The course traces the Israeli family unit during the stormy period of nation-building. Struggling to assimilate in their new homeland, cultural agents within the Yishuv, and what would later be Israel, sketched a new ideal type of Jewish family. Inspired by western ideals and adapted to different streams of Zionist ideology, the new format was inculcated to members of Jewish society. The course will survey ideals, practices and legislation--which were aimed at shaping the new family--as well as the process of inculcation, examining its pros and cons. A recurring theme to be studied throughout is the role of parents, with special emphasis on mothers, and the ever-emerging concept of childhood.