“The Kaet Dance Ensemble brings up questions about the human body of the Israeli-Jewish man, which goes through rapid changes and dilemmas regarding his masculine identity. Does the body still carry the Torah and the spirit within, or [is it simply made up of] muscles and flesh of a soldier-athlete? [The ensemble] offers a third possibility, the fusion that is created in the complexity of the Israeli lab.” This is how the Kaet Dance Ensemble, a dance troupe consisting of religious men in yarmulkes (traditional Jewish skullcaps), describes itself through one of its works, titled “Heroes.”

The ensemble has a unique message for contemporary Israeli culture: Religious men are also allowed to dance, and Jewish heritage certainly plays its part. Their performances consist of a combination of modern dance moves with Jewish elements such as the motions used in prayer and various religious texts. The dancers sometimes appear in ultra-Orthodox garb.

“In Israel’s macho climate, it’s not easy to admit that you love to dance,” said Ronen Izhaki, the general manager of the Between Heaven and Earth center and the troupe’s choreographer. “The mood in the religious community is actually different. In the synagogue, people feel a special affinity for the melody of the prayers, the motions, to closing their eyes and connecting with the inner emotional and physical world. It fulfills a spiritual need.”

In regard to the change brought about by the transition from the Diaspora Jew to the proud Israeli, Izhaki told Al-Monitor, “Israeli-Jewish masculinity incorporates the transition from a Diaspora existence in which men sat crammed in yeshivas to a life of working the soil and protecting the land of Israel in the early 20th century. Jewish men became powerful pioneers. They went from sitting soft and stooped to standing tall and strong. This is the creative setting for contemporary male Israeli dance.”