Conférence de Mme Yael Zerubavel

Zerubavel Yael. Conférence de Mme Yael Zerubavel. In: École pratique des hautes études, Section des sciences religieuses. Annuaire. Tome 108, 1999-2000. 1999. pp. 221-223

THE LAST STAND: ON THE TRANSFORMATION OF SYMBOLS IN MODERN ISRAELI CULTURE

This study explores the intricate meaning of cultural symbols and examines their role in a period of cultural change. The study demonstrates the selective nature of the popular interpretation of the meaning of these symbols and shows that the social significance of historical events is socially constructed. In a period of cultural change, such symbols can be most instrumental as key symbols which provide society with basic ideological orientations by contributing to the symbolic continuity with the past while disseminating new ideas and values. By bringing together the otherwise contradictory orientations of traditionalism and modernism, these symbols present members of society with various ways of perceiving the past and evaluating the present. Modern Israeli society provides the cultural context for the study of these theoretical issues. Israeli society was founded with explicit hopes of producing a fundamental change in the political, social, and cultural conditions of the Jewish people. During the pioneering era there was a great need for new symbols that would bridge between the desire to break away from some aspects of the Jewish past and the wish to preserve continuity with others. The two symbols that are studies in this work represent ways in which the first generations of Israelis attempted to redefine their ideological premises within the context of Jewish culture. The choice of studying symbols of heroism stems from the centrality of the value of heroism to the cultural change that took place in Israeli society. The pioneers and their sons regarded heroism as an important manifestation of the desired transformation from traditional Jewish society and consciously pursued the fulfillment of this value. Beyond its significance within the cultural context of modern Israeli society, the study of heroism is particularly interesting, for it deals with a highly sensitive domain of human behavior. Symbols of heroism present most forcefully the power of social definitions in determining the significance of a particular act. The two symbols of heroism that are studied in this work belong to the more specific category of symbols of the Last Stand, which refers to those instances of heroic behavior that end with the death of the people who fought their enemy to the bitter end. Even though the outcome of the battle is, practically speaking, a defeat, the dead are remembered as heroes and martyrs. Thus, the popular interpretation of the Last Stand transforms defeat into a moral victory and a highly venerated form of heroic behavior. The two symbols of the Last Stand that are studied in this work--Masada and Trumpeldor--relate to two different periods in Jewish history. The symbol of Masada relates to an event that took place in the first century A.D., while the symbol of Trumpeldor is associated with an event that took place in 1920. Although those historical events are separated by nineteen centuries, they began to assume their symbolic significance around the same time and in the same sociocultural context. Yet, each of these symbols presents a different case of development and their weight as national Israeli symbols has varied during the years. This study is based on both documentary material and interviews. This material was collected in Israel in two field trips, in winter 1977-78 and in summer 1979. The documentary material consists of the primary sources on these events, writings of people who were personally involved in the rise of the two symbols, official publications, television and radio programs, and newspaper articles. The interviewees (120 in all) were students of public schools between the ages of 12-14, and their parents

Conférence de Mme Yael Zerubavel

Zerubavel Yael. Conférence de Mme Yael Zerubavel. In: École pratique des hautes études, Section des sciences religieuses. Annuaire. Tome 108, 1999-2000. 1999. pp. 221-223

THE LAST STAND: ON THE TRANSFORMATION OF SYMBOLS IN MODERN ISRAELI CULTURE

This study explores the intricate meaning of cultural symbols and examines their role in a period of cultural change. The study demonstrates the selective nature of the popular interpretation of the meaning of these symbols and shows that the social significance of historical events is socially constructed. In a period of cultural change, such symbols can be most instrumental as key symbols which provide society with basic ideological orientations by contributing to the symbolic continuity with the past while disseminating new ideas and values. By bringing together the otherwise contradictory orientations of traditionalism and modernism, these symbols present members of society with various ways of perceiving the past and evaluating the present. Modern Israeli society provides the cultural context for the study of these theoretical issues. Israeli society was founded with explicit hopes of producing a fundamental change in the political, social, and cultural conditions of the Jewish people. During the pioneering era there was a great need for new symbols that would bridge between the desire to break away from some aspects of the Jewish past and the wish to preserve continuity with others. The two symbols that are studies in this work represent ways in which the first generations of Israelis attempted to redefine their ideological premises within the context of Jewish culture. The choice of studying symbols of heroism stems from the centrality of the value of heroism to the cultural change that took place in Israeli society. The pioneers and their sons regarded heroism as an important manifestation of the desired transformation from traditional Jewish society and consciously pursued the fulfillment of this value. Beyond its significance within the cultural context of modern Israeli society, the study of heroism is particularly interesting, for it deals with a highly sensitive domain of human behavior. Symbols of heroism present most forcefully the power of social definitions in determining the significance of a particular act. The two symbols of heroism that are studied in this work belong to the more specific category of symbols of the Last Stand, which refers to those instances of heroic behavior that end with the death of the people who fought their enemy to the bitter end. Even though the outcome of the battle is, practically speaking, a defeat, the dead are remembered as heroes and martyrs. Thus, the popular interpretation of the Last Stand transforms defeat into a moral victory and a highly venerated form of heroic behavior. The two symbols of the Last Stand that are studied in this work--Masada and Trumpeldor--relate to two different periods in Jewish history. The symbol of Masada relates to an event that took place in the first century A.D., while the symbol of Trumpeldor is associated with an event that took place in 1920. Although those historical events are separated by nineteen centuries, they began to assume their symbolic significance around the same time and in the same sociocultural context. Yet, each of these symbols presents a different case of development and their weight as national Israeli symbols has varied during the years. This study is based on both documentary material and interviews. This material was collected in Israel in two field trips, in winter 1977-78 and in summer 1979. The documentary material consists of the primary sources on these events, writings of people who were personally involved in the rise of the two symbols, official publications, television and radio programs, and newspaper articles. The interviewees (120 in all) were students of public schools between the ages of 12-14, and their parents