In my PhD exploration, I delve into the intricate relationship between time, culture, and design. For me, this research is more than an academic pursuit; it’s a personal, social, and political engagement. My motivation extends beyond enhancing my skills as a designer; it’s about preserving the connection between tradition, history, and society.
My study centers on the concept of ‘Jewish time,’ exploring how different cultures navigate temporal experiences. Judaism, in particular, negotiates its position in a dynamic environment, and this negotiation is at the heart of my research. I examine a system that determines and experiences time through nature and universal time, where hours vary with seasons, reflecting a dynamic and cyclical understanding of time.
Key terms such as Time, Temporality, Hermeneutics, Guest, and Pause guide my research, emphasizing the orientation of Jewish culture around time rather than space. Passover becomes a poignant example, where my family gathers annually to journey through time, reliving the Exodus story, connecting past, present, and future.
History is the raw material of my creative process, and this research explores how looking backward to tradition and history allows for the interpretation and inhabitation of time. ‘Jewish time’ aligns design with ontological and aesthetic experiences, linking ordinary objects to historical narratives.
As a Jewish individual, I grapple with the intersection of religion, politics, and socio-cultural perspectives on time. The Shabbat, marking a unique definition of time, becomes a pivotal concept, described as a “Palace in Time” by Abraham Heschel. The distinction between sacred and profane time, as discussed by Durkheim, and the unconditional hospitality described by Derrida, shape my understanding of time in a cultural context.
In my analysis, I respond to traditional Jewish hermeneutics and ontological design, embracing the hermeneutic circle as a framework for understanding change within a situated context. Drawing inspiration from Latour, I view design not just as a responsibility for meaning but also morality, where materiality and ethics converge.
Through this research, I aim to contribute not only to the academic discourse on time and design but also to the broader conversation about the cultural and philosophical dimensions of design practice.