Center vs Periphery

Noga Shani (Master)

A main feature of holy cities is that they mainly act as central cities. Holy cities are centers for pilgrimage, and as such, they are magnets for important economic, political and social development. These cities combine the physical and spiritual aspects, and thus have a unique effect, which attracts both pilgrims and tourists alike. However, during the last sixty six years of Israel’s existence the status of Israel’s holy cities has significantly deteriorated; instead of functioning as central cities, policy makers currently perceive them as peripheral places.
By conducting an urban-ethnographic examination within a Breslov Hasidim (an ultra-orthodox Jewish community) in the city of Safed, this study offers a critical examination of the relations between ‘center’ and ‘periphery’ in the state of Israel. Although ‘center’ and ‘periphery’ are culturally dependent and relational categories, both concepts have recently gone through a process of objectification. This objectification determines the status of cities in Israel in general and the status of holy cities in particular. Analyzing holy cities by alien parameters, which highlight the neo-liberal ideology and the secular academic education, is what constitutes their ‘failure’ and marginality. This definition and perception of holy cities as peripheral diminishes their actual centrality and significance.
By drawing on a critical toolbox, this research examines the status of holy cities in Israel, as simultaneously being a religious center and in-state periphery – without perceiving either of these categories as canceling each other out. In the first chapter the findings show that the tension between the religious centrality and the in-state peripheral status of Safed can be explained by the concept of ‘Avodat Ha-makom’ (which literally translates to work of the place, but is commonly used to describe the worship of god).[1] Moreover, the Breslov Hasidim community is involved in ‘Avodat Ha-makom’ in both meanings which are mentioned above: On the one hand, the worship of god; and on the other – urban-spatial work. This dialectical concept pinpoints on twofold attributes of the action of worship: on the one hand ‘worship of God’ strengthens the city as a holy center yet limits individuals’ ability to enter the labor market. Hence, on the other hand it perpetuates the place’s status as a ‘state periphery’. The term ‘worship’ is the watershed, which simultaneously constitutes the weakened attributes of a place on the secular-state dimension, as well as the centrality of a place in the spiritual-religious dimension.
The second chapter findings present the intensive and meaningful associations between Breslov Hasidim in Safed and other Jewish communities around the world (the Jewish Diaspora). In this research I have found that in resemblance to global cities, holy cities in general, and Safed in particular, maintain intensive transnational connections. Therefore, in similarity to global cities, Safed’s status can be examined not only in the scope of the national state, but also in the global arena. Akin to the global city, the holy city encourages movement, flow, pilgrimages, and is located on the global network exchanging finances and ideas and providing its inhabitants with a strong sense of identity. As such, it functions as a central city.
This research has been primarily on qualitative research methods. However, since I wish to present a complex picture that is not based exclusively on the Breslov Hasidim outlook, this study also includes quantitative data. Using the ‘mixed method’ approach I have combined the knowledge derived from quantitative methods and qualitative methods. The quantitative knowledge was generated from research tools such as observations in the old city of Safed and in-depth interviews with Breslov Hasidim and officeholders; while the quantitative data was gathered from existing databases. The materials from both methods were gathered into a thematic analysis and were assembled in the findings chapter.
The methodology consists of three levels of investigation. The first focuses on the action-set of the Breslov Hassidim who make a pilgrimage to Safed and live in the city. The second layer explores the meanings of this action. Finally, since spatial acts constitute and establish the urban map of the holy city, the third layer evaluates the implication of spatial activities on the urban and the physical space.
The study seeks to contribute different and alternative examinations for the public and professional discourse regarding holy cities. The research tackles central questions which preoccupy urban studies research in Israel. Moreover, the study seeks to contribute to the formation of new urban strategies in holy cities in general and in Safed in particular. A critical examination of the state policies, urban planning systems, and the associations between communities within planned areas will be an applicable tool for urban planners and policy makers alike. By drawing on new tools and concepts, and by providing examination on multiple scales, this study offers a different strategy for the analysis of the urban spatial structure in Israel.