Israeli Culture Research Articles

Selkea! Memories of Eating Non-Kosher Food among the Spanish–Moroccan Jewish Diaspora in Israel

Drawing on life-story interviews and ethnography conducted in Israel from 2009 to 2023, this article examines how members of the Spanish-speaking Moroccan–Jewish diaspora in Israel recalled their habits of eating non-kosher food in Morocco. We explore how these memories emerged in response to commonplace discourses that depict Moroccan Jews as a distinctly religious-traditional ethnic group, untouched by European secular influences, and dichotomous to modern secular cultures in Israel. Contrary to this image, members of the community whom we interviewed highlighted a Jewish Moroccan life that was deeply connected to Spanish colonialism and the broader Hispanic and Sephardi worlds. We focus specifically on the concept of selkear, a Haketia (Judeo-Spanish) term meaning to let something go, make an exception, or turn a blind eye. Our analysis of our participants’ memories provides a nuanced understanding of Jewish religiosity in the context of colonialism and of how Mizrahi–Sephardi immigrants in Israel reclaimed their Judaism. Highlighting the practice of eating non-kosher food is thus a strategy used to challenge dominant notions of rigid religious commitment within the Sephardi diaspora and their interpretation in Israel.

Israel's Zangwill; or, The Return of the King of Schnorrers

Abstract This article explores Israel Zangwill's posthumous presence in Israeli culture, as reflected in various media and discursive arenas: press coverage of his death and Yahrzeits; trends in the translation, publication and staging of his works; the inauguration of streets bearing his name; and references to his views and legacy in various political debates. Demonstrating how the tensions and contradictions so typical of Zangwill's persona were interpreted by cultural commentators or appropriated by opposing political camps, the first part of the article traces and contextualises Zangwill's gradual disappearance from the Israeli cultural mainstream. The second part then moves on to consider Zangwill's unexpected comeback in 2021, when a musical production of The King of Schnorrers, adapted by Nati Brooks, was staged in Tel Aviv. While the renewed interest in Zangwill's work is rooted specifically in the playwright's Anglo-Jewish background, the production employs Zangwill's 1790s Jewish London to consider ethnic tensions in present-day Israel.

From pioneers to pensioners: Addressing aging populations in Israeli kibbutzim

The kibbutz (pl. kibbutzim), deeply rooted in Israeli culture and history, plays an important role in the nation’s narrative as a symbol of communal living and collective values. As demographics shift, the Israeli kibbutz system, originally designed for younger society, is now becoming attractive also for the elderly people. The main aim of this paper is to examine the Israeli kibbutzim’s organisational culture in the context of challenges arising from ageing society. Drawing on Edgar Schein’s three-level model of organisational culture, the research sheds light on the shared services provided for the elderly, their participation in community life, decision-making processes, and the overall attitude of the kibbutz towards its older members. The study contributes to broader discussions on ageing, silver economy, community welfare, and sustainable development. First, a multi- modal approach in collecting and analysing data has been applied by using literature, documents, and statistics concerning all 266 Israeli kibbutzim identified at the end of 2023. In the second phase, the survey questionnaire with each question intentionally designed to reflect particular issues within Schein’s model was conducted in randomly selected settlements. Responses provide valuable insights into the dynamic interplay of traditional communal values and their modern adaptations. Schein’s model has proven practical in unravelling the complex tapestry of cultural elements that define kibbutzim, showcasing their unique blend of tradition and modernity.

The Hebrew Spinoza

Spinoza has gained acceptance into Hebrew culture in the last two centuries, a period that includes the Jewish Haskalah in Europe, the culture created in Eretz Yisrael in the pre-statehood days, and contemporary Israeli culture. This acceptance is rather intimate by nature. Hebrew authors and their readers turned to Spinoza to clarify their own problems. To these audiences, Spinoza was not only a great philosopher, whose writings are worth interpreting and spreading. He was also perceived as someone who could help formulate what Judaism is and learn the possible meaning it can find in the world of Jews who had moved away from a religious lifestyle.

Israel's civil society 2023 from protest to aid provision - a serving elite perspective.

