Raphael Halperin`s Contribution to Israeli Body Culture

The image of a Jew standing fit and tall was an answer to the anti-Semites and the Jews’ aspirations for a national home. Muscular Judaism in practical terms translated into excellence in sports. As athletes, the Jews could make their mark and move from the fringes of society into the mainstream. This concept evolved over the years, reflecting changing times, shifts in global thinking, political developments and national needs. After the establishment of the State, Israeli society underwent a process of Americanization that brought with it a new perception of muscular Judaism and body image. This paper discusses three physical fitness trends that redefined the concept of muscular Judaism: gym training, bodybuilding and catch wrestling. These were rooted in the American aesthetic ideal, far from the ideology and collective socialist worldview prevalent in Israel. Raphael Halperin was the one who imported them to Israel. My principal argument is that muscular Judaism, as an aesthetic shaped in gyms and scripted catch wrestling, heralded the onset of Americanization in Israeli society earlier than is generally accepted in Israeli historiography.

Keywords: Raphael Halperin; body image; bodybuilding; gyms; catch