Whose story is it: Autoethnography and the power of Israeli Non-Orthodox Congregations (Hebrew)

• In Event: Three Perspectives on Jewish Religious Life

Abstract

Despite the dominance of Orthodoxy in Israel and the animosity of the general public toward religiosity, novel liberal (Non-Orthodox) religious frameworks have emerged and made inroads in different sectors by addressing specific needs through innovative approaches to synagogue life. One of the most successful is the Reform Congregation, "Beit-Daniel," in Tel-Aviv, Israel's urban epicenter. This paper is based on eight years of autoethnographic fieldwork and highlights how various groups use different portals to "consume" Beit-Daniel's services or to join one of the congregation's communities. Anthropologists and feminist theorists have long been concerned about power relations and positionality in research. Autoethnography responds to these concerns by blurring the distinction between researcher and subject and paying special attention to how the dynamics of fieldwork are intertwined with aspects of identity such as age, class, ethnicity, and gender (a recent example is J. Boyarin's Yeshiva Days). This paper reflects on both the methods and outcomes of this research project. It details how long-term autoethnography allowed me to discover the multiple ways Beit-Daniel approaches different population sectors and the unique model of the synagogue/community center it has built. That model is best described as a "community of communities," incorporating the openness of Chabad-style outreach programs and consumer-oriented choice while maintaining its ideological character.

Author

• Einat Libel Hass, Bar Ilan University and Ramat Gan Academic College