The brilliant kaleidoscope of everyday creativity in Israel is thrown into relief in this study, which teases out the abiding national tensions and contradictions at work in the expressive acts of ordinary people. Hagar Salamon examines creativity in Israel's public sphere through the lively discourse of bumper stickers, which have become a potent medium for identity and commentary on national and religious issues. Exploring the more private expressive sphere of women's embroidery, she profiles a group of Jerusalem women who meet regularly and create "folk embroidery." Salamon also considers the significance of folk expressions at the intersections of the public and private that rework change and embrace transformation. Far ranging and insightful, Israel in the Making captures the complex creative essence of a nation state and vividly demonstrates how its citizens go about defining themselves, others, and their country every day.

About the Author

Hagar Salamon is Max and Margarethe Grunwald Chair in Folklore at Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is author of The Hyena People: Ethiopian Jews in Christian Ethiopia.

Reviews

Written with a high awareness of folkloristic theory, the book will appeal not only to scholars interested in the evolving modern culture of Israel, but also to folklorists interested in critical and practice theory applied to traditionalized activities.

* Choice *

A richly researched book that meaningfully weaves together material culture study and narrative discourse, traditional and popular cultures, and politics and play, Israel in the Making is a multi-layered contribution to many adjacent fields.

* Journal of American Folklore *

Hagar Salamon's book is among a number of fascinating postmodern responses to the traditional concept of folklore. Its present-tense title, Israel in the Making, already liberates folklore from its frozen image and its association with ethnic groups and the past. A look at the contents reveals its presentation of a wider definition of what is folk and what is lore than has been the standard. The book deals with contemporary Israeli folklore, which is dynamic, constantly changing and far from a matter of the past.

* Nashim *



Book Information
ISBN 9780253023087
Author Hagar Salamon
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint Indiana University Press
Publisher Indiana University Press
Weight(grams) 413g