The Jewish Israeli Diaspora

Among the largest Jewish migrant populations in Western societies during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Israeli emigrants live and work with native-born Jews, achieve impressive records of social and economic mobility, raise families, and acquire citizenship. Yet they commonly reject the assimilationist narrative emphasized by local coreligionists, socialize almost exclusively with other Israelis, frequently describe their intentions to return home and often do so. Generally educated and white, their reluctance to join the host society reflects their national identity rather than discrimination. Initially stigmatized by both Israel and the Jewish communities in points of settlement, Israeli émigrés’ presence abroad is now increasingly tolerated for political, economic, and cultural reasons. This article describes Israeli emigrants’ experience and examines how they try to reconcile conflicting identities associated with the country of origin and host society.