Jewish Immigration to Israel

For as long as there have been a Jewish people, they have longed to return to their ancestral homeland, the Land of Israel. Even before the State of Israel was established, Jews from around the world began their long journey home, bringing with them diverse languages, culture, and traditions. KKL-JNF is committed to the successful absorption of Israel’s immigrant groups, including programs that strengthen Jewish identity, encourage immigration, promote educational and employment opportunities, develop infrastructure, and create unity. 

E-Learning

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Rabbi Sharon Shalom: The First Ethiopian Rabbi in the State of Israel

Rabbi Sharon Shalom: The First Ethiopian Rabbi in the State of Israel

In this dramatic video (04:17), Rabbi Sharon Shalom tells the story of his harrowing journey to Israel through Sudan in 1982, as part of the exodus of the Beta Israel

The Challenges & Influence of Israel’s Russian Immigrants

The Challenges & Influence of Israel’s Russian Immigrants

This CNN news segment (02:33) explores Israel’s large community of immigrants from Russian, including the economic and social challenges they face and the major influence they have had on Israeli

The Life & Contributions of Natan Sharansky

The Life & Contributions of Natan Sharansky

In this inspiring video (04:54) from the Jewish Agency for Israel, Natan Sharansky summarizes his fascinating life story and his career of commitment to the Jewish people all over the world.

Ethiopian Israelis: Statistics, Goals & Challenges

Ethiopian Israelis: Statistics, Goals & Challenges

From the website of the Ethiopian National Project, this article presents background information and facts about the Ethiopian community in Israel, including the challenges they face, and statistics about demographics,

Why So Many “Generation 1.5” Immigrants from the Soviet Union Are Leaving Israel

Why So Many “Generation 1.5” Immigrants from the Soviet Union Are Leaving Israel

According to a recent study, 20% of the children who moved to Israel in the early nineties from the Former Soviet Union – known in academia as “Generation 1.5” – have

Tusovkas: The Social & Cultural Seclusion of Generation 1.5 Russians in Israel

Tusovkas: The Social & Cultural Seclusion of Generation 1.5 Russians in Israel

Known as “Generation 1.5,” those who immigrated to Israel from the Former Soviet Union as adolescents in the 1990s had a unique experience, with its own set of cultural and

In Search of Israeli Cuisine

In Search of Israeli Cuisine

This trailer (05:17) provides a taste of the 2016 award-winning documentary “In Search of Israeli Cuisine,” which presents a portrait of the complexity of the Israeli people through their diverse

A Taste of Ethiopia in Jerusalem

A Taste of Ethiopia in Jerusalem

As part of a tour of Jerusalem’s famous Machane Yehudah outdoor market, this video (07:33) brings viewers to an Ethiopian store in the center of Jerusalem that brings traditional Ethiopian

Traditional Eastern European Jewish Food in Israel

Traditional Eastern European Jewish Food in Israel

Featuring Jewish food expert, Joan Nathan, this video (01:59) gives viewers a taste of traditional Jewish delicacies from Eastern Europe at an eatery in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak.

Moroccan Cuisine in Israel

Moroccan Cuisine in Israel

Produced by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this video (02:26) highlights Moroccan cuisine in Israel, visiting restaurants that specialize in the ethnic food that has become so deeply integrated

Models of Cultural Absorption in Israeli Society

Models of Cultural Absorption in Israeli Society

Israel’s population is culturally and ethnically diverse, thanks to large immigrant waves from every corner of the world, each with its own challenges and successes. This thorough article from the Israel

The Challenges Facing Ethiopian Immigrants in Israel

The Challenges Facing Ethiopian Immigrants in Israel

Produced to mark the 20th anniversary of Operation Solomon, the covert mission in which almost 15,000 Ethiopian Jews were airlifted to Israel in 36 hours in 1991, this video (03:19)

The Ethiopian Jews of Israel: Background & Contributions

The Ethiopian Jews of Israel: Background & Contributions

This video (03:52) provides a basic introduction to the origins and history of Ethiopia’s Jewish community, their mass aliyah to Israel beginning in the 1980s, and their integration into Israeli

The Profile and Experiences of Israel’s French Community

The Profile and Experiences of Israel’s French Community

From the website of Bar Ilan University’s Alumni, this article examines the profile and experiences of Israel’s recent wave of French immigrants. Largely fleeing France due to a rise in anti-Semitism.

MK Ksenia Svetlova’s Aliyah Story

MK Ksenia Svetlova’s Aliyah Story

In this video (05:40), in Hebrew with English subtitles, Member of Knesset Ksenia Svetlova tells the story of her aliyah to Israel from the USSR following a rise in antisemitism,

The Challenges Facing French Immigrants to Israel

The Challenges Facing French Immigrants to Israel

In wake of the massive aliyah of Jews from France in recent years, this i24NEWS segment (04:53) explores the challenges facing French immigrants in their new home, including economic hardships,

With These Hands: Stories of Israel’s Heroic Immigrants

With These Hands: Stories of Israel’s Heroic Immigrants

This short video produced for Israel’s 68th birthday tells the stories of the everyday heroes that build Israel’s unique society, from war hero and farmer to teacher and midwife. Celebrating

Meski Shibru: The First Ethiopian Actress in Israel

Meski Shibru: The First Ethiopian Actress in Israel

In this video (03:19) produced by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israeli actress and singer, Meski Shibur, tells the story of her Aliyah to Israel, including the challenges of

Israel’s Diverse Population: Challenges & Successes

Israel’s Diverse Population: Challenges & Successes

This informative video (06:12) explores the experiences of Israel’s diverse immigrant population, with a focus on the Jewish immigrants from Ethiopia and the USSR and non-Jewish economic migrants and refugees

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Music

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Ehud Banai: Black Work

Ehud Banai: Black Work

This 1980s protest song by Ehud Banai expresses the challenges and discrimination facing the Ethiopian community in Israel. To see the full Hebrew and English lyrics, click here. 

Shlomo Gronich: Israeli Song

Shlomo Gronich: Israeli Song

This upbeat song by iconic Israeli artist Shlomo Gronich celebrates how Jews from all over the world contributed their unique cultures and traditions in the creation of a new Israeli

Marina Maximilian: 1990

Marina Maximilian: 1990

This moving song by Marina Maximilian describes the experience of immigrants to Israel from the Soviet Union in the nineties. Entitled “1990,” in reference to the year in which she

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What Else?

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An Art Exhibit Revealing Tales of Soviet Immigration to Israel

An Art Exhibit Revealing Tales of Soviet Immigration to Israel

This i24NEWS segment (05:11) showcases an art exhibit at the Israel Museum that explores the challenges experienced by Soviet immigrants to Israel. The artist, Zoya Cherkassy, uses pop art and

A Green Chariot: A Film About Russian-Israeli Identity

A Green Chariot: A Film About Russian-Israeli Identity

 This dramatic clip (03:56) is from “A Green Chariot” (2005), a film about a young Russian immigrant to Israel who abandons his secular Russian identity, friends and family in

Success Stories from Generation 1.5

Success Stories from Generation 1.5

“The great wave of aliyah from the former Soviet Union of the late 1980s and 1990s has given rise to a new generation of Russian-speaking Israelis, confident and comfortable in

With These Hands: Stories of Israel’s Heroic Immigrants

With These Hands: Stories of Israel’s Heroic Immigrants

This short video produced for Israel’s 68th birthday tells the stories of the everyday heroes that build Israel’s unique society, from war hero and farmer to teacher and midwife. Celebrating

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