The year 2023 in Israel started with illiberal constitutional change efforts by the new right-wing government and concluded with a brutal attack by Hamas terrorists and the subsequent war. Both occurrences galvanized two massive surges of civil society activism. The first was a mass protest that impeded the government's undemocratic legislation. The second was a large-scale mobilization to support a variety of populations affected by the war, providing services and goods that supplanted the failed governmental crisis response. Using a Serving Elite perspective and elaborating on this concept in the Israeli context, the paper analyzes the organizations that transitioned overnight from protest to service delivery. While these are two known roles played by civil society in general, such a transition from protest to support within the same organization is unusual, if at all existent. The paper analyses nineteen (19) in-depth interviews with leaders of 10 prominent organizations active in the protest and the aid phases. It explores their participants, forms of organizing, activities, ideologies, and interconnections, particularly emphasizing the transition. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed the emergence of a new Serving Elite in the making, liberal in orientation, and developed during the crises. This perspective provides an opportunity to highlight processes deeply embedded in Israel's social, political, and cultural landscapes, changing elites and power relations, and Israel's culture of entrepreneurship. It also provides a framework for analyses of serving elites in other countries.

Israeli Nonsense: humor, globalization and vegetables during the early nineties

Abstract Offering an inaugural analysis of Israeli Nonsense, this article explores humor, globalization, and Israeli identity since the early 1990s. Israeli Nonsense, a particular form of humor, emerged during Israel’s rapid shift towards neoliberal privatization and globalization. Influenced by the growing popularity of standup comedy and the rise of new commercial television channels, it became a distinctive humor style in an era marked by optimism and “normalization.” It quickly formed nostalgic classics, leaving a lasting impact on contemporary Israeli humor. Through interviews, newspaper excerpts, and sketch analysis, we identify five key attributes of Israeli Nonsense: (1) improvisation, (2) linguistic humor, (3) physical humor, (4) nostalgia, and (5) non-politicization. By challenging existing interpretations of 1990s Israeli culture and nonsense as “elitist” with anti-national and non-ideological tendencies, we highlight the popular manifestations of Israeli Nonsense to demonstrate that this distinct humor did not adopt a consciously critical and cynical stance towards society and culture but embodied an optimistic and empathetic attitude toward local identity in the age of globalization.

Judaeophobia: fear of Judaism in Israeli culture

ABSTRACT The article deals with the fear, expressed intensely in Israeli culture and heard by secular people, that Judaism, meaning the Jewish religion, will erase their identity. This fear is part of Israeli secularism its image of Judaism and secularism, the awareness of its strength, weakness and uniqueness. To find out, it will look at the texts of Israeli intellectuals. This study is referred to here as “phenomenological” because its essence lies in the effort to express the consciousness of its writers and their experiences, as they are. A fundamental detail is that Judaism is often presented in a psychological image, as the Israeli unconsciousness. It is a kind of volcanic force that rumbles in the depths and threatens the Israeli secular identity, which is only apparently stable.

Non-formal encounters between Israeli families and African immigrant families foster lifelong learning competence

Purpose This study aims to examine the contribution of informal encounters outside the school walls between local Israeli families from “Waldorf Education” and immigrant families from Africa from formal state education and explore the consequences of these encounters on the development of lifelong learning competences. Research questions are as follows: In what way do non-formal encounters lead to the development of lifelong learning ability? What are the challenges and consequences of non-formal activity for research participants, families and educators from the pedagogical, social and personal perspectives? Design/methodology/approach The research uses a qualitative-interpretive case study approach that allows for in-depth observation of the phenomenon within the context of reality to understand the case, a non-formal encounter between two groups of parents from different cultures, languages and educational attitudes. In this case study, it is possible to generalize from the local to the global and examine processes, actions and behaviors in the studied case (Creswell et al., 2018; Yin, 2009). This empirical study allows description, analysis, understanding and explanation of the challenges and actions in organizing and holding non-formal encounters from personal experiences as a first source. Findings The analysis of the data brought up two main categories that represent the actions and insights from the non-formal encounters for developing lifelong learning competences: create a personal dialogue to strengthen trust and confidence; foster parental involvement. Non-formal encounters between families from different cultural-social backgrounds may promote lifelong learning competences such as tolerance, inclusion and openness. However, external intervention by a social association is required to organize, support and operate them. Research limitations/implications The research’s limitation was that it was conducted in the country’s center. Therefore, the findings must be considered in the context in which they are presented and not generalized to other regions or communities from other cultures in Israel and the world. A few limited encounters may affect the author’s interpretation of the study data. In addition, expressions of “social desire” that may be expressed in interviews must be considered. Practical implications This study emphasizes social activism. Despite all the differences and tensions, creating an equal space in the families’ encounters is essential for lifelong learning. The immigrant parents participated in decision-making, the stages of organization and the activities themselves during the encounters. This partnership strengthened their commitment and responsibility. Because they are a powerless minority group, it should not be assumed that two encounters will improve their self-confidence. The proof is that fewer participants came to the last encounter. Education experts must maintain consistency and continuity in forming partnerships with immigrant families over time and as part of lifelong learning. Social implications The non-formal encounters between the two groups of families create an atmosphere of equality: all are parents of children seeking to inculcate humane and social values. The collaborative atmosphere contributed to the understanding that closeness overpowers distance. Everyone is troubled by similar issues of parenting, enjoyment of children, nutritious food and a shared desire to be good citizens while maintaining tolerance, reciprocity and respect. Originality/value Non-formal encounters are actively performed to create belonging when the “others and we” join together for the community and the children. This is an extensive, open and accessible platform for strengthening social consciousness and understanding the connection between teaching, culture and society to promote equality in education. This study will allow schools to expand the boundaries of communication with parents and initiate additional activities with other social groups to foster children’s integration. It will enrich the academic knowledge about connections and communication of educators, families from Israel and immigrant families in developing a partnership in the school to promote lifelong learning.

