The Saint of Beersheba

Introduction

Introduction This book is about a new Jewish zaddik, or "saint," and the pilgrimage to his grave. How a new saint and holy shrine have recently been created makes a fascinating tale, and along the way this process also illuminates some major features of present-day Israeli society and culture . What sparked the research, and how it subsequently unfolded, is a story in itself. My interest in the saint of Beersheba began during a conversation with Issachar Ben-Ami, the Israeli folklorist who has done major documentary work on Jewish pilgrimages in Morocco and Israel. During the discussion he described a new hillula, or "memorial celebration ," taking place at the grave of Rabbi Chayim Chouri in the Beersheba cemetery. Ben-Ami suggested that I attend the pilgrimage. I went to the cemetery and took part in this extraordinary gathering. I was engrossed (seized might be a better word) by the sheer power of what occurred there, and each year I have returned to participate in the festivities. Throughout these years-I first attended the hillula in 1978I have been trying to unravel the meanings of this complex event. Together with my students at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev I observed the pilgrimage and interviewed many of those taking part in it. There are a growing number of additional Israeli sacred shrines and pilgrimages, and I attended many of these as well. These observations and interviews were then discussed and analyzed in a series of university seminars. Members of the Chouri family took an active interest in my research; Yosef Chouri spoke to the seminar. and during the yearly celebration, he and other members of the family were always patient and cooperative. Daniel Weingrod, then teaching photography at the Bezalel Art Academy in Jerusalem, also attended the pilgrimage and took photographs throughout the day. His photography captures the spirit of the hillula: joy, prayer, mystic belief, diversity, and spontaneity. Together vii viii THE SAINT OF BEERSHEBA with the written text the photographs docurnent and interpret the varied dirnensions of this exceptional celebration. I would like to thank Yosef Chouri and rnernbers of the Chouri farnily for their generous guidance and advice. Sorne of the ideas developed in this book were first presented to serninars and other forurns in departrnents of anthropology at a nurnber of universities: the Ben Ourion University of the Negev, Bar nan University, the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Brandeis University, the Institute of Social Anthropology at Oxford University, the Carnbridge University Social Anthropology Society, the Free University of Arnsterdarn, Digby Stuart College, and at an SSRC-sponsored conference hosted by the Institute of Advanced Studies at Princeton University. I arn indebted to colleagues and friends at each of these rneetings who listened patiently to rny tales of this exuberant festival, and then asked probing questions. Early in the research Miri Wisnitzer brought to rny attention a long list of relevant Hebrew texts and cornrnentaries. At different tirnes a nurnber of colleagues were kind enough to read draft versions of this book: Henry Abrornovitz, Yorarn Bilu, Virginia Dorninguez , Dale Eickelrnan, Don Handelrnan, Sarnuel Heilrnan, Sirnon lichrnan, Jarnes Piscatori, the late Victor Turner, Lawrence Rosen, and Melford Spiro. I thank each of thern for their rnany helpful suggestions . Funds frorn the Wenner-Oren Foundation for Anthropological Research helped to conclude the study. Most of this rnanuscript was cornpleted while I was on leave at Oxford University during the spring of 1986. I wish to thank the president and fellows ofWolfson College and Dr. David Patterson, president of the Oxford Postgraduate Centre for Hebrew Studies, for their friendship and cordiality, and also for providing so congenial an environrnent. Finally, rny thanks to Judith Friedgut who typed the final draft of the book, and to Rosalie M. Robertson, rny patient editor at SUNY Press, for her good advice and assistance. ...