Israeli Culture
Israeli Culture
“A nation 's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.”
-Mahatma Gandhi
To try and come up with only one inclusive definition of culture can prove to be a tiring task as many scholars have created an assortment of definitions over the past century. (Matsumoto & Juang, 2008) Human culture as defined by Matsumoto and Juang (2008) is, “…a unique meaning and information system, shared by a group and transmitted across generations, that allows the group to meet basic needs of survival, pursue happiness and well-being, and derive meaning from life.” (p. 15) Religion is perhaps the most influential piece of the culture in Israel: it plays a part in almost all areas. This is a look at the culture of the people of Israel including the areas of religion, politics, gender, marriage and family, as well as art and cuisine.
Religion
Religion plays an enormous role in the land of Israel and it’s rich culture. The three most popular religions of the entire world are Judaism, Christianity and Islam and they’re also the three most common religions found in Israel. (Torstrick, 2004) As of 2004, approximately 4.7 Jews, 901,000 Muslims and 113,000 Arab Christians lived in Israel. (Torstrick, 2004) As a result of these varying religions and their presence, the city of Jerusalem has been titled a “city of contrasts”, filled with both ancient neighborhoods as well as new, and houses of prayer for all the many communities and religions. (Lowenstein, 2012)
Not all Jews share the same beliefs and there are many different Jewish denominations in Israel including Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist. (Blech, 1999) The strictest followers of Judaism are the ultra-orthodox but they only account for about eight percent of the population. (Geri, 2007) Some people don’t consider themselves to be any of these specific types but rather just Jewish, and this is how they choose to identify themselves whether or not it is agreed
“A nation 's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.”
-Mahatma Gandhi
To try and come up with only one inclusive definition of culture can prove to be a tiring task as many scholars have created an assortment of definitions over the past century. (Matsumoto & Juang, 2008) Human culture as defined by Matsumoto and Juang (2008) is, “…a unique meaning and information system, shared by a group and transmitted across generations, that allows the group to meet basic needs of survival, pursue happiness and well-being, and derive meaning from life.” (p. 15) Religion is perhaps the most influential piece of the culture in Israel: it plays a part in almost all areas. This is a look at the culture of the people of Israel including the areas of religion, politics, gender, marriage and family, as well as art and cuisine.
Religion
Religion plays an enormous role in the land of Israel and it’s rich culture. The three most popular religions of the entire world are Judaism, Christianity and Islam and they’re also the three most common religions found in Israel. (Torstrick, 2004) As of 2004, approximately 4.7 Jews, 901,000 Muslims and 113,000 Arab Christians lived in Israel. (Torstrick, 2004) As a result of these varying religions and their presence, the city of Jerusalem has been titled a “city of contrasts”, filled with both ancient neighborhoods as well as new, and houses of prayer for all the many communities and religions. (Lowenstein, 2012)
Not all Jews share the same beliefs and there are many different Jewish denominations in Israel including Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist. (Blech, 1999) The strictest followers of Judaism are the ultra-orthodox but they only account for about eight percent of the population. (Geri, 2007) Some people don’t consider themselves to be any of these specific types but rather just Jewish, and this is how they choose to identify themselves whether or not it is agreed
References: Barak-Erez, D. (2007). Outlawed Pigs: Law, Religion and Culture in Israel. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press. Blech, R. B. (1999). The Complete Idiot 's Guide to Jewish History and Culture. New York: Aplha Books. Central Buraeu of Statistics. (1999). Vital Statistics: Marriages and Divorces. Retrieved from http://www.cbs.gov.il/publications/vital99/vi1198-e.pdf Geri, J. (2007). Culture Smart! Israel. Hutton Grove: Kuperard. Ivry, T. (2010). Emobodying Culture: pregnancy in Japan and Israel. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. Lowenstein, R. S. (2012). For the Love of Israel. Chicago: Triumph Books LLC. Matsumoto, D., & Juang, L. (2008). Culture and Psychology. Belmont: Wadsworth. Torstrick, R. L. (2004). Culture and Customs of Israel. Westport: Greenwood Press.