Collective memory and cultural identity : a comparative study of the politics of memory and identity among Israelis of Polish and Tunisian descent

Abstract

The main aim of this thesis is to study how the identities and memories of Israelis of Ashkenazi and Mizrahi descent in Israel have been created and developed throughout time, up until today. As a case-study, two specific ethnic groups will be considered in particular: Israelis of Polish and of Tunisian descent. The question we will focus on are: “how have third- and fourth-generation Israeli identities been built over time and space?”, and: “how does the current generation of young Israelis relate to their Polish and Tunisian cultural heritage, if at all, in the attempt at understanding and building their present identity?”. The influence of Israel's historical past and of its migrant and ethnic memories will be analysed in relation to the identity-building process of both groups, trying to understand how these memories have been integrated, or not, in the Israeli collective memory and national identity.