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Prof. Rina Cohen, York University

Paper Delivered at the 1st World Council
of Israelis Abroad on January 18, 2011

 
 

 

G ^ionist Perspective
G Transnational Migration Perspective
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@sraelis abroad = Sojourners

G Motivation: overstaying university programs,
business opportunities, visits, relief from stress
G underestimating the size of emigration
G assuming temporariness
G assuming eventual return
G explain why both the larger Jewish community
and the State of @srael overlook the experience of
diasporic @sraelis
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G -oluntary migration (rather than forced)

G Assuming permanency
G Motivated mainly by economic factors
G Frequent home visits
G Extensive consumption of @sraeli goods and cultural
products
G Property ownership in the homeland
G Consequently: the emergence of a transnational
community, distinct form both ± the @sraelis in @srael
and the Jews in the hosting countries
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G Cultivates the Myth of Return, conducive to

cultural retention
G Speaking Hebrew, consuming @sraeli culture
G Typical to 1st and 2nd generation
G Facilitates successful adaptation
G Functional in achieving migrant integration
into the larger Jewish community
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G Multiculturalism policies (ex: heritage language)

G @nternational human rights regimes (ex: international
treaties, programs for non-citizens)
G Superior social services
G Enhanced technology (comm., T-, flights)
G A pro-@srael government, especially Harper
G Strong Jewish community (high institutional
completeness) which is decidedly pro-@srael
G Example of a video produced in Canada:
http://www.aish.com/v/is/90073102.html
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a) 1991-94: 69 interviewees with professionals &

business people

b) 1996-98: 20 interviews with @sraeli Students (2nd

generation)

c) 2009-10: 6 interviews with community leaders, PO

& content analysis of 61 issues of £
 
   

  

Motivation to migrate

G Earlier migrants: went abroad and ³got stuck´

G Recent migrants: planed to leave, mainly in search of economic

opportunities and feeling that @srael became too corrupted

G Both early and later migrants: combination of professionals (brain

drain) who come with families, business people and also young,
mainly males, who are unskilled or semi-skilled and unemployed

 
  
 

G @n the 70s and 80s- stigmatization

G @n late 80s ± recession and @ntifada in @srael (18% inflation)
G Since the mid 90s ± economic growth, increased standard of
living
G Oslo Peace Accord
G Over 1 million highly educated immigrants
G 20% increase in population
G Development of @T (start-up nation) require global recruitment of
professionals
G Late 90s recruitment of expatriates.
G De-stigmatization of ÷ 


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G >lobal collapse of high tech industries

G September 11
G Second @ntifada
G 17% shrinkage in the @sraeli economy
G The attitude towards @sraelis abroad more tolerant & embracing;
For political reasons even consideration of granting voting power
(which is expected to strengthen the @sraeli right)
G October 2009 ± launching of a global survey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNkARNQo_zM
G January 2011- World Council of @sraelis Abroad



  
  

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G Parallel to the relationships with the State

G Up to mid 90s ± not much attention
G @n the late 90s- first attempts to integrate @sraelis
G 2004- UJA conducted a needs study
G October 2004- Tzofim
G Fall 2005 ± The @sraeli Forum of Canada
G 2007 ± @ 





 
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G Proliferation of Hebrew speaking chapters in Jewish

organizations
G @sraeli synagogues
G @sraeli businesses (restaurants, cleaners, insurance
companies, grocery stores, garages & body shops,
butchers, bakeries, hotels, jewellery stores and
more)
G @sraeli radio, T- station & newspapers
G @sraeli youth movements, book clubs, senior clubs,
theatre, school, choir, cultural events, dance clubs
etc.
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G transnationalism from below

G @sraeli @ndependence Day ± celebrated by
the @sraeli community in 2006 & 2007 on
Sundays rather then on calendar dates which
were what the larger Jewish community
used.
G Attempts to maintain difference




G Anti emigration (or ^ionist) perspective is no longer suited

G Transnational migration perspective is a better explanatory
framework
G Canada¶s special characteristics contribute to the
mainstreaming of the @sraeli transnational community
G ³Transnationality from above´ is on the rise since the State and
the Jewish Community are essential in crystallizing an
organized community
G Simultaneously, as the flow of ³fresh migrants´ from @srael
continues ± ³transnationalism from below´ continues to flourish
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G As long as @sraelis continue to migrate to Canada in growing

numbers, the intense level of transnationality is likely to
strengthen.
G Rather then requiring complete incorporation by either @srael or
the local community, @sraelis in Canada, or at least in Toronto,
are establishing and strengthening their own distinct
community.
G @n case this stream of migration slows down, the @sraeli
community is likely, in a generation or two, to completely
integrate in the general Jewish community.
G Either way ± the Myth of Return is still alive..
ʭʩʬʹʥʸʩʡ ʤʠʡʤ ʤʰʹʡ
  

G Harnessing the power/talents/abilities of the

@sraeli diaspora to benefit the State of @srael

G Mainstreaming: integrating into the larger

Jewish Community
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