ABSTRACT
This chapter problematizes the interrelations between leisure culture and consumerism. This chapter is interested in the way in which consumers balance their unique needs with the demands of their social framework. This chapter observes two populations, which although both are Jewish, one is secular and the other is ultra-Orthodox. These groups conspicuously differ in their moral stance toward the world of leisure and consumption. This ethnographic research reveals that although leisure practices in both societies are dictated by social mores, the participants construct an individualized consumer narrative, finding a way to feel unique within a conformist consumer culture. Although these distinctive populations differ in their attitudes towards consumption, they use similar practices that serve spiritual purposes. Their similar practices reflect the flexibility of the consumer arena that satisfies individualistic needs.
