The Symphony Orchestra: Between Israel and Germany

The Palestine Symphony Orchestra was established in the mid-1930s, and, following the establishment of the State of Israel, renamed as the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Since its founding, many of the orchestra’s musicians have been German-Jewish immigrants. In the 1950s and 1960s, it faced multiple dilemmas in the context of Israel’s changing relations with Germany, such as whether to perform in Germany or play works by German composers. The study will to examine these dilemmas as they came to the fore during the decades of rapprochement between Germany and Israel, and their implications for other artistic and cultural domains.