III. Jewish-Israelis, Food, and Identity

Day 8:

The Different Origins of Jews and their Migration to Israel I: Film Screening of the documentary Ma’abarot: The Israeli Transit Camps

Ma’abarot (2019) (84 minutes) “Ma’abarot - The Israeli Transit Camps Dina Zvi Riklis (2019) Available Access provided to CMU via Alexander Street Film Database & Go2Films (Firm), film distributor.

While watching the film please consider the following:

What was the ethnic makeup of the immigrants in the Transit camps? What did you

notice about inter-ethinc relations in the Transit camps? What were the

expectations and ideas about Israel held by many of these immigrants before their

arrival?

Why did the State of Israel rush to bring millions of Jews to settle in Israel in

its early years, if it was so ill unequipped to absorb them? Did you notice any

difference in the treatment of these immigrants by the Israeli State, based on their

place of origin?

What were the long term effects of such biases? What are some

of the experiences of the internees that you found most striking or

surprising?

What were the specific challenges of the newly arrived Jewish, immigrants and particularly those of those of Middle Eastern and North African origin (Arab-Jews) after immigrating to the newly formed state of Israel?

Their relationship to state authorities?

Read indicated and highlighted parts of the article by Orit Rozin,

“Food, Identity, and Nation-Building in Israel's Formative Years,” Israel Studies

Forum, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Summer 2006), 52-80: Annotated Orit Rozin Food_

Identity, and Nation Building in Israel's Formative Years.pdf

Reading Prompt:

What was the food culture of the new Israeli State per Rozin’s article and how did it connect to nation building?

Alternatively: Excerpt of My Father’s Paradise.

Day 9:

A Society of Jewish Migrants: Discussion of Maabarot & Assigned Article

Assigned Reading: Orit Rozin, “Food, Identity, and Nation-Building in Israel's Formative Years,” Israel Studies Forum, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Summer 2006), 52-80.

Reading Prompt:

What was the ethnic makeup of the immigrants in the Transit camps? What did you notice about inter-ethnic relations in the Transit camps? What were the specific challenges of the newly arrived Jewish, immigrants and particularly those of those of Middle Eastern and North African origin (Arab-Jews) after immigrating to the newly formed state of Israel? Their relationship to state authorities? What was the food culture of the new Israeli State per Rozin’s article and how did it connect to nation building?

DISCUSSION 2 DUE. SEE CANVAS FOR DETAILS.

Day 10:

Ashkenazi Jewish Identity, the ‘New Jew’ & “Re-Arabizing Israeli Food Culture” Assigned Reading:

a) Yahil Zaban, "Gefilte Fish," A Land of Milk and Hummus: A Study of Israeli Culinary Culture.

Reading prompt: What relationship do the Jewish-Israelis establish between Gefilte fish, their diasporic food, the Jewish diasporic body, and the new Jewish-Israeli body?

b) Ronald Ranta & Yonatan Mendel, “Consuming Palestine: Palestine and Palestinians in Israeli Food Culture,” Ethnicities, Volume: 14 issue: 3,

412-435.

Reading prompt:

How is food part of one's "imagined communities"? How did emigrating Jews romanticize Arabs/Palestinians to construct an “imagined return” and a new national identity or a "new Jew"?

Day 11:

The Occupation: The Arab/Israeli War of 1967

Day 12:

The Identity of Arab-Jews - Food and Sephardi-Jewish Memoir Writing in Israel Assigned Reading:

a) Ayelet Tsabari, “How Food Connects Us to Home: On the Power of Family Recipes” Lithub. February 15, 2019.

Reading prompt:

What is the significance of “Yemenite soup” for the author, Ayelet Tsabari? How does this soup and its specific ingredients connect to her family, ethnic and Israeli identities? What is the meaning of “home” for Tsabari and what role does food play in connecting her to “home”?

b) Moshe Sakal, “Instructions for eating granny Ora’s Kibbeh,” Words Without Borders. May 1, 2017.

Reading Prompt:

What are the food traditions in Moshe Sakal's family? What is his relationship to his family's food traditions? To the food culture around him in Israel, Paris? How does Mosh Sakal define "Israeli cuisine"?

C. Watch at home: episode 5 of Fadi Kattan’s Teta’s Kitchen: Maklubah in Nablus

PAPER 1 DUE. SEE CANVAS FOR DETAILS.