A Path to Masada

A six-month ethnographic study at Masada National Park reveals that the meaning and significance of the site for tourists stem more from their interactions with one another than from the mythical narratives surrounding it. The research, conducted through participant observation during Youth Israel Experience Tours, challenges conventional interpretations by analyzing both the tour structure and post-tourist practices. Footnotes serve as a critical lens, offering dialectical responses that question and reinterpret the tour experience. This approach highlights the dynamic relationship between collective tourist behavior and place-making, providing new insights into how shared experiences shape cultural significance.

Gratch, A. (2018). A Path to Masada. Departures in Critical Qualitative Research, 7(1), 53–67. https://doi.org/10.1525/dcqr.2018.7.1.53