Migration Patterns in the Contemporary Jewish World

Session Submission Type: Panel Session

Abstract

This panel delves into diverse migration patterns within the contemporary Jewish world, offering nuanced insights into the complexities, motivations, and implications of these movements. Through three distinct papers, the panel examines the multifaceted nature of migration, highlighting key trends and drivers.
‘The Paradox of Jewish Emigration from South Africa in the Post-Apartheid Era’, presented by Reviva Hasson from the Kaplan Centre at the University of Cape Town, examines how various facets of emigration have changed over a 30-year period. The paper questions the persistence in emigration given the general high quality of life, and Jewish-life, in South Africa - not easily replicated in the chosen destination countries.
The second paper by Daniel Staetsky, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Institute for Jewish Policy Research’s (JPR) European Demography Unit, explores the ongoing Jewish emigration from Russia and Ukraine and questions the interplay between historical and contemporary antisemitism as a driving force behind these migration flows.
Lastly, the presentation on ‘The Other Side of Return: Non-Jewish Immigrants to Israel’, by Sergio DellaPergola of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, shifts the focus to an under-researched area in the migration literature, that of non-Jewish immigrants to Israel. The presentation examines these immigrant’s status within Israel’s Law of Return framework and sheds light on the complexities surrounding non-Jewish immigration to Israel and the implication of this phenomenon on Israeli society.
Through these papers, each exploring a different geographic region, the panel aims to offer valuable insights into the complexities of the drivers shaping emigration decisions and the broader implications of such movements within the contemporary Jewish world.

Sub Unit

• Social Science

Chair

• Adina Bankier-Karp, Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation

Individual Presentations

• The Paradox of Jewish Emigration from South Africa in the Post-Apartheid Era - Reviva Hasson, Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies

• Migration of Jews out of Russia and Ukraine: from the mid -1990s till today - Daniel Staetsky, Institute for Jewish Policy Research

• Migration Patterns in the Contemporary Jewish World: The Other Side of Return: Non-Jewish Immigrants to Israel, 1984-2023 - Sergio DellaPergola, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Zoom Host

• Zoom Host 02