Yom Kippur and Jewish public culture in Israel

Abstract

This article offers an ethnographic-historical interpretation of Israeli public culture as reflected in the various forms in which Yom Kippur has been observed in the Israeli public sphere since the 1920s. The analysis demonstrates how Israeli culture is an independent Jewish culture, which should be judged separately from other historical Jewish cultures and from its marginal groups, the strictly religious and the radically secular.

Keywords:

• Israeli culture
• Yom Kippur
• public sphere
• tradition

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Shalom Hartman Institute, the Israeli Democracy Institute, and the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies and its president, David Ariel, for their kind support. I would like to thank the journal's editors and readers for their useful comments. I am also indebted to my friends Orit Rozin and Nissim Leon for various beneficial ideas regarding this project, and for so much beyond. Most of all, I am grateful to so many of my students in the past few years for their invaluable insights.

Notes

 1. For example, Katriel, Communal Webs; Yassif, “The ‘Other’ Israel.”

 2. Hermann, “More Jewish than Israeli,” 7.

 3. Habermas, The Structural Transformation.

 4. Alexander, The Civil Sphere, 16. For various definitions of the concept, see Sewell, “The Concept(s) of Culture.” See also Giorgi, Sassatelli, and Delanty, Festivals and the Cultural Public Sphere.

 5. Mosse, Nationalism and Sexuality; Chaterjee, The Nation and Its Fragments; Brubaker, Nationalism Reframed.

 6. Ben-Israel, “Heker ha-le'umiyut ke-fenomen histori.”

 7. Shmueli, Seven Jewish Cultures.

 8. For example, Daum, Mah atah yoter. See also Sharot, Comparative Perspectives, 185.

 9. Katz et al., Tarbut, tikshoret u-fnai; Levy, Levinsohn, and Katz, Beliefs, Observances and Social Interaction; Levy, Levinsohn, and Katz, A Portrait of Israeli Jewry; Arian and Keissar-Sugarmen, A Portrait of Israeli Jews.

10. Katriel, Communal Webs; Yassif, “The ‘Other’ Israel.”

11. Liebman and Don-Yehiya, Civil Religion in Israel; Yarden, “The Sanctity of Mount Herzl”; Bilu, “The Sanctification of Space.”

12. Deshen, “Israeli Judaism.”

13. Pleck, Celebrating the Family, 172–76.

14. Ophir, “From Pharaoh to Saddam Hussein”; Deshen, “Yisre'elim hiloniyim.”

15. See, for example, Shelah, Samemanim; Rubin, “Social Networks.”

16. See, for example, Gorski, “Historicizing the Secularization Debate.”

17. Asad, Genealogies of Religion; Dan, “Mada ha-datot.”

18. Shenhav, “Hazmanah le-mitveh”; Yadgar, “Jewish Secularism”; Sharot, Comparative Perspectives on Judaism, 167–96, 206–31.

19. Liebman and Don-Yehiya, Civil Religion in Israel; Ben-Porat, “A State of Holiness.”

20. Ben-Porat and Feniger, “Live and Let Buy,” 310. See also Katz et al., Tarbut, tikshoret, u-fnai, 77–78; Levy, Levinsohn, and Katz, Beliefs, Observances, and Social Interaction; Levy, Levinsohn, and Katz, A Portrait of Israeli Jewry; Arian and Keissar-Sugarmen, A Portrait of Israeli Jews.

21. See Liebman and Susser, “The Forgotten Center”; Liebman, “Secular Judaism and Its Prospects”; Liebman and Yadgar, “Secular-Jewish Identity”; Werczberger and Azulay, “The Jewish Renewal Movement”; Sheleg, Emergence of a New Jew.

22. See, for example, Dagan, Yahaduyot, 98–99; Fruman, “Mah osim ba-hagim?”; Ophir, “The Poor in Deed.”

23. See, for example, the recent criticism by the Israeli chief rabbi: http://www.y-or.co.il/blog/2011/10/11/%D7%90%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%99-%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%99-%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%A2%D7%9D-%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%91-%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%A9%D7%99-%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%91/ (accessed July 12, 2012).

