Date of Award

5-10-2026

Date Published

June 2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Religion

Advisor(s)

Zachary Braitermann

Abstract

This dissertation examines the media representation of the Moroccan henna ceremony in the Israeli print press over seven decades (1950–2010), situating the analysis at the intersection of Religious Studies and Media Studies. Rather than focusing on the ritual itself, the study investigates how the henna ceremony has been mediated, translated, and reconstructed within journalistic discourse, and how these representations reflect broader dynamics of religion, ethnicity, and identity in Israeli society. Drawing on critical discourse analysis and critical visual analysis, the research analyzes 63 newspaper articles and accompanying images published in four major Israeli newspapers. It examines the linguistic, visual, and symbolic mechanisms through which the henna ceremony has been framed across three historical periods, corresponding to three generations of Moroccan Jews in Israel. The study demonstrates that media representations of the ceremony do not reflect its historical or religious complexity, but actively participate in processes of classification, translation, and, at times, erasure of its spiritual and communal meanings. The findings identify three distinct phases of representation. In the first period (1950–1979), the ceremony is depicted through Orientalist and folkloric frameworks, stripped of religious legitimacy and positioned as an exotic expression of the “Mizrahi other.” In the second period (1980–1999), the henna largely disappears from public discourse or is reduced to a private, nostalgic custom, reflecting processes of assimilation and cultural silencing. In the third period (2000–2010), the ceremony re-emerges as a site of ethnic and religious reclamation, framed through discourses of authenticity, tradition, and Mizrahi identity. Across these periods, the study reveals a gradual shift from marginalization and erasure to re-signification and visibility, shaped by broader postcolonial dynamics and changing generational perspectives. By integrating theoretical frameworks from ritual studies, postcolonial theory, and media representation, this research argues that the Israeli press functions as an active agent in the construction of cultural meaning, defining the boundaries of religious legitimacy and ethnic belonging. The Moroccan henna ceremony thus emerges not only as a ritual practice, but as a critical site through which struggles over identity, visibility, and cultural hierarchy are negotiated in Israeli society.

Access

SURFACE provides description only. Full text may be available to ProQuest subscribers. Please ask your Librarian for assistance.

Download

Share

COinS