The kibbutz, the prayer book, and the Day of Judgment: How Israeli grief bridged secular and religious
A comprehensive article examines the profound shift in how secular Israeli society, particularly the kibbutz movement, relates to Yom Kippur following the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Focusing on Kibbutz Beit Hashita, which lost 11 members in the war, the piece describes how the trauma transformed the holiday from a secular day of introspection into a national day of mourning and remembrance. It highlights the 1990 memorial service where kibbutz member Hanoch Elbak sang the liturgical poem 'Unetanneh Tokef' to a new melody by Yair Rosenblum, creating a moment of secular sanctity. The article also covers the history of holiday design in the kibbutz, using memories of Israel Prize laureate Azariah Alon, and describes how many kibbutz members began fasting and attending Kol Nidre services after the war.
A comprehensive article by Walla! examines the profound shift in how secular Israeli society, particularly the kibbutz movement, relates to Yom Kippur following the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The article focuses on Kibbutz Beit Hashita, which lost 11 members in the war, and describes how the trauma of bereavement transformed the holiday from a day of secular identity-seeking and communal introspection into a day of mourning, remembrance, and national unity. The described climax is the memorial service on the eve of Yom Kippur 5751 (1990), where kibbutz member Hanoch Elbak sang the liturgical poem 'Unetanneh Tokef' to a new melody by Yair Rosenblum, creating a moment of secular sanctity. The article surveys the history of holiday design in the kibbutz, using the memories of Israel Prize laureate Azariah Alon, and describes the loss of his son Gilad in the war. It presents documents from the 'Shitim Institute' archive, including a secular prayer book compiled by Mordechai Amitai in 1973, and the song 'The Wheat Grows Again' by Dorit Tzameret. The article describes how, following the war, many in the kibbutzim began fasting and attending the 'Kol Nidre' prayer, alongside the establishment of Jewish study circles.