A Culture of Knowledge Sharing: Information Resources and Dissemination Practices for All

Volume 8, Issue 1 of The International Journal of Information, Diversity & Inclusion (IJIDI). This introductory article presents the theme, “A Culture of Knowledge Sharing,” which we have identified as a common thread that weaves the papers featured in this regular issue. These papers cover knowledge sharing in research, literature reviews, and reports from the field discussing topics such as ways Hebrew children’s literature can bridge cultures in Israel, research from Nigeria examining prison libraries as information resources for rehabilitation, and community-based information projects empowering immigrant women in Canada. The papers in this issue highlight how knowledge sharing impacts citizens' information behaviors worldwide. Two book reviews are featured.

'Close but no Cigar’: Hamas’s psychological warfare against Israel between 2014 and 2023

This essay represents the continuation of my research, on the Hamas Organization’s novel methods of psychological warfare against Israel. The previous article, which covered the period between 2007 and 2014, demonstrated the relative clumsiness of Hamas’s attempts to influence Israeli public opinion. In the current study, which covers the period from 2014-October 2023, we examine Hamas’s attempts to improve its methodology, inter alia through the appropriation of Israeli popular culture and its retooling toward purposes of psychological warfare. This attempt, while bearing some impressive fruit, has still not seen any real penetration of the organization’s messages into the consciousness of Israeli society. Hamas remains tied to a conception of Israeli culture that mirrors its own (Arab-Muslim-Palestinian) culture, whereas in truth, Israeli culture has long since 'moved on’ from the days in which such material informed its daily existence.

When Sammy Gronemann Met Nathan Alterman: The Story of Israel’s Most Successful Comedy

Abstract The essay delves into the intricate German-Jewish authorship and enduring legacy of the iconic Israeli musical, “King Solomon and Shalmai the Cobbler,” which premiered in Tel Aviv in 1943. Following its success, a contentious debate arose, overshadowing Sammy Gronemann’s rightful credit as the playwright, subsequently replaced by the prominence of his Hebrew translator, Nathan Alterman. This essay meticulously examines Gronemann’s pivotal contribution, illuminating his collaborative journey with Alterman from the vibrant cabaret scene of pre-state Tel Aviv to their lasting impact on contemporary Israeli culture and theater. By dissecting their creative partnership, it becomes evident that while Gronemann’s playwright prowess shone brightly and set new standards, Alterman’s adept translation skills bolstered the play’s success, thereby etching its indelible mark in Israeli theatrical history.

Tinjauan Teologis Terhadap Ritual Sumpah Tippu’sasa Dalam Adat Mentawai Di Desa Mongan Poula

Oaths play a crucial role in human life, particularly in religious and cultural aspects. This paper elucidates the concept of oaths as an endeavor to bolster the veracity of a statement by invoking sacred entities such as God. In Israeli culture, oaths are regarded seriously and involve the name of God, with the threat of divine punishment if the oath is breached. Challenges for Christians arise when they encounter the influences of local culture and traditions, such as the Tippu’ Sasa oath ritual of the Mentawai tribe, which contradicts biblical teachings. Therefore, a profound understanding of oaths and the challenges of maintaining the sanctity of the Christian faith amidst local culture becomes imperative. This underscores that oaths are not merely verbal acts but also reflect profound spiritual commitments, serving as the foundation for a meaningful and responsible life.

