrive at Ben Gurion Airport and were eliminated as per the provisions of Leg 1's rules (see below).
2. Tal & Mor initially arrived 8th, but were issued a 1-hour penalty as Tal was unable to complete the Roadblock. The last two teams trailing them (Bar & Inna and Nitzan & Fifi) checked in during that period, dropping Tal & Mor to last place and resulting in their elimination.
3. Osnat & Carmit were issued a 1-hour penalty for unable to complete the ice-hockey task.
4. Firass & Shira received a 1-hour penalty for not completing the Roadblock due to Shira's low blood pressure.
5. Osnat & Carmit were forced to forfeit the Double Battle due to Ornat's injury.
6. Osnat & Carmit initially arrived 5th, but were issued a 1-hour penalty for being "marked for elimination" and not arriving 1st. This did not affect their placement.
7. Because Bar & Inna finished 1st, their 30-minute "marked for elimination" penalty was nullified.
8. Akiva & Anaelle refused to take part in the Buddhist blessing ceremony. As such, they had to wait for the next team (Bar & Inna) to receive their blessing before they would receive their next clue.

Voting history

For the first time in Amazing Race history, teams could vote for a U-Turn or Yield. The team with the most votes received the U-Turn or Yield penalty, depending on the leg.

Episode titles

Translated from Hebrew from the official website:

1. Amazing Race Premiere (Leg 1)
2. Something Fire! (!משהו אש) (Leg 1)
3. The Complete Chapter (הפרק המלא) (Leg 1)
4. The Complete Chapter (הפרק המלא) (Leg 2)
5. Breaking the Ice (שוברים את הקרח) (Leg 2)
6. Does is it All End In Peace? (?האם הכל יגמר בשלום) (Leg 3)
7. For the Best? (?מעז יצא מתוק) (Leg 3)
8. Tom and Adel Being Left Behind (טום ואדל נשארים מאחור) (Leg 4)
9. The Opportunity of a Lifetime (הזדמנות של פעם בחיים) (Leg 4)
10. The Baptism of Fire! (!טבילת אש) (Leg 5)
11. Dangerous Game (משחק מסוכן) (Leg 5)
12. Legendary Race! (!מירוץ מהאגדות) (Leg 5)
13. It's All the Magic (זה כל הקסם) (Recap)
14. Chinese is a Hard Language (סינית שפה קשה) (Leg 6)
15. Sweet Pain? (?כאב מתוק) (Leg 6)
16. Walls of Hope (חומות של תקווה) (Leg 7)
17. No Limits! (!חסרי מעצורים) (Leg 7)
18. Who Will Enter the Final Quintet? (?מי יכנס לחמישיית הגמר) (Leg 7)
19. Conquering Bangkok (כובשים את בנגקוק) (Leg 8)
20. Non-Stop Race (מירוץ ללא הפסקה) (Leg 8)
21. Going Low (יורדים נמוך) (Legs 8 and 9)
22. Homesick (מתגעגעים הביתה) (Leg 9)
23. Leaving Thailand (נפרדים מתאילנד) (Leg 9)
24. The Greatest Moments of the Race (הרגעים הגדולים של המירוץ) (Recap)
25. Dreaming About a Place in the Final (חולמים על מקום בגמר) (Leg 10)
26. The Teams in the Race of Their Lives! (!הזוגות במירוץ חייהם) (Leg 10)
27. The Final Battle on the way to the Final (הקרב האחרון בדרך אל הגמר) (Leg 11)
28. Last Step to the Million! (!צעד אחרון למיליון) (Leg 12)
29. The Sky's the Limit (השמיים הם הגבול) (Leg 13)
30. Reunion (Recap)

Prizes

• Legs 1-7, 9-10 – A vacation

Race summary

Destinations	Air travel    Rail travel    Water travel    Bus travel Helicopter travel    Bicycle travel    Gondola travel
Route Markers	צומת (Detour)    מחסום (Roadblock)    קיצור דרך (Fast Forward) עצור (Yield)    מסלול משותף (Intersection)    סיבוב פרסה (U-Turn) דו–קרב (Double Battle)    פס האטה (Speed Bump)    נקודת סיום (Pit Stop)

Leg 1 (Israel → Hungary)

