Springs of life: commemoration through enhancing springs and building wading pools in nature in Israel

This article examines the commemoration of war casualties in Israel at natural water sources and artificial wading pools. Approximately one-third of these memorial sites were established jointly by friends and family–a unique way of expanding the circle of remembrance through commemoration. Site design reflects new patterns of shaping memory in 21st century Israel: an individual trend with a minimalist design that blends into the landscape and nature contrasts with a collective–national trend that generates marked changes in natural appearance and emphasises the act of commemoration. Symbolically, this type of commemoration reflects diverse connections: individual and general; holy and profane; life and death; past, present, and future. The article examines the ‘turnaround’ in commemoration styles that reflect a bidirectional approach to bereavement, from the tangible, inanimate monument to the ‘living memorial’ generated by the wading pool, where life and death intertwine, reinforcing old themes alongside new ones.