6:00 pm — 7:30 pm
Dr. Lior Libman’s book, State of Shock: The Kibbutz in Israel from Avant-Garde to Fetish, 1948–1955, is a compelling new study that rethinks one of the most iconic symbols of Zionism and Israeli culture. Libman argues that the establishment of the State of Israel constituted a profound rupture for the kibbutz movement, destabilizing its original avant-garde vision and transforming it into a cultural and ideological “fetish” — a fixed object of yearning detached from its active historical role. Drawing on literary, theoretical, and historical analysis, the book explores how the kibbutz’s identity shifted in response to statehood, cultural trauma, and changing social conditions during the formative years of the Israeli state. This talk will introduce the book’s key themes, consider its broader implications for understanding Israeli society and collective memory, and include discussion with the author (or expert commentators) about the enduring legacy and symbolic power of the kibbutz in modern Jewish history.
Dr. Ilai Saltzman 301-405-2931 saltzman@umd.edu https://jewishstudies.umd.edu/events/state-shock-kibbutz-israel-avant-garde-fetish-1948-1955-book-talk
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