Airdates: 25 & 30 October, 1 November 2011

• Jerusalem, Israel (Teddy Stadium) (Starting Line)
• Ruhama (Nahal Shikma [he])
• Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion Airport – Terminal 3) (Elimination Point)
• Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion Airport) to Budapest, Hungary (Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport)
• Pilisvörösvár (Shivabenstube Restaurant)
• Puss Laci (Pigsty)
• Budapest (Gundel Restaurant or City Park)
• Budapest (City Park)
• Budapest (Óbuda Square)
• Mogyoród (Astra Filmstudios)
• Budapest (Széchenyi Thermal Bath)

This season's first Detour was a choice between קרקס (Qerqes – Circus) or ואלס (Vales – Waltz). In Circus, teams had to perform circus acts. One team member had to walk on a tightrope, and the other team member had to balance on a board placed on a wheel to receive their next clue. In Waltz, teams had to learn and perform a waltz for a panel of judges with teams needing to score at least 20 points to receive their next clue.

In this season's first Roadblock, one team member would be slowly lowered into a vat of water with their hands and feet secured by iron chains much like Hungarian escape artist Harry Houdini and had to escape by finding the correct keys from a set of keys to unlock their shackles and receive their next clue.

Additional tasks

• At Teddy Stadium, teams had to retrieve the key for their vehicle by untangling a pile of ropes. They then had to climb rope ladders to reach a platform suspended by a crane, where their car was sitting, and enter the car. After honking the horn, teams would be lowered to the ground and would receive their next clue.
• At Wadi Shiqma, teams had to listen to a series of songs performed by a choir, three of which would reference a specific color. After recognizing the colors, red, white, and green (the colors of the flag of Hungary), they had to search for three balls with the three colors among a field full of balls. The correct colored balls had numbers on them (3, 6, 7), and teams could use them to unlock a box in their car containing their next clue, which directed teams to Ben Gurion Airport and had tickets to their first destination: Budapest. The first five teams to check-in and give the tickets to Ron Shahar would be on the first flight from Tel Aviv to Budapest, and the next five teams would be on the second flight. The last team to arrive would be eliminated.
• At the restaurant in Pilisvörösvár, while sharing only one glass of water per team, teams had to eat a bowl of spicy goulash to receive their next clue. They would then vote for the team they wished to U-Turn.
• At the pig sty in Puss Laci, each team member had to catch a piglet and hand them to a farmer before receiving their next clue.
• At Óbuda Square, teammates had to face each other with one holding a soda syphon and the other with a glass above their head. The one with the syphon had to squirt soda towards their partner to try and fill up the glass to receive their next clue. If their syphon was emptied, they had to drink a cup of soda before it would be refilled.
• On their way to Astra Filmstudios, teams would be tied up in straitjackets and had to get a cab to take them to the destination.
• After the Roadblock, teams had to solve one side of a Rubik's Cube, which featured a picture of the Széchenyi thermal bath on it, to learn that the bath was their first Pit Stop.

Leg 2 (Hungary)

Airdates: 6 & 8 November 2011

• Budapest (László Papp Budapest Sports Arena)
• Budapest (Almássy Tér (in Hungarian))
• Budapest (Ligetvaros Irodahaz or Nap TV)
• Budapest (Miksport Bt.)
• Budapest (Dohány Street Synagogue)
• Budapest (Elisabeth Square)
• Budapest (Elisabeth Bridge)
• Budapest (Buda Castle)

For this series' first Double Battle, two teams had to wrestle in a tub of chocolate syrup while trying to fill the rival team's jar with chocolate. When a team filled a jar, they would receive their next clue while the team that lost had to wait for the next team. The team that lost the final Double Battle had to wait out a 15-minute penalty.

This leg's Detour was a choice between כוכב קולנוע (Khocheb Qelnoah – Movie Star) or כוכב טלוויזיה (Khocheb Televyziah – TV Star). In Movie Star, team members had to correctly dub five phrases Hungarian film scene at Ligetvaros Irodahaz to receive their next clue. In TV Star, teams traveled to Nap TV, where team members had to read the weather forecast for Hungary from a teleprompter, which was written entirely in Hungarian though the text was transliterated into Hebrew characters, to receive their next clue.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to break open a block of ice to access their next clue, a picture of the Elisabeth Bridge, frozen inside, using a variety of unusual tools.

