Israeli humor : the content and structure of the chizbat of the Palmah / Elliott Oring.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Oring, Elliott, 1945-

Series:

SUNY series in modern Jewish literature and culture

SUNY series in Modern Jewish Literature and Culture

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Israeli wit and humor--History and criticism.

Israeli wit and humor.

Palmaḥ--Anecdotes.

Palmaḥ.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 295 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, c1981.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Derived from the Arabic word for "lie," the word "chizbat" was chosen by members of the Palmah to designate the particular form of narrative joke exchanged by these volunteer defenders of Jewish settlements in Israel during the uncertain years 1941-48. Elliott Oring concentrates his attention on how the chizbat represents the expression of a distinctly Israeli identity and the disparate elements of this identity: sabra/European, Arab/Israeli, East/West. He shows how chizbat humor depends, not so much on novelty or punch line, as on displaying these incongruities of Israeli identity. Oring also discusses the sociocultural context in which the chizbat developed and examines how various theories of humor apply to understanding the chizbat. In an appendix invaluable for the folklorist, Oring has translated hundreds of chizbat into English. some are from written sources and others are verbal accounts he obtained during his months of research in Israel.

Contents:

Ha-Palmah Ha-Chizbat The argument of humor The content The structure The message Kezavim

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

9781438415178

1438415176

9780585088365

0585088365

OCLC:

43475808