Love thy neighbor: Sociability and instrumentality among Israeli neighbors

The paper explores the tense dynamics among neighbors in a mixed middle-cla ss neighborhood in Tel Aviv, based on three years of fieldwork (1988-1991) and a local survey. Considered within the context of the general community question, three case studies are presented as illsutrations of local relati onships, their ambiguities and limitations: relations shifted from daily en counters to absolute disconnection; people concealed major life plans from presumably close neighbors; in some cases, residents took official measures against a neighbor. It is suggested that intensive, prolonged relationship s maintained among neighbors were not necessarily intimate personal ones. R ather, neighbor relationships seemed primarily instrumental, centering on a continuous exchange of minor services and an enhancement of one's anchor i n the locality. The intimate appearance of these particular relations can p ossibly be attributed to general traits characteristic of Israeli culture.