Additional tasks

• At László Papp Budapest Sports Arena, one team member had to score two goals against a young professional goalie. Meanwhile, their partner had to hold a large, heavy block of ice. The hockey-playing team member could only attempt to shoot goals while their partner held the block of ice off the floor. If they dropped it, the one playing hockey had to stop. When two goals were scored, they would receive their next clue. They would then vote for the team they wished to U-Turn.
• At the Dohány Street Synagogue, teams had to convince five people to wear a beard and imitate Theodor Herzl by leaning on a fence, mimicking a famous photo of Herzl's, and saying his famous phrase, "Im Tirzu Ein Zo Agada". After each team photographed five people doing this, they received their next clue.
• At Elisabeth Bridge, teams had to count the number of posts on the bridge and then use the number obtained (2,377) to open a four digit combination lock on a box containing their next clue.

Leg 3 (Hungary → Bosnia and Herzegovina → Croatia)

Airdates: 13 & 15 November 2011

• Budapest (Budapest-Déli Railway Terminal) to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo Main Railway Station)
• Sarajevo (Gavrilo Princip Bridge)
• Sarajevo (Old Town Square)
• Jahorina (Hotel Termag) (Overnight Rest)
• Jahorina (Jahorina Ski Resort)
• Mostar (Stari Most)
• Dubrovnik, Croatia (Sport Center)
• Dubrovnik (Gradska Kavana)
• Dubrovnik (Walls of Dubrovnik)
• Dubrovnik (Lady Pi-Pi Statue)
• Dubrovnik (Walls of Dubrovnik – Minčeta Tower)

For this leg's Double Battle, two teams played musical chairs with each other and local residents. The last team with a team member remaining in the game would receive their next clue while the team that lost had to wait for the next team. The team that lost the final Double Battle had to wait out a 15-minute penalty.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to strip down to their swimsuit, put on skis, and be towed through a slalom course behind a snowmobile. When they reached the end without falling, they had to let go of their tow rope and coast through the finish line to receive their next clue.

This leg's Detour was a choice between כדורגל (Kaduregel – Soccer) or כדורסל (Kadursal – Basketball). In Soccer, one team member had to kick a soccer ball through three targets while their partner, dressed as a cheerleader, cheered them on. When the first member scored three goals, they would switch roles. Once both members scored three goals, they would receive their next clue. In Basketball, teams played against two Croatian basketball players and had to score 20 baskets (10 apiece). At least one basket had to be scored while using a trampoline, a ladder, a supermarket cart and a chair before they could receive their next clue.

Additional tasks

• At Sarajevo Main Railway Station, teams voted for the team they wished to Yield.
• At the Gavrilo Princip Bridge, one team member had to throw sardines at their partner, who had to catch a sardine in their mouth and eat it without using their hands to receive their next clue. After every five misses, the team member tossing sardines had to eat a salted sardine.
• At Gradska Kavana, both team members had to eat 1.5 kilograms (3.3 lb) of cremeschnitte without using their hands before receiving their next clue.
• At the Walls of Dubrovnik, one team member had to climb a wall using a mechanical ascender. The wall was divided into three sections, and they were not allowed to ascend past a section unless their partner collected 5 kuna from passersby. After they finished climbing, teams would receive their next clue.
• At the water-fountain sculpture of Lady Pi-Pi, each team member had to drink a glass of water before continuing to the Pit Stop.

Leg 4 (Croatia → Poland)

Airdates: 20 & 22 November 2011

• Dubrovnik (Dubrovnik Airport) to Kraków, Poland (Kraków John Paul II International Airport)
• Kraków (Main Market Square)
• Kraków (Kazimierz)
• Kraków (Klezmer-Hois)
• Kraków (Szeroka Street or Klezmer-Hois)
• Kraków (Wolf Popper Synagogue)
• Kraków (Opera Krakowska)
• Wieliczka (Wieliczka Salt Mine)
• Kraków (Grodzka Street)
• Kraków (16 Sebastianna Street)

This leg's Detour was a choice between חכמי חלם (Hachmey HaChełm – Men of Chełm) or קניידלעך (Qenyeydel'ek – Matzo Balls). In Men of Chełm, teams had to load a series of six buckets onto a pole that they had to carry on their shoulders. After filling two buckets and placing them on the pole, teams had to walk backwards across the Jewish Square through a series of garbage bins, stopping twice to fill up a pair of buckets. The buckets had holes in them and would leak water as they ran. At the end of the course, teams would pour their water into a large bucket. Once it reached a certain point, teams would dump the large bucket into a well and receive their next clue. In Matzo Balls, teams had to listen to an accordionist and recognize the two songs he was playing (Hava Nagila and Siman Tov u'Mazel Tov) to receive their next clue. However, he would begin by only playing a single note. To "purchase" another note, both team members had to eat two matzo balls.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to push a heavy cart of salt blocks from the Chapel of Saint Kinga through the mines to a hall. They then had to lick a salt wall until they found a spot that tasted sweet. When found, they had to dig through the salt-block cart for a crystal key to unlock their next clue.

