FAQ: Immigration and Integration
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TERMINOLOGY
What do the Hebrew words aliyah and olim mean?
Aliyah (עלייה) literally means “going up” or “ascent,” but is commonly used to refer to the act of immigrating to Israel. Olim (עולים) are the Jewish immigrants themselves, those who “go up” or “ascend” by moving to the Land of Israel.
What does the Hebrew word klitah mean?
Klitah (קליטה) literally means “absorption” and is commonly used to refer to the process of helping new immigrants integrate into Israeli society. Multiple government programs and informal social systems assist olim in their gradual acclimation. There is even a dedicated government ministry, the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, that helps immigrants learn Hebrew, find work, and settle into Israeli society.
What is the Law of Return?
Passed in 1950, two short years after Israel gained independence, and updated in 1970, the Law of Return guarantees Jews, their spouses, their children, and their grandchildren the right to make aliyah and provides a pathway to Israeli citizenship.
MAJOR WAVES OF IMMIGRATION TO ISRAEL 1
What were the pre-1948 waves of Zionist aliyah?
The First Aliyah (1882-1903) was largely instigated by pogroms in Russia in the late 19th century as well as some Jews interested in building a Jewish community in Palestine. Nearly 25,000 Jews came to Palestine during this time. 2
The Second Aliyah (1904-1914) began a few years after Theodor Herzl founded the Zionist movement, and amidst growing antisemitism and economic hardship in Eastern Europe. Many future Zionist leaders, including David Ben-Gurion, arrived in this wave and the first kibbutzim (קיבוצים) were founded. The Second Aliyah brought 35,000 immigrants, though many left due to the difficult living conditions they encountered.
Most members of the Third Aliyah (1919-1923) were young chalutzim (חלוצים), or pioneers, from Eastern Europe who left in the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution. During this time, agricultural projects expanded rapidly and the Haganah—the primary pre-State fighting force and the predecessor of the IDF—was founded. About 40,000 immigrants came as part of this wave.
The Fourth Aliyah (1924-1929) came about due to continued economic crises and antisemitism in Eastern Europe, as well as stiff immigration restrictions elsewhere. Another 80,000 Jews immigrated during this wave.
The Fifth Aliyah (1929-1939) was fueled by the rise of the Third Reich in Germany. Some 250,000 Jews arrived as part of this wave.
Aliyah Bet (1920-1948) refers to the illegal immigration of Jews to Palestine. In the era of the British Mandate, particularly after 1939, the British limited the immigration of Jews, leading Zionist organizations to smuggle Jews into Palestine covertly. Over 100,000 Jews, some of whom were caught and detained in Cyprus, arrived through these illegal channels.
Who immigrated to Israel in the 1950s and 1960s?
Beginning in 1948, about 140,000 Holocaust survivors immigrated to Israel, in addition to tens of thousands who arrived before 1948. 3 Additionally, a mass immigration of Jews from the Middle East and North Africa (known as Mizrahim) began. In all, about 650,000 Mizrahim arrived in Israel. Israel’s population doubled between 1948 and 1951 and then tripled in the next decade. Once in Israel, both Holocaust survivors and Mizrahim faced challenges integrating into society.
Who immigrated to Israel since the 1970s?
In the 1970s, around 150,000 Jews from the Soviet Union immigrated to Israel after exit restrictions were eased. In the wake of the Six-Day War, immigration from the English-speaking world also rose, with about 60,000 Jews from North America reaching Israel between 1967-1973 (though many later left Israel). Between 1989 and 1999, approximately one million people immigrated to Israel during and after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1984 and 1991, two secret missions brought some 22,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel. Since the 1990s, immigration from around the world, including South Africa, France, other European countries, and North America, continues, albeit at a slower pace.
1 For a more in-depth survey of Jewish migrants from around the world and their destinations, see here.
2 “New Aliyah—Modern Zionist Aliyot (1882-1948).” Jewish Agency for Israel.
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