24. Yadgar, Secularism and Religion. For the concept of tradition, see Shoham, “Rethinking Tradition.”

25. See also Bartal, “The Closeness Which Alienates.”

26. See in particular Vinitzky-Seroussi, Yitzhak Rabin's Assassination.

27. Sharabi, Hag ha-mimunah.

28. Pleck, Celebrating the Family.

29. Ze'ira, Kru'im anu; Liebman and Don-Yehiya, Civil Religion in Israel; Deshen, “Yisre'elim hiloniyim”; Shoham, Mordekhai rokhev al sus.

30. On “kitchen Judaism” see Joselit, The Wonders of America, 171; Pleck, Celebrating the Family, 106; Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, “Kitchen Judaism.”

31. Schweid, Sefer mahzor ha-zmanim, 71; Dagan, Yahaduyot, 98–99.

32. Tabori, Mo'adei Yisrael, 293–301; Wieder, The Judean Scrolls, 163–92.

33. See, for example, Michels, A Fire in Their Hearts, 108–9.

34. See Helman, “Was There Anything Particularly Jewish?”; Helman, “Torah, avodah u-vatei kafeh.”

35. “Tel Aviv: Yom ha-kipurim,” Davar, Oct. 15, 1929, 4.

36. “Tel Aviv: Yom ha-kipurim,” Davar, Oct. 11, 1932, 4.

37. For example “Yom ha-kipurim be-rahavei ha-aretz: Shabaton maleh nikhpah al hamonim lo datiyim” [Yom Kippur across the country: Complete rest is forced on non-religious masses], Al ha-Mishmar, Sept. 27 1955, 4.

38. For example: “Yom ha-kipurim ha-sheni be-medinat Yisrael” [The second Yom Kippur in the State of Israel], Davar Oct. 4, 1949, 1; “Shabaton klali ba-aretz be-yom ha-kipurim” [A general day of rest in Israel on Yom Kippur], Davar Oct. 9, 1962, 6.

39. Picker, Shabat u-mo'adim, 253.

40. Mordechai Elkan, “Asrot rokhvei ofanayim niftze'u be-yom kipur be-Ramat Gan ve-Givatayim,” [Dozens of cyclists were injured on Yom Kippur in Ramat Gan and Givatayim], Ma'ariv, Oct. 12, 1981, 31.

41. Baruch Na'eh, “Ben sheva neherag mi-pegi'at ambulans keshe-tiyel al ofanav be-yom kipur” [A seven-year-old boy was killed by an ambulance while cycling on Yom Kippur], Ma'ariv, Oct. 4, 1987, 12.

42. Sara Friedman, “Yeladim hatfu helem be-yom kipur: Biryonim shadedu et ha-ofanayim shelahem” [Children were shocked on Yom Kippur: Their bicycles were stolen by bullies), Ma'ariv, Sept. 27, 1985, 3; Baruch Na'eh, Dalia Mazori, and Ben Caspit, “Zeh karah be-yom kipur: Tzmigim hutztu be-Bnei Brak, shodedim pa'alu be-kvish gehah” [It happened on Yom Kippur: Tires set on fire in Bnei Brak, robbers at work on Geha Road], Ma'ariv, Oct. 4, 1987, 2.

43. Immanuel Rozen, “Kol ha-ofanayim nehtefu” [All the bicycles were stolen], Ma'ariv, Sept. 26, 1985, 11.

44. “Se'udah mafseket” [Final meal before the fast], Ma'ariv, Oct. 12, 1986, 11.

45. Ma'ariv writers, “Magen-David Adom na'anah le-2,160 kri'ot ezrah be-yom kipur” [The Red Magen David responded to 2,160 calls for help on Yom Kippur], Ma'ariv, Oct. 14, 1986, 2.

46. Ibid.

47. Ami Hadad and Tammy Zilber, “Kum ve-hithalekh ba-aretz, be-tarmil ve-ofanayim” [Get up and tour the land, with a backpack and a bicycle], Ma'ariv, Oct. 4, 1987, 15.

