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Dissertation Information for Deborah Fenichel

NAME:
- Deborah Fenichel

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Anthropology

SCHOOL:
- Indiana University (USA) (2005)

ADVISORS:
- Joelle Bahloul

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Anya Peterson Royce
- Karen D. Vitelli
- Derek Penslar

MPACT Status: Incomplete - Not_Inspected

Title: Exhibiting ourselves as others: Jewish museums in Israel

Abstract: Jewish museums in Israel reflect Israeli identities by emphasizing the importance of heritage and nation building. This dissertation examines the role of community-based museums by examining the development, style, and content of three museums in Israel. Two community museums, the Museum of Yemeni Jewish Heritage and the Center for Cochin Jewish Heritage, are compared with the Israel Museum, because the latter is the model these communities use when developing their own institutions.

I review the history and development of museums, and explore the connection between history, heritage and culture. After examining Israeli museums, I address Israeli identity by analyzing the local concept of "one people" ( am echad ). I describe a series of national advertisements that use this phrase, and compare their themes to those found in local museums. Displayed across the country in 1997-8, these advertisements debate core national issues such as military service and the political control of religious conversion.

Although the content of community-based museums in Israel is similar to exhibits in national museums, their location within the communities they represent helps visitors to effectively contextualize the museums' exhibits. Israeli museums, like the political billboards, demonstrate both the variations and unifying elements of Israeli identities. In particular, they emphasize "one people" while at the same time demonstrating the religious and cultural divisions within that nation.

MPACT Scores for Deborah Fenichel

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2010-10-07 14:04:39

Advisors and Advisees Graph