Additional tasks

• At Main Market Square, teams had to convince passersby to help them carry a Fiat 126 from one end of the square to the other, without letting it roll along the ground. Afterwards, the team and everyone who helped them had to get into the car and close the door for five seconds before receiving their next clue. They would then vote for the team they wished to U-Turn.
• At Kazimierz, teams had to use a tablet for one minute to find jokes on the Internet about Polish people. They would then use the tablet to contact three Israeli entertainers (Tzipi Shavit, Hanny Nahmias and Irit Anavi) and tell them the jokes. If the comedians believed that all five jokes were funny, they would direct teams to their next clue outside Klezmer-Hois.
• At Opera Krakowska, teams had to dress in tutus and learn a sequence of ballet steps from Swan Lake. If teams performed them to the teacher's satisfaction, they would receive their next clue.
• At Grodzka Street, one team member had to ask pedestrians to give them a kiss on the cheek while the other one had to take tablet photos of the kiss. Once they obtained 50 kisses from locals, they would receive their next clue. For religious reasons, Akiva & Anaelle were permitted to do this task with air kisses.

Leg 5 (Poland → Czech Republic)

Airdates: 27 & 29 November, 5 December 2011

• Kraków (Kraków Główny Railway Station) to Kutná Hora, Czech Republic (Kutná Hora Hlavní Nádraží (in Czech))
• Kutná Hora (Church of Bones)
• Prague (Stará Čistírna Odpadních Vod)
• Prague (Florence Street (in Czech))
• Prague (Trafika Store) (Overnight Rest)
• Prague (Wenceslas Square)
  • Prague (Academy of Fine Arts)
• Prague (Old Town Square)
  • Prague (Hybernská Street)
    • Prague (Náměstí Republiky)
• Prague (Malá Strana Bridge Tower to Na Kampě)
• Prague (Střelecký Island)

For this leg's Double Battle, two teams had to put on roller skates and dress as witches. They had to roll around a room, collecting animatronic bats hanging from the ceiling and then throw them into a cauldron. The first team to collect four bats would receive their next clue while the team that lost had to wait for the next team. The team that lost the final Double Battle had to wait out a 15-minute penalty.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to put on a protective suit and perform an action movie stunt. They would be lit on fire and had to run around flaming barrels to a table with three briefcases. They had to open these briefcases until they found the one containing their next clue, after which they would be extinguished.

In this season's first Fast Forward, one team had to model nude for art students until the class was complete to win the Fast Forward award.

After the tour guide task, Tom & Adel found their Speed Bump on Hybernská Street. For their Speed Bump, Tom & Adel had to sing "Jožin z bažin" and earn Kč100 from passersby on Náměstí Republiky before they could continue racing.

Additional tasks

• At the Church of Bones, one team member had to correctly count the number of skulls in the main hall (936) while their partner read aloud a Hebrew-language pamphlet describing the church's history, possibly distracting them, to receive their next clue.
• At Stará Čistírna Odpadních Vod, teams entered the tunnels and found a witch chamber. There, they had to search among the room's various items for their next clue and had to figure out that they had to use the witch's broom to sweep the sawdust on the floor, which would reveal the phrase "follow the light of the lanterns" leading them to follow a path of lanterns to their next clue.
• At Trafika Store, the teams had to find their next clue in one of three local newspapers.
• At the Old Town Square, teams had to act as tour guides and take a tourist on a carriage ride. The carriage would stop at three monuments, and they had to describe the monument in English to their tourist. While they did not have to be factually accurate, they had to use all seven words that were given to them for each monument. If they were successful, they would receive their next clue.
• After the preceding task, teams had to find two girls named Jana or Yana. Teams had to buy each them gifts using their own money, and get a photograph with them. They then had to show their photographs to a knight near the Malá Strana Bridge Tower to receive their next clue.
• At the Malá Strana Bridge Tower, teams donned suits of armor. They then had to carry a medieval sedan chair with a tiara in it and had to find a princess on Na Kampě. When they found her, they would present her with the tiara and she would simply point at the sedan chair. Teams had to figure out that their next clue was attached to the underside.