Re: Yiddishkayt & Israelis

[HG <tsayeret...>]

I was born in Israel, and live for around 15 years now in Austria. While
living in Israel, and for many years here, I couldn't listen to Yiddish
music or was interested in the language. Now that I am much less defiant
than before, I have learned to listen and even like Yiddish literature and
music, although I can't say I love it. And this although my father came from
Pinsk, and as a child spoke Yiddish at home.
Coming to Israel symbolized for him (and for most of the European Jews) a
new beginning, especially after loosing most of their family members (if not
all) in the Shoa. Yiddish not only symbolized for them the "old home", but
also brought up memories of lost relatives, of torture, of pain etc. -
memories they wanted to forget. Israel with it's modern Hebrew provided a
new beginning - yes, even a kind of rebirth. This
"not-wanting-to-be-reminded-of" was passed on us - his children. We grew up
in a society which wanted to be modern at any price, which wanted to forget
the past at any price, which was afraid (and still is) of facing the pain
and the intense feelings connected to the Shoa, to our grandparents, to
THEIR language, to THEIR music, to THEIR way of living etc.
This is one aspect of the problematic relationship Israelis have to Yiddish.
The other aspect is that it is connected with Orthodoxy. Judaism is
everywhere in Israel. You don't even have to be religious to be aware of it,
as Israel is a Jewish religious country, e.g. only orthodox weddings are
accepted, the day of rest is Shabbat and not Sunday, national holidays are
Jewish holidays, Kashrut etc. Most of the Israelis being secular, connect
Yiddish and Klezmer music to the Orthodox who, in their eyes (without
getting here into a political statement...) rule their lives and force the
Orthodoxy on them.
It is complex, but understandable, and I think that it is not that bad that
there is a difference between Judaism in the Diaspora and Judaism in Israel
(including the culture). Israel and the Israelis ARE different than the
European Jews (and probably the American and Canadian Jews as well), thus
their forms of art are also different.
Hadass


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