Paper short abstract:

Entrepreneurs created sacred spaces for pilgrimage in Israel today, New grave sites. They brought to Israel remains of various significant rabbis of North African Jewish communities, who had died even centuries earlier, for reburial. And create a collective ethnic memory and communities of memory.

Paper long abstract:

Some twenty years ago, Jewish immigrants from Muslim countries in Israel began establishing religious-heritage centers for the purpose of renewing their ancestors' traditions. They created sacred spaces for pilgrimage in Israel today - New grave sites. These sacred sites are based on the memory of ancient traditions and religious rituals that were practiced in the immigrants' country of origin. A key characteristic of the establishment of such religious-heritage centers is the formation of a sacred site which can serve as a spiritual center. Thus, the remains of various significant rabbis of North African Jewish communities, who had died decades or even centuries earlier, were brought to Israel for reburial. Behind this "journey of dry bones", lay the mystic belief that rabbis can bring about miracles to those believers who come to pray on their graves, even many years after their passing. The entrepreneurs of these sacred sites control the festivities: the schedule of the festivities, the way of the prayer, and the manner of worshiping. The entrepreneurs are the second generation of immigrants. They create a collective ethnic memory and communities of memory in order to raise their children with a heritage that had been crushed and abandoned by both the state education system and the various political parties.

This lecture will explain how the religious-heritage entrepreneurs built sacred sites and communities of mennory by means of pictures of the sites and the festivities.