Portal:Israel/Culture Archive

Archive for culture articles featured at Portal:Israel. These articles are used on a rotation.

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Matzo (never used)
Matza (also Matzah, Matzoh, or Matsah) מַצָּה, in Ashkenazi matzo or matzoh, and, in Yiddish, matze) is a cracker-like flatbread made of white plain flour and water. The dough is pricked in several places and not allowed to rise before or during baking, thereby producing a hard, flat bread. It is similar in preparation to the Southwest Asian lavash and the Indian chapati.

Matza is the substitute for bread during the Jewish holiday of Passover, when eating chametz—bread and leavened products—is forbidden. Eating matza on the night of the seder is considered a positive mitzvah, i.e., a commandment. In the context of the Passover seder meal, certain restrictions additional to the chametz prohibitions are to be met for the matza to be considered "mitzva matza", that is, matza that meets the requirements of the positive commandment to eat matza at the seder.

Kibbutz (last used from 20 April 2007 until...)
The Kibbutz (Hebrew: קיבוץ; plural: kibbutzim: קיבוצים; "gathering" or "together") Movement is inseparable from the creation of the modern State of Israel. A kibbutz is a collective intentional community and although other countries have had communal enterprises, they have never had such importance as in Israel. The movement combines socialism and Zionism in a form of practical Labor Zionism, founded at a time when independent farming was not practical. Forced by necessity into communal life, and inspired by their own Jewish/socialist ideology, the kibbutz members developed a pure communal mode of living that attracted interest from the entire world.

While the kibbutzim lasted for several generations as utopian communities, most of today's kibbutzim are scarcely different from the capitalist enterprises and regular towns to which the kibbutzim were originally supposed to be alternatives. Today, farming has been partially abandoned in many cases, with hi-tech industries very common in their place.

Music of Israel (never used)
Israeli music is very versatile and combines elements of both western and eastern music. It tends to be very eclectic and contains a wide variety of influences from the diaspora and more modern cultural importation: Hasidic songs, Asian and Arab pop, especially by Yemenite singers, and israeli hip hop or heavy metal.

Israel is home to several world-class classical music ensembles such as the Israel Philharmonic, the New Israeli Opera and others.

Also popular are forms of electronic music, including but not limited to trance, hard-trance and goa-trance. Notable artists from Israel popular in this field are limited but a famous example would be the goa-trance duo Infected Mushroom.

Dance in Israel (never used)
The traditional folk dance of Israel is the hora, originally an Eastern European circle dance. Israeli folk dancing today is choreographed for recreational as well as performance dance groups.

The Palestinian population's folk dance is the Dabke, a dance of community, often performed at weddings and other joyous occasions, with various versions in different villages and cities.

Modern dance in Israel is a flourishing field, and several Israeli choreographers such as Ohad Naharin are considered to be among the most versatile and original international creators working today. Famous Israeli companies include the Batsheva Dance Company and the Bat-Dor Dance Company.

General culture article (used until 20 April 2007)
The modern culture of Israel is inseparable from Judaism and Jewish history although it differs in many ways. It flourishes in many areas, and Israel has produced World Leaders in fields including music, literature and sport. Israel is said to have the highest number of museums per capita, and had some world leading universities. The Israeli film industry flourishes, whilst the historic location of the land means that archaeology is a very big thing.

Cuisine in Israel is incredibly diverse due to the diverse nature of its citizens. Traditional Jewish food brushes shoulders with food from around the globe, with chefs originating from every continent. Humor often revolves around food.