Bereavement, commemoration, and collective identity in contemporary Israeli society

This study examines the ideology of bereavement in Israeli society. It explores how bereavement is appropriated by the collectivity and reproduced in public life so as to sustain collective boundaries, an ethos of sacrifice, and a standardization of commemorative practices. Three groups of texts are analyzed: (a) memoranda of the Ministry of Education concerning commemoration days, (b) bulletins of the bereaved families organization, and (c) recent art exhibitions dealing with the discourse of bereavement and commemoration in Israel. These texts show how "self" and "other" are inscribed in the ideologies and practices of bereavement and commemoration, and how they are challenged and questioned in contemporary Israel.