Tradition, Innovation, Conflict: Jewishness and Judaism in Contemporary Israel

6. Back to The Fold: The Return to judaism

6 Back to The Fold: The Return to judaism BENJAMIN BEIT-HALLAHMI Religion in Israel means Judaism, and more specifically, Orthodox Judaism. Eighty-five percent ofthe population in Israel is defined as Jewish, and this definition is legally made by the state. The involvement of religion and state in Israel has two aspects: first, there is no separation of state and religion; second, there is a relationship between religion and political and legal rights. Laws respecting the establishment ofreligion have been made in Israel, and in this it is like many European countries. What is almost unique in Israel is the officially sanctioned relationship between religion, nationality, and political rights. Being Jewish in Israel accords certain privileges, defined by law, as Jews constitute not only a religious group but a national group as well. Whether one belongs to the privileged group or not is clearly marked in the personal identity card issued by the government. Every resident ofthe state oflsrael over the age of 16 is required to have in his possession (and if he is male to carry it at all times) an identity card. This identity card lists, among other items of personal identification, the individual's nationality. For Jewish residents, nationality is defined as "Jewish" and not "Israeli." The term Israeli appears only in passports, where it defmes citizenship. The boundaries ofthe Jewish group are kept by the system of religious courts as well as by civil authorities, and marriage between Jews and non-Jews is rare. The question of membership in the privileged group is not easilysettled in cases where individuals want to separate religion and nationality (for example, by being a Catholic Jew). Israeli secular courts have ruled that one cannot be a Jew by nationality and a 154 The Return to Judaism Catholic by religion. This unique historical feature of Judaism has been preserved in Israel. The religious system in Israel today is a eontinuation ofreligious traditions in the two main areas of origin for Jewish immigration to Israel: Eastern Europe and the Arab world. In both areas, though separated by geography and history. Jews carried on similar or identical rabbinical traditions for hundreds ofyears. Several features of historical Judaism have left their mark on Jewish culture all over theworld. Onesuchfeature istheexistenceofa religious consensuswithout the existence of a central authority. This paradoxical tradition can be related to intellectual independence and the lack of respect for authority for which Jews have become known. A lack of respect for authority together with a national consensus have been a feature of social and political life in Israel. Religion is very much tied to national ideology in Israel. Zionism is both a continuation of Jewish history and a rebellion against it. While Zionism in earlieryears defmed itselfin secular terms, in recent years it has come to rely more on religious arguments and symbols (Beit-Hallahmi 1973). Religion is very much part ofeveryday political discourse in Israel, as well as a factor in group cohesion and division. Within the Jewish population there is a clear dividing line between two subcultures, the religious and the secular. The nature ofJudaism as a religion of practice makes this division public and visible. While the two subcultures cannot be defined as castes, intimate contacts across the dividing line are rare. Members of the two groups can identifyeach other immediatelybydistinctive cues, such as dress, and expectations for public behavior are quite clear. The taboos concerning the Sabbath in Orthodox Judaism can serve as the best example of behavioral divisions. Driving on a Saturday (except for a real life-anddeath emergency) is out ofthe question for members ofthe religious subculture, as is watching television or using the telephone. Making decisions about public activities on the Sabbath is a complicated matter in Israel. Byforce oftradition, created. through constant political struggles between the two subcultures, a curious set of rules governs such activities. Public transportation in Israel does not operate on Saturday, except for a skeleton bus service in Haifa, but soccer games are allowed. Most movie theatJres are closed on Friday night, but government television and radio stations operate for the benefit ofthose who are not religious. Raising pigs and sellingpork are forbidden bylaw, representing a symbolic victoryofmilleniaofJewish dietarytaboos, but the nonreligious can easilyget around these limitations . These are just a few examples of the special role of religion in Israeli public life. Jewishness and Judaism in Cantemporary Israel 155 TheJewish population in Israel...