In this survey of Israeli culture, the section on Judaism will be brief. This may seem surprising as the influence of the Jewish religion on the life of the State should be considerable. However, few subjects are more problematic in the story of the State of Israel – and in Zionism generally – than the relationship between religion and the State. One result is that, upon examining the various genres that constitute mainstream creative culture in Israel, it is difficult to pinpoint any significant impact that Judaism has made upon it. This is not due to any inherent hostility on the part of the Jewish religion to cultural media as such, but rather the constant awkwardness between Judaism and mainstream Israeli society.
This awkwardness existed from the beginning of Zionism. Many Orthodox Jews considered Zionists to be usurping the place of God in deciding the fate of the Jewish people. Consequently, the new movement underwent a deep struggle to be accepted as legitimate by this sector of the Jewish population. Although the great Rabbi Kook and others perceived Zionism as constituting a stage in the Messianic process and, therefore, an essential step in Jewish history, this theological position was not accepted by many. Those Orthodox Jews who accepted this stance and became Zionists, always faced difficulties. On the one hand, they had to defend their position against the majority of Orthodox Jews; on the other, they had to hold their own against the predominant secularity of the majority of Zionists who were hostile to Judaism because of its allegedly passive attitude toward the active forging of the Jewish fate.
Thus religious Zionism was always a weaker partner in the Zionist movement. It tended to limit itself to attempting to safeguard the religious interests of Orthodox Jews rather than trying to influence the entire Zionist movement world and participate in all areas of activity. This trend continued even after the declaration of statehood. Until 1967, the representatives of Religious Zionism were active in all the governments, but tried only to attend to issues of interest to the Orthodox sector.
The 1967 war changed this situation with the capture of Judea and Samaria, the very heartland of Biblical Israel. The latent religious Messianism that was unleashed was of unprecedented proportions in the history of Zionism. Religious Zionism became increasingly assertive and active. Despite its more open approach, however, it still took stands that were accepted by only a minority of non-Orthodox Jews. Thus it essentially reinforced its alienation from mainstream, non-Orthodox society in Israel. Despite the increasing prominence of religious Jews in many spheres of Israeli life (including the army, academic life and commercial life), most non-Orthodox Jews in Israel still do not regard Orthodoxy as part of their world.
Furthermore, because of the growing power, visibility and assertiveness of Ultra Orthodox – Haredi – Jewry in Israel, antagonism towards Judaism and its official representatives – and downright hostility toward religion in general – has increased to unprecedented proportions among large sectors of the Israeli public.
This accounts, in large measure, for the small part that Judaism has generally played in Israeli creative culture. The vast majority of those involved in the arts consider themselves non-Orthodox or secular. The few who deal with Jewish themes have tended to toward approaches that are either folkloristic, cynical and mocking, or deeply iconoclastic.
The number of Orthodox Jews who are actively engaged in creative expression – whatever the medium – is very small. It is interesting to note, however, that this group is growing and has caused increased exposure on the part of the Israeli public to Judaism in the arts. This is evident, for example, in literature. Thirty years ago, few Israeli writers identified themselves as Orthodox Jews. Many came from observant families and were familiar with the vocabulary of the Beit Midrash, often harboring a strong nostalgia for that world. Bialik is perhaps the most prominent case in point. However, with rare exceptions such as Agnon and the poet Zelda, the literary world was secular.
In recent years, however, a number of serious Orthodox writers have emerged, creating interesting work that provides insights into different aspects of their world. Haim Sabbato, Yehudit Rotem, Yochi Brandes and Hanna Bat Shahar, for example, write about Orthodoxy from the inside, while others have left that milieu. The knowledge of Orthodox life that they all possess, however, has produced a fascinating new trend in Israeli literature.
Several musical trends are also noteworthy. An increasing amount of Haredi music has been influenced by modern popular music. Traditional Judaism has always been musical, but in this case the novelty is the willingness of Haredim to use the musical language of the outside world. Haredi rock concerts sound unlikely but they have become increasingly popular in recent years. Singers such as Mordehai Ben David and Aharon Fried draw tens of thousands to their concerts. This development can mainly be attributed to the influence of the newly-religious ‘Hozrim Betshuva’, many of whom listened to popular music previously and have woven it into their new life.
A related, but not necessarily identical, development comes with the increasing popularity of Klezmer music in large parts of general society. The annual Klezmer festival in Safed draws thousands, many of whom are not religious at all. One especially interesting aspect of this phenomenon is the range of new influences that can be heard in contemporary Israeli Klezmer music. In addition to jazz, which affects American Klezmer music as well, the impact of different ethnic musical traditions is also evident. Chief among these is Oriental (i.e. North African and Middle Eastern) music, whose addition to Klezmer makes for innovative, fascinating results.
Another trend stems from a different impulse: the new spiritual search that many young Israelis are undertaking. This is producing a very eclectic cultural outlook in which one of the ingredients – but not necessarily the main one – is traditional Judaism. As a result, a number of ‘New Age’ Jewish communities have emerged in Israel – some of them now permanent – that have created different frameworks for creative expression. It is as yet unclear whether this phenomenon can be called a movement. A number of festivals/happenings take place at different times of the year in various locations, with music, inevitably, predominating. Several musical ensembles have resulted, the most noteworthy being Gaya and Sheva. The influence of traditional Judaism on their music can also be heard.
An additional phenomenon is the increasing prevalence of local radio stations, many of which are religious and even Haredi. Many appear to have a sizeable following, their invariable mix of music and religious discussion being very popular in certain sectors.
These various elements add up to the increasing exposure of the Israeli public to religious music of one kind or another, including sectors of the secular population who previously would have had little or no contact with it.
Other media such as cinema and theater, traditionally viewed with considerable suspicion by the Orthodox, are also beginning to develop. Until very recently, little drama or cinema dealt with the Orthodox world. Most of the films produced on the subject in the past few year were made by secular film-makers apparently to satisfy the curiosity of the non-Orthodox public. The situation may change, however, as schools of cinema and drama have now opened exclusively for Orthodox students. While the results are, as yet, marginal, within a few years serious films and drama may well be produced within these circles.