The Return Migration of American Olim

Publication Date: January 1989

Publisher: Jewish Agency for Israel

Author(s): Chaim I. Waxman

Research Area: Culture and religion; Population and demographics

Keywords: Immigration; Jewish Identification; Affiliation; Israel Attachment

Type: Report

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

This article presents an analysis of return aliya, or "American yerida," Jews who immigrated from the United States to Israel only to return to their original home country. The author bases his article on data gathered from a group of seventy-one return olim. He commences his work by discussing previous studies, arguing that the pattern of responses is strikingly similar to earlier data in that although Jewish issues were among the most salient in the respondents' initial move to Israel, they were unimportant in their decision to return and were generally displaced by economic and familial considerations. The author examines changes in attitude toward Israel and Judaism after the respondents' return and concludes that there are major weaknesses in the existing organized aliya efforts.