Performance versus social invisibility: What can be learned from the wailing culture of old-age Yemenite-Jewish women?

This article appears in response to a recent call in feminist gerontology for further research into the condition of elderly women in Western societies, especially those in ethnic groups. The focal point is the widespread claim that elderly women suffer from social invisibility and low self-esteem. The article addresses the issue by describing the case of the wailing culture of Yemenite-Jewish women who live in Israel today. Its purpose is to present and analyze women's wailing as a cultural performance of feminine identity in old age and, by so doing, to provide an alternative narrative about images and experiences of elderly women. The article also discusses the value of caring performance for the social images of elderly women in Western societies.