"Have You Ever Waited for Someone?": On Yehudit Hendel's Unpublished Novella "Kartisim le-Sammy Davis"

Abstract: The article unveils an unpublished novella by Israeli author Yehudit Hendel (1921–2014), "Kartisim le-Sammy Davis" (Tickets to Sammy Davis), which was discovered as part of her literary estate. This shelved novella was written during the early 1970s—following the publication of her second novel Ha-ḥaẓer shel momo ha-gedolah (The Courtyard of Momo the Great, 1969), and before the death of her husband, painter Zvi Meirovich, in 1974, which led to her famous 1984 book Ha-koaḥ ha-'aḥer (The Other Power). Strongly related to Hendel's poetics of melancholia and to her ongoing fascination with grief and bereavement in Israeli culture, "Kartisim le-Sammy Davis" addresses the question of the "endless waiting" for the missing loved one and is revealed as an important text in Hendel's oeuvre. Following Roland Barthes's discussion of the state of waiting for the loved object (which he views as a "minor mourning"), this article seeks to portray the (endless) waiting of the heroine of the novella as a melancholic one, which expresses a "major mourning." It also traces and examines the dominance of the loved one's voice, which becomes even more present after his death, turning him into a "living" specter. As suggested here, Hendel's shelved novella radically explores the melancholic state: not only as the only state possible for her protagonists (as also evidenced in her complete body of work), but also as a violent, consuming state in itself, that depletes both the anticipated (lost) object and the anticipating (living) subject.

הצנזורה על סרטי קולנוע ערביים במדינת ישראל, 1967-1948

This article examines government censorship of Arab films in the first two decades of the State of Israel, through extensive archival use of documents of the Israeli Film and Theater Censorship Board. The state authorities had wanted to ban altogether the import of films made in Egypt, where the majority of Arab films were produced, but this was impossible due to the entertainment needs of the Arab minority in Israel, and of Jewish immigrants from Arab countries. The article sheds light on the government's efforts to restrict as much as possible the showing of Arab films and censor their content. The censorship's dual purpose was to prevent Arab films from awakening the national and political consciousness of the Arabs living in Israel, and to distance Jewish immigrants from their Arab culture, in order to promote their assimilation into hegemonic Israeli culture. However, the censorship's attempts at political control over Arabs and cultural control over Jews was doomed to failure due to the emergence of a new means of communication and entertainment in the Middle East – television. This ended the cinema theaters' monopoly over the consumption of Arab films, and thus the Film and Theater Censorship Board's ability to censor them.

Population growth as the elephant in the room: teachers’ perspectives and willingness to incorporate a controversial environmental sustainability issue in their teaching

Although population growth (PG) is acknowledged as a major factor that drives the global environmental crisis, this issue is rarely included in environmental and sustainability education (ESE) because of its controversiality. This mixed-methods study explores the perspectives of Israeli ESE and non-ESE teachers regarding PG as an environmental risk, their willingness to include PG in their teaching, the frequency and foci of including it, the reasons for including or disregarding it, and the factors that predict their inclusion of it. The findings reveal that the deep-rooted pronatalist culture in Israel and a national pronatalist agenda impact the education system. It was found that an academic background in ESE had limited impact on teachers’ perceptions concerning PG or on their willingness to discuss its controversiality in class. Teachers’ attitudes related to PG demonstrated socially, culturally, and politically oriented disavowal justification regarding the negative impacts of rapid PG. The absence of PG from school curricula and the Israeli public discourse have been reported as major reasons for disregarding it in schools. To encourage teachers to incorporate this controversial issue in their teaching, and successfully confront dominant pronatalist cultures, they need ongoing support. Stakeholders in the education system must bring the population debate into schools as part of human efforts to mitigate environmental degradation and as an opportunity to strengthen tolerance among students towards diverse opinions.

