The Sixth Scroll: The Ritualization of Israel's Declaration of Independence

התחדשות יהודית זהות יהודית-ישראלית חברה ישראלית חילונים טקסים יום העצמאות מגילת העצמאות מסורת וחידוש ציונות

This article analyzes the process of "ritualization" applied to Israel's Declaration of Independence between 2011 and 2025 by various Jewish renewal organizations. Sherzer explores how these groups have reframed a foundational political document as a "quasi-sacred" text by incorporating it into traditional Jewish contexts and reciting it with biblical cantillation (te'amim). The study focuses on four specific initiatives: BINA's treatment of the Declaration as an "Israeli Talmud," the efforts of the Reform Movement and Mabu'a to establish its reading as a religious-like holiday ritual, and the World Zionist Organization’s ceremonies at the Western Wall. The author argues that by adopting these religious forms, liberal Jewish organizations aim to construct a national counter-narrative that harmonizes Zionism with liberal values. This strategic use of canonization and performance serves to challenge dominant nationalistic interpretations and proposes an alternative vision of Israeli identity that blurs the boundaries between the secular-national and the religious-traditional.