The Jewish Centrality of Israel: The 1958 ‘Who Is a Jew?’ Affair as a Case Study

This article examines reactions in the Jewish Diaspora to the ways the Diaspora is viewed in Israel, especially with regard to the Israeli self-perception of Israel as the ultimate spiritual and religious center for its Diaspora. These ideas are explored using as a case study the 1958 ‘Who is a Jew?...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Israel studies review 2021-09, Vol.36 (2), p.48-65
Main Author: Shiff, Ofer
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case studies
Diaspora
Identification cards
Jewish law
Jewish life & ethics
Jewish people
Jews
Judaism
Orthodox Jews
Orthodox Judaism
Perceptions
Religion
Religious orthodoxy
Self image
Trends
Zionism
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Summary:This article examines reactions in the Jewish Diaspora to the ways the Diaspora is viewed in Israel, especially with regard to the Israeli self-perception of Israel as the ultimate spiritual and religious center for its Diaspora. These ideas are explored using as a case study the 1958 ‘Who is a Jew?’ controversy and David Ben-Gurion’s famous correspondence with 51 ‘Jewish sages’ on the question of how to classify on an Israeli identity card a child born in Israel to a non-Jewish mother. Focusing on the responses of the Orthodox Jewish sages, I suggest that this correspondence may be understood as a reflection of different, sometimes conflicting understandings of the nature and meaning of Israel’s centrality for Jews and Judaism.
ISSN:2159-0370
2159-0389
DOI:10.3167/isr.2021.360205