Women botanical-illustrators and their successors in the Israeli culture: merging historical heritage with contemporary art

ABSTRACT Exploring the flora and fauna of the land of pre-state Israel stood at the heart of the Zionist venture. Zionist institutions took efforts to educate the Jewish population, trying to connect it to the land by learning it. This involved various ways of familiarising children and adults with their surroundings, with botanical illustration as an important agent working for that cause. This article aims to examine the three botanical women illustrators who contributed significantly to Israeli science and art, followed by three contemporary women artists whose art is inspired by them. Using a methodology combining visual analysis with the artists' interviews, it will be demonstrated how botanical illustration of the past is embedded in contemporary art. Both share a perception of plants as crucial elements populating the planet, and as objects of aesthetic investigation. These perceptions have led to various attitudes: first, exploring the plant in nature and observing it thoroughly throughout the artistic process. Second, the image created remains botanically identifiable, thus echoing a scientific approach. Third, the plant's Hebrew name is sometimes included. The noticeable inspiration of historical illustrators for contemporary artists lies both in the choices of the images themselves and in the practice of creating them.

פובליציסטיקה ישראלית לנוכח ביקורת מוסרית-פוליטית ביצירות של סול בלו ופיליפ רות

This article examines a representative case of Israeli publicist responses to the moral-political critique by American Jewish authors, focusing on the reception of Philip Roth’s Portnoy’s Complaint and Saul Bellow’s Mr. Sammler’s Planet. These novels were first published in Hebrew translation in the early 1970s, against the backdrop of a heightened mythologization of Israel in the American Jewish mainstream and concurrently with Israel’s early occupation of the West Bank. Roth’s and Bellow’s works include some highly unflattering images of Israeli militancy and chauvinistic nationalism. Israeli literary critics tended to respond to the authors’ moral-political critique by framing it as inauthentically Jewish or as incorporating non-Jewish influences. In this way, Israeli responses sought to undermine the validity of the authors’ critique by implying a framework of Jewish identity in which Israeli culture was symbolically preeminent. Ultimately, this tendency demonstrates how the subterranean struggle between homeland and Diaspora has informed and infused the conversation among the two Jewish communities with respect to contemporary Jewish ethics and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Cultural accommodation of internet-based interventions for substance use and related disorders: a proposed comprehensive framework based on a pilot study and a literature review.

Despite the low utilization rates of substance use and related disorders services, and the ability of internet-based interventions for substance use and related disorders (IBIS) to address challenges related to service engagement, limited attention has been placed on the processes for the accommodation of these interventions to diverse cultural settings. This study aimed to develop a framework for the cultural accommodation of IBIS across populations based on a pilot study and a literature review. A pilot study of cultural accommodation of an existing internet intervention for alcohol use was carried out in Israel, which involved focus groups and daily online surveys of prospective consumers (N = 24) as well as interviews with experts (N = 7) in the substance abuse treatment field. Thematic analysis revealed a range of themes that relate to the general Israeli culture and the specific Israeli drinking subculture, identified as needing to be addressed in the process of intervention accommodation. A comprehensive framework for cultural accommodation of IBIS is suggested, consisting of five stages: Technical and cultural feasibility; Engagement of target group; Identification of accommodation variables, Accommodation, and evaluation of the accommodated intervention. In addition, the framework consists of four dimensions of accommodation: Barriers and facilitators; Audio-visual materials and language; Mechanisms of change; Intersectional factors. We suggest that the proposed framework may serve as a guide for the cultural accommodation of existing internet-based interventions for substance use and related disorders across a range of cultural and geographical settings, thus augmenting the ecological validity of internet-based interventions for substance use and related disorders, expanding cross-cultural intervention research, and reducing health disparities worldwide.

Vulnerable Machos: The Globalization of Hip hop and Changing Gender Regimes in Israeli Rap

Israeli rappers often feature vulnerability in their texts and performances. In so doing they deliberately challenge a long tradition of hyper-masculinity in both hip hop and Israeli culture. This strategic deviation, I claim, enables Israeli rappers to exhibit a sense of authenticity and hence to claim legitimate participation in the global field of hip hop which sacralizes the ethos of “being real.” In examining texts produced by two generations of Israeli rappers I will illuminate the negotiations whereby global stylistic tropes acquire original local meanings. It is argued that while cross-cultural dialogue has the capacity to destabilize gender regimes at the local level, new perceptions of masculinity generate artistic intertextuality that is the infrastructure of cultural globalization.

How to End an Ending? Moving beyond Crisis in Israeli Culture

How to End an Ending? Moving beyond Crisis in Israeli Culture