48. See n. 42 above.

49. See, for example http://www.ktl.co.il/category.asp?catcode = 1577 (accessed July 12, 2012).

50. Pleck, Celebrating the Family.

51. Deshen, “Yom Kipur.”

52. Ze'ira, kru'im anu, 215–22.

53. See http://news.primetime.co.il/content/viewnews.pl?id = EkkFykAVVZsGixxFbF&tmpl = ptv&style = ptv (accessed July 22, 2012).

54. See, for example, Irit Rozenblum and Zohar Blumenkrantz, “‘Esrim elef yisre'elim yetzu le-hutz la-aretz be-yom kipur” [Twenty thousand Israelis will fly abroad on Yom Kippur], The Marker, Sept. 27, 2009.

55. Haim Kaufman, “Ha-ahim Tortan shatim be-yom-ha-kipurim” [The Tortan brothers sail on Yom Kippur], http://www.wincol.ac.il/%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%97%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%9B%D7%9C%D7%9C%D7%99/%D7%94%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%94-%D7%94%D7%90%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%90%D7%97%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%98%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%98%D7%9F (accessed July 18, 2012).

56. Shaul Adar, “Premier league: Dilemat yom-ha-kipurim shel Avraham Grant” [Premier league: Avraham Grant's Yom Kippur dilemma), Ha'aretz, Sept. 17, 2010.

57. “Seker yomi: Ha'im sporta'im tzrikhim lesahek be-yom kipur?” [A daily survey: Should athletes play on Yom Kippur?), Ma'ariv, Oct. 3, 2011.

58. Roach, It, 1.

59. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v = jdDtzuuhxU0 (accessed July 22, 2012).

60. Arian and Keissar-Sugarmen, A Portrait of Israeli Jews, 14, 39–40.

61. Deshen, “Yom kipur.”

62. Ibid.

63. Deshen, “The Kol Nidre Enigma;” Leon, Harediyut rakah, 166–68.

64. Deshen, “Yom kipur.”

65. Yael Darel, “Yom lelo zihum: Ha-avir be-yom kipur hayah naki” (A day without pollution: The air was clean on Yom Kippur), Ynet Oct. 19, 2010, http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3956074,00.html (accessed July 7, 2012).

66. Orna Kezin, “Yom she-mehaber bein adam la-makom” (A day that links man and place), Ha'aretz, Oct. 6, 2008.

67. Fruman, “Mah osim ba-hagim.”

68. See http://www.blognardy.com/2010/09/blog-post_17.html (accessed July 12, 2012).

69. Robinson and Mishori, “Kipurtopiyah.”

70. Liebman, “The Myth of Defeat.” On the social construction of collective trauma see Alexander et al, Cultural Trauma and Collective Identity.

71. See, for example, Nevo, Neuland, 87; Sharabani, Lamah atah lo mehayekh, 198, 251.

72. Katz et al., Tarbut, tikshoret u-fnai, 77–78.

73. For example, Yarden, “The Sanctity of Mount Herzl”; cf. Mosse, Fallen Soldiers.

74. For example, http://www.ynet.co.il/home/0,7340,L-8881,00.html (accessed Sept. 2, 2012).

75. See Orr, Hatib, and Shamir, Din ve-heshbon, chap. 2, art 193.

76. Ahiya Ra'avad and Yonatan Weber, “Ha-lailah: Mehumot kashot bein yehudim le-arvim be-Ako” (Tonight: Harsh clashes between Jews and Arabs in Acre), Ynet Oct. 9, 2012, http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3606988,00.html (accessed Sept. 2, 2012).

77. Ahiya Ra'avad, “Nehag ha-traktoron ha-aravi hipes le-orer mehumot” (The Arab ATV driver was trying to incite riots), Ynet, Sept. 23, 2007, http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3452183,00.html (accessed July 16, 2012).

78. Sayed Kashua, “Meila hagei Yisra'el, aval yom kipur?” [Never mind Jewish festivals, but Yom Kippur?], Ha'aretz, Oct. 22, 2010.

79. Joselit, The Wonders of America, 247.

80. Dr. Yoel Florsheim, personal communication.

81. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Greenberg; and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Koufax (accessed May 20, 2013).

82. Kaplan, The Making of the Jewish Middle Class, 76.