The Influence of the Israeli Education Music Curricula on Shaping Pupils’ Jewish Identity
Tue, December 17, 8:30 to 10:00am EST (8:30 to 10:00am EST), Virtual Zoom Room 04Abstract
Music has long played a pivotal role in shaping ethnic and national identity (Bohlman 2024, Curtis 2008). In Israel, the construction of Jewish-Israeli culture through music has evolved drawing on diaspora heritage, local Israel/Palestine influences, and international trends (Hirshberg 1995, Regev & Seroussi 2004). The construction of this culture has been influenced not only by the people's musical tastes but also by the ideology of policymakers who have made conscious attempts at cultural marking (Raz-Krakotzkin, 1993).
This research investigates the policies, materials, and practical application of passing down authentic Jewish musical traditions to students within the Israeli education system. The study draws on various sources, including educational policy documents dating back to the first music supervisor’s plan of 1938 found at the Stutschewsky Archive in the Central Library Tel Aviv, teacher training curricula, music teacher guidance materials, and the music education curriculum of the Ministry of Education in 2011 and 2014.
Additionally, online resources related to Jewish music education, such as SHIRIM VE SHORASHIM program on the Ministry of Education website, the website “BO'U LE-GANI”, and other platforms, are considered. These sources collectively reflect attempts to incorporate the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of Israeli Jewry into the educational framework.
This study also examines findings from surveys conducted during “Academy-Field” projects between 2021 and 2023 initiated by the Givat Washington College music department. These projects aimed to introduce pupils in elementary school to traditional Jewish melodies. The college, five elementary schools, the Ministry of Education music department, and the Israeli Andalusian orchestra collaborated on these projects.
Proactive efforts within the education system can introduce pupils to authentic Jewish music and thus foster appreciation. Altogether, the long-term effects of such an endeavor depend on the duration, intensity, and active engagement.
The research findings shed light on processes and trends in shaping Jewish-Israeli identity within the secular and national-religious sectors of the Israeli education system, specifically in the field of music. Given the deep divides in Israeli society today, analyzing identity through musical expression may offer new avenues for solutions.