The Mediating Leadership of Rabbi Azizi Di’i in Hatzor, 1951-1965

Abstract

The historiography of immigrant towns in the early days of the State of Israel did little to address the question of local leadership – especially the role of religious local leadership vis-à-vis the absorption of immigrants. The article focuses on Rabbi Di’i, a religious leader in the development town of Hatzor, who immigrated to Israel from Djerba, and became a founding father of the community there.

Based on a wealth of sources, I shall examine the role of Rabbi Di’i as a mediator between the residents – immigrants mainly from Islamic countries, sent to the northern periphery – and the absorption authorities.

My findings highlight the important roles played by religious leadership in the process of social and political constructionism as well as the inhabitants’ active participation and drive in shaping community services in accordance with their religious identity. Unlike more mainstream research on development towns with a focus on ‘top-down’ structuring, the present study identifies a complex and interesting socio-political axis between the establishment and the ‘bottom-up’ influence of the local leader and the community.