Masechet in the Kibbutz: Jewish Theatrical Performances in Palestine

• In Event: Performing and Representing the New Nation

Abstract

The 1930s in Palestine was a period of unique modern artistic creation by Jewish European immigrants who established the new socialist agricultural settlements in Palestine, the Kibbutzim. Performing artists were inspired by multiple cultural and artistic influences, building mostly on German modern expressionist dance, the AUSDRUCKSTANZ and the GESAMTKUNSTWERK holistic theatre, as well as the folkways of local Palestinian inhabitants to create the Jewish theatrical MASECHET in the Kibbutzim.

These artists put a special emphasis on the environmental side of their performances. Searching for ceremonial festivals to express their new way of life in the agricultural villages, and using the landscape as a natural theatre, they created modern festivals and ceremonies that were deeply rooted – historically and geographically – in the biblical sources, reviving old Israelite ceremonies as they imagined them. Some examples are the Shorn Wool Festival, the First Fruit Festival, the Water Festival and the three biblical pilgrimage festivals. In addition, in open-space community theatre, kibbutz members dramatically enacted biblical scenes at the same spots they took place in the Bible.

The artists were fascinated by Arab customs and incorporated elements from Palestinian festivals and folkways, especially those related to farmers’ lives. These customs were perceived as an authentic expression of old Semitic traditions, serving Jews in romanticizing their ancestral heritage. In addition to this symbolic layer of cultural influence, the Arab neighbors were sometimes invited to partake in the open-air performances alongside kibbutz members, emphasizing cultural influences and mutual relations of neighboring agricultural communities in pre-state Israel.

author

• Dina Roginsky, Yale University