Israel’s founders hoped for unity, strength, and a clean break from exile. Nearly a century later, Israel is home to something far messier and more magnificent.
Israelis are a mosaic of contradiction—secular and devout, Eastern and Western, joyful and jaded. Messy, vibrant, and fiercely connected, Israel today is less a single identity and more a chorus—discordant at times, but always unmistakably Israeli.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:51 Categorizing Israeli identities
02:10 What did Israel’s founders envision?
03:04 Stereotypes about Mizrachi and Ashkenazi Israelis
06:50 Cultural fusion into an Israeli identity
08:44 Israeli unity and discord
10:27 Haredi opinions about Israelis
11:55 How religion permeates Israeli culture
13:35 The national-religious camp
14:33 Why it’s great to be Israeli
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Sources:
-Gelfman Schultz, Rachael. “Mizrahi Jews in Israel”. My Jewish Learning.
-Graizbord, David L.. “Israel’s mosaic of Jewish ethnic groups is key to understanding the country”. The Conversation. November 30, 2023.
-Friedman, Matti. “Mizrahi Nation”. Mosaic Magazine. June 1, 2014.
-Großbongardt, Annette. “Unholy Conflict in the Holy Land”. Spiegel International. March 7, 2007.
-Cahaner, Dr. Lee and Malach, Dr. Gilad. “Statistical Report on Ultra-Orthodox Society in Israel”. The Israel Democracy Institute. December 28, 2021.
-Zameret, Zvi, and Moshe Tlamim. “Judaism in Israel: Ben-Gurion’s Private Beliefs and Public Policy.” Israel Studies, vol. 4, no. 2, 1999, pp. 64–89. JSTOR.
-Goldberg, Shayna. “Between Modern Orthodoxy and Religious Zionism: At Home as an Immigrant”. 18Forty. November 28, 2024.
-Liel Leibovitz. “Zionism’s Moment of Decision”. TabletMag. April 19, 2023.
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Image and footage credits:
Getty Images
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Co-Executive Producers:
Dr. Shmuel and Evelyn Katz
Platinum Level:
Stephanie & Gilad Abrahami
Barry Skolnick
Gold Level:
Charles Crane Family Foundation
Silver Level:
Corie & Michael Koss
Lustman family
Bronze Level:
Julia & Brad Berger
Mimi & Akiva Friend
Marci & Andrew Spitzer
Stephanie & Ilan Ulmer
This video is in partnership with The Weisfeld Family Charitable Foundation
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Translation credits:
Portuguese: Saymon Pires, www.livrariasafra.com.br, @safralivraria
About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion.
Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between.
About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking.
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