Israeli society and culture have deep Jewish and Zionist roots that include the Torah, peoplehood, desire to return to the Land of Israel, resistance against hostile forces and reliance upon one another.
Embedded in Zionism is a yearning to be creative in arts and literature and to remake the Jewish people and individual (the “new Jew”). Jews returning to the Land of Israel from locations around the world brought particular cultural habits, political philosophies, economic outlooks, music, literature and religious attitudes. The variations of Zionism under in the time of Theodor Herzl were as numerous as the definitions of Israeliness today. Rather than evolve a one-size-fits-all society and culture, Israelis have maintained and mixed their traditions and outlooks under the broader umbrella of existing as citizens in a Jewish state.
That cultural mix includes the nearly one-quarter of the Israeli population that is not Jewish, including Muslim and Christian Arabs and Druze. Since Israel remains demographically and physically small, external factors enhance or threaten Israel’s future and constantly refine its culture and society. These external factors include changing relationships with neighbors near and far, the evolving international economic and technological order, connections with opinionated Diaspora Jewish communities, and participation in international organizations and competitions such as the Eurovision Song Contest. Also influencing Israeli society are the more than three-quarters of a million Israelis living permanently abroad while maintaining and protecting their identity and their connections to the state.
The Key Curated Essentials for Society and Culture
